“ Ca ny oui ma gi neac i t yofv i l l a ges ?Howwoul di tbet oha v eac l us t erof v i l l a geswi t ht her i ghta mountofopens pa c es , r i ghta mountofbui l da nd wa t eri nt hepur es tf or m? ” Wel l ,Chennaiormor eapt l y–Madr aswasone s uc hut opi ani deabef or eur bani z at i ons t ol ei t s i nnoc enc e,t omakei ti nt oyetanot hert hr eat . Ur bani z at i onbei ngt heor deroft heday ,her eI s har e my exper i enc e on i nt er pr et i ng ur ban myt hs .Si nc et he t i me ofc i vi l i z at i on,s et t l ement sevol ved al ong t hec oas toft hes eaor bankofar i ver .Mos toft hemet r opol i sc i t i es t odayar enotanex c ept i ont ot hi sur bans t er eot ype.
ReEVOL UTI ON:
Al ongt heCor amandelc oas tt hever yc i t yof MADRAShasevol ved,wi del yknownt odayas Chennai .Chennai–Apl ac et hathasar i c hc ul t ur alandt r adi t i onalher i t age. Whydoesi thas t or evol ut ei nt ot hes t at e’ sLondon orVegas i ns t ead ofevol ovi ng i nt oamoei nvi gor at ed s el fasCHENNAIi t s el f . Ever yt i mewhenIheart hewor ds mar tc i t y,I wonderpeopl e who s t ay t her e ar e knowl edgeabl e on s mar tur ban c onc pet smake a c i t ys mar t er .Iam undert heper c ept i ont hati t i st heAr c hi t ectorUr banpl annerwhoc r eat e as mar tc i t y.ButwhenIdel veddeepi nt ot he s t udyt hemaki ngofanUr banf abr i c ,Ir eal i z ed t hatt hever ypeopl ewhol i vei nt hec i t y,who t r avelac r os si t svei n, ar et heoneswhomakei t happen.
Ci t yandpeopl e:
Ci t i esar emadeupofpeopl e,whoar ever yt i nywhenc ompar edt ot hes c al esofBui l di ng,RoadsandOpens pac es . Her eever yt hi ngi sdes i gnedf r om anaer i alper s pect i veand notf r om t heper s pect i veofaus er ’ seye.I ns uc hac onf us edj ungl enewl yemul at edi deasar es t i l lbei ngi mpl ement edandi ns i s t edt ous et hes ame.Havi ngj us taf oot overbr i dgewi l lnotdoanyhel pt or educ et hec onges t i on unl es spedes t r i anshavet hemi ndt oc l i mbupandc r os s t her oad. Ever ymac r ol evelpr obl em woul dpos s i bl yhavea mi c r ol eveldes i gns ol ut i on.
Ci t yands eas on:
Rai n! ,onl yt hedwel l er senj oyi t ,nott hemot or i s t s .How ni c ei twoul dbei fIc anwal kandenj oyt her ai ni ns t eadof c r awl i ng t hr ough a j ammed s t r eet .Honki ng hones t l y does n' tdoanyt hi ngex c eptaddi ngt ot hepr es s ur eoft he mot or i s twhoal r eadyhasal otoft hi ngdgoi ngoni nt hei r head.Rai nuni t esbot hmot or i s t sand pedes t r i ansi nt he s ens et hat bot h ghtt o movet hr ough c ent erpar tof s t r eetwhi c hi shar dl yvi s i bl e. Eac hs t r eethasas t or m wat er dr ai nwhi c hi sdumpedwi t hgar bageanddebr i s ,andl ef t unnot i c ed byt he offic i al sr es pons i bl e.So her e we l ac k agai nbyj us ts i mpl yf ol l owi ngt hef or mul aal r eadys etby ot herdevel opedc i t i es .
I STHI SCI TY
MOBI L E ?
Ci t yoft omor r ow:
Anyt hi ngt hati sdes i gnedmus tbeeas ydi s c overanddec i pher .I tmus tnotbedes i gnedf r om aer i alvi ew butf r om us er ’ s( peopl e’ s )eyevi ew. “ Thee mpas i songoodur banpl ac e si nac ons e r v at i onone c onomi cde v e l opme ntf orc i t i e st oday i sawe l c omec hangeasi ti sr e c ogni z i ngt hepot e nt i aloft hebui l tf abr i ci nnur t ur i nge c onomi caswe l lass oc i alc api t ali n c i t i e s ” Achut hanTD,B. ar ch