DELHI…Continuity and change

Students were asked to voice their feelings on Delhi, based upon the following
components:
• Morphological
• Perceptual
• Social
• Functional
• Time/Temporal
• Management

1. Morphological
- Delhi has natural features. i.e. River, ridge, creating a triangular
connection.
- Ecological context. Proximity to the Himalayas on one end and the desert
on the other.
- Various distinct patterns. i.e. Garden city pattern in Lutyens Delhi,
Shajahanabad, Radial garden city, urban villages
- Combination of planned and unplanned areas.
- Axis in the city: Central vista, Chandni chowk
- Delhi has multiple feeders from several states, as seven highways
converge here.
- Railways lines coming into the city divides it into various wedges (North,
Central, South, East, West)
- Flood basin is too wide (2-3 km) and divides the city into two
- Over 300 natural lakes previously existed which were a part of the natural
drainage.
- Combination of high and low density areas. i.e. density variation
- Lutyen’s Delhi is considered as an oasis between the heritage.
- Wholesale markets are important magnets of commerce and movements.
2. Perceptual
Symbolism, image of the city, territoriality
- Multi- character
- Poly-centric, with no fixed node as magnet for growth.
- Independent city
- Delhi is divided as: City of power – Lutyens Delhi, City of commoners –
the rest of Delhi
- Heritage city
- Aggregation of various villages
- City of large distances, where the magnets are dispersed.
- High on the global as well as national wish list
- City of powerbrokers and corruption
- Cultural and multi-lingual
- Lots of urban hotspots-malls, bazaars etc
- City of accommodation
- Educational capital, good educational infrastructure
- Green city
- Trouble coping with growth. Delhi is becoming saturated
- Dispersal of urban fringe : drifting foci
- High crime rate and insecurity

3. Social
a. People
b. Places catering to people
c. Issues related to people: safety, exclusion, intrusion
d. Public places
- Uncouth, rude and unsophisticated people. Lack of civic sense
- Large expatriate population. 1947, 62, 71, 82 and the liberalization during
the 90’s saw major population influx
- People are impersonal, selfish and there is a lack of snese of belonging
towards the city.
- At least 50% of the population living in substandard conditions
- cosmopolitan city and people, lots of diversity
- Difficult for aged to be alone and self dependent. Ageism in the city
- Unsafe transit for the children
- Enough opportunity in the city for a criminal mind to work. Dark alleys not
well lit, unsafe roads, visibility factor, law and order enforcement, un-
policed places
- Universal accessibility is poor
- A lot of things created on initiatives taken by the people. PVRs etc
- Isolated celebrations of festivals due to paucity of such spaces
- VIP security has become a nuisance.
- Post 1991, rapid growth in disposable income led to a growth in
consumerism. So, people started spending a lot more, leading to a growth
in the number of public spaces for entertainment and leisure
- Civic spaces for the public: Central vista, Pragati Maidan, Connaught
Place, Janpath, Dilli Haat and piazzas connected with multiplexes and
shopping precincts
- Lots of parks in Delhi for recreation: such as IP Park, Lodi Gardens, Nehru
Park, and Deer Park.

Visual dimensions
- Ramshackle, tacky image of Delhi with independent buildings without
coherence and jostling for space, signifying public aspirations.
- Greens in Delhi : visually pleasing
- Graphic dimension and visual scales are unorganized. Such development
came out of greed. Public adjunct graphics also not organized. Creation of
a visual cacophony.
- Elevations dictated by the bye laws.
- Visual oasis:
 a. Steinabad
b. Lutyens Delhi
c. Gol Market area
d. Mandi house
e. DU
- city of flyovers: serpentine concrete jungle
- architectural, planning and urban design problems
- Service buildings are an important part of the city center

Urban adjuncts
Streets are not well designed and bad urban adjuncts overall in the form of
street furniture, bus stands, signages

Edges:
- River edge at Yamuna Bazaar
- Monastery area
- Okhla
- Ridge
- Edges against greens-Mehrauli
- Edges between old and New Delhi – Asaf Ali Road

City graphics:
- Commercial
- Trade and business
- Mandatory and cautionary
- Descriptive graphics

Streetscapes:
- Old Delhi
- Lutyens Delhi
- Unauthorized colonies
 - Market streets
- Ring road

Arcades and corridors:

- Connaught Place
- Asaf ali road
- Chandni chowk
- Daryaganj

Steps, staircases and ramps

- Rashtrapati bhawan
- Jama Masjid
- Ansal plaza
- Akshardham
- Baba Kharak Singh Marg
- Statesman house

Decks and overbridges:

- Moolchand
- AIIMS
- South extension

Roundabouts and crossings

- AIIMS
- Dhaula Kuan
- Lutyens Delhi

Parking
- Palika Bazaar
- Nehru Place
- Daryaganj
Public art
- Lutyens Delhi
- British Council
- IP Park
- Times of India building
- Teenmurti

Portals and gateways

- India gate
- Ajmeri Gate
- Mori gate

Landmark buildings
- India Gate
- Rashtrapati Bhawan
- Humayun’s Tomb
- IG Stadium
- IHC
- Vikas Minar
- LIC building
- Lotus temple
- Hall of Nations

Retail:
- Upmarkets
- Malls
- Designer retails

Work:
- Government offices concentrated at prime locations
 - Non Govt and private at district centers like Nehru Place, Bikaji Kama
Place and other district centers

Recreation: Paucity of recreation spaces

- Pockets created and most facilities located in these pockets only
- Sports and entertainment related, cultural activity related etc are all in
shortage with respect to the demand

Educational:
Very little planned educational spaces. So, they are moving into private
residential areas or moving out of the city.

Metro:
City is trying to fit into the metro fabric rather than the other way round

City services:
- Perpetual shortage and the services are inadequate and choking
- Many parts of the city don’t have all the services.
- Wherever they are provided, they do not meet international standards.
- They are visually unaesthetic and are eyesores
- Many are in various dangers. CP, Old Delhi

Temporal / Time
- Large amounts of transient population at day as well as night. Changes in
the day cycle and night cycle of the city
- City in layers of time
- Where is the city heading? What does the future hold for Delhi?
a. dark days ahead due to lack of planning
b. reverse migration
c. Short time solutions are being looked at to solve long term problems.
d. Decentralization of the city
 e. Redevelopment in parts
f. Multiplication of problems
g. Stagnation of the city and its eventual death

Management of the change

- Problem due to multiplicity of authorities in Delhi
a. MCD: Central
b. NDMC: Central
c. DDA: Central
d. Cantonment Board: President
e. PWD/CPWD: State
f. ASI
g. DMRC
All are not answerable to one organization, hence so many problems.
- how do building activities take place
a. through developers
b. through state developers and developer partnerships
c. through state directed developers
d. Codes/byelaws/master plan
- No codes in many areas and the codes are not of high quality.
- Impossible to build in an honest way.