Editing Urban Planning: Sulakshana Mahajan's Rebellious Ideas (section)

==Sulakshana Mahajan: Importance of People-Based Planning and Administration==

Sulakshana Mahajan's urban planning vision is not limited to buildings and infrastructure; it is fundamentally based on people and administrative empowerment. The key and significant aspects of her vision are:

<b>1. People's Participation and People-Centric Planning</b>

 * People-Oriented Focus: Her core belief is that the people should be the centre of planning, not just developers or politicians.

 * Consideration of Needs: She considers it the primary responsibility of the municipality to fulfill citizens' daily living, lifestyle, and basic needs (e.g., water, sewage management, public transport).

 * City Vitality: Her emphasis is not just on 'beautiful' cities, but on 'lively' cities (The Lively City), where citizens can engage in recreational and creative activities in public spaces.

<b>2. Administrative Empowerment and Elected Mayor</b>

 * Need for an Empowered Mayor: Mahajan strongly advocates for a directly elected Mayor with administrative and financial powers.

 * Demand to End 'Dual Authority': She clearly articulates the obstacle in decision-making caused by the dual authority (Commissioner and Mayor) in municipal bodies. She believes giving administrative and financial powers to the Mayor would make them more accountable for the city's progress.

 * Political Interference and Uninformed Decisions: She is a fierce critic of planning decisions being made by uninformed politicians for political gains rather than the city's actual needs, which she argues is why cities like Mumbai collapse during emergencies.

<b>3. Sustainability and Future Vision</b>

 * Infrastructure First, Development Later: She states the simple rule of urban planning: first, establish basic services (water, sewage, roads), and then follow up with development. In reality, the reverse happens—development occurs first, leading to reliance on water tankers for services.

 * Long-Term Planning: City planning should consider the next 100 to 200 years, not just immediate needs.

 * Disaster Planning: Cities have recovered from crises like fire, floods, and pandemics, but she stresses the continuous need to learn from every crisis to make buildings, technology, and systems safer.

In Mahajan's view, bringing cities onto the right track does not require only large projects like metros, but rather strengthening public transport, providing necessary services for people to have dignified and safe mobility, and increasing planning transport awareness among citizens.