**1. Introduction**

Sociologists deal with the society in three ways such as (a) how is the world come about, (b) what way people differ from one social setting to another, and (c) which direction the society move towards the future. The concern is towards the past, present, and future of the society which are very much important in terms of human settlement planning. Before the invention of various methods and approach to socioeconomic and physical planning, it was people-centered planning. Due to the advancement of education, science, and technology, the

policy makers and planners while making plans for the socioeconomic or environmental development often ignore, neglect, and exclude the people. The advent of globalization and urbanization brought about change in the governance system of the local government transforming from people-centered planning and development (PCPD) to government-centered planning and development (GCPD). The necessity of people's participation in the public spheres of life is an important agenda of spatial planners, academicians, politicians, and policy makers around the world.

The greater transformation is noticed that the public participation is institutionalized by various means such as inclusion of stake holders by conducting meetings and discussion during the planning process. This is evident from the preparation of regional plans, master plans, and urban area-level redevelopment projects by the state and district development agency and urban local government. This chapter highlights two aspects such as (a) theoretical understanding as well as (b) practical experience of the author while doing collaborative work such as (i) the expert from planning school in association with a corporate planning agency and the city local government in preparing redevelopment plan for a transforming retail commercial area from a planned residential area of a metropolitan city.

The chapter draws lessons gained from the practical experience based on the case study from the southern state of India which is Thyagaraya Nagar (T. Nagar) in Chennai City, Tamil Nadu State. The chapter also attempts to bring out the importance of coordination between the corporate sector, local government, and academic institution in preparation for an urban area-level redevelopment planning.

#### **2. Participatory planning: an overview**

Urbanization trend in India results in diverse problems experienced by urban dwellers such as crowd, congestion, lack of urban infrastructure, proliferation of informal settlements, and unsafe and unsecure living. The innovative method to address these issues that have been gaining popularity is "people participation" in the planning and development of towns and cities. It is appropriate to state that people's participation in urban planning can empower communities which can lead to better planning of urban development programs and projects. This could result in planned development including redevelopment of specific areas of urban centers which leads to sustainable urban development. Sustainable urban development policies should consider (a) balanced development of small, medium, and big urban centers and (b) the cooperation between public and private sector. Future policies on sustainable development should include the aspects such as (a) the balanced development of (i) small and medium towns and (ii) small and large urban centers, (b) the cooperation between public and private sector, and (c) the development of local and community-based strategies. In India, sustainable development has also been widely recognized during 2015 and established institutions at national, state, and local levels. However, there is a need for an extensive research on the methods and approaches followed in different countries and it is essential to know the international experiences. This will be of a valuable tool for clarifying various issues/aspects related to sustainable development and subsequently developing appropriate guidelines.

Historically, in India there is lack of opportunities for the common people towards participation in plan preparation, including elected representatives, private sector and urban local communities in general. Urban local governments at various

**309**

*Integrated Approach towards Participatory Development of Urban Neighborhood Spaces…*

government autonomy in India is restricted by limited resources [1].

ing local land use plans and replacing them with a system of bylaws.

as the local stakes generate ownership on the planning and development.

identified priorities of the people at local level.

**3. Participatory planning and planning profession in India**

In India, the practice of Master Plan Approach was generated during the Third Five Year Plan (1961–1966), when the central government provided full financial

The growth and expansion of cities in India experienced an imbalance in the development of infrastructure in the periphery/peri-urban areas of the cities. Suburbanization of an urban area could generate migration between the city and its suburb. People's migration decisions can be associated with migrant age, stage of life, economic condition, employment situation, race, sex, education, distance to the destination, and other variables [3]. There is a strong difference between the peri-urban areas of developing countries characterized by pollution of land and waterways, poverty, and informal settlement and those of developed nations of Europe characterized by low levels of mobility, economic performance, landscape integrity, and environmental quality. Within both the developed and developing world, one must recognize the different nature of the territory and the variety of peri-urban areas it contains [4]. Peri-urban areas have enormous potential to play a positive role in enhancing urban sustainability at different levels. This is because cities in all countries have to face the challenges posed by urban sprawl. As per the United Nations, the population growth and urbanization are projected to add 2.5 billion people to the world's urban population by 2050, with nearly 90% of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa [5]. Participatory planning is largely being acknowledged by planners, practitioners, and academicians as the suitable planning approach to overcome the gaps in the existing "top-down" method of planning. Participatory planning is a process wherein the local communities address the professional urban planners about their developmental needs and about the potential resources of the region, which can be used. Planners work together to produce plans of the settlement that address the

levels are institutionally disintegrated and fragmented, lacking capacity as well as resources. Some countries in the Asia have made progress with regard to participatory urban planning. In India, for example, the central and state governments have adopted a variety of measures to increase people participation and government responsiveness and accountability at different levels. However, in practice, local

It is appropriate to state that in the Netherlands there has been an increase in the use of regional design-led practices in national indicative planning. However, the link between design and decision-making is not well understood, but to involve the expertise and add the interest of designers in planning have had unclear outcomes. Since decentralization and deregulation became issues in Dutch planning, design is also expected to be made with the political and organizational settings [2]. The debate about the new integrated Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) in the Netherlands. Initially, the government proposed abolish-

Participatory urban planning process is a viable urban management tool that focuses on (a) mutual partnership and continuous interactions between planners, government officials, elected representatives, and the community for incorporation and convergence of knowledge, skills, and resources to prepare a plan and (b) which people can relate to and can show their interest, can have the feeling of ownership, and can have concern for investment since the decisions directly benefit them. So, once the plans get implemented which are more sustainable and the process can help the government and people to reduce operation and maintenance costs as well

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90832*

#### *Integrated Approach towards Participatory Development of Urban Neighborhood Spaces… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90832*

levels are institutionally disintegrated and fragmented, lacking capacity as well as resources. Some countries in the Asia have made progress with regard to participatory urban planning. In India, for example, the central and state governments have adopted a variety of measures to increase people participation and government responsiveness and accountability at different levels. However, in practice, local government autonomy in India is restricted by limited resources [1].

It is appropriate to state that in the Netherlands there has been an increase in the use of regional design-led practices in national indicative planning. However, the link between design and decision-making is not well understood, but to involve the expertise and add the interest of designers in planning have had unclear outcomes. Since decentralization and deregulation became issues in Dutch planning, design is also expected to be made with the political and organizational settings [2]. The debate about the new integrated Environment and Planning Act (Omgevingswet) in the Netherlands. Initially, the government proposed abolishing local land use plans and replacing them with a system of bylaws.

Participatory urban planning process is a viable urban management tool that focuses on (a) mutual partnership and continuous interactions between planners, government officials, elected representatives, and the community for incorporation and convergence of knowledge, skills, and resources to prepare a plan and (b) which people can relate to and can show their interest, can have the feeling of ownership, and can have concern for investment since the decisions directly benefit them. So, once the plans get implemented which are more sustainable and the process can help the government and people to reduce operation and maintenance costs as well as the local stakes generate ownership on the planning and development.

The growth and expansion of cities in India experienced an imbalance in the development of infrastructure in the periphery/peri-urban areas of the cities. Suburbanization of an urban area could generate migration between the city and its suburb. People's migration decisions can be associated with migrant age, stage of life, economic condition, employment situation, race, sex, education, distance to the destination, and other variables [3]. There is a strong difference between the peri-urban areas of developing countries characterized by pollution of land and waterways, poverty, and informal settlement and those of developed nations of Europe characterized by low levels of mobility, economic performance, landscape integrity, and environmental quality. Within both the developed and developing world, one must recognize the different nature of the territory and the variety of peri-urban areas it contains [4]. Peri-urban areas have enormous potential to play a positive role in enhancing urban sustainability at different levels. This is because cities in all countries have to face the challenges posed by urban sprawl. As per the United Nations, the population growth and urbanization are projected to add 2.5 billion people to the world's urban population by 2050, with nearly 90% of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa [5].

Participatory planning is largely being acknowledged by planners, practitioners, and academicians as the suitable planning approach to overcome the gaps in the existing "top-down" method of planning. Participatory planning is a process wherein the local communities address the professional urban planners about their developmental needs and about the potential resources of the region, which can be used. Planners work together to produce plans of the settlement that address the identified priorities of the people at local level.

## **3. Participatory planning and planning profession in India**

In India, the practice of Master Plan Approach was generated during the Third Five Year Plan (1961–1966), when the central government provided full financial

*Sustainability in Urban Planning and Design*

the world.

politan city.

planning.

**2. Participatory planning: an overview**

policy makers and planners while making plans for the socioeconomic or environmental development often ignore, neglect, and exclude the people. The advent of globalization and urbanization brought about change in the governance system of the local government transforming from people-centered planning and development (PCPD) to government-centered planning and development (GCPD). The necessity of people's participation in the public spheres of life is an important agenda of spatial planners, academicians, politicians, and policy makers around

The greater transformation is noticed that the public participation is institutionalized by various means such as inclusion of stake holders by conducting meetings and discussion during the planning process. This is evident from the preparation of regional plans, master plans, and urban area-level redevelopment projects by the state and district development agency and urban local government. This chapter highlights two aspects such as (a) theoretical understanding as well as (b) practical experience of the author while doing collaborative work such as (i) the expert from planning school in association with a corporate planning agency and the city local government in preparing redevelopment plan for a transforming retail commercial area from a planned residential area of a metro-

The chapter draws lessons gained from the practical experience based on the case study from the southern state of India which is Thyagaraya Nagar (T. Nagar) in Chennai City, Tamil Nadu State. The chapter also attempts to bring out the importance of coordination between the corporate sector, local government, and academic institution in preparation for an urban area-level redevelopment

Urbanization trend in India results in diverse problems experienced by urban dwellers such as crowd, congestion, lack of urban infrastructure, proliferation of informal settlements, and unsafe and unsecure living. The innovative method to address these issues that have been gaining popularity is "people participation" in the planning and development of towns and cities. It is appropriate to state that people's participation in urban planning can empower communities which can lead to better planning of urban development programs and projects. This could result in planned development including redevelopment of specific areas of urban centers which leads to sustainable urban development. Sustainable urban development policies should consider (a) balanced development of small, medium, and big urban centers and (b) the cooperation between public and private sector. Future policies on sustainable development should include the aspects such as (a) the balanced development of (i) small and medium towns and (ii) small and large urban centers, (b) the cooperation between public and private sector, and (c) the development of local and community-based strategies. In India, sustainable development has also been widely recognized during 2015 and established institutions at national, state, and local levels. However, there is a need for an extensive research on the methods and approaches followed in different countries and it is essential to know the international experiences. This will be of a valuable tool for clarifying various issues/aspects related to sustainable development and subsequently devel-

Historically, in India there is lack of opportunities for the common people towards participation in plan preparation, including elected representatives, private sector and urban local communities in general. Urban local governments at various

**308**

oping appropriate guidelines.

assistance to the state governments to set up town planning departments. The creation of town planning departments is meant for preparation of Comprehensive Master Plans for the fast-growing cities and towns. This was supported by a legislative framework based on the Model Law formulated by Town and Country Planning Organization (TCPO). The need for master plan has been clearly defined in various town planning acts of the states and other relevant legislations. Basically, it is a statutory instrument for controlling, directing, and promoting the sound and rational development and/or redevelopment of urban areas with a view to achieving maximum economic, social, and aesthetic benefits.

Urban planning conventionally has been viewed as land use planning through Master Plan Approach or Development Plan Approach following the zoning regulations, the development control regulations, and bylaws which are the legal tools of intervention in urban development, creating exclusions of the people and their needs and aspirations. In India the local governments gain importance when the country enacted the 73rd and the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA), in 1992. This amendment targeted at a redistribution of powers to enable local bodies which are closer to local issues to respond more quickly and efficiently. However, the practices in participatory planning in Indian cities become disjointed and failed to implement decentralization processes. The people involvement and participative planning in India is collaborative between the government and citizen towards the development of their local areas. According to the World Bank, participatory planning is "a process that convenes a broad base of key stakeholders, on an interactive basis, in order to generate a diagnosis of the existing situation and develop strategies to solve jointly identified problems." Urban planning needs an overview of the situation and public interest that must lead the decision-making. It has been demonstrated that the state alone can deliver this and that markets cannot. In the past, the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state has been at the forefront of the innovative planning ideas. It is the time city planners get proactive and regain their cutting-edge thinking [6].

The regional planning approach followed in Indian cities carry rich historical legacy and geographical diversity. They offer an array of economic and cultural profile. The urbanization process in India has resulted in the development of urban conurbations or polycentric urban agglomeration and metropolitization. The Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) Guidelines of 2014 acknowledge the symbiotic relationship of the rural and urban areas and emphasize on the regional planning approaches as a guide for future development. This approach will maintain a rural-urban continuum and facilitate regional hierarchy by integrating and strengthening the urban centers and surrounding rural areas.

People participation in urban governance has become a concern for many in recent times in developing countries. Many examples and methodologies towards people participation in development and governance have been evolved and upscaled in the last two decades. However, most of the efforts have been used in the rural development planning contexts, whereas very few in urban contexts in India. The existing legal framework of urban planning and governance in small and medium municipalities does not support people participation. The efforts from civil society organizations to promote people participation in urban planning are also very limited due to a variety of reasons [7].

Participation has always been a concern in development practice, particularly since the 1960s. In the early years, many practitioners worked with communities at a local level as individuals or in small groups. During the 1980s, the focus on participation was upscaled. This was reflected in the introduction of decentralized planning and the creation of participatory institutionalized structures through the

**311**

*Integrated Approach towards Participatory Development of Urban Neighborhood Spaces…*

74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992, along with other larger economic

Spatial planning is an important aspect of any planned development. It is vital for provision of serviced land and lying down of infrastructure further to which "development" takes place. Spatial plans are prepared in the form of Master Plans, Development Plans, Area Development Plans, and Comprehensive Development Plans in India. It is appreciated by many of the planning practitioners that urban areas and the rural settlements should be considered in totality for planning at the district and regional level. Several states in India also have their Town and Country Planning departments for undertaking spatial planning; such exercises for rural

Out of about 7933 urban settlements in India, only 3892 qualify to be classified as census towns by the Census of India. From 2001 to 2011, the urban population of India has increased major contribution which was by inclusion of large rural settlements as urban settlements in 2011. Such census towns in India attract migration from surrounding villages, serving as nodal centers or market places and also as centers of socioeconomic activities. The gram panchayat areas surrounding the settlements are used for agriculture, grazing, mining, resource collection, and a variety of other uses. Environmental concerns are also rapidly gaining importance on account of increasing pressure on land and other resources. Planned development is intricately linked with socioeconomic development including poverty alleviation. The need for spatial planning in gram panchayat areas can therefore

While the Ministry of Urban Development has released the Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation Guidelines, similar guidelines for spatial planning in gram panchayat areas are lacking. The present document is prepared to serve as the guidelines for planned spatial development in gram

The recent thrust of the Government of India to upgrade urban infrastructure and basic services through a comprehensive program (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns), by developing City Development Plans (CDPs) through a community consultative process, is step forward in endorsing and recognizing participatory method of urban planning as a precursor to any

The driving force of town planning in India today is towards people and technology centered rather than the conventional government and finance centered. The transformation from centralized to decentralized system of town planning in India is institutionalized and demands more on objective learning environment rather than the subjective learning environment in the town planning schools. The innovation in education system is a must to cope with the tremendous change in the aspirations of modern society, greater access to better information and communication technology, and high-powered infrastructure facilities and services in cities. The provision approach (the government sector project planning) vs production approach (the private sector project implementation) towards building city infrastructure and rebuilding neighborhoods becomes evident in the city planning approaches in India. Conventionally government-based town planning practices avail support of academics in making development plans/master plans for towns and cities. Later the practice changed into consultative groups making plans with management agenda.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90832*

reforms initiated in the early 1990s [8].

settlements have altogether been absent.

hardly be over emphasized.

sustainable city development strategy.

**4. Participatory planning: a collaborative venture**

panchayat areas.

#### *Integrated Approach towards Participatory Development of Urban Neighborhood Spaces… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.90832*

74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992, along with other larger economic reforms initiated in the early 1990s [8].

Spatial planning is an important aspect of any planned development. It is vital for provision of serviced land and lying down of infrastructure further to which "development" takes place. Spatial plans are prepared in the form of Master Plans, Development Plans, Area Development Plans, and Comprehensive Development Plans in India. It is appreciated by many of the planning practitioners that urban areas and the rural settlements should be considered in totality for planning at the district and regional level. Several states in India also have their Town and Country Planning departments for undertaking spatial planning; such exercises for rural settlements have altogether been absent.

Out of about 7933 urban settlements in India, only 3892 qualify to be classified as census towns by the Census of India. From 2001 to 2011, the urban population of India has increased major contribution which was by inclusion of large rural settlements as urban settlements in 2011. Such census towns in India attract migration from surrounding villages, serving as nodal centers or market places and also as centers of socioeconomic activities. The gram panchayat areas surrounding the settlements are used for agriculture, grazing, mining, resource collection, and a variety of other uses. Environmental concerns are also rapidly gaining importance on account of increasing pressure on land and other resources. Planned development is intricately linked with socioeconomic development including poverty alleviation. The need for spatial planning in gram panchayat areas can therefore hardly be over emphasized.

While the Ministry of Urban Development has released the Urban and Regional Development Plan Formulation and Implementation Guidelines, similar guidelines for spatial planning in gram panchayat areas are lacking. The present document is prepared to serve as the guidelines for planned spatial development in gram panchayat areas.

The recent thrust of the Government of India to upgrade urban infrastructure and basic services through a comprehensive program (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns), by developing City Development Plans (CDPs) through a community consultative process, is step forward in endorsing and recognizing participatory method of urban planning as a precursor to any sustainable city development strategy.
