Journal article
Economic growth and community development through decentralized planning: the case of Thalikulam Vikas Trust in Kerala, India
Local development & society, Vol.6(2), pp.303-320
05/04/2025
DOI: 10.1080/26883597.2025.2459930
Abstract
Economic development planning in the global South has proven to be a formidable undertaking, riddled with corruption, colossal waste of resources, and underwhelming successes. In 1993, aiming to reform development practices in India, the government of India amended the national constitution to encourage bottom-up development planning, a paradigmatic shift from the top-down approach generally used in the global South. In one Indian state – Kerala – these amendments sparked a “people’s planning movement” that over the last two decades has galvanized communities across the state, resulting in development projects that would not have happened otherwise, tangibly improving the quality of many people’s lives. In this paper, we review the economic growth and community development outcomes from these amendments in Kerala, examining one local nonprofit, Thalikulam Vikas Trust, and its accomplishments. Our goal is to share our understanding of the causes and consequences of a remarkable grassroots planning experiment in Kerala.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Economic growth and community development through decentralized planning: the case of Thalikulam Vikas Trust in Kerala, India
- Creators
- Jerry Anthony - University of IowaEmily Seiple
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Local development & society, Vol.6(2), pp.303-320
- DOI
- 10.1080/26883597.2025.2459930
- ISSN
- 2688-3597
- eISSN
- 2688-3600
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 02/03/2025
- Date published
- 05/04/2025
- Academic Unit
- Center for Social Science Innovation; School of Planning and Public Affairs; University College Courses
- Record Identifier
- 9984786279702771
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