Seminar on Master Plan for Delhi
March 31, 2007
India International Centre in association with Delhi Urban Arts Commission.
Attended by eminent planners, architects, historians, administrators and engineers including (detail list would be available with yourselves)
Charles Correa
Kuldip Singh
EFN Riberio
Narayani Gupta
AGK Menon
AB Lall
Jain
A. K. Jain
Mohd. Shaheer
Mahendra Raj
Vinod Gupta
K. T. Ravindran
Ranjit Sabikhi
Pradeep Sachdeva
Jasbir Sawhney
Rajat Ray
Abhijit Ray
Balbir Verma
Santosh Auluck
SC Gupta
Dinesh Mohan
S. Rao
Geeta Dewan Verma
Mohit Gujral
Rohit Krishan Gulati
Summary of Discussions / Issues Discussed
Current politics has forced the master plan into becoming a negation of the welfare state due to nature of the government, and particularly sources of money. The bureaucracy has taken control of all public institutions which earlier kept checks and balances on public policy. Thus the government (managed by the bureaucrats) has a free hand in doing what it feels. (Also see attached note by Romi Khosla)
Architects and urban planners need to reinforce their authority through platforms of meaning and relevance instead of becoming marginalized. The DUAC could become one such platform. However it was noted that it has no role in policy matters except an advisory role.
There is urgent need for architects / planners to take control the situation to present further deterioration of the city. It was evident that no such meaningful platform existed. This is evident by the blatant ignorance of bodies such as Indian Institue of Architects, DUAC, IITP etc. by the DDA in the Master Planning process for Delhi. Committee recommendations such as the Tejinder Khanna report have been incorporated only in a piece meal manner on issues by vested interests.
The master plan by definition admits that it does not recognize most of the planned /self organized city.
The poor (in terms of quality of living, not necessarily income) are continuously being marginalized in the garb of making Delhi an international city hosting international sports events. This marginalized sector now constitutes majority of the population while having access to minority of the resources. This has led to several imbalances.
There is need to reinforce the ‘Street’ character of the cities without ad-hoc concepts such as setbacks and plot based plans etc. Proper traffic planning with proper design of streets and squares with ‘elastic’ land use zone regulations needs to be incorporated. Commerce has to be woven into the use and design of city streets.
New guidelines for increased ground coverage/FSI with additional height could endanger environmental standards of light & ventilation and should be re-considered. Issues of increased parking space have also not been addressed.
The Master Plan needs to be aligned with the 74th amendment of the Constitution that allows for devolution of powers to the local bodies (including approval processes) There are opinions that the same is not enforceable, as the Ministry of Urban Development has not taken due legal steps in this regard. It needs to be understood how this would work on a practical basis. An overhaul of the multiple implementation agencies (Min. of Urban Development, DDA, MCD, NDMC etc.) and overlapping powers need to be streamlined. Overlap of implementation agencies & governance in Delhi makes it a difficult process. Local Wards /Sub Districts should be co-terminus with the implementation bodies.
Zonal/Local plans need to be developed as a basis for future growth. The issue of who will prepare these zonal / local plans, and on what basis remains unanswered and holds key to the future at the ground level.
Spatial frameworks for the city need to be developed in an integrated way while developing the plans for Zonal / Sub Zonal / Ward level layouts.
Mechanisms for constant updating and review of the Master Plan need to be formalized taking into account professional and credible expertise alongwith terms of engagement need to be defined incorporating demands of the city. The monitoring and improvement process needs to be elaborated upon.
Recent efficiency in the implementation of the Delhi Metro is creditable and should serve as a benchmark for other agencies. The Metro system itself was at a very high economic cost compared to other available systems of mass transit such as dedicated bus corridors, cycle lanes etc. The Metro is currently working at about 25% of estimated capacity. These would also be able to reach a much larger population as motorized private transport is available to only about 55% of the population. The cost of a motorcycle (i.e Re 1 per km.) becomes the benchmark for fare calculation and hinders viability of Metro like systems which cannot compete economically.
The Metro tries to emulate foreign city models where such systems. However it needs to be understood that these systems were introduced prior to the1940’s. This is when cars started to become affordable for families. The rich lived close to the city centers having dense central business districts. Modern cities do not have CBD and dispersed centers thus mass transit systems become unsustainable.
Infrastructure needs to be planned much before habitation when costs are lower making cities more livable.
Transport systems currently being developed / promoted are focusing primarily on the Motor Car. Local roads need to be pedestrian friendly in order to improve safety and reduce pollution. Pedestrian planning needs to be give more importance than to widening of roads for only cars.
Scrutiny of the Master Plan shows that infrastructure norms (Social and Physical) such as schools, hospitals, electricity, water and sewerage have been compromised upon. These show that infrastructure shortages & their quality are likely to continue or deteriorate in the years to come.
Heritage- built and un-built need to be looked after. This includes open spaces & Historical Buildings and their surrounding populations.
Apart from buildings, there is urgent need to survey and map natural heritage such as the ridge, water channels and the flood plains of the R. Yamuna as a tool to prevent further manipulation by vested interests. .
There is a complete lack of transparency and mapped information along with relevant and current base data on which discussions and union planning could be done. Most current decisions are made on guess work and instinct.
The level of Services and Public Health Engineering is deplorable and needs to and its upgraded and redesigned keeping in view of the aging systems.
The Master Plan 2021 document should be seen only as a ‘Structure Document’ as it has no ‘Plans’ to support it.
Performance and operation standards and guidelines need to be established instead of Technical standards.
Public accountability needs to be established.
There is need for simplification of byelaws & Zonal Plans.
Compiled by
Rohit Krishan Gulati
Architect based in New Delhi
Director at Incubis Consultants (I) PL – a multidisciplinary design firm
April 5, 2007
March 31, 2007
India International Centre in association with Delhi Urban Arts Commission.
Attended by eminent planners, architects, historians, administrators and engineers including (detail list would be available with yourselves)
Charles Correa
Kuldip Singh
EFN Riberio
Narayani Gupta
AGK Menon
AB Lall
Jain
A. K. Jain
Mohd. Shaheer
Mahendra Raj
Vinod Gupta
K. T. Ravindran
Ranjit Sabikhi
Pradeep Sachdeva
Jasbir Sawhney
Rajat Ray
Abhijit Ray
Balbir Verma
Santosh Auluck
SC Gupta
Dinesh Mohan
S. Rao
Geeta Dewan Verma
Mohit Gujral
Rohit Krishan Gulati
Summary of Discussions / Issues Discussed
Current politics has forced the master plan into becoming a negation of the welfare state due to nature of the government, and particularly sources of money. The bureaucracy has taken control of all public institutions which earlier kept checks and balances on public policy. Thus the government (managed by the bureaucrats) has a free hand in doing what it feels. (Also see attached note by Romi Khosla)
Architects and urban planners need to reinforce their authority through platforms of meaning and relevance instead of becoming marginalized. The DUAC could become one such platform. However it was noted that it has no role in policy matters except an advisory role.
There is urgent need for architects / planners to take control the situation to present further deterioration of the city. It was evident that no such meaningful platform existed. This is evident by the blatant ignorance of bodies such as Indian Institue of Architects, DUAC, IITP etc. by the DDA in the Master Planning process for Delhi. Committee recommendations such as the Tejinder Khanna report have been incorporated only in a piece meal manner on issues by vested interests.
The master plan by definition admits that it does not recognize most of the planned /self organized city.
The poor (in terms of quality of living, not necessarily income) are continuously being marginalized in the garb of making Delhi an international city hosting international sports events. This marginalized sector now constitutes majority of the population while having access to minority of the resources. This has led to several imbalances.
There is need to reinforce the ‘Street’ character of the cities without ad-hoc concepts such as setbacks and plot based plans etc. Proper traffic planning with proper design of streets and squares with ‘elastic’ land use zone regulations needs to be incorporated. Commerce has to be woven into the use and design of city streets.
New guidelines for increased ground coverage/FSI with additional height could endanger environmental standards of light & ventilation and should be re-considered. Issues of increased parking space have also not been addressed.
The Master Plan needs to be aligned with the 74th amendment of the Constitution that allows for devolution of powers to the local bodies (including approval processes) There are opinions that the same is not enforceable, as the Ministry of Urban Development has not taken due legal steps in this regard. It needs to be understood how this would work on a practical basis. An overhaul of the multiple implementation agencies (Min. of Urban Development, DDA, MCD, NDMC etc.) and overlapping powers need to be streamlined. Overlap of implementation agencies & governance in Delhi makes it a difficult process. Local Wards /Sub Districts should be co-terminus with the implementation bodies.
Zonal/Local plans need to be developed as a basis for future growth. The issue of who will prepare these zonal / local plans, and on what basis remains unanswered and holds key to the future at the ground level.
Spatial frameworks for the city need to be developed in an integrated way while developing the plans for Zonal / Sub Zonal / Ward level layouts.
Mechanisms for constant updating and review of the Master Plan need to be formalized taking into account professional and credible expertise alongwith terms of engagement need to be defined incorporating demands of the city. The monitoring and improvement process needs to be elaborated upon.
Recent efficiency in the implementation of the Delhi Metro is creditable and should serve as a benchmark for other agencies. The Metro system itself was at a very high economic cost compared to other available systems of mass transit such as dedicated bus corridors, cycle lanes etc. The Metro is currently working at about 25% of estimated capacity. These would also be able to reach a much larger population as motorized private transport is available to only about 55% of the population. The cost of a motorcycle (i.e Re 1 per km.) becomes the benchmark for fare calculation and hinders viability of Metro like systems which cannot compete economically.
The Metro tries to emulate foreign city models where such systems. However it needs to be understood that these systems were introduced prior to the1940’s. This is when cars started to become affordable for families. The rich lived close to the city centers having dense central business districts. Modern cities do not have CBD and dispersed centers thus mass transit systems become unsustainable.
Infrastructure needs to be planned much before habitation when costs are lower making cities more livable.
Transport systems currently being developed / promoted are focusing primarily on the Motor Car. Local roads need to be pedestrian friendly in order to improve safety and reduce pollution. Pedestrian planning needs to be give more importance than to widening of roads for only cars.
Scrutiny of the Master Plan shows that infrastructure norms (Social and Physical) such as schools, hospitals, electricity, water and sewerage have been compromised upon. These show that infrastructure shortages & their quality are likely to continue or deteriorate in the years to come.
Heritage- built and un-built need to be looked after. This includes open spaces & Historical Buildings and their surrounding populations.
Apart from buildings, there is urgent need to survey and map natural heritage such as the ridge, water channels and the flood plains of the R. Yamuna as a tool to prevent further manipulation by vested interests. .
There is a complete lack of transparency and mapped information along with relevant and current base data on which discussions and union planning could be done. Most current decisions are made on guess work and instinct.
The level of Services and Public Health Engineering is deplorable and needs to and its upgraded and redesigned keeping in view of the aging systems.
The Master Plan 2021 document should be seen only as a ‘Structure Document’ as it has no ‘Plans’ to support it.
Performance and operation standards and guidelines need to be established instead of Technical standards.
Public accountability needs to be established.
There is need for simplification of byelaws & Zonal Plans.
Compiled by
Rohit Krishan Gulati
Architect based in New Delhi
Director at Incubis Consultants (I) PL – a multidisciplinary design firm
April 5, 2007