Page 14 - Shelter-October-2022

THEME PAPER
urban issues. Sustainable
city strategies having specific
actions and interventions for
on-ground transformation
and impact aligning with
city’s development vision
have been proposed using
nature-based solutions (NBS).
URBAN FORM, PUBLIC
SPACE AND SAFETY
Urbanization is riddled with
innumerable challenges of
which provision of urban
form, public space & safety
plays an important role. In
most cases of urban India,
the form inevitably got
developed over time in an
unguided manner due to
the absence of any pattern
as rather prescribed (that
can be promoted), instead
being proscribed (that needs
to be controlled), when it
followed the function i.e. the
strict segregation of land use
categories across zones. As a
result of these conventional
practices cities experienced
a spread-out, unwalkable,
and unsustainable growth
patterns.
Amongst the many tools
available for human-
scale based urban built and
environment, “form-based
development codes” are
effective planning and urban
design tools in achieving the
8 Urban Sustainability Assessment Framework, 2022, UN-Habitat, https://www.
unhabitat.org.in/sciap-publications/draft-urban-sustainability-assessment- settlement dwellers, who are
framework-(usaf)
9 Sustainable City Strategy Bhopal, 2022, https://www.unhabitat.org.in/_files/ugd/ economy, the opportunity to
cf3437_9c2b0d5a371147f3853cfbe5b9d8 230d.pdf
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city’s aspiration of becoming
modern while preserving
the city’s heritage sites,
natural resources, green
spaces, traditional vernacular
buildings, and urban form.
Form-based codes emphasize
on the importance of
physical form, ensuring the
maintenance of the character
of the built environment
and predictable outcome of
the new development. An
application of Form-based
codes in Mysuru is given in
Box 2.
Public participation is a
crucial element in developing
form-based codes, especially
for preserving the character of
historic districts and resources
and developing design
standards. It is suggested
that various public hearings
and charrettes be conducted
at various stages of the
development of form-based
codes to ensure large and
very diverse representation
of residents from the involved
neighbourhoods. Targeted
placemaking activities may
help in both defining areas of
specific urban morphology
as well as in developing
validating design
recommendations.
“Access to adequate housing
can be a precondition for the
enjoyment of several human
rights, including the rights to
work, health, social security,
vote, privacy or education.”
Therefore, an impact focus
on the housing sector has the
potential for a comprehensive
improvement to the “standard
of living” and “well-being” of
communities by addressing
poverty reduction, inclusion,
safety, economic growth and
prosperity, sustainability,
climate 8 mitigation and
adaptation .
The most prominent and
visible housing challenge
in most cities in India is
that of slums and informal
settlements. While there
are multiple strategic
interventions to respond
to multiple deprivations
experienced by residents in
slums, urban retrofitting is
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considered most practical.
Urban retrofitting encourages
in-situ upgrading of housing,
infrastructure, or both, over
relocation and resettlement
of informal settlements,
where possible. In-situ urban
retrofitting enables city
governments to improve
the standard of living and
quality of life of its citizens
through adequate housing
for all, including for informal
settlement dwellers living in
deteriorating or vulnerable
habitats. This strategic
response allows informal
often part of the informal