Showing papers by "School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi published in 2020"

A Critical Review of the Potential for Fly Ash Utilisation in Construction-Specific Applications in India

Abstract: In India, coal-fired power plants produce about 196 million tonnes of fly ash annually. The management of fly ash has thus been a matter of concern given the requirement of the large area of land for its disposal and potential of causing pollution of air and water. Various initiatives have been taken in the country to promote safe utilisation of fly ash. But despite these initiatives, the optimal utilisation is yet to be achieved. Most of the existing literature is related to forecasting the utilisation of fly ash in different modes and accordingly presents the promising applications, but the latent utilisation potential of applications is not yet explored. In this paper, the potential of fly ash utilisation in various construction-specific applications, i.e., cement, concrete, brick, and blocks, has been estimated through a simple framework. The study reveals that although cement is one of the most prominent applications where fly ash has been significantly utilised, it reached its threshold limit of utilisation. The scope of utilisation of fly ash in cement in the future is limited only to the extent of the rate of increase in cement consumption. The potential of fly ash utilisation in concrete is significantly higher, as the projected growth rate of ready-mix concrete (RMC) is moving upwards. However, this increased percentage of RMC will not impact much on overall fly ash utilisation as this will only balance out the share percentage of overall cement requirement. In this study, the bricks/blocks emerged out to be the application having a maximum consumption potential. This study further explores the reasons behind the sluggish performance of fly ash bricks and blocks in the market and suggests strategies for policy-level interventions that can accelerate the process of successful commercialisation.

Quantitative outdoor thermal comfort assessment of street: A case in a warm and humid climate of India

Abstract: Increasing air temperature in urban areas has been a global concern and is mostly attributed to the urban environment's physical changes. As a result, increased urban heat island phenomenon is often observed in cities impacting outdoor spaces' quality of life. This study investigates the factors influencing a street canyon's outdoor thermal comfort. User-perception surveys and empirical measurements using Testo 480 and Testo 870 thermal imager were carried out at selected six grid-points along 600 m long and 12 m wide Besant road, a semi-motorized commercial street in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Based on the thermal sensation questionnaire survey, Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) for all the observation points were computed using RayMan pro. The correlation between the design control parameters identified and observed PET shows that the sky view factor (SVF) and mean radiant temperature (MRT) are major influencing factors determining the street's thermal conditions. Unlike aspect ratio, SVF showed a strong correlation with PET. The results indicate that by modifying physical parameters, significant improvement in overall outdoor comfort can be attained. Further, it was observed that the respondents' comfort sensitivity is higher in range than that of comfort standards, as the respondents showed increased tolerance to high temperatures.

Rethinking Use of Individual Room Air-conditioners in View of COVID 19

Abstract: As the World Health Organization is examining the airborne nature of COVID 19, there is past research on other airborne infections which set all encompassing guidelines. Even as more data begins to be available regarding COVID, there is proven spread of airborne disease like tuberculosis being transmitted by this route. As the summer months approach, there is an increased use of Air Conditioners in the tropical regions of the world. India, too being in this part of the world sees an active rise in the indoors which are being air conditioned to meet the thermal comfort requirements of the rising urban population which is spending a large chunk of time indoors. This is coupled with the enforced lockdown which encourages people to stay indoors to prevent the spread of infection. In such situations the use of Room air conditioner requires rethinking as they re-circulate the indoor air without any Fresh air supply into the room. To reduce heat gain and save the electric load of the room AC, people tend to seal the windows further. This paper looks at many possible ways of finding out infection spread in spaces and one of them is used to find out the probability of airborne infection spread in a typical public space. An experiment to validate the same has been conducted in a classroom setup with results analysed. Increased ventilation has been demonstrated to show a lesser probability of infection spread.

Smart Living for Smart Cities

Abstract: Smart living is one of six components of a smart city. Other five are smart people, smart mobility, smart economy, smart environment, and smart government. All smart living activities have also these six components integrated with smart city system. Cities have their own characteristics based on the size whether it is a metropolis, megacity, meta city or small or very big continental settlement. This is based on its unique cultural system and ecological system. All aspects of living in a city can be traced to one major aspect which considerably influences daily life. It can be religion, for example, Islam in Saudi Arabia, Buddhism in Tibet, Judaism in Israel or Christianity in Vatican or it can be a dominant aspect of life which the cultural system has thrived to develop in the past such as for example health as indicated by high performance of related time series statistics and so on. Then the concept of smart is presented illustrating with the smart home which differs greatly with the smart aspect of the city. The design of smart living for smart cities can be centred around this dominant aspect which I call domain and some of the essential features of such domain is briefly presented in this chapter. The chapter then focuses on design for smart living in for smart cities based on a domain approach, IOT and ICT system design for smart living, and design of E-Democracy and E-Governance system for a smart living for smart cities. This will provide for a total design for smart living in a smart city. This is briefly presented in this chapter.

Understanding the soundscape environment of an urban park through landscape elements

Abstract: This study aims at understanding the sound environment of an urban park through landscape elements based on the three different primary data sets collected. The methods adopted for the collection of data includes measurement of background sound, observation through soundwalk using ISO/TS 129132:2018 questionnaire(Method B), and perception survey of the users. Overall, 105 samples from the park were collected over three time period, i.e. on weekdays(WD), weekends(WE) and public holidays (PH). The recordings, observations and survey were carried out throughout the day following a set of timelines, i.e. at 10.00–13.00 hrs, 14.00–17.00 hrs and 18.00–21.00 for constructing an overall perceived soundscape environment of the park. Based on the geo-statistical kriging interpolation in GIS background sound measurement, the study observed that decrease of 2–3 dB of sound level near the fountain zone, one of the prominent landscape elements found in the park. Further, it was observed that dense vegetation especially trees play a greater role in regulating the soundscape of the environment than shrubs and groundcover. The study also shows that the unpleasant traffic noise generated in the park can be annulled by introducing preferred sounds such as bird chirping and water sounds(using fountains). Thereby, soundscape characteristics such as loudness, pleasantness and annoyance all can be manipulated through the introduction of landscape elements.

Delay factors in construction of healthcare infrastructure projects: a comparison amongst developing countries

Abstract: Creation of large healthcare infrastructure facilities involves complex construction projects. These complex projects face the risk of poor delivery in terms of time adherence and end up in delays. Identification of sector-specific factors of delay at a regional level can help with timely delivery of projects. This paper intends to investigate the challenges in the construction of hospitals in India. The study was based on a qualitative approach and used content analysis to investigate the factors responsible for the delay. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect the data from project managers, architects, site engineers, service consultants, and administrative heads. A list of the six most critical factors of the delay was derived. The delay factors in the Indian healthcare construction were compared with the findings of similar investigations conducted in other developing countries. The findings of the study can benefit the project managers and organizations to efficiently manage the construction of similar projects and help in the reduction of instances of delay. The learnings from the study apply to healthcare projects in the regions with similar challenges. Furthermore, the subject demands region-specific investigations.

Smart Water Management for Smart Kozhikode Metropolitan Area

Abstract: Smart Water is an essential component of the smart environment since life, sustenance, growth and death of the environment depends on water. The concept of smart water is derived from the concept of smart cities having one to one relationship in their building blocks. Smart Water Management is a very high responsive, intelligent digital system operated by IOTs and ICTs, clouds, related computer-based models along with humans to identify water-related issues and even automatically using artificial intelligence solving it in real time without human interventions. The chapter presents an attempt to develop a Smart Water Management for Kozhikode Metropolitan area. Water in the study area is studied in conjunction with the spatial distribution of community in a watershed. The issues arising out of the present and potential usage pattern for households for community wellbeing and economic development is the basis of water resources management in Kozhikode Metropolitan Area (KMA). KMA enjoys substantial precipitation a year and is bound by two major rivers on both sides and are lined by many streams within its jurisdiction. However, KMA faces many water-related problems. A SWOT analysis was performed to identify and consolidate the capabilities of various watersheds and its communities in the study area. The issues faced by various communities were grouped into few categories and solutions were proposed for each community. Integrated Smart Water Management is proposed as a solution to the problems faced by the communities. It is footed on the principles of Water democracy, which is implemented through a system of ICT, IoT and decision support systems. The Integrated Smart Water Management System enables the community to be aware of the issues well in advance and find and implement solutions proactively. A spatial decision support system (SDSS) is proposed to help the community to take decisions related to water management. The SDSS takes many of the decisions as per the set procedure and alerts the community only cases where a systematic solution is not available. The integrated water management system implements the decisions taken by the SDSS, through its automatic sensors and actuators managing the water resources.

A methodological approach for weighting factors in land suitability assessment: a tool for facilitating spatial planning

Abstract: The increasing demand for infrastructural facilities in hill areas needs efficient spatial planning at the local level through land suitability assessment, which is influenced by a number of factors. There has been little systematic empirical work for identification and evaluation of the factors affecting spatial planning decisions in hill areas. The present study focuses on identifying the critical factors for land suitability assessment at the local level in hill areas and determining their percentage influence, which has been done in two stages. In the first stage, the comprehensive list of 21 factors from the reported literature was prepared which was further condensed to the critical factors. In the second stage, the percentage influence of the critical factors was calculated by analyzing the experts opinions collected through a questionnaire survey. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used for the analysis of the questionnaire for weighting the critical factors. The slope was identified with the highest weight followed by aspect, surface runoff, elevation, and vegetation, whereas groundwater table, existing utilities, accessibility, soil type, and land use have comparatively less weights. The results of the study were used for the identification of locations for builtup facilities of an educational campus located in hill areas of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Beat the Plastic Pollution

Abstract: As the content of the paper draws up on the theme “Beat the Plastic Pollution”, it focuses more on the current understanding and the concerns surrounding the issue of widespread use of plastic especially the single-use plastic. The annual global production of plastic is 300 million tonnes with roughly 50% disposed of after a single-use. Accumulation of plastic products are adversely affecting the animal habitats and as well as humans by polluting the environment. Pollution is everywhere which is killing us, from the highest reaches of our atmosphere to the darkest depths of our oceans. But together we can beat the pollution; this paper is an attempt to tackle the plastic pollution and to explore those challenges which are disturbing the ecosystem in different ways. International and national policies and innovations are been reviewed in combating the plastic pollution. The paper concludes that reduction is possible only when there is change in behaviour to refuse plastic.

Evaluating Transit-Oriented Development Using a Sustainability Framework: A Case Study of Bhopal

Abstract: Globally, TOD is gaining popularity as an admitted tool to implement Smart Growth and Sustainable Development. TOD includes high density, compact, mixed-use type of development around the transit station, suitable for bicycle and pedestrian users in order to encourage the use of the nonmotorized vehicle and public transit system. The objective of this study was to build up a strategy for measuring the performance of TOD in Bhopal against selected five criteria, including 1. Built environment; 2. Social environment; 3. Travel behavior; 4. Natural environment; 5. Economic Development; and other performance indicators to set up the structure for a database required to attempt performance estimation. And, it evaluates the sustainability of the TOD based on various criteria. Therefore, this study has set up a pattern that future analysis can be measured against.

Smart Environment Through Smart Tools and Technologies for Urban Green Spaces

Abstract: Urban Green Spaces (UGS) are an integral part of urban environment and act as lungs for rejuvenating the urban environment and improving the quality of life and health of residents. UGS assist in regulating urban microclimate, biodiversity conservation, alleviating floods, enhancing air quality, and also promotes physical and mental wellbeing of urban populace. They also provide spaces for improved social environment and are considered highly beneficial for physical, social and cognitive development of urban children. UGS exists in diverse shape, size, vegetation cover and types and includes parks, gardens, railway corridors, road side green, derelict monument sites, etc. [1] defined UGS as urban land that consists of unsealed, permeable, soft surfaces such as soil, grass, shrubs and trees. Chandigarh is the first planned city of modern India and is known for its uniformly distributed and ample UGS within its boundaries. However, only quantification of amount of UGS is not sufficient to harness the full range of benefits from UGS for smart urban environment. The UGS should be accessible, uniformly distributed and maintained for its daily use by urban population. Although, there are restrictions on development within the Chandigarh, the high pace of urbanization, population increase and economic development in surrounding area is creating a pressure on infrastructure of Chandigarh as well. Chandigarh is also facing the issues of traffic congestion, air pollution and environmental degradation which were unheard before. The multi-faceted issues and benefits of UGS call for smart approaches for their effective utilization and management. Geospatial technologies integrated with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools provide a useful and smart tool in the hand of planners for quantification, assessment and evaluation of UGS for smart management. They can help in identifying the vulnerable areas as well as to assess the accessibility and distribution of UGS. They can be used for quantitative as well as qualitative analysis of UGS by applying a range of remote sensing data sets and geo-analysis. Many indices have been developed using these datasets for evaluation and monitoring of UGS. With the growing technological advancements in smart web-based tools, these technologies can also be used effectively for monitoring and management of UGS through integration of ICT tools and citizen centric services. This study demonstrates various innovative geospatial and ICT tools for evaluation and monitoring of UGS.

Urban Transport Governance Practice and Challenges in an Emerging Economy – Case Study of India

Abstract: India is witnessing rapid urbanization with 31% of country’s population in urban areas which have witnessed a growth rate of 3.16% per annum. Projections (Census 2011) are that by 2031, about 600 million Indians will reside in urban areas, an increase of over 200 million in just 20 years. This Urban India is expected to contribute about 75% to GDP by 2030, up from 63% in 2014. These changes have placed heavy demands on urban transport systems, and to facilitate this, what is required is a sound urban transport policy which can be understood and implemented by officials who are part of the institutional set-up for effective governance. The importance of appropriate transport institutional framework is critical to implementing informed policy decisions. India’s urban transport governance currently has fragmented authority, limited institutional support and capacity for creating a transport system that can be leveraged for urban planning, environment, and social goals (including, in particular, limited scope for coordination between land use planning and transport system development), and lack of channels for broad input from local citizens and businesses. This paper attempts to critically analyze the emerging mobility challenges consequent to urbanization pattern in India. It provides an overview of the best urban transport governance practices across the globe and identifies key takeaways in urban transport governance for cities in the developing world such as India for possible adoption.

Development of creative problem solving-based framework for site planning in hill areas

Abstract: The growing urbanization of hill towns results in an increasing demand for infrastructural facilities. Infrastructural facilities are generally planned without considering the effects of the surroundings as well as their effects on the sensitive ecosystem of hill areas. Site planning decisions are taken on the basis of judgment and experience of planners in the absence of a rational and quantitative framework for ensuring the sustainable development of hill areas. This scenario generates the need for an efficient site planning framework. Site planning is a creative problem solving (CPS) process. Hence, in the current study, the CPS-based framework is developed as follows. First, existing CPS-based frameworks for planning and designing are reviewed. Second, the framework is developed for site planning in hill areas. Third, the developed framework is validated through planning infrastructural facilities of an institutional campus on a site located in hill areas. The major strength of the developed framework includes three cycles, namely, understand, process, and implement. Site planning decisions are taken through the generation of alternate scenarios and their subsequent evaluation on the basis of impact on the sensitive ecosystem of hill areas.

A geospatial approach to enhance religious tourism in India—A case of Ujjain city, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract: Religious tourism has been in practice for centuries in India. There are several religious tourist spots spread across India that belong to different religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Islam. Ujjain city is located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and has been selected as a case study for this paper because of its 5000 year long history. Considering the importance of the city from the aspect of religious tourism, this paper aims to address the issue of improving the universal accessibility status of Ujjain city in the context of the mobility of a religious tourist with disability. This research addresses an overarching research question: Can GIS technology enhance religious tourism for the visitor with disability in Ujjain city? In this research, an accessibility assessment was performed using universal access audit checklist. Accessibility and related approaches such as “Inclusive Design” or “Design for All,” aims to produce systems that can be used by everyone, regardless of their physical or cognitive skills. The entire road network of Ujjain city was digitized in GIS platform. Major road stretches were selected and an accessibility audit was performed using a purpose made checklist suitable in the Indian context. The Multiple Criteria Evaluation technique in GIS environment is utilized, with a map showing hierarchy of accessible zones prepared for Ujjain city. The map would help the local authority to make Ujjain city more accessible for differently abled and aged visitors. Improvement in tourism would result in high revenue generation ultimately benefitting the city residents. Moreover, the proposed technique may be adopted by other such cities endowed with religious destinations as India is a land of several religions.

Sustainable and Resilient design for emergency shelters in flood risk communities: Case study: The informal settlements in the Bekaa Valley (Eastern Lebanon)

Abstract: In January 2019, Lebanon was hit by the storm Norma. The Inter-Agency Coordination of Lebanon from the UNHCR reported severe damages in several informal settlements in Eastern Lebanon. There, refugees were already striving to live with their families along with being a vulnerable community at risk from various hazards. Architectural engineering offers several sheltering solutions to respond to flood and aiming for resilience for communities at risk. This paper presents a design for a resilient shelter, using the Dalhamieh informal settlement in eastern Lebanon as a case study. For this purpose, using the data available from secondary sources, we firstly propose a preliminary risk assessment for the affected area in the Bekaa Valley. The resulting analysis combined with the integration of several guidelines from the UNHCR emergency handbook provided a basis for this research thereby presented. The shelter unit and its extension to the campsite here designed is resilient in such a way it is lightweight, flexible, movable, stretchable, deployable, and sustainable. Also, it protects residents from harsh environment.

Application of Fractal Analysis in Evaluation of Urban Road Networks in small sized city of India: Case city of Karimnagar

Abstract: Transport network structure affects the pattern of urban development and location of social, economic activities, household and employment centres in urban areas. It also affects accessibility and destination choice of travellers. Hence there is a need to evolve an approach for road network development policy for cities which takes into account inequity in road network supply and its impact on urban development through an interactive planning process to incrementally build road networks leading to a sustainable and equitable urban development pattern in the city. In this context fractal analysis offers an alternate approach for rational evaluation of road network system in urban areas. The present paper attempts to apply the concept of fractal analysis in evaluation of urban road networks for a small city Karimnagar city in the state of Telangana in South India. The study observed that there exists a good relation between the road network lengths and built-up area in the city and thereby using fractal analysis makes a case to rationally identify the requirements of incremental road network spatially taking into account the likely impact of road network augmentation on the development patterns. The paper concludes that fractal analysis is a great potential tool for road network evaluation including addressing the issue of inequity in supply of road networks within urban areas and it is very appropriate as an interactive planning tool to incrementally build road networks in urban situations particularly in developing environments where resources for such investments are scarce.

Satellite Town Development in Retrospect and Prospect

Abstract: In the latter half of the 20th Century, urban development policies in India focused on growth control strategies of metropolitan cities and megacities, and the idea of satellite town emerged widely. Countries like the UK, USA, and France, during the sixties and seventies, has shown excellent results in satellite development. Between 1960 and 1980, for Asian cities like those of Japan, China, India, etc. attempts were made in developing satellite cities particularly close to capital cities. This chapter reviews the earlier efforts made to create satellite towns around metropolitan cities, particularly around Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and also try to find out their role in sharing the concentrated activity load in the main city. This chapter also attempts the experiences of developing satellite towns around metropolitan cities in the UK, USA, Japan, China, Egypt, etc. and also critically assesses their responsibilities in pulling the activity loads of the metropolitan city. This chapter also identifies the set of factors that explain the success and failure of satellite city development. Giving a concise and prolonged account of the Indian satellite development scenario, it also focuses on international trends and practices in this regard.

Identifying the Drivers in the Adoption of Technology in Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment of an Undergraduate Architectural Program

Abstract: The study aims to examine the behavioral intention (BEI) of faculty members specializing in the field of architecture towards the adoption of online teaching and assessment for architectural courses in architecture schools in the wake of COVID 19 The population targeted for investigation consisted of qualified faculty members duly registered with the Council of Architecture (Statutory Body governing the architectural education system in India) based on their experience in teaching online courses of any kind The study empirically analyzed and validated performance expectancy (PEX), effort expectancy (EFE), social influence (SOI), facilitating conditions (FCT) and their relationship with Behavioral Intention (BEI) to adopt online teaching and assessment Data was collected on BEI variables from 102 respondents through online and offline surveys on a five-point Likert scale The survey questionnaire was developed based on a detailed literature review to identify intentions that guided technology adoption to ensure construct validity Regression was applied to substantiate multifaceted relationships among constructs The findings of the study confirmed a significant positive association of PEX, SOI and FCT on BEI, while EFE was insignificant to propel teachers to adopt online teaching This research will provide an insight into the factors leading to low diffusion and adoption of online teaching and assessment in architectural schools in India These insights will facilitate universities and educational institutions to focus in the right direction by creating versatile applications along with novel strategies for an effective online teaching-learning outcome

Determination of land side accessibility of Indian metro hub airports w.r.t. travel-time reliability

Abstract: Aviation sector is one of the fastest growing industries in India where fast mobility and value of time become the key components. Therefore, reliability is the most important performance indicator...

Planning for Low-Carbon Smart Cities in India

Abstract: A human greed is never ending which gives rise to social as well as environmental externalities. In the past decade, India’s extraordinary urbanization has analogous growth in primary energy demand. With urban per capita scenario, commercial energy prompts three times higher energy demand than rural areas because urban areas are the foundation of energy and CO2 emission giving rise to climate change. This paper will first review the traditional practices and approaches in the context of the low-carbon cities and related climate-resilient cities initiatives, as development strategies for addressing and highlighting urbanization challenges. An attempt has been made through this study to explore the major root causes and factors of climate change and variable ideas of low-carbon resilient cities. The article is an exploratory type, in which different practices worldwide for a low-carbon and resilient city model have been incorporated.

Urban rail system for freight distribution in a mega city: case study of Delhi, India

Abstract: The organization of urban freight distribution in developing countries is based on use of road vehicles which often results in high levels of traffic congestion, lack of parking space, lace of appropriate loading and unloading area which affects its efficiency. With the growing economy and increasing population Indian cities are focusing on their infrastructural development to mainly handle the passenger movement whereas freight sector is in complete negligence and further which contributes to the negative externalities like emission, safety, congestion and energy costs. Urban freight distribution through environmentally friendly modes is one of the advocated sustainable strategies worldwide which have immense potential to lower down the congestion and pollution levels owing to existing practices of freight distribution. This paper is an attempt to explore the potential of ring rail and metro rail system, presently used for passenger services, to be also considered for the distribution of freight, particularly postal and couriers in city of Delhi.

Smart Healthy Living for Smart Kozhikode Metropolitan Area

Abstract: Almost all religions, philosophers, existential thinkers, feminists, psychologists and writers have also explored the idea of living well and have attributed happiness to factors such as living with purpose, freedom among others. These factors being mostly intangible often neglected or overlooked as they don’t easily fit in the tool kit of urban planner. Smart city is a knowledge-based city that develops extra ordinary capabilities to be self-aware. It assimilates data from the entire functioning of the city and becomes self-aware, and it selectively communicates to the citizens with information to improve their way of life in real time. This chapter explored the present way of living, attempts to identify the aspirations and issues faced by its citizens. The capabilities of smart technologies were explored, and a framework is proposed to harness these capabilities for improving the way of life in Kozhikode Metropolitan Area (KMA). The study is centred on the following three key steps. The first step in the study is to empirically identify health related issues of KMA and available mechanisms of related institutions and determine more effective interventions by smart communities in conjunction with others based on the knowledge base of the respective domains. Health care has got a curative dimension, preventive dimension and promotive dimension. This chapter therefore is a blue print for curative, preventive and promotive aspects of total KMA health care for implementation by smart communities. The chapter analyses data from the KMA, to see what are the major health issues faced by its population under the four pillars of health. It further explores the various information required to improve the health conditions, and proses a system of sensors to gather the required information. The proposals also include a broad sketch of the algorithm to process the collected data and convert that to actionable information by the individual, smart community or other implementation agencies. The chapter concludes by consolidating all the issues analysed, and corresponding smart solutions for them under four pillars of health.

Exploring Livability in the Era of Smart City: A Case of Bhopal

Abstract: Bhopal is strategically located in Central India and also the Capital city of the State (Province) of Madhya Pradesh. Bhopal city is known for a city of knowledge, with culturally rich communities residing over generations, and also famous for many natural and artificial lakes. Out of the 100 cities chosen under the ambitious Smart Cities Mission by the Government of India, Bhopal has been selected in the first round as one of the 20 lighthouse cities. The Smart Cities Mission aims to transform the city into a future-ready smart city with enhanced livability and sustainability. The primary objective of this research is to assess the livability condition in Bhopal city based on following the three aspects: i) smart transportation, ii) influence of smart living on urban informality, and iii) good governance, including e-Governance and citizen participation. An attempt has also been made to assess livability score in the mobility sector and to understand smart practices with digital technology in the selected slum pockets and also to investigate the relationship between the socio-economic profile of administrative wards and the overall usage of digital governance apps in Bhopal city. The present research provides many clues for policymakers to understand livability conditions and user’s perception towards promoting smart transport and governance, and that can call for a review of the smart city initiatives of Bhopal.

Transformation in Vernacular Architecture of Baiga Tribe of Central India

Abstract: Central India has a rich tradition of vernacular architecture. The paper aims to study the transformation in vernacular architecture of the Baiga tribe. The objective is to study the materials, construction techniques and the built forms. The methodology includes a literature review and an analysis of case studies of vernacular architecture of the Baiga tribe. The discussion and findings reveal peoples’ aspirations to be modern have altered their lifestyle. These socio-cultural conditions have resulted in the different spatial organization of settlements; new building materials and construction techniques which have all impacted on the resultant built forms. Conclusions include that lessons of vernacular architecture are of benefit if they are integrated with contemporary practices through innovative and holistic design approach. The suggestions need to be incorporated in the government policies so as to retain or conserve the unique characteristics of vernacular heritage.

Metropolitan Regions of India: Rapid Growth, Changing Landuse and Challenges

Abstract: This chapter attempts to study the trend in population growth and changes in land use, highlighting the extent to which land under forest, green areas, water bodies, and other vacant spaces are declined over time across mega-city regions in India. Many associated problems like unplanned growth, unemployment, poor traffic management, scarcity of resources, environmental degradation, etc. appear as constraints of development. The emphasis should be on land management in metropolitan cities and its satellite towns, which should reduce over-exploitation of natural resources, accelerate economic viability, assure livability, and promote environmental quality.

Travel Probability Fields – An approach to understand travel behavior: Case study of slum dwellers in Kolkata, India

Abstract: Transport is an important contributor to the well-being of individuals and communities. Lack of suitable and affordable transportation can be a significant barrier to participation of different groups of population in a developing society. The current approach for planning for informal population in developing countries such as India is sadly not based on informed policy decisions backed up by scientific investigation of travel behavior of such communities. As a result, the transport investment decisions are more political in nature, which do not adequately address the needs of the informal community in their day-to-day mobility requirements. In this context, Travel Probability Fields offer a potential analytical tool to understand the travel behavior of population under study and evolve need-based transport investment decisions particularly when the resources are scarce in the context of developing countries. The present paper is an attempt to assess the mobility needs of slum dwellers in the city of Kolkata in east India to identify their travel behavior using Travel Probability Fields (TPF) in order to arrive at scientific based transport policy intervention for urban poor. The paper based on mobility patterns of slum dwellers located in different locations in the city of Kolkata develops Travel Probability Fields for various trip purposes and travel modes in order to assess the impact of location of slums and accessibility to public transport on travel patterns.

Barriers to the Adoption of Technology in Learning and Assessment of Undergraduate Architecture Students

Abstract: The current study examines the barriers to the adoption of technology in learning and assessment of architectural courses in an architectural programme approved by the Council of Architecture, India. This research identifies and validates five barriers namely technological barriers, interaction barriers, evaluation constraints, time risks, and psychological barriers. Data was collected through a selfadministered and structured questionnaire targeting 311 students pursuing an undergraduate programme in reputable architecture schools of two popular private universities in north India. CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) was applied to calculate validity and composite reliability. To examine the hypothesized relationships, path analysis was carried out using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The findings of the paper revealed that the time risk emerged as the strongest barrier followed by the interaction and technology risk respectively. In contrast, evaluation risk had the least influence on the intention to adopt online teaching and assessment and surprisingly, psychological risk had insignificant relationship. This research aims to understand hindrance factors in the adoption and assessment of online learning in the wake of COVID-19. It provides valuable insights for architecture schools to overcome these barriers and adopt online teaching learning effectively.

Bio-Diversity, Ecosystem-Health and Their Relation with Pandemic

Abstract: Along with climate change, another foremost concern that can debilitate our lives and impact humankind as a whole happens to be the spread of Infectious zoonotic diseases. Unfortunately, epidemics arising out of such diseases have been on the rise over time. One of the major causes of the outbreak of these diseases is the degradation of forests due to the loss of biodiversity and the pristine ecosystem. The land use and land cover (LULC) changes within and around the forest due to anthropogenic pressures are disturbing the sustenance and resilient capacity of the ecosystem, resulting in loss of habitat for the animals. This chapter highlights few such concerns like deteriorating man and environment relationship leading to forest degradation; the rising zoonotic disease outbreaks and its relationship with land use and land cover changes; and the role of forest plantation in the degradation of forest ecosystem health. These concerns are further analyzed through a case study of Wayanad district known for its rich evergreen and deciduous forest in the State of Kerala, India. The chapter concludes with the need for recognition of establishing regional priorities with the identification of hot spot areas, where several of the drivers of emerging zoonotic diseases are present, with strengthened afforestation and suitable LULC change policies and surveillance systems.

Natural Hazards and Climate Change: Lessons and Experiences from Kerala Flood Disaster

Abstract: During August 2018, Kerala experienced unprecedented rainfall, which resulted in the worst ever flooding in the state’s history since 1924. Economic losses from the 2018 floods in the Indian state of Kerala reduced the GDP growth by 1%. Apart from the loss of human and animal lives, the severe flooding also destroyed buildings, roads, and infrastructural systems like water and sanitation, highlighting the magnitude of the natural disaster. With the growing need to have a better response mechanism to the challenge of climate change, it is pertinent for policy makers and planners to understand the interlinkage and complexity between development and environment. It is especially important to understand the human and natural factors that exacerbated and contributed to this disaster in Kerala for future preparedness. In this paper, the natural and anthropogenic factors behind the Kerala floods based on existing scientific information and research were established. Furthermore, Kerala ranks first among Indian states on the Human Development Index (HDI). It has made significant advances in terms of education and healthcare as compared to rest of India. Aspects that contribute to the uniqueness of Kerala is the successful decentralised governance and strong citizen participation. With this context, the paper reviews the post disaster response of the government, in terms of governance and intervention. Emerging insights from post disaster impacts can help in understanding the gaps and assist in formulating guidelines for future adaptation and risk reduction policies. Finally, the way forward has been suggested as an integrated approach for mainstreaming climate resilience (Climate resilience refers to the capacity of a socio-ecological system to adapt, reorganize, and evolve to be better prepared for future disasters and climate change impacts.) for the State of Kerala.

Bio-Medical Waste Management in India: Contemporary approaches and way forward

Abstract: The rights of citizens to clean and healthy environment provides the foundation for management of BMW in India. With increasing population and economic development leading to large amount of waste generated it becomes imperative to have an adequate, safe and sustainable management of bio-medical waste (BMW). India was one of the first countries to implement BMW Management rules in 1998 under Environmental Protection Act 1986. But National Green Tribunal states that only 1.1 lakh of the 2.7 lakh healthcare facilities identified across the country are authorized under the BMW management rules, reflecting the service level gap creating risks of inadequate disposal posing serious health hazard. It has become more evident after SARS COVID-19 breakout which highlighted the policy level framework of BMW management System an existing practices. Lessons learnt from this can help as driving force to achieve benchmark in this field. This study briefly reviews the evolution of policy level framework, nature of existing practices and situation of BMW Management in India. Collective analysis of these factors and equating it with best practices available globally, contemporary advancements and innovation can help pave a way forward.