URBAN PLANNING: HOW WE WANT OUR WORLD TO BE

By definition, urban planning is a technical and political process that is focused on the development and design of land use and the built environment, whereas it feels that the philosophy behind urban planning is to make a city livable, in all contexts, be it access to a better lifestyle in terms of health, education, communication or transport and so on. It is very closely related to the modern tendency of individualism wherein you are able to make decisions which are most efficient and fruitful without the shackles of the society and its archaic setup. Urban planning encompasses and facilitates all aspects governing an urban space, perceptible like the distribution networks and the environment, or imperceptible like the culture and thought which makes it one of the central points of sustainable development for an encouraging future, even according to the United Nations.

WHERE DID IT BEGIN?

Historically, evidences of urban planning can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization, where we found the presence of two- tier establishment of cities like Mohenjodaro, grid pattern in towns, roads cutting each other at right angles, well defined drainage, and an efficient system of storage. The onset of the British changed the nature of urban development and planning extraordinarily, giving it a modern outlook which we still can see in our cities of New Delhi and Chandigarh for instance. They had setup the first municipal corporation which in turn resulted in transforming the urban landscape based around civil lines, cantonments, industries and universities. The Indian government took a step in this direction through the 74th Constitutional Amendment leading to setting up of Urban Local Bodies giving them certain independence in governing and executing their plans. Now we are moving towards a more comprehensive form of planning incorporating the best use of technology, keeping in mind its sustainability having close coordination with the environment.

WHY IS IT NEEDED?

India is witnessing the phase of rapid urbanization with 34% of the population of the country living in cities which currently contributes to 63% of the GDP, and this is expected to increase to 40% of the population living in the cities contributing to 75% of the GDP by 2030. The Real Estate sector is the 2nd largest employer after agriculture contributing to 6-7% of the GDP in 2017 is expected to increase to contributing 13% of the GDP by 2025. The Emission Intensity of the cities is as significant as the factors mentioned above. All these numbers add up to only one thing, there is a dire need of efficient urban planning in India in order to really make it to the New India we aspire of.

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES IT FACE?

There are numerous challenges before the urban planning in India but none of them are insurmountable, most difficult being the fair and equitable distribution of resources and developing the city in all pockets and contexts. Most of the challenges are associated directly or indirectly to the rapid urbanization, some of them being:

·        Overcrowding- leading to tremendous pressure on infrastructural facilities.

For example, according to Census 2011, Delhi has a population of 11,320 persons per square km which is the highest in India.

·        Poor sanitation- leading to various diseases like diarrhoea, malaria and dengue. Unsafe waste management leads to several other problems.

·        Housing and slums- leads to substandard living. United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UNCHS) introduced the concept of ‘Housing Poverty’ which includes ‘individuals and households, who lack safe, secure and healthy shelter, with basic infrastructures such as piped water and drainage as well as sanitation’.

·        Transportation and Traffic problems- increasing the time delays and losses in business.

·        Water Crises- leading to gap in demand and supply of water. It leads to lesser quantity and poor quality of water thus affecting health conditions. The cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad depend on water sources located more than 100 km from them thus increasing the cost.

·        Energy crises- inefficient distribution networks have led to lack and wastage of power in the urban spaces thus creating a problem at both ends.

·        Climate change- recent flash floods leading to urban flooding in cities like Chennai and Mumbai, heat trapping effect of buildings and other infrastructure presents another challenge to achieve sustainability.

WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING ABOUT IT?

Various missions, models and schemes have been launched by the government in order to address the challenges faced by the expanding cities like,

·        Smart Cities Mission- aimed at promoting cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment, and the application of ‘smart’ solutions.

·        HRIDAY Mission- planning, development and implementation of heritage sensitive infrastructure.

·        RURBAN Mission- to bridge the rural-urban divide thus controlling overpopulation of cities.

·        PM Awas Yojana- intending to provide affordable housing for all in urban areas.

·        AMRUT Mission- ensuring household access to potable tap water, and increasing the amenity value of cities.

·        National Urban Transport Policy- to ensure safe, affordable, quick and reliable transportation in the ever growing urban areas.

·        National Mission on Sustainable Habitat- in line with achieving the Nationally Declared Commitments, Energy conservation building codes and GRIHA assessment tools have been devised.

·        Increased adoption of solid waste management techniques and Waste to Energy plants has been visualised through the Solid Waste Management Rules, E-Waste Management Rules and policies.

CAN WE DO IT RIGHT?

As stated before that the challenges faced by urban planning are not insurmountable, they can be overcome with diligent and comprehensive planning with far sightedness, taking into account the probable growth of the city in at least another 50 years. Mohalla Clinics in Delhi state, Timarpur Okhla Municipal Solid Waste Management System, Delhi Metro, Kudumbshree Model in the state of Kerala, opening up of e-waste clinic in Bhopal, Cyclone preparedness in the state of Odisha have been great starts for the country to inspire us to achieve our goals through better planning.

In urban planning, one size doesn’t fit all and a careful examination of the city in picture has to be done. The prime goal of any urban planning has to be on the lines of fair and equitable distribution of resources which will help in reducing inequalities and developing the urban space equitably unlike the past developments in the country. Integrated transport, Green cover, planned expansion and housing, inclusive development of the city, increased community participation, technologies like Cool Roofs, wetland and water table rejuvenation activities have to be undertaken. The government should ally with the private sector in more domains wherein the expertise of the private sector in project management and efficient governance can be utilized towards achieving the goal of sustainable cities.