Page 88 - CO April 2017 Full Issue

URBANIA update or “good” density combined with adequate Conclusion The concept of a planned urban administration is yet to be addressed in provision of accessible and well-connected While the scale of problems across a wide spectrum spawned by India’s unprecedented India’s cities and severe supply and demand infrastructure and services. The report recommends reforms and explosive growth of urban population is approach to tackle urbanisation. Piecemeal progress in three key areas to help deliver daunting, two major government policy gaps are driving cities towards a planned social and economic benefits for urban initiatives currently being implemented eforts have been made but they lack the India. will help build the critical capacity required thrust to address mega issues. Urban India Reform of land regulations to manage to grapple with these problems. One is faces challenges across sectors, with some urban expansion to improve the efciency the Smart City Mission, and the other requiring immediate attention and others and efectiveness of land use. Expansion is Affordable housing. These initiatives, requiring long-term action. Tse challenges of sustainable urban infrastructure along with others like Atal Mission for range from fundamental supply and demand to encourage appropriately compact, Rejuvenation and UrbanTransformation gaps across such utility sectors as power, connected, and coordinated cities. And (AMRUT), Swachh Bharat Mission, etc. water, waste & sanitation, urban mobility, above all “Reform to strengthen urban local bode well to manage the rapid urbanisation to quality and afordability issues across government, accountability, and fnancing.” problem. sectors such as health and education. ET & AUM-LAI hosT India’s maiden Land Summit 2017 A global conference on Land Economics, Infrastructure Development, and Finance Te Economic Times in partnership with Desai,Minister of Industries, Government AUM LAI, recently hosted a three day of Maharashtra, Leslie Pollock, Principal conference-- the Land Summit 2017, for the Urban Planner, LAI Global Chapter Chair, frst time in India. Te conference, powered Ramesh Nair, CEO & Country Head, by Gazenia Shelters, was a global conference JLL India and Niranjan Hiranandani, on land economics, infrastructure Co-founder & Managing Director of development and fnance, it was organised Hiranandani Groups. to contribute to the ecosystem for holistic land-use development. The summit The Dr. Homer Hoyt Award held on 11th also highlighted ‘the land question’ and March, 2017 acknowledged the contribution discussed in depth about the contemporary of industry players like Renaissance social concerns such as problems of housing Indus Infra, Manavlok Social Work afordability and environmental quality. College, Indian Coast Guard, Hiranandani Land being the most basic of all economic Communities & Gazenia Shelters for resources, its use is crucial in shaping their contribution for sustainable land efective functioning of cities, determining development in urban and rural India. degree of economic inequality and possibility “Maharashtra has achieved up to 50 per of ecological sustainability.The global cent urbanisation and the biggest challenge conference featured a list of prominent before any government is to manage international and Indian speakers who urbanisation. While this urbanisation was in partnership with the Land Economics deliberated on afordable housing for all, happening, we didn't manage it, which Society, USA. Te event witnessed some of challenges for rapid development of India, resulted in unsustainable urbanisation. 65 the thought leaders and key decision makers FDI structuring and intellectual property, per cent of our GDP comes from our cities, of the infrastructure and fnance industry maximizing returns from rural lands, and which makes them engines of growth. who deliberated on important and pressing other such interesting topics which would If we can leverage this capacity of cities issues of the sectors. We at the Times Group help India make optimum use of its land. in a sustainable way, we can accelerate have tracked, followed and evangelized the Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief its development in a way that benefits positive growth across sectors that will Minister of Maharashtra, was present at all. We need to manage urbanisation help India realise the dream of a country the event to felicitate prominent industrial through initiatives like the Smart Cities which has place for all. We have received players with the Dr. Homer Hoyt Awards. mission, planned in a sustainable manner,” an encouraging response that reassures us Te other impressive lineup of speakers and commented Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble that we are together in optimizing the use prominent personalities present at the event Chief Minister of Maharashtra. of land as a resource in urban as well as rural were Deepak Kesarkar, Minister of State, “The Land Summit 2017 was a great India,” adds Deepak Lamba, President, Minister for Planning & Finance, Subhash concept brought to life by the Times Group Times Strategic Solutions Ltd. u 90 construction opportunities|APRIL 2017