As we head towards the 10th edition of Urban ARC, IIHS’ annual research conference in January 2026, we are bringing back past Urban ARC presenters as part of the Publics@IIHS lecture series to revisit their work, or present new research as part of the anniversary year.
Our first such lecture is with Uttara Purandare, postdoctoral researcher at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University & HEC Liege, Belgium. She will talk about the role of management consultants in shaping smart city policies, governance, and institutions. The session will look at why consultants are hired, what they contribute, and how their presence influences governance at the local level. Uttara will also share perspectives from both India and Belgium—two very different contexts—highlighting overlaps as well as particularities in the outsourcing of smart city governance.
Uttara will be in conversation with Shriya Anand, School of Economic Development.