ABSTRACT
In an era of rapid urbanization, particularly within the global south, coproduction initiatives to deliver sustainable urban environments proliferate. Practical experiences of service delivery have demonstrated the advantages of coproduction, particularly in contexts of high inequality, to address service deficiencies in informal settlements. In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals, and SDG 11, the ‘cities goal,’ coproduction signifies a means to address complex environmental problems, particularly when there are conflicts about the use of resources. If coproduction emerges as a means to work through environmental conflicts in urban settings, then we need to understand what makes coproduction viable in certain environments to produce collaborative and sustainable cities and with what consequences.
Using the case of urban water commons (tanks) in the south Indian city of Bangalore, where coproduction attempts have been piloted, this chapter adopts a critical approach towards the practice of coproduction. We do this by questioning the motivations that move actors into coproduction and the role of historical variables in enabling coproduction. We also attempt to situate coproduction practices in the context of heterogeneous dynamics of power across actors within the landscape to understand the extent to which the social function of tanks can be recovered. Our critique demonstrates that while coproduction has immense potential as a tool to create change, foster institutional innovations and deliver services in unorthodox contexts, greater engagement with the complexities of motivation, contextual histories, and dynamics of power are required in order to achieve urban sustainability and social justice.
