FUTURE FORMS AND DESIGN FOR SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Editors:

• -Mike Jenks, Professor Emeritus and Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Sustainable Development, Oxford Brookes University, U.K.

• -icola Dempsey, Postgraduate Researcher, Oxford Brookes University , U.K.

Future Forms and Design for Sustainable Cities presents several new and interesting research about urban design and forms and how they can be made more sustainable in the future. Providing an accessible presentation of the research in sustainable urban planning and design, this book illustrates the sustainable plans and schemes to show how they stand up against the latest research.

The book provides a dense collection of papers, divided in three sections, the first provides the big picture discussing the different spatial urban concepts, the second offers examples of design in high and low density context. The last section considers various other aspects like changing work patterns, renewable energy use, solar energy, and high-rise buildings that have impact on the sustainability of the urban form. After concentrating on the planning and design of cities, the conclusion, compares the research to large-scale design examples that have been proposed and/or implemented over the past decade to give a vision for the future that might be achievable.  

It offers architects, urban designers, landscape architects, planners and urban geographers a view of how urban forms can become more sustainable, energy efficient and greener.

Growth in Urban India

Issues of Governance

K.C. Sivaramakrishnan

The paper gives a broad indication of the characteristics, dimensions and magnitude of urban growth, impact of migration and mobility within the cities. It argues that the problems of urban governance cannot be perceived or solved within the limits of a given administrative jurisdiction. Setting the physical limits of urbanisation has always been difficult and municipal boundaries rarely reflect the shape and size of urbanisation.

It also discusses the existing institutional arrangements in particular the structure emerged in the 74th Constitution Amendment for urban management. Finally, some of the more detailed requirements of managing urban spaces are discussed.

There are several tables illustrating data related to population growth, migration and transport.  

MUNICIPAL FINANCE IN INDIA: AN ASSESSMENT

PK Mohanty, BM Misra, R. Goyal. PD Jeromi

This study, entitled Municipal Finance In India: An Assessment undertaken for the Development Research group (DRG), Reserve Bank of India examines the performance of Urban Local Bodies in India. Using data from 35 Metropolitan Municipal Corporations, the study attempts to analyze the reasons for their differential performance with respect to fiscal parameters and provision of civic amenities. In the light, of the findings of the study and international experience in this regard, the study makes suggestions for improving the municipal financial system in India.