Sourcing land for housing remains the most challenging task for all agencies involved in providing shelter for marginalized sections of society. Challenge remains most formidable in the case of India, housing more than 17.3% global population and occupying merely a physical space of only 2.4%. India ranks high among the land stressed country, globally among nations. Housing is known to be largest consumer of land in the domain of both urban and rural settlements. Considering the high prevailing cost of land and large speculation to which urban land is subjected to, creating cost-effective and affordable housing remains most challenging task. Housing remains one of the most critical and dynamic entities related to human living, always evolving and devolving, never static, never definitive, ever dynamic, always changing and never decreasing .Housing strategies for the urban poor need a holistic and multi-pronged approach involving; ensuring adequate supply of serviced land at most affordable price; making land market operationally efficient and socially just; rationalizing the urban planning and development process; making informal sector integral part of urban planning / development; rationalizing land related legal framework governing land ; actively involving private and co-operative sectors ; creating an effective/efficient urban land information and management system; rationalizing the process/ cost of land transactions; minimizing the charges/ fees levied in the land transactions; minimizing time scale for sourcing land; making optimum use of available land; identifying right beneficiaries etc
Ongoing crisis of pandemic,Covid19, has clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of cities and migrants in the face of lockdown, when majority of urban migrant workforce, left cities to go back to their native places, despite all odds and hardships; clearly establishing the context, role/ importance of shelter in not only rationalizing growth/development of cities but also creating ownership among its citizens. It has also clearly demonstrated the necessity of providing adequate housing to all the urban residents, if the cities are to be made safe, resilient, sustainable and livable.
Affordable housing for all in india- Issues and OptionsJIT KUMAR GUPTA
This document summarizes the key issues around affordable housing in India. It notes that rapid urbanization is concentrating populations in urban areas and driving up housing costs. As a result, over 60 million urban Indians live in slums or informal settlements lacking basic amenities. The document estimates a shortage of over 30 million homes by 2020, with the vast majority of the shortage being in affordable housing for low-income groups. It identifies the major challenges to developing affordable housing as the high cost of land, rising construction costs, high government fees and charges, rigid land use planning, and irrational building regulations that restrict density.
Looking at policy framework, technological innovations,, financial and operational context, affordable housing can become a distinct reality only if all the stakeholders including Governments, parastatal agencies, financial institutions, private sector, builders, developers, colonizers, industry, beneficiaries, NGC/CBO and professionals including Architects / Engineers/Planners etc are brought on common platform. For achieving the goal government need to incentivise supply side and remove all roadblocks. Role of parastatal agencies shall be that of facilitators rather than provider with key responsibility given to the private and co-operative sectors. Reform linked policy framework; calling for making land market effective and efficient; rationalising government levies/fees/taxes; incentivising industries involved in producing pre-fabricated components and making building materials from waste; providing housing loans at concessional and affordable rates with flexible options of repayment; making landowners active partners in creating affordable housing on a mass scale; bridging gap between demand and supply sides; bringing enablers, providers and executors on the same platform; making all stakeholders work in a concerted/committed manner, would be critical in making affordable housing a distinct reality in the Indian context. Affordable housing can be effectively leveraged to create/ expand large job market for unskilled/ semi-skilled rural migrants; revitalize Indian industry; promote economy; achieving high growth rate and marginalize poverty in urban India. Housing, as a sector, can help making urban centres inclusive, resilient, smart , more productive, more effective, highly efficient, healthier, better habitable, better organized, well planned and more sustainable with assured quality of life. It is hoped, Pradhan Mantri Shehri Awaas Yojna, launched by the Government of India in 2015 , for constructing 10 million housing in urban areas by 2022, will usher a new era of providing housing for all besides creating adequate stock for rental housing and bringing new technologies and innovations to make available affordable housing to all targeted beneficiaries a distinct reality
Issues and options for housing the urban poor in indiaJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Paper looks at the current status of Housing in India, roadblocks which are hampering the supply of housing the poor and suggests few strategies for creating housing stock for them to achieve the objective of Housing for All by 2022
Affordable housing in India- A Myth or RelityJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Paper makes an attempt to look at the housing as a major issue in the urban area, identify the major roadblock and options to make housing for all a distinct reality
Leveraging the housing for the Urban Poor through innovative Resource Mobili...JIT KUMAR GUPTA
Considering the fact that Housing for Poor is a major challenge which the Government of India is trying to overcome through PMAY- paper tries to provide few options for making housing for all a distinct reality
This document discusses the rapid urbanization and housing shortage in India. Some key points:
- India's urban population grew significantly in the last century due to migration, and is projected to house over half of India's total population by 2050.
- Urban areas face issues of uncontrolled growth, inadequate infrastructure, poverty, and a severe shortage of affordable housing, especially for low-income groups. Over 60 million people live in slums currently.
- The housing shortage in India is estimated to be over 24 million units currently, with over 99% shortage for the lowest-income groups. Affordable housing remains a major challenge due to high land and construction costs.
- The Indian government has implemented various
Housing remains one of the most valuable right and asset of the mankind besides the major issue for all developing nations. It is both a challenge and opportunity. Paper tries to define strategies which can help achieve the objective of shelter for all
Affordable housing for all in india- Issues and OptionsJIT KUMAR GUPTA
This document summarizes the key issues around affordable housing in India. It notes that rapid urbanization is concentrating populations in urban areas and driving up housing costs. As a result, over 60 million urban Indians live in slums or informal settlements lacking basic amenities. The document estimates a shortage of over 30 million homes by 2020, with the vast majority of the shortage being in affordable housing for low-income groups. It identifies the major challenges to developing affordable housing as the high cost of land, rising construction costs, high government fees and charges, rigid land use planning, and irrational building regulations that restrict density.
Looking at policy framework, technological innovations,, financial and operational context, affordable housing can become a distinct reality only if all the stakeholders including Governments, parastatal agencies, financial institutions, private sector, builders, developers, colonizers, industry, beneficiaries, NGC/CBO and professionals including Architects / Engineers/Planners etc are brought on common platform. For achieving the goal government need to incentivise supply side and remove all roadblocks. Role of parastatal agencies shall be that of facilitators rather than provider with key responsibility given to the private and co-operative sectors. Reform linked policy framework; calling for making land market effective and efficient; rationalising government levies/fees/taxes; incentivising industries involved in producing pre-fabricated components and making building materials from waste; providing housing loans at concessional and affordable rates with flexible options of repayment; making landowners active partners in creating affordable housing on a mass scale; bridging gap between demand and supply sides; bringing enablers, providers and executors on the same platform; making all stakeholders work in a concerted/committed manner, would be critical in making affordable housing a distinct reality in the Indian context. Affordable housing can be effectively leveraged to create/ expand large job market for unskilled/ semi-skilled rural migrants; revitalize Indian industry; promote economy; achieving high growth rate and marginalize poverty in urban India. Housing, as a sector, can help making urban centres inclusive, resilient, smart , more productive, more effective, highly efficient, healthier, better habitable, better organized, well planned and more sustainable with assured quality of life. It is hoped, Pradhan Mantri Shehri Awaas Yojna, launched by the Government of India in 2015 , for constructing 10 million housing in urban areas by 2022, will usher a new era of providing housing for all besides creating adequate stock for rental housing and bringing new technologies and innovations to make available affordable housing to all targeted beneficiaries a distinct reality
Issues and options for housing the urban poor in indiaJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Paper looks at the current status of Housing in India, roadblocks which are hampering the supply of housing the poor and suggests few strategies for creating housing stock for them to achieve the objective of Housing for All by 2022
Affordable housing in India- A Myth or RelityJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Paper makes an attempt to look at the housing as a major issue in the urban area, identify the major roadblock and options to make housing for all a distinct reality
Leveraging the housing for the Urban Poor through innovative Resource Mobili...JIT KUMAR GUPTA
Considering the fact that Housing for Poor is a major challenge which the Government of India is trying to overcome through PMAY- paper tries to provide few options for making housing for all a distinct reality
This document discusses the rapid urbanization and housing shortage in India. Some key points:
- India's urban population grew significantly in the last century due to migration, and is projected to house over half of India's total population by 2050.
- Urban areas face issues of uncontrolled growth, inadequate infrastructure, poverty, and a severe shortage of affordable housing, especially for low-income groups. Over 60 million people live in slums currently.
- The housing shortage in India is estimated to be over 24 million units currently, with over 99% shortage for the lowest-income groups. Affordable housing remains a major challenge due to high land and construction costs.
- The Indian government has implemented various
Housing remains one of the most valuable right and asset of the mankind besides the major issue for all developing nations. It is both a challenge and opportunity. Paper tries to define strategies which can help achieve the objective of shelter for all
This document discusses strategies for leveraging housing for the urban poor in India through innovative approaches. It notes that India faces a massive shortage of adequate housing for its growing urban population, especially for the poor. Public agencies alone do not have sufficient resources to address this shortage. The document examines India's current housing scenario and outlines strategies proposed in the National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy to mobilize adequate financial resources from governmental and private sources. It highlights the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) as an innovative mechanism that has leveraged large funds for housing the urban poor by achieving partnerships between beneficiaries, local bodies, and the government.
This document discusses the importance of affordable housing and challenges in providing it. It notes that housing is essential to human dignity and quality of life but remains out of reach for many globally and in India specifically. The document outlines factors that determine housing affordability and examines demographic trends driving increased housing needs in India. It identifies challenges like rising costs, shortage of developable land, and issues that create roadblocks. The document proposes several strategies to promote affordable housing development at scale, such as improving land access, streamlining approvals, using new construction technologies, and rationalizing government costs.
Arcilla 2019 Affordability Of Socialized Housing In The Philippines (Policy B...Becky Goins
This policy brief discusses the persistent lack of affordable socialized housing for the poorest 30% of families in the Philippines. While the government has produced many socialized housing units through private developers, these are often located far from jobs and services in urban resettlement sites, making them unaffordable and inaccessible for the poor. The brief argues for an income-based housing subsidy combined with urban land reform and public transport to ensure truly affordable, in-city socialized housing for the poorest families.
This document discusses housing issues faced by the urban poor and homeless in India, particularly in Delhi. It notes that over 100 million people, or 35% of urban populations, live in slums or destitution below the poverty line without basic amenities. While national policies aim to provide housing for all, the needs of the homeless have not been adequately prioritized. The document estimates there are at least 65 million shelterless people in India based on Census 2001 data, with vast numbers inhabiting cities like Delhi. It argues that more focus is needed on providing housing and basic facilities for the most vulnerable groups, including the homeless.
This document discusses housing and homelessness issues faced by the urban poor in Delhi, India. It notes that millions of marginalized people live in slums or on the streets without basic amenities. National housing policies have focused on providing housing for low-income groups but have largely ignored the homeless population. While night shelter schemes exist, their coverage is limited. The document estimates Delhi's homeless population to be over 100,000 based on various studies but notes this group remains deprived of proper attention or coverage under government schemes.
Housing remains critical for providing safety, security, identity, space for social interaction for families to live, learn and grow together. Housing is also considered major determinant of quality of life.besides major propeller of industrial and economic development. Large number of crimes happening in society can also be attributed to the manner in which majority of people are made to live adverse conditions in urban areas. Considering the multiple implications of housing,- providing affordable housing for all has been mandated by united nations as the basic agenda of growth and development for all member nations. However, housing despite occupying critical role in human living and national development , remains in crisis, crisis of both quality and quantity. Dynamic nature of housing demand makes provision of housing for all the most challenging task because housing need and demand never remains static. It is always evolving, devolving, never finite and never finished. Considering multiple implications of housing in terms of land, resources, finances, technologies, manpower, providing housing remains the most challenging job for individuals, communities and nations. Paper tries to bring out these peculiarities while explaining the context of affordable housing..
Rural areas in India face significant challenges in providing adequate housing for residents. The document discusses several issues:
- There is an estimated housing shortage of over 43 million homes in rural India, more than double the shortage in urban areas.
- Rural homes tend to be of lower quality, with only about half considered permanent structures and higher rates of dilapidation compared to urban areas. Access to basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation, and electricity is also more limited in rural housing.
- Ownership of homes is much higher in rural (93%) versus urban (61%) areas, but rural homes typically have fewer rooms and are more likely to lack features like separate kitchens. Most support animal husbandry
Article tries to portray, definne, decipher and to bring out the status, pecularities, issues and roadblock in Rural Housing of India. Article also tries to define that rural housing remains different and distict from urban housing and has to be dealt on different footing in its planning , designing, construction, materials and technologies.. Rural housing remains simple, cost-effective, meeting individually and severally , multiple requirements of the rural setting. However, rural housing needs needs focussed attention of professionals looking at the local options and local materials/technologies. Rural housing offers enormous opportunities of innovations and experimenatation in housing sector,. based on the local knowledge, available wisdom, available materials and currently used technologies. Architects and Engineers need to redo their agenda to make value addition to rural housing which remains vital for Indian economy, living, nealth and hygiene besides tackeling the issue of global warming and increasing carbon footprints/minimising energy annd resource consumption..
Options for Making Housing Affordable a distinct RealityJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Presentation dissects, analyses, define and details role,relevance and importance of housing in human living, employment, industry etc; briefs the roadblocks in promoting supply of housing; quantifying emerging housing shortage; defining affordability and affordable housing; Briefs about Prime Minister Awaas Yojna- options for making housing for all a distinct reality besides defining the technologies which government of India has used in its 6 lighthouse housing projects across India for creating affordable, cost-effective and sustainable affordable housing on mass scale using latest construction technologies
This document provides an overview of housing and housing issues in the Indian context. It discusses key topics like the importance of housing, definitions related to housing, the magnitude of India's housing problem both quantitatively and qualitatively, factors affecting housing demand and supply, the relationship between housing and neighborhood/city planning, and India's national housing policy and role of housing agencies. The housing shortage in India is estimated to be around 31 million units as of 2001, with both rural and urban areas facing deficits. Affordability, access to basic amenities, and lack of quality construction are some of the major qualitative issues.
This document discusses affordable housing issues in developing countries and the potential roles of zakat (alms-giving) and waqf (endowment) funds in addressing the issue. It notes that urbanization is causing major housing shortages, with slum dwellers making up a large portion of the urban population in many areas. While zakat funds currently provide some housing assistance, the focus seems to be on repairs and subsidies rather than larger-scale development of affordable units. Waqf initiatives to develop housing using endowed land are still in early stages and focus more on commercial than affordable residential projects. The roles of zakat and waqf could be expanded to better address the major shortfall in affordable housing for the poor and
The document discusses affordable housing in India. It defines affordable housing based on income level, dwelling unit size, and affordability (housing costs not exceeding 30% of income). Demand is driven by rapid urbanization and a growing middle class. However, supply faces constraints like high land and construction costs. The government, developers, and financial institutions all have roles to play in increasing affordable housing through measures like subsidies, increased development rights, and loans respectively. Overall 24.71 million housing units are required to fulfill the current shortage, with over 99% of demand from low-income groups. An investment of Rs. 600,000 crore is estimated to meet this need.
Housing problems by tauqeer ahmed additional commissioner irTauqeer Malik
presently Governance in Pakistan is promoting housing sector and offering incentives to construction sector. this effort will definitely help the researchers
The challenges-in-affordable-housing-for-urban-poor-in-india-deciphering-the-...kanwargaurav3
This document discusses challenges in providing affordable housing for the urban poor in India and analyzes the government's "Housing for All by 2022" policy. It notes that rapid urbanization has increased housing demand but market forces primarily deliver housing for middle- and high-income groups. As a result, there is a large gap in affordable housing supply for low-income groups. Previous policies like NSDP, BSUP, and RAY aimed to address this through slum upgrading, redevelopment, and public housing but made limited progress. The "Housing for All by 2022" policy continues these approaches through four pillars but faces challenges in implementation. The document aims to evaluate this new policy and recommend improvements to help achieve its
Issue paper - secure tenure in urban slums low-res FINALAngeli Alba
This document discusses secure tenure for urban slums in Asia-Pacific. It defines secure tenure and explains its importance for development. There is a continuum of land rights, from informal to formal, with eight types ranging from perceived tenure to registered freehold. Successful projects prioritize upgrading slums in situ through community-led development and partnerships between communities, municipalities, professionals, and the private sector. Forced relocation fails while incremental improvements to security of tenure through this continuum approach leads to sustainable communities and urban resiliency.
Options for making affordable housing for all a reality in urban India (1)JIT KUMAR GUPTA
Presentation tries to briefly dwelling on affordable housing in the context of India- Explaining the role and importance of housing in urban spaces , issues, challenges and roadblock faced and options available for making housing for all a distinct reality
Role of Climate in the Development of old and new cities Case study Jaisalme...JitKumarGupta1
Destroying natural fabric, Exploiting and misusing natural resources, ignoring /marginalizing nature, has led to climate changes at the local /global levels . Phenomenon gained momentum in the post- industrial revolution . Global warming, depletion of ozone layer, change in rainfall pattern and seasons, have adversely impacted both developed and developing countries. Part of climate change is also to be shared by towns and cities and the way they are planned, designed and developed. Accordingly, there is need to study impact of planning and development of human settlements on climatic change. Architects and Planners can play critical role in mitigating adverse impact of climate change by planning and designing human settlements using nature and natural elements of sun, space and greenery. Studying and evaluating the planning and designing of desert cities of India, and Iran i.e. Jaisalmer and Yazd respectively and also the new Arabian city of Masdar, in the context of prevailing climatic conditions and the way natural elements have been used to make cities sustainable in the face of adverse climatic conditions provide valuable message for the professionals in the art and science of planning and designing cities.
Strategies for Promoting Good Urban Governance at Local LevelJitKumarGupta1
Indian cities are being run/managed by proxy without an ownership and quality leadership. Accordingly, cities are being misused, abused and manipulated, to serve the personal interests, ignoring the larger public interests and interests of the stakeholders / residents. Indian cities galore with multiplicity of laws and multiplicity of agencies operating , working invariably at cross purposes . Quality leadership is conspicuous by its absence. Manpower involved with the management of the cities has little capacity, understanding and expertise in dealing with the challenges faced by cities. The administrative, planning and development capacity is totally lacking in manpower / resources. So cities and residents are suffering . There exists little commitment to put urban governance on higher pedestal of quality, performance, effectiveness and efficiency. McKinsey Global report has outlined three- pronged strategy to make cities great places to live and work involving Achieving Smart Growth; Doing More with Less and Winning Support for a Change. Despite the fact that role of urban local bodies remains vital in urban governance and 74th Constitution Amendment have put them on the pedestals of government in their own right ,but their structure ,resources ,culture/capacity in the area of urban governance remains marginalised. Growing size, population and complexities of the problems and challenges make the task all the more difficult/challenging .Good urban governance should involve; improving capacity to govern ; improving institutional, technical, administrative and political capacities; making available skilled manpower; providing Sufficient resources and quality manpower; incentivising good performance ; reviewing/rationalising legal framework ; defining Unified law; promoting fruitful partnership between state/ local bodies; creating grievances redressal cells ; involving communities ; disseminating examples of good governance; to fulfil the vision of a planned, healthy, productive, sustainable, liveable and efficient urban settlement in years to come.
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Similar to Sourcing Land for Housing the Urban Poor in India
This document discusses strategies for leveraging housing for the urban poor in India through innovative approaches. It notes that India faces a massive shortage of adequate housing for its growing urban population, especially for the poor. Public agencies alone do not have sufficient resources to address this shortage. The document examines India's current housing scenario and outlines strategies proposed in the National Urban Housing & Habitat Policy to mobilize adequate financial resources from governmental and private sources. It highlights the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) as an innovative mechanism that has leveraged large funds for housing the urban poor by achieving partnerships between beneficiaries, local bodies, and the government.
This document discusses the importance of affordable housing and challenges in providing it. It notes that housing is essential to human dignity and quality of life but remains out of reach for many globally and in India specifically. The document outlines factors that determine housing affordability and examines demographic trends driving increased housing needs in India. It identifies challenges like rising costs, shortage of developable land, and issues that create roadblocks. The document proposes several strategies to promote affordable housing development at scale, such as improving land access, streamlining approvals, using new construction technologies, and rationalizing government costs.
Arcilla 2019 Affordability Of Socialized Housing In The Philippines (Policy B...Becky Goins
This policy brief discusses the persistent lack of affordable socialized housing for the poorest 30% of families in the Philippines. While the government has produced many socialized housing units through private developers, these are often located far from jobs and services in urban resettlement sites, making them unaffordable and inaccessible for the poor. The brief argues for an income-based housing subsidy combined with urban land reform and public transport to ensure truly affordable, in-city socialized housing for the poorest families.
This document discusses housing issues faced by the urban poor and homeless in India, particularly in Delhi. It notes that over 100 million people, or 35% of urban populations, live in slums or destitution below the poverty line without basic amenities. While national policies aim to provide housing for all, the needs of the homeless have not been adequately prioritized. The document estimates there are at least 65 million shelterless people in India based on Census 2001 data, with vast numbers inhabiting cities like Delhi. It argues that more focus is needed on providing housing and basic facilities for the most vulnerable groups, including the homeless.
This document discusses housing and homelessness issues faced by the urban poor in Delhi, India. It notes that millions of marginalized people live in slums or on the streets without basic amenities. National housing policies have focused on providing housing for low-income groups but have largely ignored the homeless population. While night shelter schemes exist, their coverage is limited. The document estimates Delhi's homeless population to be over 100,000 based on various studies but notes this group remains deprived of proper attention or coverage under government schemes.
Housing remains critical for providing safety, security, identity, space for social interaction for families to live, learn and grow together. Housing is also considered major determinant of quality of life.besides major propeller of industrial and economic development. Large number of crimes happening in society can also be attributed to the manner in which majority of people are made to live adverse conditions in urban areas. Considering the multiple implications of housing,- providing affordable housing for all has been mandated by united nations as the basic agenda of growth and development for all member nations. However, housing despite occupying critical role in human living and national development , remains in crisis, crisis of both quality and quantity. Dynamic nature of housing demand makes provision of housing for all the most challenging task because housing need and demand never remains static. It is always evolving, devolving, never finite and never finished. Considering multiple implications of housing in terms of land, resources, finances, technologies, manpower, providing housing remains the most challenging job for individuals, communities and nations. Paper tries to bring out these peculiarities while explaining the context of affordable housing..
Rural areas in India face significant challenges in providing adequate housing for residents. The document discusses several issues:
- There is an estimated housing shortage of over 43 million homes in rural India, more than double the shortage in urban areas.
- Rural homes tend to be of lower quality, with only about half considered permanent structures and higher rates of dilapidation compared to urban areas. Access to basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation, and electricity is also more limited in rural housing.
- Ownership of homes is much higher in rural (93%) versus urban (61%) areas, but rural homes typically have fewer rooms and are more likely to lack features like separate kitchens. Most support animal husbandry
Article tries to portray, definne, decipher and to bring out the status, pecularities, issues and roadblock in Rural Housing of India. Article also tries to define that rural housing remains different and distict from urban housing and has to be dealt on different footing in its planning , designing, construction, materials and technologies.. Rural housing remains simple, cost-effective, meeting individually and severally , multiple requirements of the rural setting. However, rural housing needs needs focussed attention of professionals looking at the local options and local materials/technologies. Rural housing offers enormous opportunities of innovations and experimenatation in housing sector,. based on the local knowledge, available wisdom, available materials and currently used technologies. Architects and Engineers need to redo their agenda to make value addition to rural housing which remains vital for Indian economy, living, nealth and hygiene besides tackeling the issue of global warming and increasing carbon footprints/minimising energy annd resource consumption..
Options for Making Housing Affordable a distinct RealityJIT KUMAR GUPTA
Presentation dissects, analyses, define and details role,relevance and importance of housing in human living, employment, industry etc; briefs the roadblocks in promoting supply of housing; quantifying emerging housing shortage; defining affordability and affordable housing; Briefs about Prime Minister Awaas Yojna- options for making housing for all a distinct reality besides defining the technologies which government of India has used in its 6 lighthouse housing projects across India for creating affordable, cost-effective and sustainable affordable housing on mass scale using latest construction technologies
This document provides an overview of housing and housing issues in the Indian context. It discusses key topics like the importance of housing, definitions related to housing, the magnitude of India's housing problem both quantitatively and qualitatively, factors affecting housing demand and supply, the relationship between housing and neighborhood/city planning, and India's national housing policy and role of housing agencies. The housing shortage in India is estimated to be around 31 million units as of 2001, with both rural and urban areas facing deficits. Affordability, access to basic amenities, and lack of quality construction are some of the major qualitative issues.
This document discusses affordable housing issues in developing countries and the potential roles of zakat (alms-giving) and waqf (endowment) funds in addressing the issue. It notes that urbanization is causing major housing shortages, with slum dwellers making up a large portion of the urban population in many areas. While zakat funds currently provide some housing assistance, the focus seems to be on repairs and subsidies rather than larger-scale development of affordable units. Waqf initiatives to develop housing using endowed land are still in early stages and focus more on commercial than affordable residential projects. The roles of zakat and waqf could be expanded to better address the major shortfall in affordable housing for the poor and
The document discusses affordable housing in India. It defines affordable housing based on income level, dwelling unit size, and affordability (housing costs not exceeding 30% of income). Demand is driven by rapid urbanization and a growing middle class. However, supply faces constraints like high land and construction costs. The government, developers, and financial institutions all have roles to play in increasing affordable housing through measures like subsidies, increased development rights, and loans respectively. Overall 24.71 million housing units are required to fulfill the current shortage, with over 99% of demand from low-income groups. An investment of Rs. 600,000 crore is estimated to meet this need.
Housing problems by tauqeer ahmed additional commissioner irTauqeer Malik
presently Governance in Pakistan is promoting housing sector and offering incentives to construction sector. this effort will definitely help the researchers
The challenges-in-affordable-housing-for-urban-poor-in-india-deciphering-the-...kanwargaurav3
This document discusses challenges in providing affordable housing for the urban poor in India and analyzes the government's "Housing for All by 2022" policy. It notes that rapid urbanization has increased housing demand but market forces primarily deliver housing for middle- and high-income groups. As a result, there is a large gap in affordable housing supply for low-income groups. Previous policies like NSDP, BSUP, and RAY aimed to address this through slum upgrading, redevelopment, and public housing but made limited progress. The "Housing for All by 2022" policy continues these approaches through four pillars but faces challenges in implementation. The document aims to evaluate this new policy and recommend improvements to help achieve its
Issue paper - secure tenure in urban slums low-res FINALAngeli Alba
This document discusses secure tenure for urban slums in Asia-Pacific. It defines secure tenure and explains its importance for development. There is a continuum of land rights, from informal to formal, with eight types ranging from perceived tenure to registered freehold. Successful projects prioritize upgrading slums in situ through community-led development and partnerships between communities, municipalities, professionals, and the private sector. Forced relocation fails while incremental improvements to security of tenure through this continuum approach leads to sustainable communities and urban resiliency.
Options for making affordable housing for all a reality in urban India (1)JIT KUMAR GUPTA
Presentation tries to briefly dwelling on affordable housing in the context of India- Explaining the role and importance of housing in urban spaces , issues, challenges and roadblock faced and options available for making housing for all a distinct reality
Role of Climate in the Development of old and new cities Case study Jaisalme...JitKumarGupta1
Destroying natural fabric, Exploiting and misusing natural resources, ignoring /marginalizing nature, has led to climate changes at the local /global levels . Phenomenon gained momentum in the post- industrial revolution . Global warming, depletion of ozone layer, change in rainfall pattern and seasons, have adversely impacted both developed and developing countries. Part of climate change is also to be shared by towns and cities and the way they are planned, designed and developed. Accordingly, there is need to study impact of planning and development of human settlements on climatic change. Architects and Planners can play critical role in mitigating adverse impact of climate change by planning and designing human settlements using nature and natural elements of sun, space and greenery. Studying and evaluating the planning and designing of desert cities of India, and Iran i.e. Jaisalmer and Yazd respectively and also the new Arabian city of Masdar, in the context of prevailing climatic conditions and the way natural elements have been used to make cities sustainable in the face of adverse climatic conditions provide valuable message for the professionals in the art and science of planning and designing cities.
Strategies for Promoting Good Urban Governance at Local LevelJitKumarGupta1
Indian cities are being run/managed by proxy without an ownership and quality leadership. Accordingly, cities are being misused, abused and manipulated, to serve the personal interests, ignoring the larger public interests and interests of the stakeholders / residents. Indian cities galore with multiplicity of laws and multiplicity of agencies operating , working invariably at cross purposes . Quality leadership is conspicuous by its absence. Manpower involved with the management of the cities has little capacity, understanding and expertise in dealing with the challenges faced by cities. The administrative, planning and development capacity is totally lacking in manpower / resources. So cities and residents are suffering . There exists little commitment to put urban governance on higher pedestal of quality, performance, effectiveness and efficiency. McKinsey Global report has outlined three- pronged strategy to make cities great places to live and work involving Achieving Smart Growth; Doing More with Less and Winning Support for a Change. Despite the fact that role of urban local bodies remains vital in urban governance and 74th Constitution Amendment have put them on the pedestals of government in their own right ,but their structure ,resources ,culture/capacity in the area of urban governance remains marginalised. Growing size, population and complexities of the problems and challenges make the task all the more difficult/challenging .Good urban governance should involve; improving capacity to govern ; improving institutional, technical, administrative and political capacities; making available skilled manpower; providing Sufficient resources and quality manpower; incentivising good performance ; reviewing/rationalising legal framework ; defining Unified law; promoting fruitful partnership between state/ local bodies; creating grievances redressal cells ; involving communities ; disseminating examples of good governance; to fulfil the vision of a planned, healthy, productive, sustainable, liveable and efficient urban settlement in years to come.
Water known as elixir of life, needs to be valued as agift of nature and not traded as a commercial commodity.Water remains in available in limited capacity. With increase in human number water consumption is increasing many fold. Water needs to be managed and used in the manner of a circular economy. Water needs to be managed effectively and efficiently.
Land Role, Importance and Implications for Human Living and UrbanizationJitKumarGupta1
Land, as a gift of nature remains most valuable. Providing platform for all human activities, land always remain in demand. Increasing number of human beings, getting concentrated in small area, makes land most valuable. Options which are being used to leverage land for generating wealth, has made land as a commodity, which is being traded to generate maximum profit and revenue. All parastatal agencies and all urban local bodies are looking land as a goldmine for providing maximum wealth for the city. Speculation, holding land as investment is gaining currency. Land is being manipulated, used , abused at various levels for investing/generating large amount of black/unaccounted money. Land has emerged as the most preferred agenda for power to be as a medium of corruption. Large syndicates are emerging in metro cities which are dealing in land purely for speculative purposes. Looking at the limited availability of land and its numerous applications in the urban and rural context, land needs to be respected and valued not as a commodity but as a gift of nature, to be preserved, conserved, protected and promoted by making value addition to promote larger public interest and not the personal interest. Issue assumes importance for land stressed country like , India which has only 2.4% global land holding 17.6% of global land. India will do well to evolve a policy option which does not allow land to be traded as a commodity.
Designing for smart and Inclusive Cities in indiaJitKumarGupta1
Making cities Smart remains an illusion/ mirage and a fallacy in this world, which is illogically and irrationally being chased and promoted by politician, administrators and people in the power. How can cities be made Smart, both conceptually and physically, when cities are marked by dualities and contradictions, when it cannot take care of its stakeholders; Create ownership among them; provide them basic infrastructures, amenities and services; assure them appropriate employment and economic options; provide them with reasonable shelter; ensure healthy living. Cities cannot be made Smart till poverty continue to rule the cities; where planning remains marginalized/diluted; where multiplicity of agencies continue to operate and rule in contradiction to each other; where decision made remain mired with subjectivity; where there is total lack of ownership; where leadership has no understanding of the city growth and development and where manpower deployed remain inadequately qualified to understand and address the issues of urbanization. Cities would require more focus and will need care and caution, provided with the input of professionals who can lead the cities to make them more livable. I think need is to move from and focus on promoting livability rather than smartness. How can we achieve the objective of livability, should remain the agenda for all professionals and stake holders involved with making cities Smart.
Globally, cities are being treated as commodity, used , traded and speculated for generating more money and large wealth for individuals, communities, states and nations for making them rich and prosperous. Despite creating large space for human living, working, care of body & spirit, mobility and employment, cities are made to reel under enormous stress bordering on deficient infrastructure and services. Despite consuming minimum land for housing large population in a limited area, cities are being made places of large land speculation. Considering the major implications of cities in promoting sustainability, economy, productivity, employment, quality of life ;urban spaces need care and healing on priority. It is not the city which are culprits for all the social, economic and environmental ills, it is in fact the way cities have been treated and made to grow, develop and expand. Cities need care and focus to understand the genesis of their problems and evolving appropriate solutions to heal them. Cities need appropriate empowerment, supportive planning, enabling resources and state of art technologies which enable them create happy and healthy spaces for human living. Cities need to be treated like organic/ living entities, requiring appropriate environment, infrastructure and services to enable them to play their designated role in human emancipation and promoting global sustainability effectively and efficiently. Cities would require innovations and out of box thinking to make them safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable.
Residential Satisfaction as an option to Promote Quality Housing JitKumarGupta1
Housing which does not promote and ensures desired level of satisfaction, among users, invariably remain underutilized, misused and abused by the community. Resources spent on creating such shelter also remain under-utilized and generally go waste. Accordingly, shelter created, should invariably include housing satisfaction, as integral part of siting, planning ,designing, construction and management of housing neighborhoods. Unfortunately, most of the public agencies involved in creating housing stock have little knowledge and understanding of the context, relevance and importance of housing satisfaction, which is not appropriately spaced and addressed in the housing stock created . Agencies involved in urban planning and planning of human settlements also do not include user satisfaction, while planning, designing the residential component at the local and city level. For understanding the context / genesis of the housing satisfaction and its inclusion in all policies/ projects ,it will be important that detailed studies/ surveys of the existing housing stock should be conducted, for assessing the level of user’s satisfaction/dissatisfaction and evaluate critical factors promoting housing satisfaction among users, besides generating valuable information on urban renewal and neighborhoods ; offering insight to which specific neighborhood problems are of major concern .Analysis may help housing associations / stakeholders engaged in developing urban housing find right policy mix to improve overall quality of life in the residential neighborhood through improved housing satisfaction. Based on the study, detailed guidelines can be evolved/ made operational, for making it integral part of all the new housing projects to generate desired level of satisfaction among the beneficiaries of the houses Furthermore, they also need to define which neighborhood characteristics have a positive influence on residential satisfaction and which do not. In the absence of such guidelines, effort invariably remain focused more on physical and economic characteristics as determinants of residential satisfaction, while ignoring other social, cultural and environmental aspects.
Neighborhood planning in capital city of chandigarh an appraisal JitKumarGupta1
Neighborhood as an idea, concept, option and strategy has been extensively used globally by Architects and Urban Planners to plan and decentralize cities, create cities within cities, promote self-contained communities and to make cities more humane, safe and socially interactive. Accordingly, large typologies of neighborhood planning and designing with varying shapes, sizes and contents have emerged in the urban context with Americans using superblock and French using Sector for the neighborhood planning. Despite high degree of relevance, neighborhood planning has not been able to deliver the envisioned objectives. Cities in the process have been socially and physically fragmented, leading to clear division into different communities with little physical and social connectivity. Variance of planning and designing norms followed at neighborhood and sub-neighborhood levels have promoted more dichotomy and contradictions with varying quality of life. Differential population and infrastructures have divided the city into high and low end neighborhoods. City fabric in large cases has emerged as distinct social map of communities graded on the area/location basis with neighborhood planning emerging as instrument of social segregation/division. Neighborhood has been used in the planning of capital city of Chandigarh (India) with entire city fabric woven around Sector as the basic unit. In order to understand the neighborhood planning in the context of Chandigarh, It will be at appropriate to look, critically and objectively, at the entire context of sector planning with focus on basic philosophy and approach followed by eminent Architect Le Corbusier and his team in all three phases of city development, bringing out the issues, efficacy and efficiency of Neighborhood unit and its impact on growth and development agenda of the Chandigarh in the present context.
Neighborhood planning in capital city of chandigarh an appraisal JitKumarGupta1
Neighborhood as an idea, concept, option and strategy has been extensively used globally by Architects and Urban Planners to plan and decentralize cities, create cities within cities, promote self-contained communities and to make cities more humane, safe and socially interactive. Accordingly, large typologies of neighborhood planning and designing with varying shapes, sizes and contents have emerged in the urban context with Americans using superblock and French using Sector for the neighborhood planning. Despite high degree of relevance, neighborhood planning has not been able to deliver the envisioned objectives. Cities in the process have been socially and physically fragmented, leading to clear division into different communities with little physical and social connectivity. Variance of planning and designing norms followed at neighborhood and sub-neighborhood levels have promoted more dichotomy and contradictions with varying quality of life. Differential population and infrastructures have divided the city into high and low end neighborhoods. City fabric in large cases has emerged as distinct social map of communities graded on the area/location basis with neighborhood planning emerging as instrument of social segregation/division. Neighborhood has been used in the planning of capital city of Chandigarh (India) with entire city fabric woven around Sector as the basic unit. In order to understand the neighborhood planning in the context of Chandigarh, It will be at appropriate to look, critically and objectively, at the entire context of sector planning with focus on basic philosophy and approach followed by eminent Architect Le Corbusier and his team in all three phases of city development, bringing out the issues, efficacy and efficiency of Neighborhood unit and its impact on growth and development agenda of the Chandigarh in the present context.
Comact City as an Option for Making Urban India more Sustainable and LivableJitKumarGupta1
Cities and towns remain critical in chartering and scripting the development trajectory of any community/nation. Structural transformation of the economy, sustaining high rates of economic growth and realization of economic potential is largely contingent on the efficacy and efficiency of urban settlements and rationalization of the process of urbanization. Well-managed, urbanization is known to fosters social and economic advancement and improved quality of life. However, cities are globally facing greater threat and challenges in terms of growing number of urban residents living in informal settlements , inadequate urban services, climate change; global warming; exclusion and rising inequality and poverty; rising insecurity; growing migration, rising global carbon emission. The current models and framework/approach to urbanization and urban planning remains highly unsustainable. Majority of Indian cities lack planning, capacity and preparedness to manage and counter effectively the challenges associated with rapid and massive urbanization. Accordingly, new agenda will be essential and critical to defined /effectively address the emerging challenges and take advantage of the opportunities offered by urbanization. The new urban agenda should promote human settlements that are planned, designed and managed to be environmentally sustainable; socially inclusive and economically productive. Compact city, as a role model of urban planning and development, offer enormous opportunities and options, to make cities more effective and efficient intense dense, efficient. Compact city is also known for its distinct quality of offering enormous opportunities to make cities more sustainable, socially interactive, walkable , cost-effective, land -efficient, productive, socially and environmentally, easy to develop/maintain. Accordingly, appropriate urban planning, development and management framework needs to be put in place and made operational on priority to make compact city model a distinct reality.
Strategies for Promoting Good Governanace at Local Level urban g overnance (1...JitKumarGupta1
This document discusses strategies for improving urban governance at the local level in India. It notes that while Indian cities are major economic drivers, rapid urbanization has created challenges for service delivery. Key issues include poor urban governance, with state governments controlling local bodies; a historical low priority of urban development; weak capacities of urban local bodies; a mismatch between local body responsibilities and resources; and the presence of multiple overlapping agencies. The document argues for reforms to decentralize power to local bodies and strengthen their administrative, financial, and technical capacities to improve urban planning and service delivery.
Urban planning and urban governance invariably remain people centric having prime concern/focus on looking at/ promoting the welfare of the people, improving their social, physical, economic and environmental conditions besides improving quality of life. Both are mandated to create supportive/enabling conditions and environment to help people to perform their basic functions involving living, working , care of body & spirits and circulation, in a most effective / efficient manner. Accordingly urban planning and urban governance remain interlinked /integrated, and have close relationship. No good urban governance can exist in isolation/ without the input of good and rational planning. Looking at the entire context of good urban governance, it can be fairly concluded that effective urban planning holds the key to good urban governance. Poor urban governance has its genesis in poor urban planning. For enabling urban planning to play its desired and designated role in urban governance, it will be essential that operational mechanism of existing pattern of urban planning is critically looked into, reviewed, revised and re-defined to made it more responsive to the emerging urban dynamism/challenges. Unfortunately, in India, role of urban planners has been diluted and marginalized and has never been given appropriate recognition. Limited numbers of planning institutions have contributed to restricting the number of qualified professionals. With urban centres holding the key, future growth and development of the cities will be contingent largely upon the proficiency, efficacy and efficiency of ‘Planning Profession and Professionals’. However, , for planners/planning to play its ordained role, they have to be made more responsive , professionally competent, having capacity /expertise to understand /appreciate the complexities of urban growth and development, based on prevailing ground realities, and evolving appropriate options. .Planning tools will also require review and redefining to make them more effective and efficient.
Preparing and empowering cities in the face of epidmics 19-JitKumarGupta1
Cities rattled by COVID-19 crisis, need to be made safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable. Despite enormous damage to the fabric , structure, economy, employment, loss of human life etc., cities are known for their capacity to reduce the impact of future pandemics and become more equitable, healthy and environment- friendly.Studies made globally reveal that, existing dichotomy, contradictions and inequality, lack of access to basic services, poverty and overcrowded living conditions, have been largely responsible and destabilizing factors in increasing the scale and impact of COVID-19.‘Cities can help overcome development deficits; spearhead reforms to tackle poverty, strengthen social protection, restore public trust and reach people facing deprivation. New normal for urban planners/managers would be to make cities prioritizing health, housing; commitment to human rights involving; focus on policies to protect land rights, improve access to water, sanitation, public transport, electricity, health , education facilities; and ensuring inclusive digital connectivity. For empowerment, cities need to prepare detailed disaster mitigation plans at local level involving local communities and creating disaster preparedness centers at different levels for their effective management. Improving cities and making them more sustainable must involve; creating career/business opportunities; safe and affordable housing, building resilient societies; making investment in public transport to provide greater and unhindered access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety providing universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, including for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities; and making urban planning Inclusive and sustainable. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way we build and manage our urban spaces.Each city/urban settlement remain unique, needs to develop, adapt and implement its own operational plans to effectively counter the natural/ manmade disasters.
Redefing planning starategies for promoting sustainable Urban DevelopmentJitKumarGupta1
Looking at the way cities are being planned and developed, existing planning options need review and redefinition by adopting innovative planning solutions to make planning profession more responsive to emerging new realism (Nick Devas). New urban realism must invariably involves, evolve and revolves around; Urban growth must be planned to be inclusive; Recognition that form of cities is determined largely by the decisions of individuals and organizations, rather than by governments; Recognizing limited capacity of the government to intervene effectively in the urban system; Realism about resource constraints which government faces at both national and local level; Realism that people can afford to pay for improved urban services and shelter; Realism about standard of services to be adopted, priced and shared between competing claimants; Recognition that planning process cannot be a tidy, linear sequence of survey, plan-action but need to be pursued concurrently; Recognizing that plans need to be flexible and incremental; Realism about limited capacity of institutions in terms of technical skills, management capacity, institutional efficiency and inter-agency conflict; Realism about limited ability of planning authorities to enforce regulatory system of development ;Realism about seeing’ politics’ not as an obstacle, but as a framework, within which an implementable plan / program must be developed
LEGAL FRAMEWORK IN THE STATE OF PUNJAB- INTERFACE BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS OF TO...JitKumarGupta1
Indian believes in high traditions of democracy and accordingly, is characterized by multiplicity of laws. With focus on subject specific laws, one can see multiplicity laws. Each law tries to overtake other law, when they relate to the same subject. Sometimes there exists lot of overlapping and contradictions in the legal framework. Since India legal system remain bureaucratic and institutional focused under each law, focus of bureaucracy remains to create more laws and more space number for creating institutions and jobs for the bureaucracy. Despite India , as a nation accepting the role and importance of Urban local Bodies in 1972, when 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, was enacted, still states were passing laws in 1996 to create separate/additional/ independent agencies operating in the domain of urban planning, development and management, ignoring to empower urban local bodies to take up that role. Accordingly, state scenario in urban development in the country remains multi-faceted with existence of large number of departments and agencies operating in the urban development, which dilutes the intent of planned and orderly development in human settlements.Prevailing urban development scenario indicates existence of not only large number of urban laws but also large number of urban development agencies. However, there exists concentration of development agencies operating in the large urban areas but these agencies are conspicuous by their absence in the small urban settlements. Our capacity to create rational, effective, efficient, compact planning framework and agencies for effectively implementing of planning framework, will hold the key for future planned growth of urban settlements .Write-up focuses on the State of Punjab which has put in place a legal regime providing for promoting comprehensive and integrated development of urban and rural area through the preparation of Regional Plans and Master Plans in 1996 . In the year 2006, the entire set of provisions regulating the preparation of Regional Plans and Master Plans were critically reviewed, rationalized, simplified and modified drastically to streamline the procedure by making amendments eliminating/ minimizing number of vital steps involving public participation, involving urban local bodies; printing existing landuse plans etc. First master plan came into operation in 2006, after a decade of launching the Act. Till now more than 35 cities have bbeen covered unde such plans out of 216 urban settlements recorded in 2011 census.
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Housing remains one of the most critical and dynamic entities related to human living, always evolving and devolving, never static, never definitive, ever dynamic, always changing and never decreasing .Housing strategies for the urban poor need a holistic and multi-pronged approach involving; ensuring adequate supply of serviced land at most affordable price in equitable and sustainable manner; making land market operationally efficient and socially just; rationalizing the urban planning and development process; making informal sector integral part of urban planning and development; rationalizing the existing legal framework governing land and its management; changing role of parastatal agencies from providers to enablers; actively involving private and co-operative sectors in sourcing land and creating shelter; creating an effective and efficient urban land information and management system; rationalizing the process and cost of land transactions; minimizing the charges and fees levied in the land transactions; minimizing time scale for sourcing land; making optimum use of available land; identifying right beneficiaries etc Looking at the quality of life and adversities human beings faced, without an assured and permanent shelter, during the ongoing crisis of pandemic,Covid19, has clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of cities and migrants in the face of lockdown, when majority of urban migrant workforce, without having any shelter, had no option but to leave cities to go back to their native places, despite all odds and hardships. This clearly established the context, role and importance of shelter in not only rationalizing growth and development of cities but also creating ownership among its citizens. It has also clearly demonstrated the necessity of providing adequate housing to all the urban residents, if the cities are to be made safe, resilient, sustainable and livable.
Redefining Planning Strategies for Promoting Sustainable Urban SettJitKumarGupta1
Urbanisation in developing economies is fast emerging as a process of transfer of rural poverty to urban environment, leading to concentration of misery; creating distortions and emergence of numerous imbalances and problems. Accordingly, urban settlements are suffering from improper and haphazard development, absence of basic infrastructures and services, lack of housing, high degree of visual and environmental degradation and uncontrolled traffic etc. The cumulative effect of these factors is the degradation of quality of life in urban settlements and large number of subsidies required to keep them operational. Indian urbanization is characterized by urbanization of population, urbanization of poverty, urbanization of pollution and urbanization of environment.Looking at the existing scenario, all evidences suggest that despite best of the efforts of Planners to contain the population and limit and regulate the growth of large cities, they continue to grow and expand at an alarming pace; despite best of the efforts to promote planned growth, haphazard and unplanned development has emerged as the order of the day; despite best efforts made to contain slums, their number and size are growing much faster; despite pursuing the objective of ensuring quality of life to all, majority of urban dwellers are facing deprivation and lack of access to housing, basic amenities and facilities resulting in constant degradation of living environment. Thus, wide gaps have emerged over the years between what is planned and what actually comes on the ground.The dualities and contradictions emerging in the settlement scenario accordingly call for having a closer look at the very mechanism of city planning, development and management. It also calls for evaluating the concepts and systems, which have been followed in the past, for promoting planned growth of human settlements and have resulted in high level of distortions emerging in settlement planning and development mechanism. Since the existing systems and concepts have resulted in widening the gap between planning and development and have failed to achieve the goal of planned growth, surely it calls for their substitutions by some innovative concepts and systems, which would remove emerging distortions, dualities and contradictions in the settlement planning and make them rational and orderlu.
Optimising Existing Structures Through RetrofittingJitKumarGupta1
Retrofitting remains most valuable and one of the best options to restore the existing derelict buildings to their original health and make buildings operationally efficient and usable for all human operations. Retrofitting should not remain confined only to meet the structural inadequacies or needs of repair and restoration. It needs to be extended and taken forward by making use of its enormous capacity it provides to make buildings energy efficient and more livable. Retrofitting can help in reshaping, reframing and putting to new use/options the existing structure, without resorting to demolition and destruction. Potential of retrofitting has not been properly studied, understood, appreciated and exploited in the context of building industry to make existing buildings more livable, cost-effective, operationally efficient, having larger/ extended life-span and reducing their adverse impact on the environment and ecology. It needs to be done on priority to make building industry more sustainable and least consumer of energy and resources besides generators of minimum waste.
Sustaibale cities -Suggestive approach to make cities energy efficientJitKumarGupta1
The way cities use land, consume energy, eat up resources and impact the quality of life and environment, they are fast emerging as ecological disasters. Uncontrolled and haphazard growth devours land, water and energy from the surrounding landscape. The emerging contemporary patterns of settlements, have created cities which have high level of consumptions of energy due to auto dependence; high energy demand for buildings; water pollution from excessive toxic run off; air pollution and other environmental effects which considerably increase health risks.For the exorbitant, energy and ecological prices, these patterns do not even buy an appropriate quality of life. Cities of 21st century are totally divorced from aesthetic and ecological experience of nature. People are made to spend number of hours for commuting on daily basis. In the emerging social fabric, neighbours are not friends, communities are not tied to place and millions, too poor to afford basic amenities of life to lead a dignified life. Invasion of automobiles has made cities highly noisy, energy inefficient, congested and largely frustrating. Besides causing global macro ecological problems, current settlement patterns have created host of local ecological problems. World life habitats have become extinct; native species are replaced by consumptive exotics; streams are canalized, piped and buried; wetlands are filled and aquifers depleted. Urban heat islands created drive up energy use for cooling besides trapping pollutants in the city. Downstream areas are flooded and polluted largely by the quick run off from large paved areas. All these problems, collectively and individually, have the ability to adversely impact the local ecology. Accordingly, local ecological systems are rapidly losing their ability to produce clean water, air and food and to maintain rich variety of habitat and are fast losing their ability to sustain life.
Each of these environmental problems has their genesis in the design of cities, settlement patterns and urban spatial fabric. Human habitat needs restructuring on priority so that we live within the limits imposed by our life sustaining eco-systems and follow the basic principles which promote the quality of life.To minimize the energy consumption levels and the ecological disasters caused by today’s grey cities, we have to change our perceptions, to learn and think ecologically to create green cities which are both humane and sustainable besides least consumers of energy
Site planning in Architectural Projects- Principles and ApproachesJitKumarGupta1
Presentation tries to showcase the relevance of site planning in the architectural projects, impact of site plan on designing buildings, process to be followed and principles to be kept in mind while evolving site plans. Presentation also makes an attempt to explain and detail out the role of site and factors to be considered while evaluating any site.
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Sourcing Land for Housing the Urban Poor in India
1. 1
SOURCING LAND FOR HOUSING THE URBAN POOR IN INDIA
*Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta
1.INTRODUCTION
Housing has been globally valued for its role and importance, as determinant of growth
and development of human beings, communities and nations. Good homes are known to
give families a base to build the foundations of empowered society; give people physical
and financial security and create healthy living besides empowering them. Being one of
three basic human necessities, UN has mandated, for accepting the ‘Right to Adequate
Housing,’ as the basic human right. Considering multiple connotations and criticality of
housing as provider of identity, security and determinant of quality of life, besides
promoting economy, generating employment, leveraging industrialization and
rationalizing growth and development of human settlements, providing ‘Housing for All
’, has been accepted by Government of India as prime objective of National Housing
Policy and Prime Minister Awas Yojna.
Housing has always ranked high on the development and welfare agenda of all nations.
Despite critical role and importance, housing still remains a distant dream for millions of
people. The right to adequate, affordable housing is promised in the constitutions and
laws of more than 100 countries, but these rights are often inadequately implemented.
There is currently a worldwide shortage of affordable housing. UN Habitat Report on,
Right to Adequate Housing, finds, ‘Well over a billion people are not adequately housed.
Millions around the world live in life or health threatening conditions, in overcrowded
slums and informal settlements and conditions, which do not uphold human rights and
their dignity’. India Habitat III National Report, 2016, identified 65.49 million urbanites
living in slums besides 1.77 million counted to be homeless - without any kind of shelter,
roof and walls (Census2011).
Limitations imposed by land, materials, construction technologies, skilled manpower,
limited housing options, non-involvement of stakeholders/ private sector and inadequate
financial resources, have emerged as the major road blocks in ensuring adequate supply
of housing for poor. Considering high cost of urban land; non-availability of developed
land in adequate quantity; magnitude, complexity and resource intensive nature and ever-
growing mismatch between demand and supply in the lower income categories; creating
appropriate quantity and quality of housing for urban poor remains the most formidable,
challenging and difficult task.
Land remains most critical element for creating affordable housing. Looking at the
national land resource, India occupies a unique position globally, marked by both
dualities and contradictions. These contradictions are distinctly portrayed by low
landmass area holding large population base. In the year 2020, India with merely 2.4
percent (32 million sq kms) of global land, housed more than 17.6% percent global
population (1381 million). Considering land-man ratio, India ranks low among nations,
with land resource remaining under enormous stress. With population standing at 1211
million in 2011, projected to be 1400 million in 2021 and 1600 million in 2050, India is
bound to suffer sharp decline in land-man ratio.
2. 2
Massive growth of population has wide ranging implications for promoting social,
economic, physical infrastructure and environment besides providing appropriate shelter,
amenities and facilities to ever growing numbers. Situation becomes all the more critical
in urban areas, which are growing at a much faster pace under the dynamic forces
unleashed by urbanization, liberalization of economies and globalization. Considering
large contribution made by the urban centers to the national economy,( estimated to go
up to 75 percent by 2050), improving productivity & operational efficiency of urban
centers assumes importance. Efficiency and productivity of urban centers closely hinges
upon how safe, livable, sustainable, resilient and healthier these settlements are and what
kind of quality of life and opportunities of gainful employment they offer to their
inhabitants. Accordingly, for promoting rational and sustainable development of urban
settlements, making adequate provision of appropriate shelter for all the urban residents
besides basic infrastructures, amenities and services, assumes importance. Even World
Assembly of Nations (Habitat – II) and 17 Sustainable Development Goals defined by
UNO have endorsed the twin goals of “Ensuring adequate shelter to all and making
human settlements Safer, Healthier, more Livable, Equitable, Sustainable and more
Productive”, to make this world a better place to live.
2. INDIAN HOUSING SCENARIO
Perpetually in deficit, with demand invariably chasing supply, housing as a sector, has
been found to be most challenging and demanding. Demand for housing has never been
static. Considering the demographic dynamics, assessing precise housing requirement has
always eluded human imagination. Considering its fixed nature with zero mobility,
making adequate provision of housing in all human settlements remains most difficult
and challenging task. Government and parastatal agencies, on their parts have been
making efforts to assess and project the demand for housing for various income
categories but the ground realities have always belied the projections made.
Looking at the issue of housing shortage ,‘Technical Group’ constituted by Ministry of
Housing and Poverty Alleviation (MHPUA), estimated that at the end of 10th Five Year
Plan, urban housing shortage was projected to be 24.71 million dwelling units spread
over EWS (88%), LIG (11%) and MIG/HIG (0.04 mdu). Backlog for the 11th Five Year
Plan (2007-12) was placed at 26.53 million dwelling units for the urban sector. Housing
shortage in different income groups was observed to be of 99.9% for EWS, 10.5% for
LIG and merely 0.2% in MIG/HIG categories.
Looking at the available housing stock and prevailing shortage, it can be observed that
supply of shelter specifically for the urban poor, has outpaced the demand. The situation
shows worsening trends in the low income groups, due to ever increasing number of rural
migrants to urban areas. These migrants, due to limited availability of resources and poor
affordability, are known to put enormous pressure on urban land. This invariably leads to
promoting congestion, increase in number of pavement dwellers and growth of slums and
squatter settlements. Growth of slums is a sign of inability of people to afford land and
shelter through the normal market mechanism and failure on the part of public agencies
to ensure their equitable access to the urban poor. Nearly 25 percent population in metro
cities has been found to be living in declared slums with Mumbai(41.3%) and Kolkata
(29.6%) recording higher proportions. Slums and size of cities have been found to be
3. 3
positively co-related with large centers recording higher number of slums.Urban housing,
besides suffering from the malice of quantitative shortage, is also known to have
qualitative issues with more than 40% households living in single room and another 30%
in two rooms, in metropolitan centers like Kolkata and Mumbai. In large cities, if the
density of population in EWS/LIG housing has increased substantially, availability of
housing space per capita has declined rapidly, impacting adversely quality of living and
family privacy.
Parallel existence and development of formal and informal housing stock and settlements
is another phenomenon seen all over the developing world i.e. City within a City- a
multiple city syndrome. Distinct settlements of the poor and the rich are a classic
testimony to the process of urbanization, which has thrown up “Islands of affluence in a
sea of poverty”. Both options have their role and importance in providing shelter to the
urban households. In order to clinch the objective of housing for all in urban India,
potential of both formal and informal sectors needs to be understood and synergized..
Looking objectively at the entire context of housing, it can be safely concluded that
Indian housing scenario remains beset with problems like; ever growing shortage of
housing for the urban poor; lack of basic infrastructure; overcrowdings of buildings on
land and people in the building, multiplicity of squatter colonies, multiplicity of agencies;
haphazard and unplanned growth, mushrooming of slums; lack of financial resources;
encroachment on public spaces, high land cost, scarcity of serviced land and high degree
of land speculation.
3. LAND RELATED ISSUES
Land remains the most critical component of any housing programme, since all housing
related activities are essentially consumers of land. Despite the fact that land holds the
key to success of any housing program, still most of the parastatal agencies have failed to
increase the supply of serviced land in the urban areas, to meet the ever-increasing
demand for shelter. In India, the capacity of the state to arrange land remains limited, due
to high cost and ever increasing population pressure. Accordingly land over the years, has
emerged as the greatest hindrance in providing appropriate shelter due to its perpetual
shortage, large speculation and high land value in the urban market. In the process, land
market has become highly distorted and operationally inefficient, making land expensive
and unaffordable for the urban poor.
Land Market
Land market in past has been largely controlled by the public sector with government
holding virtual monopoly. With inefficient legal framework and lack of adequate
resources available with the parastatal agencies, supply of the serviced land in market has
become highly skewed. Excessive governmental controls have further restricted the role
of private sector in bringing land into the urban market. Accordingly, most of the land
available in urban areas is both, unauthorized and un-serviced. In fact major problems in
the land market have genesis in the lack of understanding on the part of urban managers,
about the operational intricacies of the land market. Position is further compounded due
to lack of clarity of title and disputed land ownership. This has lead to the creation of a
parallel land market in the urban sector, which is beyond the control and ambit of any
4. 4
regulated system. The share of informal land market has been increasing rapidly.
Accordingly, majority of land available in urban market remains un-serviced and city
growth illegal. Looking holistically, irrational growth and development of urban centers
has its genesis in the prevailing lack of capacity on the part of urban local bodies to meet
effectively shelter related requirements of majority of its inhabitants. This malaise can be
squarely attributed to the operational inefficiency of urban land market, which has not
been able to ensure supply of right quantum of serviced land at right place, at right time,
at right price and to right people. Recent trends of the land, being treated as a tradable
commodity, making large upfront profit, have added a new dimension to the land market
and its operation. Large tracts of developed urban land remain vacant and unused for
number of years with owners waiting to make large profit when land prices would go up.
Land Acquisition
With fast changing urban dynamics and prices of urban land going up steadily, capacity
of the government to intervene effectively in the land market has been considerably
eroded. Limited availability of land with public agencies, coupled with its inefficient use
and abuse has further reduced the supply of land in the urban market. Complex system of
land transactions, including heavy cost involved in the process and transaction has further
restricted the supply of land. Land acquisition through legal process, under the new land
acquisition act of 2013, involving not only payment of fair compensation for the land
acquired but also rehabilitation and resettlement of the landowner, has made acquisition
process more complicated, cumbersome and cost intensive. This has rendered most of
the Development Authorities incapable of supplying adequate quantity of serviced land in
the urban market at an affordable price.
Role of Development Authorities
In addition, Development Authorities have also made land as the sole mechanism of
making huge profits. In the process only a limited supply of developed land is made
available in the market periodically. Considering the large demand for the land, the prices
of released land go up considerably. Moreover pricing mechanism adopted to dispose off
the land by way of public auction, has also made land unaffordable, excluding the poor to
source land through legal process. Even when certain land meant for urban poor is
released in the market, due to wrong targeting, land falls in the hands of the upper income
groups. The restricted supply of serviced land coupled with its high pricing has edged out
the urban poor from the urban market due to their low affordability resulting in illegal
occupation of public land in search for the shelter.
Non- involvement of Private sector
One of the major hurdles in the efficient functioning of land market is the non-
involvement of private and co-operative sectors. Considering the fact that majority of the
housing stock is still being supplied by the private sector, accordingly potential of this
sector needs to be fully understood, appreciated and supported, for bringing adequate
amount of land to the urban market. From role of “sole suppliers of land”, public
agencies should become ‘facilitators’ in making the urban land market more efficient
State should make all possible efforts to remove existing roadblocks, which hamper the
5. 5
efficient functioning of private sector in the domain of improving supply of developed
land in the urban areas.
Legal and Planning Framework
Legal framework would need appropriately review and modification to make the
sourcing of land quicker and affordable. Planning tools like Master Plans and
Development Plans used for promoting planned development in urban areas have
emerged as the greatest hindrance in the smooth operation of land market due to their
rigidity, inflexibility and exclusion of the poor from the formal planning and
development process. These plans would require critical review and modification, in their
intent, contents and approach, for making them promoters of orderly growth and efficient
functioning of land market. Development controls and building by-laws, which are
known to provide low floor area ratio, irrational population densities; restricting height;
ground coverage; floor area norms etc have hampered the optimum utilization of land.
They would need to be reviewed, revised and redefined to make the shelter for the poor,
cost- effective and affordable.
Derelict urban lands
In urban areas, large pockets of land remain locked under closed industrial units,
institutions and derelict buildings. These pockets remain unused for number of years in
the absence of requisite permission to redevelop. Granting permissions to develop on
time bound basis, would help in bringing large amount of land in the urban market, for
creating large stock of affordable housing. In addition, plotted development is also known
to promote inefficiency in land utilization due to limited construction made on these plots
by the owners.
4. NATIONAL SEMINAR ON FUTURE CITIES
Considering the entire context of urban development, National Seminar on Future Cities
identified following land related issues hampering the provision of affordable shelter to
the urban poor;
Inadequate supply of serviced land in urban areas despite increased demand, led
to rapid increase in its prices; making land unaffordable for majority of the urban
dwellers.
Haphazard and premature exploitation of peripheral lands has genesis in the
critical shortage and high pricing of urban land
Out-pricing of the urban poor coupled with inadequate supply of legal and
affordable sites for shelter, has led to proliferation of squatter settlements and
problems of haphazard growth and congestion in unserviced areas.
Land use controls used for planned development have hampered the affordability
of large majority of the urban poor.
Existing inefficient legal and regulatory framework has adversely impacted the
functioning of land market; creating conditions for unwarranted increase in land
and housing prices in larger cities.
6. 6
Focus of parastatal agencies on housing for higher income groups, by carving out
large sizes plots and constructing high end housing, has inordinately restricted the
supply of services land to poor and economically weaker sections of the society.
Reduced supply and distorted functioning of urban land market can be largely
attributed to inefficient use of publically held land and large scale land
speculation practiced by parastatal agencies and private developers
Scarcity and high prices of land can be attributed to poor land related information
system and prevailing high transaction costs
Long drawn legal proceedings and consequential increased compensation has
adversely impacted the capacity of public agencies to acquire large parcels of land
under Land Acquisition Act,
Inefficient functioning, reduced supply of services land in the market has its
roots in the non-involvement of private and co-operative sector on large scale in
sourcing and pooling land for development
Existing planning tools and planning practices have emerged as the creators of
major road-blocks in promoting planned development of urban centers.
Restricted capacity of poor to secure legal serviced land at affordable cost for
their shelter/ working can be attributed to exclusion of the urban poor from city
planning and development process.
5. SOURCING LAND FOR THE URBAN POOR
Cost of land constitutes major component of housing, placed in the range of 20-50 per
cent of total cost of house and is known to play critical role in determining pricing and
affordability of residential units.But land as a resource, having numerous connotations,
remains most complex in terms of its nature, ownership, utilisation, cost, planning,
development and management. Accordingly, evolving multi- pronged strategies and bringing
all stake holders on the same platform will be critical to ensure adequate supply of land at
affordable cost. Focus of housing the poor should revolves around, sourcing adequate quantity
of land at appropriate place, at the most affordable cost and making optimum use of available
land resource to create cost-effective and affordable housing. In search for appropriate
solutions, to source adequate land for creating large stock of affordable housing, following
strategies are suggested;
i) Redefining Master plans
Existing practices of preparing Master Plans and Development Plans, donot provide any
space for living and working of the informal sector as part of the city planning and
development process. In the absence of any dedicated area, informal sector has to
compete with formal sector for finding space for shelter etc. Unable to compete, due to
high land cost and poor affordability, informal sector remains excluded from the urban
land market. With no space made available, poor have little option but to look for
whatever cities can offer them outside the planning process. This leads to haphazard,
unplanned development and mushrooming of slums and squatter settlements. In order to
make planning of cities rational and realistic, informal sector has to be spaced and made
integral part of the city in planning and development process. Thus, if sufficient area is
identified for housing and working of the urban poor and rural migrants in the Master
7. 7
Plans/Development Plans, this can help in making available land for creating affordable
shelter in the cities. Land thus earmarked can be acquired, developed and provided with
basic infrastructures and used for creating affordable housing either by the parastatal
agencies or as a joint venture on PPP model For the success of the scheme sufficient
funds have to be generated as a part of urban development process , with contribution
made by the beneficiaries as a surcharge or levy in the development charges.
ii) Promoting Flatted development
Typologies of housing used for creating shelter also impact the use of land resource.
Comparative merits and demerits of plotted and flatted development has been debated.
Considering the context of different typologies, flatted development remains the best
option for creating affordable housing in large quantity. Flatted development is known to
be minimum consumer of land besides being cost-effective and promoter of optimum
utilization of land resource. It is known to minimize land speculation, promote
community living and optimize cost of basic services and amenities to be provided.
Accordingly, adopting flatted development will help in creating large housing stock at
minimal cost. If combined with livelihood options, as part of the development, it can be
major game changer for rationalizing the city growth and development.
iii) Cross - subsidization
Cross-subsidization, as an option, has been leveraged, effectively and efficiently by
numerous cities globally, for making affordable housing accessible to the urban poor.
Option of cross- subsidization can be used for both land and housing in the domain of
public and private sectors. This mechanism has been used successfully in Hong Kong
where problem of low affordability of the poor to land and housing has been resolved by
leveraging the public and private sector resources. Cross-subsidization to the extent of
45% of the market value of land and housing for urban poor has been made possible
through the mechanism of comprehensive urban development and re-development
programmes launched by the government, which capitalizes on sharing the increase in
land values due to continued re-development of the city of Hong Kong.
iv) Creating Land Bank
Creating land bank offers another option for making available land for promoting cost-
effective and affordable housing in urban centres. In this process, land is sourced from
different schemes and pooled to create a land bank to be used for creating affordable
housing. Even land available with parastatal agencies can be made part of the land pool
for creating affordable housing. Provision already exists in different planning laws to
earmark certain percentage of plots/ area of the scheme for creating housing for
EWS/LIG categories. However, developers invariably avoid providing such housing.
Alternatively, they try to carve out plots and sell them off in the market in the name of
EWS/LIG .This invariably reduces the supply of the land and housing for the urban poor.
Provision needs to be made to ensure that land earmarked in the sanctioned scheme
should either be used for constructing affordable housing by developer or transferred
and placed at the disposal of any public authority like Housing Board or Slum
Development Authority, which can utilize the same for construction of housing for the
poor. In Punjab 10% of the area under residential use in residential colonies has to be
8. 8
used for construction the housing for poor provided area of colony is 40 Hectares. In
addition, 10% of flats are to be reserved for these categories if the number of flats exceed
100.In case of Haryana all developers are required to provide 20 percent of total plots for
the EWS category. Similar provisions need to be made in all state laws in the schemes
undertaken by both public and private sector to create a land bank, from where developed
land ,with all approvals, can be made available off the shelf, for creating affordable
housing spread over different parts of the city.
v) Involving Landowners as Co-parceners
For sourcing land for housing the poor, it will be vital to make land owners, co-parceners
in the development process. Globally, nations have used this process by pooling raw land
of different stakeholders; undertaking planning and development of the land so pooled on
defined norms & standards; making provision of the basic infrastructure and services;
return majority (70% appx.) of land to the landowners for sale. Landowners are required
to pay part of the unearned profit accruing from difference between planned /developed
and raw land. Money thus raised is used for making payment for the land retained by
Authority (30% appx.), in the shape of roads, open spaces, education, healthcare and
commercial use besides meeting the cost of development and making provision of the
infrastructure and services defined in the scheme. Scheme does not involve any
compulsory acquisition of land and any financial liability on the part of the Authority.
Schemes generate enough land for public purposes and resources for infrastructure
development. Scheme helps landowners to have land planned and shaped, fetching much
higher returns. These schemes help in bringing large amount of potential land falling on
the urban fringe into the land market and the land owners are free to dispose off the
pockets of land as may be decided by them. This helps in keeping the land price stable
and imparts efficiency to the land market. Under the provisions of Gujarat Town
Planning Act, all T.P. schemes are required to reserve an area to the extent of 5 percent of
the scheme for housing the poor. Under the plot re-constitution mechanism large amount
of land has been brought into the urban market, which has facilitated in creating
affordable housing on large scale. While P.R. scheme is popular in India, it has been
extensively used in Asian countries like Japan, Korea and Taiwan for sourcing land to
meet the needs of both urban development and creating large housing stock
vi) Involving Private Sector
Private sector is known for its potential, resources and capacity to promote qualitative
and state of art urban development and making provision of cost-effective housing by
using latest technologies and materials. Private sector also holds potential to source land
directly from landowners without resorting to land acquisition process. Considering the
limitations of the public sector, it has been considered prudent to encourage and involve
private sector in large-scale assembly, planning, development and disposal of land to
supplement the efforts of public agencies. State of Haryana has taken a lead in this
regards by evolving a comprehensive and effective framework for sanctioning of
colonies, which has brought in lot of reputed builders in urban centers of Gurgram,
Faridabad, Panchkula, Sonepat, Karnal and other major cities of the state. Haryana state
model needs replication by carrying out certain modifications in order to attract these
developers in small and medium towns also. These developers have not only contributed
9. 9
substantially to the orderly growth and development of urban centers but have also made
available large quantity of land/ plots for the urban poor at an affordable price. Recent
launch of affordable housing by Government of India has also brought in large number of
promoters and developers to create large stock of affordable housing in urban areas.
Large amount of land has been put under affordable housing under this scheme. Prime
Minister Awas Yojna, with four verticals, also calls for involvement of private sector on
large scale, in creating affordable housing
vii) Public-Private Partnership
Combined strength of both public and private sectors needs to be effectively leveraged in
providing shelter to the urban poor. State of West Bengal has taken a lead by floating
number of joint venture companies between West Bengal Housing Board and reputed
private sector companies like Peerless Group, Ambuja Cement etc. Under these JV’s,
land is made available by the West Bengal Housing Board, whereas construction is done
by the private developers. The share holding pattern remains, 51% for the private
developer whereas share of Housing Board is placed at 49%. Under the JV, large number
of houses, on subsidized rates, have been provided to LIG/EWS categories, through a
system of prior registration. The subsidy is made good through HIG housing and
commercial sites provided as part of the scheme to make scheme operationally viable.
Option can be used effectively by Development Authorities and Housing Boards of the
states to create large stock of affordable housing. PPP has also been suggested as a
strategy under the PMAY, for creating affordable housing to meet the target of housing
for all by 2022.
viii) Promoting Brown Field Development
Urban land as a resource, remains most dynamic, ever evolving and ever devolving.
Looking at the prevailing status of urban land resource, it can be observed that substantial
amount of public and private land in the city remains unused or locked in inefficient
uses in the shape of abandoned industrial units, old jails, public offices, institutions,
derelict buildings etc. In order to make optimum use of the land, it is essential that this
land is brought into urban market and used for creating housing and other amenities, for
both general public and urban poor. Considering the opportunity of promoting planned
development; making optimum utilization of vacant/unused/misused urban land and
generating resources, state of Punjab launched the scheme, ‘Optimum Utilization of
Vacant Government Lands (OUVGL)’. Under this scheme unused and underused
potential public lands were identified, planned, developed and disposed off for housing
and commercial purposes. This has not only generated resources for the state for
infrastructure development but has also brought in considerable amount of derelict land
into the urban market. Scheme offers enormous potential for regenerating obsolete and
unused urban land for meeting the housing needs of the poor.
ix) Taxing Vacant Urban Land
Speculation in land, as a phenomenon, has gained enormous currency due to substantial
gain accruing to the plot holders on account of ever-rising land prices in the urban areas.
This process has led to putting under lock, large quantity of potential serviced urban land
from the land market. Shortage of land thus caused, has led to large scale development in
10. 10
peri-urban areas due to non-availability of land at affordable price in urban areas. In
certain cities land to the tune of 25-35% remains vacant for obvious reasons. Vacant land
is known to make land market both expensive and inefficient. In addition, it makes city
development irrational and lopsided. In order to bring this land into the market and to
minimize land speculation, it would be desirable to levy tax on such land. The tax
liability should be made heavy, so as to act as deterrent for keeping the land vacant for
unreasonable time. Taxing vacant urban land would serve dual purpose of not only
bringing vacant land into the urban market but would also generate resource, which can
be utilized for funding the housing for the poor. Punjab Urban Development Authority
has imposed extension fee on the vacant plots after three years of allotment @ 2% of the
current allotment price. This has resulted in rapid construction on plots lying vacant for
number of years besides generating lot of resources. Accordingly, it would be important
to map the city in terms of the land resource and evolve strategies to promote its optimum
utilization. In case of plotted development, generally large number of plots are not built
to full capacity, leading to under utilization of the developed land. In such cases, owners
should be enabled and supported to make construction to the permitted capacity, or
should be allowed to sell floor rights to persons who donot have land. This can help in
creating large housing stock without acquiring land. In New York, all high rise buildings
were permitted to create service apartments on the large terraces of buildings, to
overcome the shortage of affordable housing. Singapore, in order to meet the shortage of
land to create additional housing stock, evolved a policy to convert all plotted
development into multi-storeyed flatted development.
x) Efficient Legal Framework
In order to improve the supply of serviced land in urban areas, existing legal framework
needs close scrutiny and drastic amendments. Newly enacted; “ Right to Fair
Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement
Act, 2013”, which replaced the old Land Acquisition Act, 1894; has compounded the
entire process of land acquisition by adding two more components of rehabilitation and
resettlement, in addition to paying fair compensation. Considering the larger implications
of land acquisition under the new Act, majority of development authorities have closed
the option of land acquisition under new law. This has considerably reduced the capacity
of the public sector to intervene in the land market, which is largely being dictated by the
private and informal sectors. It has also adversely impacted the operational efficiency of
the land market. Law needs a critical review to make it more rational. Rent control laws
also need close scrutiny in order to promote rental housing in urban areas on large scale.
Central government is already in the process of putting a Model Rent Control Act, to
facilitate the creation of rental housing stock. Modifying the Urban Land (Ceiling and
Regulation) Act, to facilitate supply of land through open market while protecting the
interests of the poor would be critical to promote housing for the poor on large scale.
xi) Building Bye-Laws & Development controls
The effective and optimum utilization of valuable urban land is often hindered by the
existence of archaic and outdated building bye-laws and development controls, which
impose undue restrictions on the use, and development of the land. Despite ruling land
prices remain very high, permissible floor area ratio remains very low. Restrictions on
11. 11
height further limit the use of land in an efficient manner. Minimum sizes defined for
living rooms along with height invariably lead to low-rise typology of buildings. Low
density coupled with low heights and low floor area ratio cumulatively lead to inefficient
use of land resource. In order to improve the utilization of available land, there is an
urgent need to redefine the development controls, so that optimum utilization of land
resource could be made.. Thus building by-laws and development controls would require
careful review, revision and redefinition in order to meet the housing requirement of
urban inhabitants, majority of which cannot afford a minimal space for living and
working.
xii) Keep residents where they are;
Slums not only house large share of urban population, but they are also known to occupy
considerable proportion of urban land , sometimes very central and precious. Pattern of
development followed by the slums remains generally low rise, dense, narrow streets,
lack of open spaces. Cumulative impact of these developments is that land under slums is
used in a very inefficient manner, considering the development permitted in the area. The
land under occupation of the slums offers an opportunity to create affordable housing not
only for the residents of that slum but also for housing the additional population. It’s a
big mistake to see slums as a problem, rather than an opportunity. It is an even bigger
mistake to locate people away from their current settlements to new distant projects.
Slums typically crop up around centres of economic opportunity, however rudimentary.
Making in situ development to these settlements, allows slum dwellers to remain
connected to their own networks and sites of economic opportunity besides permitting
optimum utilisation of the land resource.
xiii) Defining an efficient land Information System
Indian urban land suffers from the malaise of outdated and poor land record system
which has led to lot of disputes arising on the status of land including ownership, exact
area, past history of ownership, existing status of land, encumbrances to which land is
subjected to, lack of transparency; absence of land related information from public
domain etc. This has cumulatively led to inefficient function of the land market with
majority of properties subject to litigation and dispute regarding ownership. Lack of
transparency coupled with lack of information has considerably reduced supply of land in
the urban market. This has also led on number of projects put on hold or getting stalled
during their construction. If availability of adequate land has to be made available in the
urban area, it will be desirable to put in place, on priority, an effective, efficient and
transparent system of land information in all the urban centers. Accordingly,
development of an automated and cadastral and land titling system throughout the
country would be critical and pre-requisite to ensure effective functioning of the land
market.
6. CONCLUSION
Housing remains one of the most critical and dynamic entities related to human living,
always evolving and devolving, never static, never definitive, ever dynamic, always
changing and never decreasing .Housing strategies for the urban poor need a holistic and
multi-pronged approach involving; ensuring adequate supply of serviced land at most
affordable price in equitable and sustainable manner; making land market operationally
12. 12
efficient and socially just; rationalizing the urban planning and development process;
making informal sector integral part of urban planning and development; rationalizing the
existing legal framework governing land and its management; changing role of
parastatal agencies from providers to enablers; actively involving private and co-
operative sectors in sourcing land and creating shelter; creating an effective and efficient
urban land information and management system; rationalizing the process and cost of
land transactions; minimizing the charges and fees levied in the land transactions;
minimizing time scale for sourcing land; making optimum use of available land;
identifying right beneficiaries etc Looking at the quality of life and adversities human
beings faced, without an assured and permanent shelter, during the ongoing crisis of
pandemic,Covid19, has clearly demonstrated the vulnerability of cities and migrants in
the face of lockdown, when majority of urban migrant workforce, without having any
shelter, had no option but to leave cities to go back to their native places, despite all odds
and hardships. This clearly established the context, role and importance of shelter in not
only rationalizing growth and development of cities but also creating ownership among
its citizens. It has also clearly demonstrated the necessity of providing adequate housing
to all the urban residents, if the cities are to be made safe, resilient, sustainable and
livable.
7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chaddha S, Gupta JK; Issues and Options for Housing the Urban Poor in India
Gupta JK ; Effective Land Management as a Tool for Housing The Urban Poor
in India
Ansari J.H. – Improving Urban Land Management in India, ITPI Journal Vol. 14
No. 3 & 4, 1996;
Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation, Govt. of India-
Recommendations of the Housing Ministers Conference, June, 1998: National
Report on Habitat-II;
Maitra AK – Housing for the low income-studies in Innovative Neighborhood
Planning – HUDCO, 1991
Author
**Jit Kumar Gupta
Former Advisor, Town Planning,
Punjab Urban Development Authority
#344, Sector 40-A, Chandigarh-160036
mail- jit.kumar1944@gmail.com, mob- 90410-26414