Panel mooted for city development

CHENNAI: The Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), Tamil Nadu chapter, has urged the state government to constitute a technical advisory group of eminent citizens for Chennai Municipal Corporation, and other major cities, to advise on sustainable development. ITPI secretary R Shivakumar told Express after the release of a newsletter ‘Planners’ that the recommendations had been submitted to the government after a workshop was held to mark the golden jubilee of the institute.  In its recommendations, the ITPI urged the state government to constitute a professional volunteer technical corps to assist in the orderly development of the corporation area. Interestingly, this comes in the wake of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission recommending the setting up of advisory groups for monitoring JNNURM funded projects.“To provide accurate and timely information in crucial sectors to improve governance in Chennai, the ITPI has recommended that the city corporation, in tandem with civil society organisations, develop a comprehensive civic information system to promote equitable and inclusive development of the city,” said R Shivakumar.The planners urged that detailed development plans including land use and infrastructure development be initiated jointly by the CMDA and corporation in the 200 wards of Chennai Municipal Corporation.The organisation (ITPI)  in its newsletter has stressed the need to formulate and implement regional plans for 10 secondary cities, and the smaller urban centres around them, as this is a fast growing urbanised state. The ITPI mentions the need for revamping affordable housing regulations, which includes setting apart 10 per cent land for economically weaker sections, making the owner pay affordable housing fund once the land is rezoned, and promoting economically weaker section housing on land owned or acquired by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board.The ITPI has urged that the adoption of an energy conservation building code be made mandatory in the design of new and large commercial buildings to optimise energy use.