UTTIPEC News Info Data Guidance
Showing posts with label UTTIPEC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UTTIPEC. Show all posts
April 11, 2013
April 10, 2013
April 9, 2013
March 7, 2013
Demand Nirbhaya—fearless—cities
Author: Anumita Roychowdhury
Posted on: 6 Mar, 2013
Catalysing safe design for public spaces should be among the top priorities to make cities safe for women, children and elderly
I first let this pass without comment—the Rs 1,000 crore Nirbhaya fund for women’s safety proposed in the Union Bdget. Many have glossed over this with a reverent salute to quickly move on to the hard numbers of this stark accounting document. Others are angry, outraged, and dismissive of this fund as tokenism and populism with no clarity of mandate. But I read that paragraph in the budget speech once again.
My attention was riveted to this observation: “As more women enter public spaces—for education or work or access to services or leisure—there are more reports of violence against them.” The operative word here is “public spaces”. Of course, Chidambaram has used this literally to state the obvious. But if we were to join the dots to write the terms of reference for the ministry of women and child development and other ministries to define the scope and structure of the ‘Nirbhaya fund’, then catalysing safe design for “public spaces” would be among the top priorities.
Put your ear to the global buzz on urban planning and design to know that “a public realm for the people” is the new mantra to keep all safe and secure in a city. Will India ever include this agenda in the “collective responsibility to ensure the dignity and safety of women” – as preached in the budget speech? The high decibel, high-powered meetings on gender safety that had boiled over immediately after the December 16 gang rape case in Delhi looked narrowly at the state’s responsibility only as installing safety gadgets in buses and revamping police surveillance.
Very few have understood the value of the principle that seeks to revitalize cities to bring people to “public spaces” by design to keep an eye on streets and buildings. For centuries, we have designed our cities in this way; but we went off the track when history collided with cars. We are no longer designing our cities on human scale to foster human contact, mingling spaces, meeting points that make all safe and happy. But macho cars have muscled in a change in urban design that isolates, and creates lonely distances, unsafe fringes, and dehumanised spaces that foster crime.
It was, therefore, a welcome surprise when DDA-UTTIPEC sensibly put out the guidelines on Safety, Freedom, and Respect for Women, to demand that urban planning and design must be combined with policing, legislation and justice. The new guidelines have asked the city planners to get rid of deserted unwatched places such as flyovers, signal-free corridors, subways, lonely fringes, gated communities and their walls. It asked for inclusive streets, urban and landscape design. It’s message, ‘build cities for people not cars’.
This idea was further reinforced when the DDA-UTTIPEC launched transit-oriented development guidelines in February to pitch for compact and mixed use development to empower all to walk, cycle, hop on and off buses and the Metro, and make “public spaces” less vulnerable. This resonates well with the national habitat standards for transportation of the ministry of urban development that has also asked for dense and mixed activities, smaller and open building block sizes, permeable streets made walkable, accessible and safe.
Unfortunately, these wise filters have not yet reached the real estate industry, urban and transport planning and construction bodies, project approval agencies and the grassroots city residents – all are partners in the original mess. Several new development and redevelopment projects in Delhi and other cities and new townships are coming up insulated from this big idea.
If the Union Budget is committing funds for women’s safety, it has to get this big picture right. Budget cannot remain an old school accounting system when the governance challenge has transformed. Why else would the budget sanction funds for cities to buy buses under the flagship JNNURM programme without linking the strategy to transforming infrastructure for public transport?
The JNNURM has already made the mistake of rolling out buses in cities without pushing for public transport infrastructure and letting cities splurge on roads, flyovers and multilevel parking for cars. Cities desperately need good buses and also reliable bus service. But this ill-designed programme has ensured buses don’t get space, or have speed, are unsafe, poorly maintained, have poor access, pay more taxes than cars and Metro, and pay more for fuel than cars. They have killed the big idea and ensured that the new buses make no difference to the way people decide to travel. What a wasteful investment!
This has to change. We need strong fiscal signals for a whole new way of designing our cities and our mobility for all to stay healthy, happy and safe.
Very few have understood the value of the principle that seeks to revitalize cities to bring people to “public spaces” by design to keep an eye on streets and buildings. For centuries, we have designed our cities in this way; but we went off the track when history collided with cars. We are no longer designing our cities on human scale to foster human contact, mingling spaces, meeting points that make all safe and happy. But macho cars have muscled in a change in urban design that isolates, and creates lonely distances, unsafe fringes, and dehumanised spaces that foster crime.
It was, therefore, a welcome surprise when DDA-UTTIPEC sensibly put out the guidelines on Safety, Freedom, and Respect for Women, to demand that urban planning and design must be combined with policing, legislation and justice. The new guidelines have asked the city planners to get rid of deserted unwatched places such as flyovers, signal-free corridors, subways, lonely fringes, gated communities and their walls. It asked for inclusive streets, urban and landscape design. It’s message, ‘build cities for people not cars’.
This idea was further reinforced when the DDA-UTTIPEC launched transit-oriented development guidelines in February to pitch for compact and mixed use development to empower all to walk, cycle, hop on and off buses and the Metro, and make “public spaces” less vulnerable. This resonates well with the national habitat standards for transportation of the ministry of urban development that has also asked for dense and mixed activities, smaller and open building block sizes, permeable streets made walkable, accessible and safe.
Unfortunately, these wise filters have not yet reached the real estate industry, urban and transport planning and construction bodies, project approval agencies and the grassroots city residents – all are partners in the original mess. Several new development and redevelopment projects in Delhi and other cities and new townships are coming up insulated from this big idea.
If the Union Budget is committing funds for women’s safety, it has to get this big picture right. Budget cannot remain an old school accounting system when the governance challenge has transformed. Why else would the budget sanction funds for cities to buy buses under the flagship JNNURM programme without linking the strategy to transforming infrastructure for public transport?
The JNNURM has already made the mistake of rolling out buses in cities without pushing for public transport infrastructure and letting cities splurge on roads, flyovers and multilevel parking for cars. Cities desperately need good buses and also reliable bus service. But this ill-designed programme has ensured buses don’t get space, or have speed, are unsafe, poorly maintained, have poor access, pay more taxes than cars and Metro, and pay more for fuel than cars. They have killed the big idea and ensured that the new buses make no difference to the way people decide to travel. What a wasteful investment!
This has to change. We need strong fiscal signals for a whole new way of designing our cities and our mobility for all to stay healthy, happy and safe.
February 22, 2013
February 21, 2013
Get private companies for Transit Oriented Projects: L-G
Source: Indian Express, Delhi Edition, 21.02.2013
November 5, 2012
October 5, 2012
September 10, 2012
August 24, 2012
Urban Journal: Planning for Delhi’s Transportation Future
By Raka Choudhury
Reuters: UTTIPEC is moving in the right direction to address the issues related to traffic and transportation infrastructure in New Delhi.
It’s no secret that Indian cities face infrastructure challenges. Problems are often exacerbated by the lack of coordination among local government agencies, who anyway need to take a much more prominent role in urban planning.
An agency within the Delhi Development Authority is moving in the right direction. The Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Center, thankfully known more simply as UTTIPEC, was established in 2008 under a special provision of the Delhi Development Act.
It is responsible for planning oversight of all traffic and transportation infrastructure in the capital. In keeping with the National Urban Transport Policy, UTTIPEC aims to make sure that pedestrians, cyclists and public transport are given at least as much importance as private vehicles.
UTTIPEC may be the only agency of its kind in India, where planning and implementation of traffic and transportation projects are coordinated by a single agency. Working groups for specific projects are supposed to meet once a week, and a governing body meets once a month to approve projects, or not. In essence, UTTIPEC is a planning agency that forces cooperation and collaboration among various departments representing different interests.
The Wall Street Journal’s India Real Time spoke with UTTIPEC Director Ashok Bhattacharjee to find out more about the agency. Edited excerpts:
WSJ: DDA has been around for many years now. What prompted the creation of UTTIPEC?
Mr. Bhattacharjee: It was a series of events. First, a technical committee within DDA had been responsible for approving flyovers and other road projects, but it was a narrow scope. Second, the last couple of iterations of the Delhi Master Plan had been talking about creating a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority that would adopt a holistic approach toward reviewing transport improvements, but was unsuccessful. Since the transport scenario is complex with various disciplines and players involved, there was an urgent need for planning, integration and inter-agency coordination. UTTIPEC was formed through a Central Government Notification to fulfill that role.
WSJ: There are so many construction projects happening around the city at any given time. How do these projects come under the reviewing authority of Uttipec?
Mr. Bhattacharjee: This is still a work in progress. The Public Works Department controls the major roads within the city, and it decides how these should be reviewed and if Uttipec should be involved. Then there are a number of projects submitted to the technical committee for review. This is not how the process should be. For example, UTTIPEC’s first approval was a set of pedestrian design guidelines, because Uttipec realized that pedestrians were being treated as secondary in Delhi, and this needed to change. Now all new and retrofit street projects need to follow these guidelines and are subject to review by UTTIPEC.
WSJ: What have been some of Uttpec’s biggest accomplishments?
Mr. Bhattacharjee: The creation of Uttipec itself was a great achievement because of the need for coordination between the agencies and a comprehensive review of all aspects of a project. This has been possible because the governing body is headed by the Lieutenant Governor [Tejendra Khanna]. With UTTIPEC , he started coming to the DDA offices every month to chair meetings, and it forced the heads of all the other departments of the Delhi government and other important stakeholders to be involved. Until then, junior engineers were involved in meetings without the authority to make decisions. Now, the presence of all these high-level decision-makers in the room allows for coordination at a much higher-level and decisions to be made relatively quicker.
We also have 10 working groups now working on a range of issues from developing planning guidelines to road capacity building, community outreach and even the monitoring of construction projects. In terms of actual projects, there are about 20-25 projects that have been approved so far, including the ITO Urban Renewal Project, and Vikas Marg Metro Connectivity, which includes a parking strategy.
But really, the biggest accomplishment has been getting all the different departments to meet, brainstorm and arrive at a consensus.
WSJ: What have the challenges been and how have you overcome them?
Mr. Bhattacharjee: Initially, people were very uncomfortable with this level of transparency. People were also used to a certain way of working and were not open to deliberations or change in the process. Planning was totally ignored by the engineers… Now the engineers have all come around, they even consult UTTIPEC before they hire their own consultants to make sure that they meet Uttipec’s requirements.
WSJ: Is it possible that Uttipec’s powers could be too far-reaching? Are there checks and balances in place to make sure that the vision of a wider audience is served? What is the process for approval?
Mr. Bhattacharjee: The process is no different than what was happening when DDA’s technical committee approved projects. In fact, there is better coordination now and all agencies can weigh in. What we have done is put some guidelines in place that we then use to approve projects. Sometimes, there are projects that come in and we realize that we need to develop guidelines.
The process for approval is pretty clear cut. Working groups discuss and deliberate, and the governing body (which includes representatives from all departments) approves it or asks the working group to revise it. Projects go through a public review process and are posted on UTTIPEC ’s website for comment.
WSJ: The Ministry of Urban Development is getting ready to launch the second phase of its Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission program over the next couple of months. The program is supposed to provide an estimated $40 billion for urban infrastructure improvements across the country. Do you have any advice for local governments that may want to emulate Uttipec’s institutional framework and operational procedures?
Mr. Bhattacharjee: Yes, this is the right time to create an agency like Uttipec so that all the departments can sit together and comprehensively prioritize the entire city’s interests, not indulge in piecemeal, short-term improvements like the flyovers that are being built across mid-level cities around India. The idea should be develop in a way that is more “planning-focused” and less focused on getting the maximum construction funds possible.
There are four stages for any project- planning, implementation (enforcement during construction), management, and operation and maintenance. During the planning stage, people from the other three stages should be involved. Only then will all departments take ownership of projects, and that is what an agency like UTTIPEC will help achieve.
Raka Choudhury is an urban planner with a decade’s experience in Washington, DC. Since her return to Asia, she has worked on projects in Singapore, Malaysia and India. The views expressed here are her own.
Article Published in The Wall Street JournalOriginal Article
August 9, 2012
10 road projects to pave way for growth
NEW DELHI: All corridor improvement plans have to address government policies of equitable distribution of road space for all kinds of road users - and has to focus on movement of maximum number of people, not vehicles. With this mandate, the state government , PWD and planning body UTTIPEC are working out the terms of reference for 10 future projects that have been proposed by PWD.
These include the corridor improvement of Mathura Road from Ashram Chowk to Modi Mill flyover, elevated road on new Rohtak Road and Pankha Road, among others, said officials.
In a meeting with PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan , principal secretary PWD and PWD engineer-in-chief and UTTIPEC director Ashok Bhattacharjee on Tuesday, the 10 projects proposed by PWD were discussed. "We wanted to consult UTTIPEC before the feasibility study of projects to iron out differences of opinion beforehand. By bringing UTTIPEC on board , we hope this will help reduce any delay ," said Chauhan.
UTTIPEC has advised PWD to consider areas in totality , and different urban development projects in relation to each other. For instance , some of the projects are planned for areas near Metro phase-3 influence zones . "Instead of focusing on single-point interventions like a flyover or focusing on small areas, we will ask consultants to take entire corridor into consideration. The plan for corridor improvement of Mathura Road from Ashram chowk to DND flyover has been extended to Modi Mill flyover as suggested by UTTIPEC," Chauhan said.
Similarly, proposal for an elevated road on new Rohtak Road will contain the feasibility study till Liberty cinema, said officials. For Peeragarhi chowk, the feasibility plan will take into area extended on either side. The corridor improvement plan for Najafgarh road and Pankha road have been clubbed as well.
These include the corridor improvement of Mathura Road from Ashram Chowk to Modi Mill flyover, elevated road on new Rohtak Road and Pankha Road, among others, said officials.
In a meeting with PWD minister Raj Kumar Chauhan , principal secretary PWD and PWD engineer-in-chief and UTTIPEC director Ashok Bhattacharjee on Tuesday, the 10 projects proposed by PWD were discussed. "We wanted to consult UTTIPEC before the feasibility study of projects to iron out differences of opinion beforehand. By bringing UTTIPEC on board , we hope this will help reduce any delay ," said Chauhan.
UTTIPEC has advised PWD to consider areas in totality , and different urban development projects in relation to each other. For instance , some of the projects are planned for areas near Metro phase-3 influence zones . "Instead of focusing on single-point interventions like a flyover or focusing on small areas, we will ask consultants to take entire corridor into consideration. The plan for corridor improvement of Mathura Road from Ashram chowk to DND flyover has been extended to Modi Mill flyover as suggested by UTTIPEC," Chauhan said.
Similarly, proposal for an elevated road on new Rohtak Road will contain the feasibility study till Liberty cinema, said officials. For Peeragarhi chowk, the feasibility plan will take into area extended on either side. The corridor improvement plan for Najafgarh road and Pankha road have been clubbed as well.
Original Article: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/10-road-projects-to-pave-way-for-growth/articleshow/15414456.cms?intenttarget=no
September 15, 2010
August 15, 2010
End to traffic nightmare outside malls in Saket
Source: Hindustan Times, Delhi Edition
Source: The Indian Express, Delhi Edition
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)