A city and questions of sustainability
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The Indian Institute of Architects recently carried out a carrying capacity study of different areas in Kochi. The study, as K.A. Martinfound out, revealed that the city was paying dearly for its unplanned urbanisation.
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– Photo: H. Vibhu
Vertical limit: Unbridled growth has been the bane of Kochi.
Kochi has been pushing its borders over the last decade relentlessly, throwing to wind all cautioning by planners that a city without a plan, without public spaces and without respect for its fragile ecological conditions can prosper only at a high cost.
That cost Kochi is paying already. Rampant shortage of drinking water is just one. The condition of the roads, traffic congestions on arterial roads, little space for pedestrians and cyclists, rising levels of noise and air pollution are the others. They have brought with them bad health and diseases as are just witnessed in and around Kochi.
Architects in Kerala have been trying to highlight the problems that city is facing at different venues. They say it has been a long wait for a master plan for Kochi. In its absence, high intensity development with just commercial considerations has been the order of the day.
The study
The Indian Institute of Architects, led by architect G. Jaigopal carried out a carrying capacity study of Kochi’s different areas. Carrying capacity of a place is roughly the population that the area can sustain with the given quality of environment.
According to the study, the flip side of unplanned urbanisation in Kochi is severe shortage of drinking water due to several reasons such as shrinking sources of water, pollution of water bodies, poor storm water management facilities, inadequate waste disposal facilities, destruction of natural heritage futures such as the mangrove ecosystem and destruction of built heritage.
This is particularly severe since planners have not done anything big for the city’s heritage. The only heritage zone that is in the news is Fort Kochi. Mattancherry, another area of significant built heritage has suffered acutely, says architect Monolita.
She says that even buildings that are 90 years old cannot be pulled down without a thought if the city is really concerned about its built heritage.
Urbanisation
According to Mr. Jaigopal’s study, the other problems facing Kochi because of unplanned urbanisation are lack of buffer zones for hazardous chemical storages, poor and unsafe transport network, shortage of electricity, lack of community or open space such as parks, playgrounds etc.
Ms. Monolita says that Kochi is just repeating the mistakes of the West. The only form of leisure or recreation activity has turned out to be shopping where spending money is the focus. Open spaces should help a family interact and indulge in recreational activities without having to foot huge bills.
Another of the city’s biggest bane is the lack of space for housing for the low-income groups. Living apartments and high-rises are rampant in Kochi. They come with a price tag that the lower income groups cannot even dream of. In its wake, the service sector takes a big hit. People who provide the services travel on an average 20 km to come to the city and as a result their services may not always be reliable given all the variables.
The study has pointed to the possibility of a paradigm shift. Is a paradigm shift possible, asks the study. It brings the entire gamut of the Indian economy growing roughly at 8 per cent as manifested in the rising purchasing power, demand for quality housing, work space etc. “Economic activity generated out of this demand can be channelised so as to address the basic needs shortfall if proper planning tools, decentralized approaches/technologies and service providers are in position.”
Pedestrianising
The study pointed to the developed countries that are going in for what it called “inner-city revitalisation by pedestrianising city cores.” The cities that have gone in for this include Bern in Switzerland, Bogota in Colombia, Barcelona in Spain and New York in the U.S. They are among several cities that have adopted the programme.
“In the case of our developing cities perhaps we now have a possibility to design and build high density pedestrianised cores to absorb the impacts of new development; simultaneously revitalizing other areas,” suggests the study.
The concept of HDPC — High Density Pedestrianised Core – revolves around daily activities of at least 60 per cent of the people in the core like their going to work or to school, shopping for essentials, recreational facilities like sports or cultural activities should be within a walking distance from the residence. The distance suggested is less than 500 metres.
South Kadavanthara with a land area of 3.37 sq.km and a population of 28,000 people was taken as a case study. The population is expected to go up to 38,500.
The study inferences are that by selling 30 acres of developed land in South Kadanvanthara to private builders for mid and high-end housing and related facilities, local bodies will be able to meet the expenses for that land acquisition for 30 acres of HDPC as well as for providing housing area for economically weaker section, basic services such as waste disposal, etc. The land sale money can also go into meeting the capital expenses for facilities such as sewage treatment, water reservoir, tree-planting for green cover, etc.
Proper regulations
Proper regulations and planning tools such as transfer of development rights (TDR) can help protect natural heritage zones like waterfronts and mangroves as no-development zones.
The study says that the builders would be able to make a fair profit by adhering to the regulations and that it is a win-win situation as South Kadavanthara example can be replicated in other areas.
The only capital requirement will be a small corpus amount for initial land acquisition after which advances from the builders can be availed to get the project started. Government spending should be restricted to arterial roads, rail over bridges, bus stands, railway stations, boat jetties etc.
Main water supply lines and pumping mains and major electricity distribution system should also be established by the Government body. The other expenses will be for waste disposal facility and communication links and also housing for the economically weaker section excluding the land and infrastructure cost.
The study is a pointer to the direction which the city planners can take to build a beautiful Kochi that is abundant in natural beauty and blessed with natural facilities for booming commerce and trade.
With major projects such as the Smart City, Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal and LNG terminal in the pipeline, Kochi’s planners will have to wake up to new realities for a new and prosperous Kochi.
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