Giving public a greater role in architectural and planning decisions would lead to more successful cities.
The residents should have a greater role in shaping the development if cities are to be inclusive and sustainable.
Fresh perspectives from students and youth may be exactly what are needed to see clearly into the realm of new possibilities.
Many urban design projects in Hyderabad city were rejected by the public which led to the developers holding architectural competitions.
There are also other projects which succeeded by the intense involvement of public.
Citizens are now empowered to help determine not only what is built in their neighbourhoods, but also to have their say on what those new buildings should look like. In this development plan, the targeted participators are the youths.
With basic background knowledge and participatory interest, young people can play a more active role in shaping the future of the city.
Public participation examples from around the world shows that now more than ever is the time for city leaders to recognise the potential impact of crowd sourcing and social networks, which have innovative solutions for improving quality of life for urban residents.
Such contributions can be multidirectional in the vein of mobility, environment, urban sanitation etc.
This allows a greater variety of urban residents to learn and actively participate in the dialogue surrounding the development of their city.
Enthusiastic citizens should possess few criteria to become good implementers and decision makers in the design aspect.
They should be responsive and develop sense about design, art, landscaping, sustainability, planning and citizenship.
Living in a traditional city like Hyderabad, people should have strong appreciation for architecture and the impact it has on the cultural fabric of the city.
Irrespective of personal specialisation, one should learn basic fundamentals of space design concepts that affect them in their day to day life.
Participation of people in formulation, implementation as well as social audit of all people-centric programmes is a response to their contribution.
Many community involving programmes are being organised in the city, from Green Communities programme by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) in spreading awareness about green building concepts and encouraging people to implement it – to urban design workshops organised by State authorities.
In today’s scenario it is extremely important for civic groups to put up significant responsibilities to carry forward their architecture, culture and heritage.
It is a time of reckoning, a time for all of us to stand up and be counted.
It is an honour to be counted among those who continue to build our city.
(The writer is an architect and environmentalist, and assistant professor at Vaishnavi School of Architecture & Planning. She can be contacted at: tapaswini.03@gmail.com)
