Colombo Urban Lab

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Colombo Urban Lab

The Colombo Urban Lab is an interdisciplinary space striving to produce knowledge on and advocate for equitable & sustainable cities in Sri Lanka

06/03/2026

Domestic workers are the invisible infrastructure that keeps Colombo running. They enable women’s participation in the workforce, hold together fragile urban care systems, and fill gaps left by limited public childcare. Yet they remain excluded from minimum wage protections, EPF/ETF, paid leave and pensions.

Colombo Urban Lab's Junior Researcher Piyumi Wattuhewa explores domestic work as essential urban care infrastructure, workers' lived realities in Colombo and what meaningful social protection for them can look like.
Read the article here: https://www.csf-asia.org/domestic-workers-as-care-infrastructure-in-cities/

05/03/2026

We used human-centred design (HCD) methodologies for our workshops aiming to raise awareness about social protection among working-class communities in Colombo and developed a practical guide on how our methodology can be used or adapted. It is designed for practitioners, researchers, organisers, and policymakers working to strengthen citizen voice in social protection systems.
See the guide through the link here: https://www.csf-asia.org/a-guide-for-raising-awareness-on-social-protection/

13/02/2026

Pettah’s Floating Market shows how urban regeneration can go wrong when projects ignore local needs and context. High costs, low relevance, and poor planning turn ‘regeneration’ into a tourist trap.
Read more in our new report "White Elephants or Cash Cows? Evaluating Two Urban Development Projects" to learn more: https://www.csf-asia.org/white-elephants-or-cash-cows-evaluating-two-urban-development-projects-in-colombo/

12/02/2026

Missed our panel discussion on social protection and urban infrastructures of care? Read our latest article to catch up.
Link to article: https://www.csf-asia.org/panel-discussion-highlights/
Read the full report here: https://www.csf-asia.org/social-protection-and-urban-infrastructures-of-care-in-colombo/
Link to the summary in Tamil:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Tamil.pdf
Link to the summary in Sinhala:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Sinhala.pdf
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11/02/2026

Top-down urban development risks creating costly but underused spaces. Arcade Independence Square shows why inclusive planning and tenant engagement are essential.

Read more in our new report "White Elephants or Cash Cows? Evaluating Two Urban Development Projects" to learn more: https://www.csf-asia.org/white-elephants-or-cash-cows-evaluating-two-urban-development-projects-in-colombo/

09/02/2026

In post-war Colombo, urban regeneration was closely tied to centralised and militarised modes of governance. Large-scale development projects were framed as symbols of progress and spectacle.

Our latest report examines how this approach shaped the design, management, and outcomes of flagship urban projects, at the cost of public participation and financial feasibility.

Read it here: https://www.csf-asia.org/white-elephants-or-cash-cows-evaluating-two-urban-development-projects-in-colombo/

05/02/2026

Post-war Colombo saw a wave of ambitious urban development projects designed to be iconic public spaces and revenue generators. But have they fulfilled their objectives a decade later?
Using Arcade Independence Square and the Pettah Floating Market as case studies, our latest report traces how top-down planning, weak financial models, and the absence of public participation turned flagship projects into costly failures.
Read "White Elephants or Cash Cows? White Elephants or Cash Cows? Evaluating Two Urban Development Projects in Colombo" to learn more: https://www.csf-asia.org/white-elephants-or-cash-cows-evaluating-two-urban-development-projects-in-colombo/

30/01/2026

Working mothers in Colombo face deep time poverty - balancing paid work with unpaid care, often with little support from within the household. Our research shows that rest and leisure are rare, and exhaustion is common. Time poverty should not be inevitable. Investing in care infrastructure and social protection can reduce women’s unpaid labour and improve quality of life

Read the full report to learn more: https://www.csf-asia.org/social-protection-and-urban-infrastructures-of-care-in-colombo/
Link to the summary in Tamil:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Tamil.pdf
Link to the summary in Sinhala:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Sinhala.pdf

This work has been supported by UNICEF Sri Lanka

29/01/2026

In Colombo’s working-class communities, daycare is rarely seen as a viable option. Cost, concerns about safety and quality, and strong social norms around motherhood all shape how families view formal childcare. Our research shows that investing in care infrastructure must go beyond availability; it must address trust, affordability, and community needs.

Read the full report to learn more: https://www.csf-asia.org/social-protection-and-urban-infrastructures-of-care-in-colombo/
Link to the summary in Tamil:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Tamil.pdf
Link to the summary in Sinhala:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Sinhala.pdf

This work has been supported by UNICEF Sri Lanka

27/01/2026

For working mothers in Colombo’s working-class communities, returning to work after childbirth is often a tough choice shaped by family pressures, financial constraints, and limited care options. Our research highlights the urgent need for maternity protections, accessible care infrastructure, and financial support to empower mothers, strengthen families, and benefit communities.

Read the full report to learn more: https://www.csf-asia.org/social-protection-and-urban-infrastructures-of-care-in-colombo/
Link to the summary in Tamil:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Tamil.pdf
Link to the summary in Sinhala:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Sinhala.pdf

This work has been supported by UNICEF Sri Lanka

26/01/2026

Working mothers in Colombo’s working-class communities face daily challenges in balancing care and paid work. Our latest research highlights key recommendations, from investing in care infrastructure and strengthening protections for domestic workers, to universal school meal programmes, that can help women in the diﬀerent dynamics and needs that they face within their households, places of work and beyond

Link to full report: https://www.csf-asia.org/social-protection-and-urban-infrastructures-of-care-in-colombo/
Link to the summary in Tamil:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Tamil.pdf
Link to the summary in Sinhala:http://www.csf-asia.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Social-Protection-and-Urban-Infrastructure-of-Care-in-Colombo_Summary_Sinhala.pdf

This work has been supported by UNICEF Sri Lanka

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http://csf-asia.org/colombo-urban-lab/

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