Urban Précis

Plot-level redevelopment and in-situ redevelopment of squatter settlements:

The problem of urban housing has always been an inevitable outcome of growing urbanization. In trying to cope with it cities have typically grown physically in a horizontal sprawl with largely low-rise, low-density urban forces necessitating extension of lines of transportation and services beyond reasonable limits. In case of developing countries these have developed as high density congested areas compromising on social and physical infrastructure leading to sub-standard living conditions.

An ever growing population and increasing activities in a developing city brings about tremendous pressure on the urban land and its housing sector. As the needs and demand change with time, the existing stocks of buildings are altered to suit these changes. In this context medium to high rise, high density development options suggest themselves as a viable means of optimizing use of land & infrastructure (Need of the day is that Infrastructure in principle should promote design of higher densities).

Urban Renewal option is a viable means of using full land potential and to fulfill the changing needs. We need to focus and analyze these process of transformations, stakeholders involved in the process, market forces and urban governance system and the impact on the city development. This paper tries to focus on two types of redevelopment activities which are plot-level

redevelopment and in-situ redevelopment of slums and squatters. How these redevelopment activities under proper guidelines can provide solution to housing shortage is very important. This paper also focusses on how private developers can be lured into providing affordable housing through redevelopment activities with the help of proper incentives. We need to develop a successful framework for the best use of land potential and revival of the city to overcome this problem of affordable housing and substandard living conditions through redevelopment.

Full Paper – Urban Renewal for Affordable Housing – International Journal on Emerging Technologies (IJET-2017)