Urban Planning

Book Review

Book Title : Town Planning Regeneration Of Cities

Author : Ashutosh Joshi

Reviewed by : Bonny, Jeswin and Atharv
Guided by : Ar Shweta Shrivastav
Content:

1. A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN

REGENERATION
2. THE MAKING OF NEW TOWNS
3. THE ROLE OF URBAN FRINGE
DEVELOPMENT
4. THE IMPORTANCE OF INTANGIBLE
ELEMENTS IN REGENERATION
5. THE CASE STUDY OF CIVIL LINES
6. PLANNING OF A TENTED TOWNSHIP
7. INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING
8. WORLD CITY DELHI
9. APPLICATION OF ‘PURA’ CONCEPT IN
DODDABALLAPURA, BANGALORE
10. EVOLVING STRATEGIES FOR
REVITALIZATION
11. IN SEARCH FOR AN ADEAL
REGENERATION STRATEGY FOR INDIAN
HISTORIC CITIES
Brief Summary:

This book is written with an objective to discuss various issues

pertaining to urban regeneration. In course of discussions, valid
questions are raised with an intention to cover social, economic
and also spatial aspects of city rebuilding. The book is divided
into three parts. The first part covers world view on urban
regeneration and discusses city rebuilding processes in United
States, United Kingdom and Europe. It further discusses
transportation system and urban form of cities with focus on new
urban centers. Classic examples of efficient town planning
decisions of new cities around London and also new towns
developed in India post independence are covered. The second
part focuses on drawing regeneration strategies for Allahabad, a
historic city of India. An established centre of administration,
education and culture, and once the capital of the province,
Allahabad has been an integral part of our history. The city has
contributed immensely towards the building of modern day India.
University of Allahabad, also known as the 'Oxford of the East',
imparted quality higher education. The third part suggests
various regeneration strategies for Allahabad and also for other
similar historic cities in India. The regeneration strategies are
based keeping in mind the educational and cultural aspect and
also aims at strengthening the key historic nodes which are a
vital part of our history and culture.
Parts:
1. A global perspective of urban regeneration: experiences of city
rebuilding processes in United States, United Kingdom and
Europe.
2. The making of new towns: transportation system and the
emerging urban form.
3. Regeneration of Indian historic cities.
4. Role of urban fringe development: the case of Pune. II. Rise
and fall of a historic city: Allahabad:
5. In search of inherent potential of a city: the first step towards
regeneration.
6. The importance of intangible elements in regeneration.
7. To ascertain the causes of decline: a vital step towards
strategy formulation.
8. The case study of civil lines: need for a holistic plan.
9. Planning of a tented township: The Kumbh at Allahabad.
10. Institutional strengthening: a step forward.
11. World City Delhi: need for urban renewal.
12. Application of 'Pura' concept in Doddaballapura, Bangalore.
III. In search for an ideal regeneration strategy:
13. Evolving strategies for revitalization.
14. In search for an ideal regeneration strategy for Indian historic
cities.
Chapter 1
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN
REGENERATION
Experiences of City Rebuilding Processes in
United States, United Kingdom and Europe

Summary:
Examining the growth of cities and the problems they face today,
this book summarizes the action needed to regress the decline.
It examines the following: commercial redevelopment; industrial
parks; re-use of existing buildings; the role of public transport;
inner-city housing; neighbourhood conservation; housing co-
operatives and self-build; environmental improvement; the
funding and organization of redevelopment programmes; the
role of the architect, entrepreneur and the public authorities; and
the need for coherent vision and planning

Students Outcome
To overcome the crisis which present society faces, it's
necessary find solutions, adopt new strategies, leading to
transforming too and revitalizing urban areas. Urban
regeneration means the improvement the quality of life and
investing in the future, this action being a very broad one,
continues, difficult, but not impossible, in any case imperative.
This paper presents the results of a study on integrated
sustainable urban regeneration in several European countries,
including Romania, and comparison between these countries in
terms of urban regeneration.
Chapter 2
THE MAKING OF NEW TOWNS
Transportation System and the emerging Urban
Form

Summary:
The new town movement refers to towns that were built
after World War II and that have been purposefully planned,
developed and built as a remedy to overcrowding and
congestion in some instances, and to scattered ad hoc
settlements in others.[1] The main reason for it was to decongest
larger industrialized cities, rehousing people in freshly built, new
and fully planned towns that were completely self-sufficient and
provided for the community.

Students Outcome:
Urbanization is occurring in accordance to the development of
urban transport systems, particularly in terms of their capacity
and efficiency. Historically, movements within cities tended to be
restricted to walking, which made urban mobility rather inefficient
and time-consuming. Thus, activity nodes tended to
be agglomerated and urban forms compact with mixed uses.
Many modern cities have inherited an urban form created under
such circumstances, even though they are no longer prevailing.
The dense urban cores of many European and East Asian cities,
for example, enable residents to make between one third and
two thirds of all trips by walking and cycling. At the other end of
the spectrum, the dispersed urban forms of most Australian,
Canadian and American cities, which were built recently,
encourages automobile dependency and are linked with high
levels of mobility. Still, Chinese cities in particular have
experienced a high level of motorization, implying the potential
of a convergence towards more uniform urban forms. Many cities
are also port cities with trade playing an enduring role not only
for the economic vitality but also in the urban spatial structure
with the port district being an important node. Airports terminals
have also been playing a growing role in the urban spatial
structure as they can be considered as cities within cities.
Chapter 3
THE ROLE OF URBAN FRINGE DEVELOPMENT
The case of Pune

Summary:
Rural-Urban fringe is an important concept in settlement
geography. The rural-urban fringe is the boundary zone outside
the urban area proper where rural and urban land uses intermix.
It is the area where the city meets the countryside. It is an area
of transition from agricultural and other rural land uses to urban
use. Located well within the urban sphere of influence the fringe
is characterized by a wide variety of land use including dormitory
settlements housing middle-income commuters who work in the
central urban area. Over time the characteristics of the fringe
change from largely rural to largely urban. Suburbanisation takes
place at the municipal boundary of rural-urban fringe.

Pune-

While introducing the concept of secondary and intermediate

cities, the paper takes an Architect’s viewpoint of
the problems and potential offered by the fringe. Though the
fringe is defined and characterised by a low-key urban
experience, it is felt that the urban fringe cannot be separated
as a distinct element and the solutions offered at various levels
are often applicable to the other parts of the Indian city. The
author’s experience is largely conditioned through living and
working as an architect, urban designer and conservationist in
the cities of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.
1) Distance between buildings is more than 200 m.
2) The degree of enclosures of streets and open public spaces
falls below 1:4.1:1 1:4
3) It is characterised by large open spaces of agricultural
or other urban uses.
4) It functionally interacts intensely with the core city as
well as the rural hinterland.
5) Fringe could vary from 1 Km. to 10 Km.

Students Outcome:
 There was widespread inner city development immediately
post WW2. But this did not create enough housing units for
all those who needed them.
 Others were built on the edge of towns and cities.
 Most of the residential growth is outwards into the suburbs.
Population density is lower than that in the inner city, and the
houses are usually larger as the land is cheaper.
 As residential use started spreading to the suburbs,
transportation network developed, increasing the
connectivity of the suburbs to the inner city.
 From the 1970s, out-of-town shopping centers took
advantage of lower land prices and more space.
 After that many companies moved their offices and factories
to the edge of the urban area for similar reasons, where they
could take advantage of better transport links as well.
 From the late 1970s, many cities have lost population to
counter-urbanization – people leaving the cities for a variety
of reasons.
o People want a better quality of life in quieter, cleaner rural
surrounding
o More people are willing and able to travel further to work
o Relocation of businesses to places with better transport
links and cheaper building costs
 o Flexible working and new technology have increased
part-time home working.
o Retired people leave the city where they once worked.
 This has led to the smaller towns and villages in areas with
excellent communication links to expand – a lot of ‘in-filling’
has taken place. In-filling is building in gaps within the village
or town boundary (known as the village/town envelope).
Chapter 4
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTANGIBLE ELEMENTS
IN REGENERATION

Summary:
In developing countries, where political instability, former
conflicts and social breakdown take place, heritage can be
included in urban regeneration processes as a driver for
economic development but also for social cohesion and cultural
identity. This paper presents a heritage-based method for urban
regeneration, developed for the city of Luanda (Angola), within
the elaboration of its Metropolitan Plan (2016). Actions focus on
the rehabilitation of buildings and public spaces, creating the
conditions to implement effective financial mechanisms able to
cover the costs of urban regeneration by results. Here,
rehabilitation measures are combined with the implementation of
mixed-use development models, addressing one of the key
issues of urban regeneration: attracting private investments.
From a practical perspective, the proposed approach focusses
on the elaboration of heritage preservation, valorization and
requalification strategies, moving from a geographical urban
delimitation of Heritage Sets to a regeneration process based on
a radius of influence that goes beyond the single building. From
the regeneration of the built environment and public spaces in
these Heritage Sets, the surrounding area is naturally affected.
Strategic actions applied to Heritage Sets aim to produce a
domino effect of regeneration that involves multiple spatial
scales: from buildings and public spaces to neighbourhoods and,
consequently, to the entire city. The implementation of this
approach to several Heritage Sets delimited across the city,
would, in the long-term, create a connected heritage network that
results in an integrated urban regeneration process. Criteria for
the delimitation of Heritage Sets are proposed, dealing with the
concept of diversity, namely: time, historical, symbolic and
functional diversity. The results from this study aim to support
decision-makers in integrating heritage-based urban
regeneration approaches into public policies and local planning
practice.

Students Outcome
In terms of communities, the study found that respondents
identified the educational role of the museum as a resource for
schools and communities as something which was highly valued.
The contribution of museums to social cohesion was recognised
through opportunities provided for social interaction and
encouragement of audience diversity. The instrumental value of
museums was also perceived in the contributions that museums
make to the economy through employment, purchase of
services, attracting tourists, positive input to urban regeneration
schemes, contributing to civic branding and inspiring new
product development through provision of access to the ‘ideas’
archives.
Chapter 5
THE CASE STUDY OF CIVIL LINES
Need for a Holistic Plans

Summary:
Local collaboration is the key in this model, put forward by the
Municipality of Aalborg (DK). The concerned two Aalborg
neighbourhoods are situated outside the area of dynamic urban
development growth, both had severe reputation and identity
problems, and they were not seen as attractive residential areas.
The rethinking process has shown their potential much clearer.
Strategic plans focused on visions and action plans, including
investments and partnerships, are main outputs of the practice.
This has been developed through a ’rethinking’ process,
including both physical environments, local network and
cohesion, as well as storytelling and identity. Local and political
ownership and partnerships, with trustful relations between the
municipality, local stakeholders and investors, have been
developed. This has brought security for investors, which is very
important for the sustainable regeneration process.

Students Outcome :
Our findings imply that utilising a holistic approach from the early
stages of energy conscious project development and planning
will help to take into account the currently unaccounted
nontechnical parameters.
The findings outlined above support the view that a holistic
approach from the planning right through to project development
and implementation could start to mitigate challenges associated
with non-technical parameters in smart energy communities and
zero emission neighbourhoods. Non-technical drivers are often
not prioritised in projects even though they persist to impact
energy efficiency outcomes. The two studies illustrated, to
various degrees, that the quality of integration between local
energy production, building-related energy use and other
aspects (e.g. transport and mobility, quality of life and user
experience), can significantly affect the implementation and
performance of energy ambitious projects.
Chapter 6
PLANNING OF A TENTED TOWNSHIP
The Kumbh of Allahabad

Summary:
Allahabad is an ancient city, inhabited since the Iron Age
(Northern Black Polished Ware Culture, 700 B.C.-200 B.C.). It is
located at 25.45°N and 81.84°E in the southern part of the State
of Uttar Pradesh at an elevation of 98 metres (322 feet) above
the sea level. The region was the capital of Vatsa Mahajanpada
(600 B.C., Age of Buddha) and has mentioned in ancient
Buddhist and Hindu texts. It has been a center of pilgrimage and
tourism since then. The Melas, held at Allahabad in the month
Magha (eleventh month of the Samvat calendar,
JanuaryFebruary), are graded in the order of religious
significance on the basis of periodicity. Maha Kumbh Mela
(MKM) is held every 144 years, Purna Kumbh Mela (KM) every
twelve years, Ardh Kumbh Mela (AKM) every six years and Magh
Mela every year on the banks of river Ganga and its tributary
Yamuna. The confluence of these rivers, known as Sangam is
the focal point of the Meals. The organization of MKM at
Allahabad is governed by the United Provinces Melas Act, 1938
and the United Provinces Melas Rule (Miscellaneous), 1940. 7.1
PLANNING FOR MAHA KUMBH MELA For effective
management of any event, proper planning at macro levels as
well as micro levels is important. This becomes even more
critical when the activities of the event are managed by more
than one department. During Maha Kumbh Mela, arrangements
on a massive scale Chapter-7 Planning and Suggestions 200
were planned to provide basic services and facilities to a floating
population of more than eight crore people. We examine whether
planning for Maha Kumbh Mela was comprehensive and
formulation of individual projects by various executing agencies
was proper and coordinated.

Students Outcome
This planning document will provide a detailed overview of the
special event and the planning and controls mechanisms for
event implementation. To assist in the development of the
operations plan a checklist is provided. This checklist is designed
to provide further details about the event that will assist you with
inter-agency planning requirements and the framework for the
operations plan.
Chapter 7
INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING
A Step Forward

Summary:
Local and regional governments are facing extreme challenges
regarding their ability to plan for sustainable urban development.
The ever-present pro-market policy agenda leaves little room
regarding global considerations for long-term environmental
conservation and social justice. The complexity of sustainable
development also defies the traditional management and
problem solving capabilities of most local municipalities.
Different types of informal and formal partnerships, networks and
arenas have been formed to offset such deficiencies. This paper
presents an example of a cross-sector, multi-level civil servant
arena and examines its ability to provide a more integrative
approach to planning and policy-making in western Sweden. The
results were assessed using a combination of theory on
institutional capacity-building and sustainability learning. The
arena increases institutional capacity by promoting relational
links across organizational divisions and governance levels, and
by increasing substantive knowledge. At the same time, the
more radical and innovative results were either avoided or
watered down, and opportunities developed through institutional
capacity-building were vastly underused.

Students Outcome:
This book presents a synthesis of the main findings and
conclusions resulting from the application of the sourcebook, and
offers a way forward for those wishing to undertake appropriate
institutional and organizational analysis and capacity
development in project and programme design and
implementation. The process of applying the sourcebook
findings in the field and putting together this report owes much
to PTA’s institutions and organizations team.
Chapter 8
WORLD CITY DELHI
Need for Urban Renewal

Summary:
In the past, the Government of India as well as Indian states
adopted various approaches to tackle the country’s urban
development challenges. Projects include the development of
five industrial corridors, of which only the Delhi-Mumbai
Industrial Corridor (DMIC) is under development. Private urban
development projects include the building of whole new towns
such as Lavasa and Palava. Since taking office, the new
Government of India has announced several policies and urban
development initiatives. The most prominent is the 100 Smart
Cities programme, although other initiatives have been launched
such as the Redevelopment and Urban Renewal of 500 Cities,
the Regeneration of Heritage Cities and various country-specific
tie-ups. Furthermore, policies relevant to urban development,
such as the Make in India programme and the Clean India
Campaign, have been announced (see the box “Major Policies
Impacting Urban Development in India”).

Students Outcome
Progress Review Report of Urban Renewal in India (2010)
published by the Ministry of Urban Development, New Delhi has
elucidated thorough criticism as well as appreciation of each and
every scheme and sub scheme of Urban Renewal in various
Indian Cities. With the help of quantitative databases and
Statistical methods, the comparison of Urban Renewal
programme amongst different Indian Cities has been cited
clearly here.
Chapter 9
APPLICATION OF ‘PURA’ CONCEPT IN
DODDABALLAPURA, BANGALORE

Summary:
Quoting the example of Warana PURA in Maharashtra, which
has a population of six lakh, he said that co-operative
movements initiated in all sectors in the PURA, had transformed
it into a poverty free complex aside from enriching the quality of
life

Students Outcome
Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA) is a
strategy for rural development in India. This concept was given
by former president Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and discussed in his
book Target 3 Billion which he co-authored with Srijan Pal Singh.
The genesis of PURA can be traced to the work done
by Nambiar Agricultural Research Institute in the early 1990's on
Taluka energy self-sufficiency.[1] It was shown in the study that
energy self-sufficient talukas can be a new development model
for rural India in terms of creation of jobs and better amenities
to its population.
PURA proposes that urban infrastructure and services be
provided in rural hubs to create economic opportunities outside
of cities. Physical connectivity by providing roads, electronic
connectivity by providing communication networks, and
knowledge connectivity by establishing professional
and technical institutions will have to be done in an integrated
way so that economic connectivity will emanate. The Indian
central government has been running pilot PURA programs in
several states since 2004. The Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
National Rural Mission is a successor to this mission
Chapter 10
EVOLVING STRATEGIES FOR
REVITALIZATION

Summary:
Strategic Urban Planning processes (SUP), also known as
Urban Renewal Projects, began to appear at the end of the 20th
century. The city of San Francisco (U.S.A.) carried out its
process between 1982 and 1984. The main motivation behind
starting strategic urban planning processes was the attempt to
adequately react to problematic situations (mainly economic
crisis or standstill). At the beginning of the 21st century, this kind
of organization is not reactive but proactive. In the case of Spain,
crisis situations are not the main causes of these processes,
rather they are motivated by the search for an improved level of
public-private cooperation, the wish to coordinate activity,
continued improvements, the wish to launch revitalization
processes and even to follow others . The initial determination
needed to launch this type of processes varies by region; in
Spain, most processes are fronted by public entities,
approximately 50%, while a significant percentage has mixed
public-private leadership.

Students Outcome
This article provides a practitioner's view of proposals and efforts
to revitalize the most distressed housing communities under the
Urban Revitalization Demonstration (URD) program. While data
suggest that most public housing is in good physical condition,
recent trends toward increasingly impoverished resident
populations suggest that tinkering with the public housing
program by changing occupancy policies or creating new, small‐
scale initiatives will not lead to long‐term sustainability of
communities.
Chapter 11
IN SEARCH FOR AN ADEAL REGENERATION
STRATEGY FOR INDIAN HISTORIC CITIES
Transportation System and the emerging Urban
Form

Summary:
The urban regeneration of historic towns is a process of inducing
life into decaying assets and developing future potential. These
assets and potentials may consist of built heritage, traditional
industries or cultural resources. The research is a study of an
historic town in central India called Pauni which is famous for its
historic buildings and traditional economic industry. However, at
present these assets are degenerating due to industrialization.
Between the 14th and 16th centuries, the town achieved
prosperity because of location, linkages, political patronage and
existing economic skills. Later the town could not achieve growth
due to a lack of economic potential and out migration of skilled
workers. Also the inadequate development polices affected the
town’s growth and with the passage of time it retained the historic
settlement pattern. The town today has a strong potential for
tourism as there are numerous historic buildings. The town
economy is dominated by household industry of skilled master
craftsmen involved in producing fabric from silk and cotton. But
at present, this traditional heritage and the economic potential of
the town are struggling to survive. The research looks into the
town’s assets and potentials that could be a base for
development and sustainability. Keywords: historic towns, urban
regeneration, urban conservation, urban planning, built
heritages, household industry, handloom cottage industry,
sustainability, weavers, tourism. 1 Introduction The settlement
patterns in India are an overlay of civilizations belonging to
different periods in the history of Hindu, Buddhist, Mughals and
British rule. This overlaid pattern has developed urban forms that
reflect the diversity in social and cultural needs of the inhabitants.
The architecture of these urban forms

Students Outcome
Accessibility and urban mobility are critical for promoting
sustainable urban economic development in Indian cities. They
are also directly connected to urban stock and flows – in terms
of spatial development and consolidation of the built form.
However, urban mobility has not contributed to desired
outcomes owing to car-centric policies adopted by successive
plans and projects at the city level. Urban mobility is multi-
dimensional in terms of policy and operational implications.
Therefore, coherence in policy interventions and linkages among
processes are essential. Improved accessibility is neither
achieved by adding more roads, rail or vehicles, nor through ad
hoc spatial interventions such as traffic management techniques
in isolation to achieve delocalization and decongestion.
Conclusion:

Urban regeneration is the attempt to reverse that decline by both

improving the physical structure, and, more importantly and
elusively, the economy of those areas. In all regeneration
programmes, public money is used as an attempt to pump prime
private investment into an area.
Rather than sprawling and expanding on virgin land,
regenerative urban development is about creating denser cities
by redeveloping and regenerating the existing urban fabric and
existing neighbourhoods (instead of simply developing new sites
from scratch). Increasing density has in fact huge benefits in
terms of efficient use of energy, resources, infrastructures and
transport. At the same time, the focus of urban regeneration
projects should be on making cities more people-centred,
increasingly functional for the community, more accessible and
inclusive and at the same time able to positively enhance the
natural systems of the city and of the surrounding areas.
Retrofitting and renovation projects are prioritized while at the
same time historical and cultural heritage is also conserved and
revalued. Enhancement of urban ecosystems is prioritized and it
is achieved by making sure the city is rich of green areas and
vegetation that, for example, help to block shortwave radiation,
cool the ambient and create more comfortable urban
microclimates. The latter can be highly beneficial, particularly
given the risks of increase in temperature due to global warming.
Improving urban ecology, promoting bioremediation of degraded
areas and flora regeneration are also essential and have benefits
beyond the environmental ones as they also increase the
liveability and aesthetic value of the city.