It is a great dream indeed by the Architect Portzampark.

Suitable urban policy towards social equality is important. Environmental concerns have a relevance to issues of preserving social identity. The suggestions for ways to begin reversing the growing social divisions are now an established as a necessary step for survival of the human race.

However sustainabilty is a different issue altogether.

PSA

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Urban studies and related urban fields are a hazy topic in India. There are very few, if not, negligible number of urban planners. We have millions of civil engineers, architects (it is another matter 90% of them are just cut-copy-paste types!), and contractors and what not.

Yet, we do not have any urban planner community.

For a civilization that pioneered urban planning, we are now host to the world's worst cities.

JNNURM and other such initatives are just palliatives. We need to popularise urban planning on a war footing basis in this country if we are to see any sort of quality in urban life. 

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According to the Portzamparc plan in the article above, the cornerstones of post-kyoto dispensation seem to be public transport and very good quality public housing. This is what Singapore did under the guidance of Dutch economist, Albert Weinsemius. The city state made public transport and public housing it's corner stone and it today is the most successfull city in the world.

It is not difficult for a city like Bangalore to have extended public transport and public housing - if only there is political will to do so. 

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 I found only one Urban Planner in Bangalore and he is an Architect too. He is Mr. kuruvilla Urban Planning and Architectural Consultant.

Actually an “Urban planner” is a misnomer. I believe there are Urban Planner Architects, Urban planner Economists and so on. The situation in Bangalore is alarming. Is the knee jerk reaction of BBMP BDA and all other such organizations involved in our cities infrastructure development is without a proper master plan? Mr. Upendra Tripathy the earlier Principle secretary, who was instrumental in setting up CISTUP, had the vision, to believe so.

Wikipedia has some wrtie up on who are these urban planners

PSA 

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It appears that the GoK has taken steps in the right direction w.r.t changing building by-laws / code in Metro corridors:

http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/19/stories/2009031959190300.htm 

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http://www.livemint.com/2009/03/18212813/Why-we-need-an-urban-design-co.html?h=C 

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 We in bangalore have designs too..I stay near mysore road satellite bus stand..if any of you had a chance to go there you would notice a slum next to the bus stand..

This slum was not there before(1990's)..there were few hutmets in early 2000..then the local corporator  and MLA started supporting them for the want of votes..started supporting them..giving them ration cards etc!

The land actually belongs to KSRTC and a proposed appartments for their employees was planned there..however the politicians have different thoughts..

They built pucca houses there for the slum dwellers..multi storeyed ones too and some of the slum dwellers occupied the flats . But more moved in to the huts they had vacated..

Now people dwelling there have 'Sun Direct' dish antennas even on huts and enjoy their once illegal habitation..

With all this..it makes me wonder if anything can be done at all!

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During the rule of Devaraja Urs, he is said to have remarked that the urban population is of no use to him and he will only "serve" the rural population who voted him.

Things have changed since the time of Devaraja Urs and now. But only superficially and not fundamentally. After delimitation, more seats stem from urban areas and are gradually increasing as urbanisation increases.

But along with urbanisation, urban poor also increase. This is the new vote bank for people like BSY / HDK et al.....

God save urban india! 

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