| Urban centers consume a disproportionate amount of energy and contribute disproportionately to ecological degradation. Cities and towns are especially at risk from the direct and indirect potential effects of climate change. This dissertation investigates urban initiatives in meeting global climate change challenges locally in `bottom-up' approach. India is among very few countries which has a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy at the federal as well as state levels, and has announced the `Development of Solar Cities', a program to renewablize cities in India.;With financial constraints limiting governmental capacity to meet community welfare needs, there is growing interest in public-private partnerships (PPP) involving private players in the public service activity for developmental assistance to localities. In reality however, it is argued that PPP gets captured by the private sector. There is a longstanding tradition of community initiatives and cooperation leading to a modern day substitute of PPP known as public-public partnerships (PUPPs), which is established as an alternative in this research study.;Issue of urban renewablization in India is investigated from the vantage point of concerned local players or stake holders and collaboration amongst them as envisaged in by PUPP, namely community, municipal government, youth, students and women organizations, non-governmental, consumers and environmental organizations, trade unions, educational and independent research institutes, small entrepreneurs, professors, teachers, professionals and responsible citizens. Extensive qualitative analysis is carried out in a case study city of Thane, providing bottom-up best practices from the selected cities in the United States as lessons for urban renewablization in India. A workable and viable strategy for urban renewablization of the city of Thane in particular and for Indian cities in general is proposed.;Through a feasibility study of the city of Thane, it has been established that SEU has a strong potential for urban renewablization in India through PUPPs. The research emphasizes the need for a strong citizens' energy movement (CEM) to strengthen and sustain the SEU and PUPPs. The results of this research suggest a pathway for creation of a long-term sustainable strategy for urban renewablization in India, as well as cities of developing world -- a local strategy with a global significance. |
