Evaluating Urban Renewal in India

JNNURM Projects

Anupam Saraph

Urban Renewal?

urban renewal
noun
: a construction program to replace or restore substandard
buildings in an urban area
Examples
an area undergoing urban renewal
an urban renewal plan/project
First use: 1954

Urban Regeneration?
Initiating comprehensive political, financial and technological
strategies for an environmentally enhancing, restorative
relationship between cities and the ecosystems from which they
draw resources for their sustenance.
Urban Renewal is conventional city development and one that
has resulted in the massive urban mess we are confronted with.
Before formulating the JNNURM, did the Ministry of
Urban Development compare city development models
that are relevant to address the challenges before
urbanization?

City Development Models

Conventional
Little or no
consideration to
environmental
impact of the design
Designs aim to meet
minimum
compliances for
lowest price
Often dubbed
"green" if EIA is
documented

Sustainable
Does not challenge
current methods and
activities that have
negative
environmental
impact
Attempt to minimize
energy use, pollution
or waste

Regenerative
Sees human habitat
and culture as part of
ecosystems
Seeks to create or
restore capacity of
ecosystems and biogeo chemical cycles
without human
management
Designs appreciate
and build on diversity
of each city
Sees the design
process as ongoing,
indefinite and
participatory

Regenerative City Principles

Small ecological footprint

Compact urban development
Energy sufficiency
Renewable energy supply
Zero emission transport
Waste water recycling
Circular metabolism
Biodiversity in landscape design
City embeded in farmland
City contributing to carbon sequestration and eco-restoration

JNNURM
Jawaharlal
Nehru
National
Urban
Renewal
Mission
Project of the Ministry of Urban Development to
encourage reforms and
fast track planned development of identified cities.
Focus is to be on
efficiency in urban infrastructure and service delivery
mechanisms,
community participation, and
accountability of ULBs/ Parastatal agencies towards citizens.

Evaluating the JNNURM

What reform has happened?

What proportion of the Development Plan has
been fast tracked?

What efficiency in urban infrastructure and

service delivery mechanisms has been
achieved?
What community participation has
happened?
What accountability of ULBs/ Parastatal
agencies towards citizens has been
established?

Evaluating the Focus of JNNURM

Focus
urban renewal?
efficiency or
sustainability?
urban infrastructure:
what infrastructure to
renew the city?
what service delivery to
renew the city?
what mechanisms were
created for community
participation?
what accountability was
exercised by ULBs/
Parastatal agencies
towards citizens?

Before JNNURM

After JNNURM

Example of evaluating JNNURM projects:

Otta market in Baner
Storm-water drain project in Pune

Overlay JNNURM projects on

the DP, highlight the violations
and the fast track
implementations of DP
projects

Otta
Otta Market
Market in Amenity space when
other
other locations
locations were marked on DP for
Otta
Otta Market
Market
Entire natural
stream made
made into
into
gutter and sewage
canal through storm
water
water drain
drain project
project

Entire
Entire natural
natural
stream
stream made
made into
into
gutter
gutter and
and sewage
sewage
canal
canal through
through storm
storm
water
water drain
drain project
project

Highlight on DP projects
where community
participation did not happen or
local body failed to be
accountable to the citizens

Otta
Otta Market
Market in Amenity space built
without
without community
community participation
participation and
and
without
without ULB
ULB showing
showing any
any
accountability
accountability to
to the
the citizens
citizens

Highlight on DP projects
where community
participation did not happen or
local body failed to be
accountable to the citizens

Entire
Entire natural
natural streams
streams across
across
Pune
Pune made
made into
into gutter
gutter and
and
sewage
sewage canal
canal through storm
water
water drain
drain project
project without
without any
accountability
accountability to
to the
the citizens;
citizens;
ULB
ULB Acts
Acts counter
counter to
to every
every
request.
request.