URBAN PLANNING IMPERATIVES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

BY Prof A.K.Maitra

The future of human settlements lie in

ENVIRONMENTALLY SATISFACTORY

AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

DEFINITION OF SUSTAINABILITY

“Sustainability” in ‘Brundtland Report’ has been defined as

“to provide for the needs of the present generation without compromising the abilities of future generations to meet their needs”

BRUNDTLAND’S DEFINITION OF DEVELOPMENT

“environment is where we all live and development is what we do to improve our

living within it”

Urban planning paradigms environmental satisfaction

and sustainable development

would become key paradigms for

future of urban settlements

How would the profession be able to respond to this rise in phenomenal demand for ordered Sustainable urban development?

Thus, we have three major areas of concern –Development v/s Sustainability,Equity in opportunities and

development, andAffordability of the settlement

on the basis of equity

URBAN REALITIES

URBAN REALITIES

URBAN REALITIES

PLANNING PARADIGMS

The key-word is sustainable development. Development can only be sustained when it

keeps pace with the rising expectations of the population.

While ordering the pattern of human settlements one should bear in mind that compatibility between ecological balance and the technological options is ensured

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

It is possible to identify few major areas of environmental concern, whose input in the process of Development Plan ls crucial:

(1) Shelter with particular reference to urban poor;

(2) Environmental infrastructure with emphasis on affordability by the poor;

(3) Factors of climate, land erosion and landscaping on living environment;

(4) Interface between man made and natural environment;

(5) Vehicular traffic as a source of environmental hazard and acoustical considerations;

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING

(6) Energy as a tool of development control and provision of access to alternate appropriate technologies;

(7) Industrial location on the basis of typology and environmental hazard;

(8) Environmental legislation, monitoring, evaluation and management;

(9) Impact assessment of development.

URBAN PLANNING

URBAN PLANNING DEALS WITH DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF LAND

LAND IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE IF PUT TO ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION

URBAN DEVELOPMENT IS A PERMANENT COSUMER OF LAND

ROLE OF PLANNERS

ANTICIPATE THE IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT ON ENVIRONMNET

ASSESS THE IMPACT LEVEL EVOLVE MITIGATION MEASURES ADOPT MEASURES TO REDUCE

CONSUMPTION RECYCLE RESOURCES RENEW THE RESOURCES.

ADOPT ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES IN PLANNING

ASSESSMENT OF CARRYING CAPACITY

ROLE OF PLANNERS Cont’d

SHELTER CONCERNS

Technical Group : Min of H@UPA ESTIMATES Urban Housing shortage :24.71m by the end of

11th Plan (2007-12) To provide sustainable and affordable housing it is

necessary to make available: Developed land Finance Infrastructure Building labour and professionals Building materials

MISSION FOCUSFocus of Sustainable Habitat Mission Energy Efficiency in Buildings Urban Transport Waste Management

Building blocks of Urban system for climate concerns

SUSTAINABLE HABITAT PARADIGMS

Habitat policy to be meaningful should promote development efforts that

Improve people’s livelihood, working environment

Improve the environment of living Improve health and welfare Stop wasteful emissions Ensure equitable opportunities

Availability of Land Acquisition of land for development is

getting increasingly difficult Cost of land for development is

disproportionately high compared to total development cost

Cost of Development of land includes cost of infrastructure.

Economy in cost of Infrastructure is possible through appropriate planning

Planning options

Release of under developed urban land Reevaluation of existing developed area effective incentives can release development

potential Improvement of infrastructure and affordable

housing may bring poor closer to the work centres.

Redevelopment of existing areas can make cities more livable

This calls for change and paradigm shift in urban planning process.

Role of building materials

Building Materials contribute 30-40% to the cost of the building

Economy in the use of building materials can have impact on cost

Information system on building materials and quality control can result in informrd choice

Assessment of energy cost of building materials can contribute to reduction in cost both embodied and recurring.

Labour

Building labour force are untrained and belong to informal workforce.

Productivity is poor Lack of training and certification of

standard contributes to poor workmanship and high maintenance cost

Time overrun on construction adds to the cost

Conclusion

Providing sustainable housing to all sections of the population should be the goal of development

The three broad parameters on sustainable habitat should be the cornerstone of both planning and housing policies

THANK YOU