Current Urban Planning Model– Is it inclusive?

This Session critically examined the current urban planning model in India, its advantages
and disadvantages and in particular, focussed on aspects of inclusion in urban planning in
India.
1. The DNA of exclusionary Planning – Professor. K. T. Ravindran, Former Professor
and Head of the Department of Urban Design, School of Planning and Architecture,
New Delhi
Professor Ravindran presented the chronology of planning practices in India since
Imperial times with a special reference to the practices in Delhi
In this context, the presentation reflected on how DDA/Governments have tried to
subvert the process of decentralization through the 74th CAA.
He also pointed on the casualties of the spatial planning paradigm of architectural
icons co-existing with slums and also mentioned that the victims of the same have
been the poor, the environment and built heritage.
As a way forward, he suggested strengthening of governance through “radical” relook
at the town planning acts and democratization of public spaces
2. Inclusive Planning and Governance – Professor Dinesh Mehta, Professor Emeritus,
Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University, Ahmedabad
Dr Mehta’s presentation focused on how Planners are caught between power and the
people and have hence created divided cities.
He also stated that most of the planning exercises have become anti poor as they do
not feature in the planning process and the role of urban planning slowly diminished
with politicians making all the decisions.
He concluded his speech by offering a plausible solution of transiting from Exclusion
to Engagement by constant monitoring of the existing laws and regulations.
3. Participation and Inclusive Urbanization – Professor Anna Rubbo, Senior Scholar,
The Earth Institute, Columbia University
Dr Rubbo spoke about her experiences of heading a global international urban studio
entitled “People building better cities” for creations of resilient, equitable, inclusive
and sustainable cities vide 3 cases from Bhopal.
The case studies pointed out the need for extensive participation and learning from the
local stakeholders.
She then dwelled upon how inclusive planning should have climate change as the
centerpiece as urban poor are mostly the most vulnerable during a disaster.
She concluded with some key ideas of designing a planning education programme
imbibing inclusive urbanization principles; Inspiring young professional to work for
the government and scaling up best practices in inclusive planning.
4. What makes Sustainable Transport Inclusive – Professor Geetam Tiwari, Dept. of
Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
Dr Tiwari, spoke about sustainable urban transport and the key linkages to economic
opportunities that city presents through work of the IIT over the past 14 years, that
explored the symbiotic relation between formal and informal sectors.
She emphasized that relocation necessitated by development projects has adversely
affected the urban poor and converted walking trips to motorized trips
She drove home the point that inclusion of urban poor in the city with reference to
sustainable urban transport meant focusing on facilitating infrastructure conducive for

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cycling and walking.
Session-I Panel Discussion
Key observations of the panellists:
Not only the poor but also the middle and the high-income groups are also excluded
from the current planning paradigm.
Planning imageries, which are science fiction renditions often misguide the planning
process as they are disconnected from reality, the poor and the expanding informality.
Planning in India has not made significant progress in the past two decades and there
is a need for an urban cadre to respond to the complexities that the cities of today
present.
High density low rise structures are important and this should be used as a lever to
bring about the change in governance mechanism
The panelists also emphasized on the need for better management of finance in terms
of sound transfer mechanisms, responsive governance structures and the capacity to
undertake the transformation needed
The concluding remarks of the chair focused on the dichotomy and paradox that urban
policies of today present for instance emphasis on monetization of urban land along with
inclusion of the urban poor. He also was under the view that 74th CAA was a supply side
attempt and both government and the community have been apathetic to this process. He
concluded that as long as economic parameters are determining factors for cities “we may
have slums without cities” and not the other way around.
SESSION II
Inclusionary Planning Models Practiced in the World's Cities
This session looked into the urban planning practices and models practiced elsewhere in the
world and discuss in detail the process involved in plan making and the outcomes of the
process. The session provided a canvas of options from these cases that could be adopted in
Indian context.
1. Possibilities and Challenges of the Urban Reform Process in Latin America –
Prof. Jeroen Klink, Professor, Federal University of ABC, Brazil
85% of Brazil is Urban and 50% of population in big cities are informal and there is a
disconnect between urbanization and the environment.
The chronology of housing policies for the urban poor through the past 5 decades
emphasized as to how Brazil has adopted inclusive planning as a model in the current
planning ethos.
The Informal city has now been recognized and molded in the national policy
frameworks
However, Brazil still has challenges in terms of speculative real estate market wherein
land is escalating three times that of incomes. Also the lack of co-ordination within
Metropolitan regions is an issue, he said.
2. A Critique of Master Planning in Africa – Prof. Susan Parnell, Professor, African
Center for Cities, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Prof Susan Parnell presented the shift in planning frameworks in the current post
apartheid period and focused on the developments in the past two decades.
She highlighted the fact that the budgetary allocations from 1994-95 to 2011-12 have
increased 3 fold and also elaborated on the reforms in institutional process and the
laws and codes through the Integrated Development Plans. (IDPs)

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 Assuming African populace as a proxy to the urban poor she stated that the planning
process has resulted in the African people owning more houses than the whites (as a
proxy for the rich).
She closed the presentation by stating the current challenge in terms of lack of
horizontal inter linkages between structures within municipalities
3. Urban Planning and Land Management for Promoting Inclusive Cities – Ms.
Giovanna Beltrao, Human Settlement and Community Development Expert, Canada
and Mr. Earl Kessler, Shelter and Urban Programs Expert, USA
Urban Planning-emphasizing on Development partnerships, Resilient Planning and
Investments, Densification, services and transport, Shelter, technology and
participation and Area Service delivery
Land Management- focusing on Land Use registration and taxation; Land
development incentives; Vacant land inventory and tenure; Integrated mixed use land
planning and Land as a financial lever
Vision of Cities- to focus on Sustainability and Resilience, Accessibility, Diversity,
Open Spaces, Compatibility, Adaptability, Density and Identity-Sense of Space
The speakers also spoke of how Transit Oriented Development models combine all
the above principles