Gautam John is the CEO, of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropy Foundation. In this episode, ‘Understanding The Future of Role of Citizens In Cities’, Gautam John, helps us understand the role of citizens in the urban context with regards to policy development, active participation in governance, electoral engagements and more importantly, how they can be empowered. We discussed in-depth the different sectors that are required for citizens to be empowered. We also discussed different organisations for creating awareness, facilitating connection, building capacity and driving awareness to empower the citizens. He further explained the work being done by different organisations on the ground to bring together communities, and problems solving and make them aware of their roles and duties. We also discussed the ways in which citizens do not become just become beneficiaries of government but are the participating people to develop those cities, from the grassroots perspective. We emphasised challenges created by the increasing population and the impact of mass migration to the cities. We further discussed co-creation with citizens, and what are the different things that the government or an administrativein body can think of for co-creation. Further, we had in-depth conversations on resilience, Samaj, Sarkar & Bazaar and the technologies that can assist citizens, keeping in mind the vast diversity that exists in India. Lastly, we discussed what are the different skill sets that would be required for the future to lead any kind of citizen movement or empowerment. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Gaana, JioSaavn & Youtube. Also, follow Climate Centre for Cities on Social Media for more updates on podcasts, blogs and newsletters. Respective links can be accessed here: https://linktr.ee/ccube To know more about the Climate Centre for Cities: http://c-cube.niua.org/ To know more about the Climate Practitioners India Network (CPIN):  https://niua.in/c-cube/climate-practitioners-india-network Special thanks to the members of the Design Team, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and Climate Centre for Cities for constant support. Also, a special mention to Manjaree Dutta and Arunav Moitra for supporting the development of the podcast. The podcast is conceptualised, produced & hosted by Punit Gandhi: https://www.punitgandhi.com/ Music Credits: Navdeep Music https://www.navdeepmusic.com/ Disclaimer: Climate Centre for Cities (C-Cube) is providing this podcast as a public service, but it is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of C-Cube's policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the C-Cube. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by C-Cube employees are those of the employees and do not necessarily reflect the view of the C-Cube or any of its officials. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/climate-centre-for-cities/message