[sustran] Re: Second Master Plan for Chennai. - request for comments

[Jonathan E. D. Richmond]

I am reacting to the insistence that everything is normal in an 
environment where corruption rules and nothing resembling planning is 
possible.

Under these circumstances, massive institutional change is needed -- 
endless reports and proposals for planning will go nowhere.

You ask what cities I like: the answer is that I like the State of KErala 
in India very much. The government there is labelled "Communist: but is 
actually more like old style British Labour. It is mostly honest and has 
brought impressive social change. There is almost 100% literacy, equality 
between men and women, and virtually no signs of poverty.

Even unskilled workers are treated properly. They are articulate, and 
express their opinions. Tea pickers are guaranteed lifetime pensions. 
Children go to school and have open opportunities. The place is clean, and 
people take pride in their communities.

In such an environment, p[lanning can take place and it can be successful. 
In a city of despair, where nobody cares about the huge number of 
impossibly poor people and where the rule of law means nothing, there is 
little that can be done --Jonathan


On Sun, 15 Apr 2007, Pendakur wrote:

> I wish Dr. Richmond would list his favorite cities and tell us the
> attributes which make them great.  Also, before we characterize any city,
> with serious problems, as a "disgusting dump", I would suggest that Dr.
> Richmond look up the meaning of his attributes and then evaluate, from a
> planning perspective, what he would suggest to improve Chennai.
>
> His diatribe below is neither positive nor should it belong in a sober
> discussion among professionals.  SUSTRAN network is meant for professional
> discussion, promoting learning and exchange of ideas and knowledge.
>
>
> Cheers.
>
> Setty
> Dr. V. Setty Pendakur
> Professor Emeritus, University of BC
> Honorary Professor, China National Academy of Sciences;
> Director, ITDP (NY) & Secretary, ABE90-TRB
>
> President, Pacific Policy and Planning Associates
> 702- 1099 Marinaside Cresecent, Vancouver, BC
> Canada V6Z 2Z3
> 604-263-3576; Fax: 604-263-6493
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sustran-discuss-bounces+pendakur=interchange.ubc.ca at list.jca.apc.org
> [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+pendakur=interchange.ubc.ca at list.jca.apc.org
> ] On Behalf Of Jonathan E. D. Richmond
> Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2007 10:44 AM
> To: Eric Britton; Global 'South' Sustainable Transport
> Subject: [sustran] Re: Second Master Plan for Chennai. - request for
> comments
>
>
> I am in Chennai right now. I would be amazed if anything close to planning
> were ever to be possible here.
>
> The city is a disgusting dump -- in fact, the whole place appears to be
> one big public urinal as far as I can see! The city cannot even plan
> public toilets: the few that exist are so sickening that people piss on
> the outsides of them as well as in the street everywhere.
>
> Almost everything in this city is a mass of unplanned ugliness. I don't
> know if there is a city bus system, as no information is available (as is
> usual in Indian cities, nothing is done for the consumer). There is a
> small rail system, served by filthy trains whose doors stay open at all
> times. I got off one such train last night to be landed in a deserted
> station with no information and filled with people sleeping rough in
> the middle of piles of garbage: the smell was so bad that I could hardly
> walk to the main road to have the opportunity of being ripped off by one
> of the many rickshaw wallahs who refuse to use their meters.
>
> So, how does one plan in this environment?
>
> My answer is that there is no point in planning at all, because the plans
> will not come to reality until institutions have changed. The existing
> house must be put in order before anything new can be realized -- and that
> is a very hard job amidst the mismanagement, corruption, and dirt that
> constitutes Chennai today.
>
>                                --Jonathan
>
> -----
> Jonathan Richmond
>
> 1 (617) 395-4360
>
> e-mail: richmond at alum.mit.edu
> http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/
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> --------------------------------------------------------
> IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via YAHOOGROUPS.
>
> Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement.
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> SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries (the 'Global South').
>


-----
Jonathan Richmond

1 (617) 395-4360

e-mail: richmond at alum.mit.edu
http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/