In search of the best designer

It is World Architecture Day on October 2 this year. India is undergoing a major urban transformation, with many large-scale projects commissioned and/or completed. These projects have potential to redefine urban living and catalyse economic development, but require proper vision, consultation with professionals, and processes for commissioning to be effective. The UIDF and design competitions are commendable efforts, but more needs to be done to ensure projects are successful and meet citizens' needs.

India is in the throes of a major urban transformation, an endeavour that promises to reshape our nation’s future. The past few years have seen a slew of large-scale urban development and public infrastructure projects commissioned and/or completed in our country, which include the Sabarmati Riverfront development in Ahmedabad, the Dharavi slum redevelopment in Mumbai, and, of course, the much-celebrated redevelopment of the Central Vista in New Delhi.

These projects already have or will transform the face of their respective cities and have a tremendous impact on people’s lives. They also have the potential to redefine urban living for years to come and catalyse economic development. However, some of these projects are based on questionable design and urban planning practices, which begs the question: are the processes of commissioning these projects necessarily effective towards realising the aspirations for which they were conceptualised? Are we harnessing the best design talent and expertise that our country has to offer?

Good public and social infrastructure in our neighbourhoods and cities can bring people joy, make our cities better, safer, and more sustainable, and create a better experience for citizens.

Many State governments and planning authorities in India are continuing to invest large capital to upgrade urban infrastructure. Last month, the National Housing Bank (NHB) operationalised the ₹10,000-crore Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF) aimed at supplementing the efforts of State governments for infrastructure projects in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Permissible activities under the UIDF include a ‘comprehensive area development project’, under which five types of works can be sanctioned — transit-oriented development (TOD), heritage conservation, preparation of local area plan for decongestion, planning of greenfield areas and setting up of parks and open gyms.

I believe that these efforts to create better, sustainable and safer cities are commendable. Yet, it is imperative to recognise that without proper vision and thought, consultation with professionals, and processes for commissioning, the risk of futility and mediocrity looms large, with projects not necessarily effective at addressing the challenges or realising the aspirations for which they were set out.

For instance, the Mumbai Coastal Road Project was conceptualised to address the city’s transportation challenges and over the last four years, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has already spent over ₹12,000 crore on it. However, it will not make life any easier for the vast majority of Mumbai citizens since it will primarily benefit a minuscule percentage of the city’s population that owns cars.

Additionally, over recent months, it has become clear that this project will give rise to 175 acres of public spaces — spaces that have the potential to be transformed into parks and open spaces for lakhs of people, but the process and status of appointing an architectural or planning team to bring this vision to life remains unclear.