Planning for a better tomorrow

[futterman]

Planning always tends to overlook certain repercussions with respect to the controls imposed in earlier times.  For instance, low-density housing requirements may mean that buildings that are built for the poorer members of the community is confined to those parcels of land that is made available for high-density development.  The net result will be that its price per hectare is likely to exceed that of land set aside for the rich people’s housing requirements. 
 
Similarly, design guides, such as the Parker-Morris standards, always impose on additional strain in maintaining the stock of second-hand dwellings.  Secondary effects also occur when commercial developments are restricted in intensity, e.g., by plot ratios, in order to limit congestion.  In practice, the reactions of firms may actually increase movement.  For instance, storage may be decentralized and the space vacated is likely to be occupied by employees, while more vehicles are needed to maintain contact between the decentralized offices and the central office.  In addition, public transport has to overcome the difficulty of serving more scattered destinations.
 
Builders in Kerala have been able to gain wide reputation due to the innovative approaches to infrastructure and urban development.  Almost all the builders plan to the minutest detail before embarking on a particular real estate project.  When designing a high-rise apartment building, effort is taken to minimize the cost to the customer who is likely to buy and occupy these apartment units.  Each and every apartment unit is designed to utilize the maximum natural light and also the available fresh air.  This helps the apartment owner to cut down additional expenses involved to run the air-conditioning and other lighting systems.
 
Some of the builders are now incorporating waste and sewage management systems right inside the apartment complex itself and do not place additional burden on the already strained civic amenities.  This is one reason as to why the civic authorities are willing to give sanction to the builders for starting newer real estate projects in already congested areas.