CITYS-C Research Collab successfully conducted its fourth city-level engagement under the Happy Planet Initiative with the event ‘Frame the Change’, held at Gorewada Biodiversity Park. The event brought together 40 citizens ranging from 4 to 70 years of age, representing a wide cross-section of Nagpur, to collectively slow down, reflect, and re-imagine their relationship with nature and resources. Designed as an immersive, nature-based experience, Frame the Change brought together a nature walk, meditation, mindful observation, hands-on photography, creative frame-making, and informal conversations around sustainability. Participants learned basic nature photography techniques, encouraging tactile, low-impact creativity.

 

Practicing sustainability in action, participants were also encouraged to bring their own reusable containers, bottles, and cutlery for refreshments, significantly reducing single-use disposables at public gatherings. A key analytical component of the event was an ecological footprint assessment conducted using an internationally recognised tool, through which participants evaluated their lifestyle patterns, including food, mobility, housing, energy use, and consumption behaviour.

 

The results were eye-opening, revealing that even environmentally conscious participants often underestimate their personal and household carbon impact. The assessment revealed ecological footprints ranging from approximately 1.5 to over 4 Earths, highlighting significant inequalities in urban resource consumption. Several participants recorded footprints of 2.3–3.6 Earths, indicating that widely accepted urban lifestyles exceed ecological limits, while none achieved one-planet living—pointing to systemic constraints beyond individual intent. Adults, despite greater agency over lifestyle choices, continued to reflect entrenched patterns of convenience-led and resource-intensive consumption. The event was guided by resource persons Arwa Ali (Architect and Urban Designer), Dr Namrata Tharwani Gaurkhede (Water and Ecology Expert, Architect and Urban Planner), and Arwa Z. Ali (Professional Photographer) with Dr Madhurima Waghmare as a mentor. Citys-c extended gratitude to the entire organising team, and Altaf Vali for his generous support.