Sunday, April 14, 2013

Why is Delhi - the Richest Indian City making NO investments in Great Public Spaces - like other Indian Cities are making?

Great Cities are made by great Public Spaces and providing basic happiness for people of all ages, incomes, gender and social strata.
Most Indian Cities today are creating Great Public Spaces for its People. But Delhi has NO FREE Public Space that Delhi Govt has invested in or created in the last 20 years.... for the Common man!! WHY ??
Delhi has uncountable flyovers - more than any other city in the country. Yet, it continues to invest only in more flyovers/underpasses which benefit only a few and create more pollution and congestion!! WHY ??
No investments are made into designing and implementing great public spaces where people can meet, shop, eat, play and mingle. And all expensive public investments are gated or ticketed!! Why is the city only meant for the rich and powerful - who need to be kept satisfied at the cost of larger public good? WHY ??
Example 01: Kankaria Lake,  at a terminal Station of the Ahmedabad BRT Corridor.... Free Lakefront Public Space for one and all.
Laser show at Kankaria Lake, Ahmedabad
Having chaat Kankaria Lake
Toy train takes us around the Lake which has different attractions at different portions of the Lakefront.
Example 02: Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad.
Example 02: Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad.

Example 02: Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad.
Example 03: Hussain Sagar Lakefront, Hyderabad.
Example 03: Hussain Sagar Lakefront, Hyderabad.


Example 03: Hussain Sagar Lakefront, Hyderabad.
Example 04: Futala Lake, Nagpur.
Example 04: Futala Lake, Nagpur.
Example 04: Futala Lake, Nagpur.
Example 05: Carter Road Promenade, Mumbai.
Example 05: Carter Road Promenade, Mumbai.
Coming to Delhi - Dilli Haat, the only semblance of a Public Space is TICKETED!! And sells food and beverage at unaffordable rates... Rs. 15 is the daily wage of half the population of the city!

Public Space in the middle of Aurobindo marg Cloverleaf (jalebi road) with Jindal Steel sculptures, where you can breathe in all the intesne pollution that surrounds it.
Delhi: crores were spent on the Stadiums and other venues for the Commonwealth games. Lakhs are still being spent on lighting and maintaining them. But Does the Common Man have the privilege to visit and enjoy the place even for limited hours during the evenings or weekends? NO!
Delhiites: Story of hour lives is breathing pollution and surviving from getting killed while crossing a road or a flyover!
While our Tax money continues to serve and satisfy the privileged few.



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