The Indian Express 19.04.2013
Delhi's vision 2050 now has a website
Planning for the long-term future of Delhi and putting forward alternative sustainable solutions, a website — Delhi2050 — was launched on Thursday.
Delhi2050 was the only Indian project to be selected from among 26 projects from across the world for the 5th International Architecture Biennial held in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in 2012. The meet had showcased projects related to "making of a city".
Delhi2050 is a brainchild of arch i, a Delhi-based architecture and research platform.
"Delhi2050 is an open process to rethink the long-term future of Delhi by combining relevant disciplines, conducting exhaustive research and gathering public public opinion. Following public consultations, international workshops and research, four conceptual models and scenarios of Delhi in 2050 were developed in 2011-12. In the past year, many government agencies such as the Ministry of Urban Development and Delhi Development Authority have also been engaged in the process. The website will now help raise pertinent questions and gather data, particularly from the younger generation,'' Anne Feensta, principal of arch i, said.
The website will be an open platform for both Indian and international users to share information, maps, and facts and figures about Delhi.
Presently, arch i has been working on a project to improve public space and street design for the stretch from Malviya Nagar towards BRT in Chirag Dilli.
"By introducing simple changes, we want to improve mobility plans from Malviya Nagar till BRT. We feel that the plan should be people-friendly. So we have made residents stakeholders in the process. The project has already been discussed with the local MLA,'' Tanvi Maheswari from arch I said.
The solutions being proposed by them include two models. One is urban harvest, which includes creating sustainable communities by reusing water, urban farming and harvesting energy. The other model — life street — is about creating accessible, safer and livelier public spaces.
"Two test sites — Dwarka and Kashmere Gate — have been identified to demonstrate the findings. Since Dwarka is a newly developed sub-city, there is scope to take up work there in terms of highly inactive public spaces. Kashmere Gate has a unique identity. It is a mobility hub and is located near the Yamuna riverbed,'' Feensta said.
In the forthcoming phases, the proposals for the test sites and alternative scenarios for Delhi 2050 will be developed through public debate and expert consultations.
"Following the website launch, a knowledge tour will be conducted in top academic institutes of Delhi. These institutes include IIT-Delhi, School of Planning and Architecture, Indian Institute of Human Settlement, among others,'' Feensta said.
The feedback collected from the website and knowledge tour will be consolidated and presented at a public event in early June.
