ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that some people's freedoms are allowed to matter more than others. This happens through state and municipal policies that deny certain categories of people these freedoms and capabilities, such as to be free from 'avoidable ill-health', 'to achieve dignity and respect' and to 'pursue their own goals, objectives and commitments'. In Asia and the Pacific region, the urban population grew faster than in any other region in the world over the past two decades, with almost half of the population in the region living in urban areas. Internal migration in India is typically characterised by people moving back and forth between the city and their hometowns, constituting a largely circular and seasonal labour force. Under the current Indian government, there are ambitious plans to build '100 Smart Cities', as a response to many unsustainable examples of urbanisation across India. Singapore has been widely perceived as a leader in sustainable urbanism.
