School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi

About: School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi is a education organization based out in New Delhi, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Smart city. The organization has 278 authors who have published 347 publications receiving 1665 citations.

Participatory E-Budgeting Using GIS-Based Spatial Decision Support System: Kozhikode Municipal Corporation

Abstract: The 73rd and 74th Amendment of the Indian Constitution has brought the power to prepare development plans to the grass root level – to the Grama Panchayat on the rural side and to the Municipalities on the urban side. Annual budgeting in these institutions is of utmost importance as the implementation of development schemes is possible only through a logical and balanced allocation of available funds. At the municipal level the budget provides a balanced and coordinated approach to municipal activities so that requirements and responsibilities of all sections are analyzed while preparing a budget. One important innovation, Smart City embarks on is a web-based participatory e-Budgeting which empowers citizen. E- Budgeting will use an interactive and dedicated annual Municipal budgeting web site and will also use web-based Geographic Information System (GIS). A hundred percent E-Literate Smart City with smart people would like to be part of E-Budgeting. Participatory budgeting allows local citizens in a municipal ward to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects, to make decisions about how money is spent every year. Kozhikode was practicing Participatory annual planning and budgeting since the mid-1990s. This chapter explores how the existing participatory budgeting can be converted to e-budgeting befitting a Smart city. It also demonstrates how Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) that uses Geographic Information System (GIS) can be deployed in Kozhikode using most up-to-date data for budgetary decision making to help the community to arrive at the most rational budget allocation.

Application of Strategic Environmental Assessment as a Land Use Planning Tool in India : A Case of Gurgaon-Manesar Development Plan, Haryana, India

Abstract: Lack of comprehensive land use planning in India has posed significant challenges in achieving more optimal utilisation of land resources. This has also limited the opportunities for developing land use plans that adequately reflect the rationale and objectives of planning. This calls for developing a comprehensive and holistic approach to review the compatibility of actions associated with development plans involving multiple sectors with the ground realities. This paper is an attempt to apply strategic environmental assessment (SEA) as a promising tool to identify environmental risks and deficiencies in the land use planning process in India. The paper draws on the experience of applying SEA to Gurgaon-Manesar Development Plan for 2031 and elaborates on the merits and usefulness of adopting SEA in land use planning in the Indian context.

Exploring accessibility issues of a public building for the mobility impaired. Case study: interstate bus terminal (ISBT), Vijayawada, India*

Abstract: Right to access in the built environment creates equal and nondiscriminatory opportunities to a person with disabilities in order to move freely around and interact positively without hindrance and barriers. The objective of the study is to understand the existing accessibility related issues and implementation of guidelines and standards for public buildings. The technical verification using onsite and offsite access audit format for current provision of facilities in the internal and external environment has been carried out with the format prepared in reference to Central Public Works Department (CPWD) accessibility guidelines for mobility impaired and elderly and American Disability Act (ADA) guidelines. The access audit format included parameters like accessibility, safety, security, comfort and convenience and it addresses the barriers faced by wheel chair users, people with crutches, prosthetics and with non-assistive devices. The study addressed accessibility compliance in three zones of the building with initiation from parking area zone, inside the building, and area outside the building premises. The findings highlight the environmental barriers encountered by mobility impaired people and represented graphically in the layout plan and physical effort required to overcome the challenges in the built environment. The overall accessibility compliance is 42% in the interstate bus terminal. Implications for rehabilitation The study identifies the environmental limitations, human and technologically facilitators with the help of Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and American Disability Act (ADA) guidelines (1990). It highlights barriers for mobility-impaired users, by demonstrating in a spatial layout and the means to facilitate easy access with minimal frustration, stress and with less physical effort. It demonstrates the need for preparation of separate guidelines for making the existing types of buildings to be access and disabled-friendly. New accessibility guidelines shall be prepared by incorporating concepts like such as relative accessibility into new bus terminal buildings. Guidelines help the disabled in the process of rehabilitation and develop inclusiveness not rather than alienation.

NMT as Green Mobility Solution for First/Last Mile Connectivity to Mass Transit Stations for Delhi

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to examine the role of non-motorized transport (NMT) as green mobility solutions in improving the last mile connectivity (LMC) to mass transit systems. There are evidences of its growing significance, which is established through various international experiences, and case studies. The paper discusses transport policies for Indian cities with respect to LMC, NMT and transit systems and their interface. The paper also presents the empirical findings of a study on NMT usage as first/last mile options for a few metro stations in Delhi, India. It analyses metro user characteristics and choices for the selected stations with a lens on NMT usage for covering the last mile. It is observed that NMT comes out as the most preferred option for covering the first/last mile to transit systems, despite the challenging situations under which NMTs operate. The study further points out that the type of NMT mode availed by commuters varies with varying situational context and depends on locational and user attributes. It is interesting to note that while introduction of “bicycles on hire” worked very well at a particular station, the same had no takers at another. The paper contends that resorting to standard solutions for LMC may not be the right approach; rather it must be based on user and other contextual analysis. The paper concludes with outlining a holistic policy approach that treats NMT planning as a non-negotiable component of transit planning to achieve higher ridership (for the transit operator), better journey experience (for the commuter) and larger sustainability goals.