Removing slums
by Gita Bamezai on Dec 13, 2006 12:13 PM
The alternative plan for remodelling the urban slums seems to be based on simplistic logic of shunting out people who have come later than us or who are lower on the class-ladder.The method of making small housing compounds and the repayment working out as a viable scheme between the occupants and the builder does appear to be sound. However, the suggestion smacks of class-consciousness. We should do some out of box thinking in making things work for our country rather than improvising models tried out elsewhere. My proposal is to design for the people and services by keeping your plans valid for 50 years and more. Once you do this , you start thinking not in piece-meals but have a futuristic design incorporated in your thinking. Expertise ranging from environmental and energy saving specialists, public health experts, market specialists can work together to design local hub centres which would provide business, market, residential and recreational centres. These hubs will house all those who have a stake in making the system wotking efficiently.
