Urban Planning

Barcelona, Thiruvananthapuram to enter a tie-up

Tuesday, 19 January 2010 09:00 administrator

The New Indian Express 19.01.2010

Barcelona, Thiruvananthapuram to enter a tie-up

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Barcelona City Council has agreed to enter into a twin city tie-up with the City Corporation, Thiruvananthapuram. The MoU on this will be signed between the two Mayors of the two cities in the last week of this month.

The agreement was reached following talks held between Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor and Barcelona Mayor Jordi Hereu in Barcelona recently.

The Barcelona Mayor will be reaching the capital city along with a delegation for signing the MoU. Since the MoU has to get the clearance from the Central Government, Shashi Tharoor will be having discussions in this regard with the Central Ministries concerned.

The draft of the MoU has already been sent to Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor C. Jayan Babu for taking all steps towards signing an MoU with the Barcelona City Council. It is learnt that the tie-up will benefit the capital by way of assisting basic infrastructure development, bringing in more resources to develop the research activities at Regional Cancer Centre here and envisaging new techniques in the treatment of waste disposal. A delegation from the Spanish city of Barcelona headed by Josep Roca, Director, International Relations, Barcelona City Council, and Gerardo Fueyo-Bros, councillor, Spanish Embassy in India, had visited the city in October last year and the areas of cooperation were discussed.

The delegation had then met Mayor C. Jayan Babu, Deputy Mayor V.

Jayaprakash, standing committee chairmen, Corporation Secretary P.S.

Mohammed Sageer, senior municipal officers, Knowledge Manager of the Corporation Kasthuri Rangan and officials from the office of the Minister for Local Self-Government Paloli Mohammed Kutty, apart from Shashi Tharoor.

The discussion had focussed on transport, medical research, water resource management, sports, IT, heritage conservation and urban planning. The Barcelona team had explained about social security measures, town planning schemes and sports development activities implemented by the Barcelona city council.

The team had also expressed willingness to share the experiences of the Spanish city in hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics It was as part of Shashi Tharoor’s initiative to develop Thiruvananthapuram to international standards, that had led to the concept of having a tie-up with the Spanish city Barcelona.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 09:03

Bridging roads at Pullepady

Tuesday, 19 January 2010 08:49 administrator

The New Indian Express 19.01.2010

Bridging roads at Pullepady

Express News Service

KOCHI: The work of the proposed approach roads of the Pullepady Railway overbridge was trapped in red tape for more than six years.

Now the project seems to be back on track with a group of private firms coming forward to sponsor the survey work for a town planning scheme in this regard.

The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Kerala Management Association (KMA), Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Builders Association of India (BAI) and Kerala Builders Association (KBA) will jointly bear the cost of the survey. The office bearers of these organisations approached various authorities like the District Collector, Kochi Corporation and Kerala Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of India (RBDCK) and informed them that they are ready to bear the cost of the survey and the authorities gave their nod.

“The interest shown by these institutions will be helpful in implementing the project,” said Deputy Mayor C K Manisankar.

According to the proposal, a 22-metre wide road will be constructed between Bypass on Thammanam and Pullepady Junction.

To ease land acquisition procedures the proposed town planning scheme envisages a new model. The transfer of development rights will be given to those who will have to surrender their land. If a person has to surrender a portion of his or her land for the project, he or she will get relaxations in floor area ratio. This will enable land owners to construct more storeyes and thus increase the value of the land. This formula was successfully implemented during the widening of Sahodaran Ayyappan Road.

In the case of those with two or three cents of land, they will be rehabilitated if they surrender them for the project. The government land or land in the possession of the Kochi Corporation can be used for the purpose.

Almost two third of the survey work for the alignment of the proposed approach roads has been completed. “A government agency would have taken at least a year to complete the survey work. But the agency we deployed could complete two third of the survey work in 30 days,’’ said Jayathilakan, president, Kerala Management Association.

The survey is expected to be completed by the end of January.

The work of the Pullepady Railway overbridge will be completed in a few months.

Once the construction of approach roads is over it will ease traffic congestion on arterial roads in the city like Banerji Road and Sahodaran Ayyappan Road.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 08:56

State hatches big plot for multi-storey units

Monday, 18 January 2010 05:55 administrator

Deccan Chronicle 18.01.2010

State hatches big plot for multi-storey units

January 18th, 2010

By Our Correspondent

Jan. 17: Big is better according to the new master plan for the city, which hopes to rejuvenate degenerating areas like Abids, Koti and Begum Bazaar by encouraging owners of small properties to amalgamate their small plots so that multi-storey buildings can be built on them.

The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has recently notified the core city master plan and has sought objections and suggestions from the public.

“A lot of discussion took place on the need to rejuvenate the old areas. Urban development experts say that if steps are not taken to redevelop such areas, they will soon die. Amalgamation of properties is one step towards redeveloping the old areas,” said the HMDA director (planning), Mr A.V. Bhide.

If land owners opt for this concept, the government will offer concessions in impact fee and other building development charges.

Some urban development experts agree that amalgamation of smaller plots will not only help to redevelop old areas of the city but will also solve the increasing traffic and parking problem as a new high-rise will have planned parking space.

Besides, if the amalgamated land is of 4,000 sq. yd, municipal authorities are willing to give permission for multiple land use of the property which will allow the property to be used for residential and commercial purposes.

“The multiple land use clause will allow small property owners to have their commercial establishments and their residences in the same building. This way, they need not take out their vehicles to go to their shops, but can walk. This will also ease traffic congestion and reduce load on parking space.”

Experts also want the government to offer incentives to builders taking up projects in “dying” areas.

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