Richard Rogers, a Pritzker Awardee (Architecture’s Nobel) refers to the Indus Valley Civilization (Harappa) as a place where civilizations and settlements began, i.e. the cradle of modern civilization, as we now know it. Historians have also now ascertained that the Indus Valley was predominantly a trade-based merchant (Baniya) civilization that hierarchically did not have a traditional government or any form of monarchy which governed it.
And yet the cities had an elaborate drainage system, the buildings laid out on almost a gridiron-like pattern of 90-degree angles. That was one of our first ‘modern’ cities almost about 5500 years ago or more (according to some historians). Adding a caveat, Indus Valley did not have the technology to build multi-storey skyscrapers though.
Fast forwarding into present-day India, we are now home to 10 megacities which are almost veering towards the nature of megalopolises now. We have the most elaborate democratically elected modern governments along with a snazzy plethora of bureaucracy. Yet like the existential chaos which most of our scriptures talk about, our megacities are in a state of constant churning.
The citizens bravely and with their much touted, eulogised characteristics such as the ‘Spirit of Mumbai’, and maybe even for good karma, accept and thrive in the chaos of the large city. As is often stated, Indian cities are a thin line away from complete chaos, and have become even post-apocalyptic (case in point Delhi’s Air pollution).
Since we have a large central and state government along with an elaborate Judiciary we have no shortage of laws, policies, and rules based on which these cities should properly and ideally equitably function offering a good quality of life to the almost 36.36% (2023) of India living in urban areas. The various think tanks—both at the central and state levels—further add to the knowledge banks that cities need. And of course not to forget the intellectual orgasmic meditations (for want of more politically correct terms) of the professionals and academicians in the field (Urban Designers, Urban planners & Architects).
We also have the smart city SPV which monitors and evaluates smart city projects. The municipal bodies are given the aegis of the implementation and day-to-day management of the cities. All of this ideally should result in highly efficient cities with a good ‘world’ class standard & quality of life or should it? With good environmental credentials as well as ease of living and doing normal everyday things.
Case in point the recently notified UDCPR (Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations) for Maharashtra (with specific special clauses for Mumbai) which facilitates and eases Developers to go to 30-50 storeys, where earlier 12-15 storeys were allowed (both for commercial and residential buildings).
Is this another development in our cities which exists in the form of a Silo with no system thinking as to its impact on cities (such as Pune)?
Giving a brief overview High-rise developments of such nature come with their own pros and cons. Pros that the city can be densified, more people can live closer to the city centres even if they have to pay a premium for it. Trunk infrastructure (focussed infrastructural upgradation) can be laid and help the city manage things instead of encouraging sprawl which results in a larger network and chances for mismanagement or faults.
Now for the cons, immediate ones like a huge increase in traffic density and congestion because of the dependence on cars and private vehicles, an increase in dust pollution (rising PM levels as seen in all cities in India), the concretization of the city (usually a large complete basement made on the entire site) and, of course, the environmental impacts of energy usage and air conditioning of such large complexes.
High rises also centralize and focus the opposite of decentralization. Also, two very critical points to be made in the case of cities are huge systemic problems of waste management, as well as the access to a safe and consistent water supply even in the case of water surplus metropolises.
These high rises will in all probability serve the already privileged or the affluent classes of India and it would be difficult to categorize them as affordable. The mandatory FSI for EWS would be there but would that be adequate or significant enough at the city level?
Talking a little bit about public transportation and moving people in the cities from these high rises currently 7.5% of India owns a 4-wheeler (amongst the lowest adoption rate in the world i.e. 1 in 12), doing a thought exercise what if 50% of India owned 4 wheelers vehicles, we would leave the repercussions or reality of that to the reader’s imagination. Flyovers and upgrading roads for cars can only provide temporary solutions and
cannot be seen as a long-term solution.
We also are infrastructurally upgrading when it comes to Metro lines, but they are a high investment to return method where ridership will take many years to catch up with the projected nos. Also, last-mile connectivity remains a big problem with public transport, the ideal distance being 500m for local travel and 1000m for mass transit.
This piece is not a nihilistic work of an andolanjeevi but instead wants to critically look at the situation and suggest that we need to have a broader vision around such developments. Let us now look at some examples, possibilities or alternatives which one can look at both for high-rise development and to improve the quality of life & reduce the impact on the city.
Good Public transportation
It has one of the biggest impacts on the quality of life in a city, of which a good recent example is the upgrade which Jakarta City has done (population 10.67 million). It has tried to solve all the familiar challenges of air pollution and congestion etc. by creating a well-woven, integrated & rigorously thought-out public transport system bettering both the first mile and the last mile connectivity through the following means
- A unified integrated one-ticket fare system across all its modes of transport
- Cooperatives wherein instead of individuals managing first and last-mile connectivity, these cooperatives manage the routes and drivers etc. These cooperatives further work with the city and its agencies for timetables etc.
- Legally binding contracts ensure fixed payments on km travelled for the operators rather than depending on the revenue earned from passengers picked up.
- Lastly a very vital point of communicating, creating good public outreach and building a support base through public opinion. With the benefits of public transport clearly laid out, this is necessary and related to the quality of life and the many challenges that cities and the world are facing at large.
Carrying Capacity
An underutilized albeit slightly complex planning tool also needs to be looked at which is the carrying capacity of cities, in this case UCC (Urban Carrying Capacity). needs to be looked at, understood and catered for under a microscope before decrees are passed either from top up or through the system. Carrying capacity is an integral part of Urban planning in European cities and has also been used in a simplified form in China’s megacities for responsible urban land management practices.
Decongestion & Decentralisation
As is often said we need to decongest our cities, India has no shortage of lands and come to think of it the benefits which the powers that be gained by allowing for large-scale developments can be spread democratically through the country. Both economic benefits and otherwise, maybe Tier II or Tier III cities should become cool and people in rural India should gravitate towards them (Decentralisation).
Form-Based codes
Another possibility is of Form-based codes wherein FSI (which is the de facto currently) is not the standard mode of development and quality of the design, livability, Mixed-use and the public realm comes into the discussions even at the Municipality level.
Sponge cities & Economic valuation of green and blue infrastructure
Sponge cities, with infrastructure which allows water to naturally percolate and recharge aquifers while adding to the ecological richness of a city. Integrating and connecting patches of blue-green infrastructure through low-carbon means of transport all the while reiterating the economic & social benefits of these areas being vital to a city
Low-rise High Density & Mixed-use developments
We often vilify traditional settlements and the way Indians have lived for a long time. A sense of community is vital to living in India and we all have traditionally adapted ourselves and thrived in such environments & situations.
These may not look as pretty or may not be as architecturally controlled & manicured as highrises, for example where our office is located is a Mixed Use Lal Dora (Old village settlement) in New Delhi, here the chaos of the village and all the new uses exist in a balanced yet chaotic harmony, the systems are more organic and work as self-regulating.
Jane Jacobs, Eyes on the Street principle also works very well here for safety and security. We could enhance and upgrade these developments to cater for parking and even solar energy and redesign them for today. A well-curated or structured balance of the private and the public realm could also help with the Mental Health Epidemic that the younger generations are facing.
So unless we don’t want highrises to become gentrified Silos (not very unlike the post-apocalyptic Netflix series with underground silos disconnected from each other) we should think more comprehensively about this. Also lastly to address the whispers in the shadows (which we all know and fail to talk about) things fall apart when it comes to implementation in India, we need to hold the ones implementing accountable and answerable (mostly the Municipal agencies & Politicians) or maybe as certain western cities give more powers to our Mayors and have true and not token public participation. We have that power with us whether we want actual liveable cities or we want the projected and appropriated image of the city to take precedence.
Note: The article was written with the valuable input of Adarsha Kapoor (Urban Designer, Creative Footprints), and Nidhi Batra (Urban Designer, Founder of Sehreeti)
