UN Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

How we research safer, cleaner cities, protect Himalayan heritage, build resilient communities and run a sustainable campus.

UPES report on Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
The UPES campus in the Himalayan foothills near Dehradun, with students gathered on a central lawn

How UPES contributes to sustainable cities and communities

Set in the Himalayan foothills, UPES works to make the towns, villages and campus around it safer, cleaner and more liveable. Its researchers tackle floods, landslides, waste, pollution and traffic, its projects keep Himalayan heritage alive, and it works with villages, residents and city agencies while running a green, walkable campus of its own.

512sustainable cities research publications
2model smart villages near Dehradun
GRIHAnational green building recognition
650 KLDsewage treatment for a zero water discharge campus
1,500+delegates at Sustainability Fair 3.0

We research safer cities

From landslide early warning to smarter waste and electric public transport, UPES research serves Himalayan towns.

We protect heritage

Virtual museums and craft projects record and revive the art and skills of Uttarakhand and the Himalaya.

We build resilience

A safe campus, disaster-management degrees and training prepare people for earthquakes, floods and fires.

We work with communities

Model smart villages, neighbourhood planning and clean-energy projects improve life in nearby villages and towns.

We run a green campus

Green buildings, solar power, water reuse, walkable paths and electric carts make the campus a model of sustainable living.

We open our spaces

The library, cultural spaces and grounds are open to the public for learning, culture and community events.

1Research for safer, cleaner cities

UPES researchers work on the problems Himalayan towns and cities face: floods and landslides, polluted rivers, waste, traffic and the edges where people and wildlife meet.

Impact

UPES research tackles the real problems of Himalayan towns and cities, from landslide warnings to cleaner rivers, smarter waste and better public transport.

512sustainable cities research publications
11,126citations to these papers
21.7citations per paper
3rdlargest SDG area in UPES's intellectual property
  • An IoT early-warning system tracks rain, soil, river levels and slope movement to warn communities of floods and landslides.
  • UPES has studied Dehradun's air quality and public transport and advised on the city's solid waste management.
  • A study designed an autonomous electric public transport system for Dehradun to cut congestion and emissions.

What the research covers

Number of papers on each theme (a paper can appear under more than one).

ThemePapers
Urban planning and land use200
Transport, mobility and electric vehicles155
Smart cities, IoT and sensing149
Waste management and circular cities108
Disasters, climate risk and resilience103
Buildings, construction and energy efficiency85
Air quality and urban pollution63
Culture, heritage and tourism38

Most cited work

  1. A Review on Autonomous Vehicles: Progress, Methods and Challenges[26] (Electronics (Switzerland), 2022), cited 533 times.
  2. An overview of iot sensor data processing, fusion, and analysis techniques[27] (Sensors (Switzerland), 2020), cited 421 times.
  3. IoT based smart parking system[28] (2016 International Conference on Internet of Things and Applications, IOTA 2016, 2016), cited 404 times.
  4. Perspective review on Municipal Solid Waste-to-energy route: Characteristics, management strategy, and role in circular economy[29] (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2022), cited 305 times.
  5. Agro-waste to sustainable energy: A green strategy of converting agricultural waste to nano-enabled energy applications[30] (Science of the Total Environment, 2023), cited 262 times.

The full list of publications, with links, is in the annexure.

Research highlights

  • Early warning in the mountains. A 2025 UPES study designed an IoT system that tracks rainfall, soil moisture, ground vibration, river levels and slope movement, uses machine learning to spot danger, and warns communities and officials of flash floods and landslides by SMS, app, siren and dashboard.
  • Rivers and health in Dehradun's slums. A current project measures water quality and microplastic pollution in slum communities along Dehradun's urban rivers, with the health risks they create and ways to treat and clean the water.
  • Smarter urban waste. Researchers from the Sustainability Cluster and School of Computer Science reviewed how AI, smart bins, sensors, robotic sorting, drones and prediction models can make city waste collection cleaner and more efficient (2026).
  • Public transport for Dehradun. A 2025 study designed an autonomous public transport system for Dehradun using electric trackless trams, sensors and AI to cut congestion and emissions.
  • Research for city policy. The Centre for Energy, Environment and Sustainability Studies researches urban transport, efficient buildings and environmental policy with government and industry. UPES has studied Dehradun's air quality and public transport, advised on the city's solid waste management, contributed research on rural solar micro-grids to a UNDP clean-energy initiative, and supported Government of India research on managing leopard populations near human settlements.

Patents and intellectual property

UPES holds 2,314+ intellectual property rights, including 813 patents (139 granted), 943 designs and 558 copyrights (December 2025). Mapped against the Sustainable Development Goals, Sustainable Cities and Communities is the third-largest area of the portfolio, after Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and Affordable and Clean Energy.

Bar chart of UPES intellectual property rights by Sustainable Development Goal, led by SDG 9, then SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 3 and SDG 13
UPES intellectual property mapped to the Sustainable Development Goals.

2Culture and heritage

UPES uses research and technology to safeguard the living heritage of Uttarakhand and the Himalaya, and opens its campus to the region's cultural life.

Impact

UPES records and revives the living heritage of the Himalaya, and opens its campus, library and grounds to the region's cultural life.

10Aipan artists documented for a virtual reality museum
~190free learning resources open to everyone
Freepublic access to the library website and cultural spaces
  • AipanVR lets anyone explore Kumaoni Aipan art in an interactive virtual museum.
  • Projects keep Bhimal fibre craft and Ladakhi weaving alive and earning for artisans.
  • UPES co-partners an event at Virasat, Dehradun's annual cultural festival, and hosts art, craft and culture events through the year.
  • AipanVR. Researchers worked with 10 Aipan artists in Almora, Nainital and Haldwani to document this Kumaoni ritual floor and wall art, then recreated it in an interactive virtual reality museum so anyone can learn about it.
  • Bhimal fibre craft. The Himalayan Institute for Learning and Leadership is documenting the Bhimal (Selu) fibre craft of Karchaa village and designing new products that keep traditional skills alive and earning.
  • Traditional weaving in Ladakh. Through Project Artisan, UPES works with NGOs and schools to support women weavers and preserve their craft.
  • Virasat. UPES invests in arts and culture by co-partnering an important event at Virasat, Dehradun's famous annual cultural festival, run with REACH. It also opens its amphitheatres and Multi Activity Centre for art, craft and culture events through the year.
  • Virasat ke Rang. In this talk series, art historian, oral historian and heritage conservationist Sohail Hashmi spoke to Journalism and Mass Communication students on 15 October 2025 about Indian art, culture, monuments and the stories behind them. From 13 to 18 October 2025 the series also brought evenings of conversation and performance celebrating artisans who carry craft and music traditions forward.
  • Campus culture. The annual Uurja youth festival, Garba nights and folk music performances celebrate India's regional traditions.

Open to the public

  • Library. The UPES Library website is open to everyone, with a curated portal of about 190 free open educational resources, links to SWAYAM and NPTEL courses, and UPES PhD theses deposited in the national ShodhGanga repository. The library's fair-use guidelines also list onsite visitors among the authorised users of its licensed e-books, journals and databases.
  • Heritage online. The AipanVR virtual museum lets anyone explore Kumaoni Aipan art.
  • Spaces for culture. UPES opens its amphitheatres and Multi Activity Centre for Virasat and other public art, craft and culture events.
  • Green spaces and grounds. As and when required, UPES also offers its cricket grounds for community events such as the Shaheed Memorial and Champions League tournaments, and for other events.

3Resilient communities

In a region exposed to earthquakes, floods and landslides, UPES builds safety into its campus and trains the professionals who keep communities safe.

Impact

UPES builds safety into its own campus and trains the professionals who keep Himalayan communities safe from disasters.

250CCTV cameras feeding a 24-hour control room
2022Safety and Disaster Management Cluster set up
16schools and communities reached by Project Swachhata
  • Seismic-resistant design, slope stabilisation and regular evacuation drills protect students and staff.
  • Degree programmes in disaster management and health, safety and environment train future experts.
  • Himalaya Calling 2025 brought experts together on disaster resilience for mountain communities.
  • Round-the-clock safety. About 250 CCTV cameras feed a central control room staffed 24 hours a day, alongside a Control and Emergency Response Centre, a fire hydrant network with automatic detection, and access control at the gates.
  • A safe campus. Seismic-resistant design, slope stabilisation and drainage protect buildings, while regular fire and earthquake evacuation drills, alarms, sprinklers and assembly points prepare students and staff. The campus medical team coordinates disaster-management drills.
  • Experts for disaster risk. UPES offers an M.Tech in Disaster Management and B.Tech and MBA programmes in fire, safety and health, safety and environment management.
  • Safe, Resilient and Sustainable Cities. The Safety and Disaster Management Cluster, set up in 2022, runs training in first aid, fire safety and emergency response, and held a symposium on safe, resilient and sustainable cities in October 2022.
  • Technology for the Himalaya. At Himalaya Calling 2025, UPES hosted researchers, entrepreneurs and policy thinkers on disaster management, climate-resilient technology and infrastructure for mountain communities. A panel on strengthening disaster resilience in the Himalaya brought together experts including Prof Ajay Gairola and Piyoosh Rautela.
  • Cleaner neighbourhoods. Through Project Swachhata, students and staff ran cleanliness and waste segregation campaigns that reached 16 government schools and community areas in 2022–23.

4Sustainable villages and neighbourhoods

UPES works with villages, residents and city agencies to plan and build more sustainable places to live.

Impact

UPES works hand in hand with villages, residents and city agencies to make the places around it more sustainable to live in.

2villages developed as model smart villages
1,230NGO partners for community projects
16schools and communities reached by Swachhata
  • Dhalani and Koti have solar lighting, clean cooking, digital classrooms and health camps through Project Utthan.
  • UPES helped a Dehradun residents' association prepare a smart city proposal and works with Dehradun Smart City Limited.
  • Revived watermills bring clean energy and income to hill villages.
  • Model smart villages. Since 2022, Project Utthan has helped Dhalani and Koti in Dehradun district with solar lighting, clean cooking, digital classrooms and health camps.
  • A smarter neighbourhood. In 2022 UPES faculty and students helped the Jal Vayu Vihar Residents Welfare Association in Dehradun prepare a smart city proposal covering street lighting, rainwater harvesting and digital community services. UPES also works with Dehradun Smart City Limited on research, internships and knowledge exchange.
  • Clean power for hill villages. With the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Project UK is reviving traditional watermills to generate clean energy and income in hill communities.
  • Better village schools. UPES has improved toilets, drinking water and solar power in adopted government schools.
  • Green livelihoods for women. Project Vikalp's self-help groups make pencils from recycled paper, crafts and medicinal plant products, and at the Waste-Paper Recycling Laboratory, women from indigenous communities turn campus waste paper into sheets, pencils, jewellery and stationery.
  • Students in the community. Through the Srijan Social Internship, first-year students work with NGOs on projects such as sanitation facilities and rainwater harvesting.

5A sustainable campus

UPES's campuses in the Himalayan foothills are planned to protect the natural landscape and use energy and water carefully.

Impact

UPES campuses are planned around people on foot, green space and careful use of energy and water.

GRIHAnational green building recognition
100 kWsolar plant on campus
650 KLDsewage treatment, zero water discharge
89%water savings through recharge and reuse
  • Fossil-fuel vehicles are restricted on campus, and electric carts and walkable paths connect buildings.
  • A shuttle links both campuses with Dehradun city.
  • Hostels house students close to class, and Project Protsaahan scholars live in hostels free of charge.
  • Green design. UPES received GRIHA recognition, India's national green building rating, presented at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Topsoil was saved and reused, the terrain and green cover preserved, and CFC- and HCFC-free refrigerants and insulation used.
  • Energy. A 100 kW solar plant, 61,500 litres of solar water heating for hostels, LED lighting and a unity power factor.
  • Water. A sewage treatment system with a capacity of 650 kilolitres a day recycles wastewater for horticulture, and rainwater harvesting pits with flow meters recharge groundwater.
  • Clean mobility. Walkable paths and green spaces, plus student-built clean transport such as the U-BAHN electric cart with an 85 Ah battery and IoT tracking, an electric bike and a solar tree that lights and charges devices.
  • Building to green standards. Under the UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy[16] (2025), all new buildings and renovations must follow the Energy Conservation Building Code and National Building Code, use GRIHA or IGBC green-building ratings where feasible and specify energy-efficient equipment (§5.1.1).
  • Greener commuting. The Divestment Policy[17] commits UPES to electric carts and battery-operated vehicles for getting around campus and to restrictions on fossil-fuel vehicles on campus, and the 2025 policy encourages carpooling, cycling and battery-powered vehicles (§5.4). A shuttle links the Bidholi and Kandoli campuses with Dehradun city, and the Climate Action Plan includes electrifying campus service vehicles and promoting greener commuting.
  • Campuses for people on foot. With fossil-fuel vehicles restricted, walkable paths and green spaces connect academic buildings, hostels and food courts.
  • Housing for students. Hostels on both campuses house students close to their classes, with meals included in the hostel fee, and Project Protsaahan scholars live in hostels free of charge.
  • Flexible working. Non-academic staff work flexible hours around core hours of 10 am to 4 pm.
  • Courses for city builders. Programmes include the B.Tech in Sustainability Engineering, B.Tech Computer Science with IoT and Smart Cities, and Transportation and Mobility Design.

6Bringing people together

UPES convenes government, industry, researchers and communities to work on sustainable development.

Impact

UPES brings government, industry, researchers and communities together to work on sustainable development.

1,500+delegates at Sustainability Fair 3.0, April 2025
1,500+schoolchildren reached during Sustainability Fair 2023
2024RISE Centre launched with Aspire Impact
  • The Sustainability Fair brings industry, government and researchers to campus every year.
  • The RISE Centre leads UPES's climate work and trains professionals in ESG and net-zero strategy.
  • Sustainability Fair. Organised by the School of Advanced Engineering, the fair brought more than 1,000 participants from industry, government and research in 2023, when students also reached more than 1,500 schoolchildren with awareness activities. The third edition in April 2025 drew more than 1,500 delegates, including policymakers, industry leaders and international researchers.
  • RISE Centre. Launched with Aspire Impact in September 2024, it leads UPES's climate work and, with Mahindra University, trains professionals in ESG, net-zero and carbon-neutrality strategy.

Events and activities

6 events on heritage, culture, disaster resilience and sustainability show this goal in action.

Photo: Shaping Future Geoscientists: UPES Students Learn from India’s Geological Heritage

School of Advanced Engineering

Shaping Future Geoscientists: UPES Students Learn from India’s Geological Heritage

For geologists, the entire planet is a classroom - and nature is the greatest teacher. Every outcrop, every layer of rock, and every landscape narrates a story far…

SDG 4SDG 11SDG 15
Photo: Celebrating Culture Through the Words of Our Student-Author

School of Business

Celebrating Culture Through the Words of Our Student-Author

Our student final year student Aditya Vats has made us proud with the launch of his book " Making and Remaking of Uttarakhand ” at Raj Bhavan, graced by the Retd. Lt.…

SDG 9SDG 11
Photo: Beyond Awareness: UPES Health Sciences Students Explore Sustainability in Action

School of Health Sciences and Technology

Beyond Awareness: UPES Health Sciences Students Explore Sustainability in Action

The School of Health Sciences and Technology at UPES recently hosted a thought-provoking session titled “Reimagining Responsibility: Volunteerism, Circular…

SDG 3SDG 11SDG 12
Photo: The School of Liberal Studies and Media, UPES, hosted Shab Setu on Hindi Diwas to reflect on the role of…

School of Liberal Studies and Media

The School of Liberal Studies and Media, UPES, hosted Shab Setu on Hindi Diwas to reflect on the role of

The School of Liberal Studies and Media, UPES, hosted Shab Setu on Hindi Diwas to reflect on the role of language as a bridge between people, ideas, and cultures.…

SDG 4SDG 10SDG 11
A panel chair speaks at Himalaya Calling 2025

HILL · Himalaya Calling 2025

Strengthening disaster resilience in the Himalaya

A panel with Prof Ajay Gairola, Piyoosh Rautela and other experts on making Himalayan communities more resilient to disasters.

SDG 11SDG 13SDG 17
Students at the Virasat ke Rang talk

School of Liberal Studies and Media · 15 October 2025

Virasat ke Rang: Sohail Hashmi on Indian art and heritage

The art historian and heritage conservationist spoke to Journalism and Mass Communication students about art, culture, monuments and heritage.

SDG 4SDG 11

Our contribution to the UN SDG 11 targets

Goal 11 has ten targets agreed by the United Nations for 2030. UPES contributes to nine of them through its research, campus, heritage work and partnerships with communities and city agencies.

Impact

UPES activity reaches nine of the ten Goal 11 targets, with its deepest impact on heritage, disaster resilience, cleaner cities and participatory planning.

9 of 10UN targets under Goal 11 that UPES contributes to
4targets with sustained programmes and measurable results

Where we make the biggest difference

Targets where UPES runs sustained programmes with measurable results.

Where we also contribute

Targets supported through specific projects, facilities and research.

11.1

UN target 11.1Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing.

What UPES does

11.b

UN target 11.bAdopt and implement integrated policies and plans towards resilience and disaster risk reduction.

What UPES does

UN target wording is summarised. The full official text is on the United Nations SDG 11 page[35].

Indicators and where they are reported

Each SDG 11 indicator, and the report on this page that covers it.

IndicatorReport
Research on sustainable cities and communitiesReport 1: Research for safer, cleaner cities
Public access to buildingsReport 2: Culture and heritage
Public access to librariesReport 2: Culture and heritage
Public access to museums, exhibition spaces and works of artReport 2: Culture and heritage
Public access to green spacesReport 2: Culture and heritage
Contribution to local artsReport 2: Culture and heritage
Recording and preserving intangible cultural heritageReport 2: Culture and heritage
Working with local authorities on planning and developmentReport 4: Sustainable villages and neighbourhoods
Promoting sustainable commutingReport 5: A sustainable campus
Remote and flexible workingReport 5: A sustainable campus
Affordable housing for students and staffReport 5: A sustainable campus
Pedestrian priority on campusReport 5: A sustainable campus
Building to sustainable standardsReport 5: A sustainable campus

Annexure: sustainable cities research publications

The full list of UPES sustainable cities research publications indexed in Scopus, with a link to each paper.

709sustainable cities research publications
14,000citations to these papers
19.7citations per paper

Open the full list in a new window ↗