Jana Urban Space Foundation (Jana USP) is a Bengaluru-based not-for-profit institution working to transform the spatial dimension of India’s cities and towns — enhancing quality of life through urban planning and design across both policy and practice. Placing communities and environmental sustainability at the heart of design, Jana USP works on land titling, spatial and street design reforms, and the preparation of regional, master, and neighborhood plans. Its projects span the Tender S.U.R.E. (Specifications for Urban Road Execution) program for road infrastructure improvement; the rejuvenation of public spaces such as markets, bus stands, lakes, parks, heritage precincts, and community centers; and Neighborhood Improvement Plans NIPs) as building blocks of cities.
In the two decades, Jana USP has partnered with governments at the union, state, and city level including NITI Aayog (formerly the Planning Commission), the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), and the Governments of Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan to advance urban planning and design reforms.
Currently, Jana USP has partnered with the Government of Uttar Pradesh, supporting the Urban Roads Infrastructure Development Agency (URIDA) under the Chief Minister’s Green Road Infrastructure Development Scheme (CM GRIDS) — managing road redevelopment projects across 17 cities. In collaboration with the Urban Development Department of Uttar Pradesh, Jana USP is also preparing a Green Schedule of Rates, Street Design Guidelines, and Urban Street Branding Guidelines. In Odisha, Jana USP runs the Odisha Urban Design Hub (OUDH) — a state-level PMU that identifies, designs, and executes projects while formulating urban design policies, including the ongoing design of the Mahanadi Waterfront in Cuttack. In Assam, Jana USP is a partner to Doh ShaherEk Rupayan to transform 10 cities, specifically on identifying projects and implementing them under a Move Play, Eat, Include framework. In Karnataka, it is piloting 15-Minute Neighborhoods in Bengaluru and Manipal.