Annual Research on Cities Summit (ARCS) is an annual Conference organized by the School of Human Settlements, XIM University, to share research and experience on the planning and management of human settlements and urbanization in India. Current understandings of the conditions of cities, towns, and peripheries and their functioning and development processes are minimal and partial, presenting a key challenge for effective intervention. ARCS aims to stimulate the creation and facilitate the exchange of knowledge to develop safe, sustainable, and just settlements. This year, ARCS 9.0 International Conference on Sustainable Urban Futures: Policy, Planning, Management was held on 13-14 February 2025. It brought together academicians, researchers, professionals, policy analysts, and students, who shared their research findings and experiences concerning sustainable urban development planning and management in developing countries. These contributions have been compiled in the Conference Book of Abstracts.