10-point charter for reconceptualisation of cities

In an endeavour to promote “healthy cities” in India, a ten-point charter has been worked out at a conference of architects and activists, listing the parameters that will serve as guidelines for rapid urbanisation in the country.

The holistic reconceptualisation of the cities envisages determinants such as identity, well being, equity, participation, access, plurality, vitality, progression, safety-—security and productivity.

“Cities can and must become an environment-friendly model of inhabiting our earth and it is more important than ever to reconceptualise them and the system of their infrastructure”, said Mr Steffen Lehman, Director, Research Centre for Sustainable Design and Behaviour, University of South Australia, who was one of the guest speakers at the “Healthy Cities” conference held here recently under the auspices of Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture.

Elaborating on “identity”, the vision paper released after the deliberations says “Identity is essential at all levels — from house to neighbourhood to a city and creation of identity which is a long drawn out process, should be consistent with the cultural milieu of a society.”

“Well being” determinant is construed as “recognising the role of the built environment as a mould for the mind, body and intellect of its occupants and in turn mirroring their abilities, achievements and aspirations.’’

“Equity” is described as acknowledging the “right to shelter and engaging government in the provision of shelter and basic amenities for a liveable environment to the poorest of the citizens”.

“It is important to ensure public participation in choosing and implementing infrastructure projects for better sense of ownership and accountability and in decision making about any major development, affecting the physical form of the city,” says the “participation” determinant of the vision paper, brought out after interaction between Indian and foreign delegates active in the field of architecture.

One of the determinants charted out in the vision paper on “Healthy Cities” is “access” which implies “taking best of infrastructure to the commonest of the citizens and providing accessibility and affordability of infrastructure facilities to all equally.”

“Vitality” is “conserving, revitalising and selectively renovating old city cores instead of erasing them to give way for a mere quantitative redevelopment or unrooted visions.”

Evolving new design and planning paradigms in keeping with the changing times and creating cultural amenities and spaces is described as “progression’’.

“Safety and Security” aspect deals with “retrofitting historic and old buildings with disaster mitigating technology without marring their heritage value.

The paper describes “plurality” as “evolving the physical fabric of the city as a crafted mix of various scales, types and hierarchies of built form and the void’’.

Lastly, “productivity” should aim at “ensuring the reach of health and hygiene facilities to the poorest section of the city’s population and recognising infrastructure projects as capital investment projects by the government with collateral benefits like employment generation rather than privatising them for monetary profit.”

The conference noted that urbanisation is a defining feature of the 21st century and between 2010 and 2030, some 85 per cent of total global urban growth will take place in developing countries according to the growth forecasts by the UN and World Bank. It is estimated that by 2030, 60 per cent of world population will live in cities.

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