Colombo Urban Lab

Our webinar next week 'Debt without development' will present key insights from our report on Colombo's Urban Regeneration Project, followed by a discussion on #lka's development projects, financing loans and its human cost. To register - https://lnkd.in/gKeHPsxb Zoom link for the event: https://lnkd.in/gn6rSMKJ

Exciting updates from the FRESH initiative! At the Science Meeting in Colombo, Colombo Urban Lab and Institute of Development Studies unveiled our policy recommendations on Food Environments. Stakeholders shared feedback and suggested new interventions to enhance our impact. Next step ➡️ advocating for these to be included in policy.

As part of #D4N2024 Institute of Development Studies and CUL conducted a Learning Lab and guided participants through our integrated methodology with hands on learning on how to run Photovoice! You can view our toolkit via this link: https://lnkd.in/g9ZrfG9G

At the #D4N2024 Research Plenary we shared our research on food environments with Institute of Development Studies, urging policy shifts beyond the plate: support households through better social protection, ensure universal school meals, and support informal vendors without forced formalisation. ‘Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia’ is a flagship conference organised by IFPRI, together with CGIAR and other co-hosts; bringing together stakeholders from diverse sectors to explore the multifaceted linkages between nutrition and its determinants. https://lnkd.in/d4S4NmWc

Why has the Urban Regeneration Project in Colombo failed in achieving its objectives? How can we adopt a people-centric approach to sustainable housing moving forward? Read our latest article by Meghal Perera here: https://lnkd.in/gtUqgHN8

The nutritional landscape of Sri Lanka’s working-class poor is complex, shaped by institutional and systemic challenges that go beyond lack of income or limited access to fresh produce. How can the State and other actors better support these communities to promote healthy diets? Read our latest article here: https://lnkd.in/gr_MfJtc

🎉 Excited to announce that we will be presenting at this year's #D4N2024 conference! We will be presenting at the Plenary Research Showcase (4th Dec-9:00 AM) and the Learning Lab on integrating lived experiences into Food Environments research (5th Dec-3:00PM). See you there! The event details and agenda can be viewed here: https://lnkd.in/d4S4NmWc

Our latest article by Nimaya Dahanayake explores the idea of social infrastructure in the context of the Urban Regeneration Project, and highlights the importance of going beyond the physical manifestations of social infrastructure and understanding it as a broader concept that should also consider community dynamics, networks and interactions. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gRzTYR7m

Vendors in Deniyaya procure fresh produce from across the country, with produce travelling distances of as far as 174 km! The price and quality of fresh produce availble to the Malaiyaha community in Deniyaya is a reflection of factors like storage, transportation, and distance—making them vulnerable to fluctuations along the value chain like rising fuel prices. Read our findings in full: https://lnkd.in/gWHxrhfR

Phase two of our Food Environments research with Institute of Development Studies delves into what shapes food choices for Deniyaya’s Malaiyaha community. From structural inequality and rising produce costs to care networks and the economic crisis, many factors affect family diets. View the StoryMap with our findings here: https://lnkd.in/gWHxrhfR