This document was compiled as a part of Janaagraha’s broader study, Air Quality in Indian Cities: An Assessment of Outcomes of XV Finance Commission Funding for Cities with Learnings and Recommendations, into which lessons were drawn, but is now presented as a distinct work. It examines five cities, namely, Beijing, Mexico City, Accra, Paris, and London, each of which had confronted severe air pollution and responded with a distinctive mix of policy, institutional, and sectoral reforms. The cases trace their journeys across national strategies and five-year plans, transport, regional coordination, monitoring networks, legal and governance frameworks, and citizen participation, alongside the measurable improvements achieved and the challenges that remain.
Together, the case studies document the approaches, governance mechanisms, and interventions behind each city’s efforts to improve urban air quality, offering a comparative view of how different cities globally have tackled the problem.
