Meenakshi Menon
Illegal construction, increased migration from the rural areas and the rise of slums. It might shock you to know that only 11 countries in the world have a population larger than the state of Maharashtra. The THiNK session, ‘The Fast-Burning Fuse: Can Indian Cities Be Saved?’ addressed several uncomfortable questions about our city planning. The panel comprised ed Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan, architect David Gensler and professor KT Ravindran. Chavan spoke with sincerity and came across a man willing to acknowledge and address these problems. On the other hand, KT Ravindran recommended social equity as the basis of planning.
Today middle-class India dreams of Dubai, Singapore and Shanghai, but David Gensler made us question if these cities are really ideal places. Gensler was of the opinion that in China, it was easier to implement change and thus you found a more rapid urbanisation. His argument was: how does India develop a long-term vision for the move from a rural economy to an urban-economy? Participative planning is the way to go but how do you implement that? How do you get over the populist decision-making that is driven by votebank policies? Close to 1.5 million people live in slums in Mumbai, that is the official number, the real number could far exceed.
The entire planning for Mumbai is based on pushing people into vertical towers built in the same location. Chavan recognised that when planning was left to market forces, things went from bad to worse because market forces are not interested in providing low-cost housing.
KT talked about the corporatisation of the city, and cited Shanghai as an example — a city that is making room for big money, big buildings, but is keeping the poor out. He argued that people’s involvement is a must. There is a creative tension between the corporate image of the city and the people who actually live in them. The horizontal social networks built by slum dwellers cannot be transferred into vertical slums. Housing is not about piling people into small boxes, it is about giving them an environment where they can grow. Free houses are not a sustainable solution. There’s a need to find a way in which you can get them to pay and own their houses. Create financial instruments for the poor so that they can buy houses over time. Gensler agreed that high rises for the poor are not the solution. America tried it and the results were pathetic. You need to find a way to build communities. Planning has to address this issue.
Recognise the value of what you have in terms of the history and fabric of the city and the community. Perhaps Tehelka managing editor Shoma Chaudhury ended the session on a right note when she said, “Houses make towns, it is citizens who make cities.”
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