Urban Renewal and Redevlopment: Identification of Appropriate Planning Intervention for Indian Cities

Abstract

Unlike their western counterparts, Indian cities didn’t have the fortune or misfortune of being demolished in the world war. Most of the Indian cities are built in layers bearing testimony to various rulers during different periods of time and amalgamated to give the present shape. The term Urban renewal and redevelopment which are often used as synonyms have definite meaning and application depending upon the context. The term renewal was defined as fashionable American term of the 1950s, which really meant large-scale destructive redevelopment of urban area, often it was adopted in the United Kingdom to mean the re-planning of towns or urban centers, to modernize them and provide access for traffic, whereas, redevelopment refers to demolition of blighted areas and development on the same site. It is seen as solution to existing problems of congestion and poor design which sometimes results in wasteful of resources, destroying communities, and creating urban deserts until building takes place. In India after independence in 1947 the earlier focus of development was agrarian base. It was only in the 1990’s, the era of economic liberalization and globalization it was realized that the cities are the engines of economic growth. This resulted in shifting of focus on urban development. In 2005, the government of India launched Urban renewal mission specifically for the metro Politian regions and million plus cities. It is necessary to understand the complex phenomenon of urban renewal and urban redevelopment either for the degrading inner city or the blighted areas of the newly developed areas in Indian context before adopting any intervention. A clear understanding of physical and social infrastructure and the community participation for the localities in question has to be ascertained before going through with the planning interventions in terms of renewal/ redevelopment or none. What are the factors responsible for renewal or redevelopment and their interrelationship is the prime concern of the planners. In this research paper it has been tried to find the answer for above questions and in the process has emerged with a logical framework that tries to answer the perpetual dilemma of the planners. The logical framework that can (produce consistent results, and hence) help decide on the Urban Health and the remedial approach best suited for the given case, while maintaining a disadvantaged friendly perspective. It tries to help in prioritization of the above-mentioned methods and attempts to develop an appropriate tool open for duplication in similar Urban Scenarios.