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, and
 Affordability of the settlement
on the basis of equity
URBAN REALITIES
URBAN REALITIES
URBAN REALITIES
PLANNING PARADIGMS


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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.
ROLE OF PLANNERS Cont’d


ADOPT ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES IN
PLANNING
ASSESSMENT OF CARRYING
CAPACITY
SHELTER CONCERNS

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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 FOCUS
Focus 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



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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

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
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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