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

[Jonathan E. D. Richmond]

The problem is that there is no path for a plan to become reality -- it is 
just words in a bound volume, that will gather dust. I have seen this in 
too many places.

Actiuon for social and political change must come first --Jonathan


On Mon, 16 Apr 2007, Carlos F. Pardo wrote:

> Eric,
> 
> This is a really interesting indicator of what is being proposed for
> Chennai!! However, I have to note that, contrary to what some people may
> be thinking, I'm opposed to the idea that having this chapter for the
> planning of Chennai would be a waste of writing space and that it will be
> very difficult to implement. When you take a look at other cities'
> history and how they changed their policy, it all starts with writing
> planning proposals that may be  "ahead of their time". Some years later,
> some people are actually capable of implementing what had been proposed
> some years back. But you always need the first draft that proposes
> something, some sort of "manifesto". Of course, manifestos have to be
> improved and rewritten. Would it be possible to send some comments to the
> chapter and sign it as "Sustran" or "new mobility" or whatever? We did
> this with Sustran-LAC for the "temporary" changes of the Quito BRT, and
> had some influence in changing it. Sunny's and Eric's comments are a
> start...
> 
> Best regards,
>
>  Carlos F. Pardo
> Coordinador de Proyecto- Project Coordinator
> GTZ - Proyecto de Transporte Sostenible (SUTP, SUTP-LAC)
> Cl 93A # 14-17 of 708
> Bogotá D.C., Colombia
> Tel/fax:  +57 (1) 236 2309  Mobile: +57 (3) 15 296 0662
> carlos.pardo at sutp.org   www.sutp.org 
> 
> 
> Eric Britton wrote:
>
>       Okay Arul, I have had my first quick look at the draft
>       chapter and a couple of things strike me that may end up
>       being useful to you and your colleagues as you work to come
>       up with an Alternate proposal or suggestions for your Master
>       Planners.
>
>        
>
>        o  Strikes me that they are doing a largely competent job in
>           setting the stage with the usual purely transport
>           statistics in those first pages. It's at least a start.
>           Of  sorts.
>
>        o  But then they quickly veer off on old and familiar habits
>           -- and if I were to judge it on the basis of my very fast
>           look, it would strike me that this is basically driving
>           them to "more of the same". And while there is a certain
>           amount of comforting language about TDM, passing mentions
>           of good Dutch, Danish and German practices, but as a clue
>           - on almost every place in the chapter where you see the
>           word "demand" it is usually prelude to a conclusion that
>           you gotta build something to meet it. I think we have
>           seen that before.
>
>        
>
>        o  The Bible that my old grandmother used to carry around
>           with her, says that a man who will steal a talon (a
>           penny_ will steal your fortune. So I say down and ran a
>           bunch of words through a frequency scan and here is what
>           I came up with.
>
>            o  Accident - 1. Sprawl - 1. Waiting  -1. Environment -
>               2. Bicycle - 2. Maintenance - 3. Safe/safety - 4. TDM
>               - 4.  Congestion - 6. Parking - 30.  
>
>            o  Health - 0. Injury - 0. Handicapped - 0, Elderly - 0,
>               Disabled - 0. Respiratory - 0. Death - 0. Life - 0.
>
>            o  Children - 0. Gender - 0. Women - 0. Female - 0.
>
>            o  Walking - 0. Public space - 0. Parks - 0, Community -
>               0, Participation - 0. Independent - 0.
>
>            o  Ecology/ecological - 0. Planet - 0. CO2 - 0.  GHG -
>               0. Greenhouse - 0,  
>
>        
>
>        o  Traffic - 46.
>
>        o  Roads -124 times.
>
>   I guess that gives us a few clues, and while I have a number of
>   further thoughts on this, let me get off the stage and her what
>   the others have to offer.
>
>    
>
>   Eric Britton
>
>    
>
>   PS. May I suggest in the interests of economy that these
>   discussions continue mainly in Sustran and the New Mobility
>   Agenda Idea Factory, and I hope that we shall be hearing from our
>   Gatnet friends (www.gatnet.net) on this as well? Thanks
>
>    
>
>    
>
>    
> 
>  
>
>   Posted by: "arul rathinam" arulgreen at yahoo.com
>
>     Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:15 pm (PST)
> 
> Dear Friends
> 
> Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA)
> published the draft version of the Second Master Plan
> for Chennai on 11 April 2007. Any person interested in
> Master Plan II could send in their suggestions to CMDA
> on or before 12 July 2007.
> 
> We, as a NGO, wish to bring an `Alternate' Second
> Master Plan for Chennai, particularly on Transport. We
> are planning to organize awareness campaign and
> consultation meetings for it.
> 
> I am attaching the link to Transport Chapter from the
> Second Master Plan for Chennai.
> 
> http://www.cmdachennai.org/design/pdfs/SMP/D_Chapt%20%20IV%20_Transportation.pdf
> 
> 
> We need your advice and support.
> 
> with kind regards.
> 
> R.ARUL,
> Secretary,
> PASUMAI THAAYAGAM (Green Mother Land),
> No. 9,(old No: 5), Lyn wood Lane,
> Mahalingapuram,
> CHENNAI -600 034,
> Tamil Nadu,
> INDIA.
> 
>  
>
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> 
>


-----
Jonathan Richmond

1 (617) 395-4360

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