India, Sept. 21 -- Great cities are defined not only by the infrastructure they build, but by what they preserve, restore and pass on. Delhi is uniquely endowed in both respects. The Yamuna and its floodplains, the Ridge, urban forests and biodiversity parks form the city's ecological foundation; its monuments, historic precincts and archaeological sites carry centuries of history and culture.

As India advances towards the Prime Minister's vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, Delhi must demonstrate how a growing metropolis can combine development with environmental restoration and heritage conservation. The Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2047 offers the opportunity to place both at the heart of the capital's future.

The climate crisis has rewritt...