Japan recovering ! R we learning something ? let’s be prepared

An Indian friend informed me from Tokyo

“Today, those who live in Tokyo, experienced strongest earthquake of their life-time. The good news is: everybody is SAFE. Our offices are mess with books, papers, documents lying everywhere on the floor due to quake!"

Another senior colleagues

“We inside Japan become more Japanese than Indian surviving earthquake as if we r playing soccer”.

Next morning a Indian turned Japanese professor explains

“indeed, the disaster is overwhelming, but possibly this is a test of time, and we need to be calm and targeted to do a good job in immediate rescue, relief and recovery. There was a severe panic, and people started storing food, because the access roads were closed and no food supply from outside Tokyo Yokohama area. We need to wait and see for a while, I do not know how long, one week, two weeks or one month…”. 

I read from another Indian professor in Japan 

“The real image coming out of the disaster zone? The true grit of the Japanese spirit in face of the disaster, the values and ethics that are driving the response and how the community quietly fell into place t help each other. I love this country”.

Perhaps all of them felt everything normal, Why not they feel because they are based in one of the world’s best prepared country / city / citizen on Disaster. But destiny has something in store first severe earthquake of 8.9 followed by Tsunami Wave and now the destruction of Nuclear Reactor leading to Radiation. According to BBC news the number of confirmed dead and missing now stands at nearly 13,000, about 450,000 people have been staying in temporary shelters. Snow has been reported in affected areas - with more freezing weather forecast.

Back home in India lot of debate begun in TV, News Paper, Blogging, Academics etc. on should we need to have Nuclear Plant in India or Not? A great advocacy is on that we should review our Nuclear Energy Programme. It reminds me two things one about a story from Freiburg in Germany and our mushrooming urbanization.

The question how many buildings in urban India are really Earthquake Resistant not just for getting approval but measuring on the scale of 1-9. Perhaps the answer would be where to test or who will hand hold. The bare truth is we are still not learning from reality or from the past. Is it not a time discuss about our response system or health facility to handle such size of Disaster.

Freiburg a city in the wine-growing area of southwest Germany, close to the French border, the upper Rhine and the Black Forest was unfortunately devastated during World War 2, like many cities in Europe. But since then, Freiburg have done something astounding, something green and something to be proud of. In the 1970s, the region of Baden-Württemberg planned to build a nuclear power plant at Wyhl, just 30 km from Freiburg. There was a major protest, with widespread civil disobedience, and in 1975 the plans were defeated. Freiburg developed a reputation as Germany's "ecological capital". In 1986, with the nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl fresh in their minds, Freiburg's municipal council voted to adopt the guidelines for a future-oriented energy policy which would set the pattern for Freiburg to become Europe's most prominent solar city. What is important of Freiburg is they built their city for people, not for cars. Pedestrianised streets, bike lanes and excellent trams were at the heart of the city’s development. Plus the unique Freiburg Bächle, small canals that run down each central street.

With this two stories I asked myself and to many “R we really prepared ourselves to face worst, does our children knows what they need to do, what about our community rescue centre is it functioning?” At this time I came across of a friend suppose to be in Nepal but back to Japan. He popped in face book to tell me 

“I am at the centre of today’s news Sendai”. For a while I felt he is joking but it was reality. He then answered to my question “Whole Japan is stunned, Nervous, it is likely to take not less than six month for recovery but they are not panic the system hear is very organized even in disaster, I was three days inside the rescue centre and today returned to home. So you believe or not I was part of a History and sorrow but it’s a great learning for being a South Asian”. 

I wonder why we are not advocating for safer cities, safer buildings, safer communities, and safer hospitals beyond just ceremonial event to real life actions. Japan shows the example anything can happen any time. It looks like we are more panic and adopted a culture of opposing everything. Look at the Japanese even workers at the Nuclear Plant showing the bravery to put best effort in reducing the radiation.
So I think it’s not time to debate whether we need Nuclear energy or not, let’s leave that to atomic scientists. Let’s not oppose everything, be it hydro power, thermal or nuclear. End of the day we all need energy to live but more important is that we need to be more prepared and make ourselves ready for such situations.

We need to debate on how our urban planning takes place. If the present approach to our city management is not changed, then perhaps our cities will die much before any N-radiation.

 
Japan has bounced back after WW II and will bounce back this time too. But are we learning something from Japan or are we getting into opposition mode only? 

City Story: Public Space Shapeing Our Future !

City Story: Public Space Shapeing Our Future !: "'We shape our public spaces, thereafter, our public spaces shape us.' - Winston Churchill. Win..."

Public Space Shapeing Our Future !

"We shape our public spaces, thereafter, our public spaces shape us." - Winston Churchill. 

Winston Churchill statement long a go is today more focused than ever before on the human dimension in city planning and the need for quality in the public realm of our cities. Cities all over the world are rediscovering their public spaces and a general awareness has been awakened regarding the need for dignified, high quality city environments for people. People are invited to repossess their cities and restrictions are being made to reduce parking, vending and traffic in central city areas in order to make room for more people oriented activities.

Two opposite directions in city planning can presently be identified. In some cities walking and public life are disappearing, emphasizing that life is becoming more and more privatized. In other cities public life is carefully supported by the introduction of good pedestrian environments in order to supplement the private life spheres with a well functioning public domain offering a wide range of attractive public activities. The fact that people in all parts of the world respond eagerly and enthusiastically to these new opportunities for walking and participating in public life in public spaces, indicates that walking environments and other types of public spaces where people can meet are important assets in present day society (possibly even more so than 20,30 or 50 years ago). In a world being steadily privatized public spaces are gaining in importance.

Public space is one of the vital component of modern urban planning, because access to these spaces have becoming more and more conflicting in nature. The rich believe public space is for their vehicle parking, for the poor it is economic opportunity or livelihood and for a common man enjoy nature. Perhaps the last one enjoying the nature through public space is vital but over the year most of cities urban planning left these without touching, The result our cities are choked with parking, vending, garbage and a paradise of criminals. But improving these public space for the common man is certainly a necessity in Quality of Living Standards.

Picture taken in Stockholm, Sweden

According to UN-HABITAT (2008), “improvement in transport and communication infrastructure not only contributes to the growth of cities especially in the developing world, but it can also help promote balanced urban and regional development”. Increasing evidence has shown that compact urban form, well-planned and proper land use pattern, organized informal vending and well defined pedestrian paths help reduce the negative environmental impacts of urbanization and make cities more sustainable. It is a common sense to all development professionals that access to public space should be integrated to enhance inclusiveness and welfare of the urban population. However, there is a lack of consensus about how this integration could be implemented.

During the last few decades, urban areas in India have witnessed significant population increase and economic development. The region is expected to continue with its high rates of GDP growth to achieve significant economic growth to create employment, alleviate poverty, make resources available for infrastructure, increase access to basic amenities and also led to increased demand for better access to public space. A city on the east of India is reinventing itself by organizing public spaces for better access to pedestrians.

Picture taken in Bhubaneswar, India

Bhubaneswar, located on the east coast is one of the fastest growing cities of India. Bhubaneswar is the Capital of Orissa state in India, popularly known as the “temple city” of India. The city was planned by Otto H. Königsberger in 1948 for a area of 16.48 sqkm with a population of 40000 is now covers an area 135 Sq km with more than million population. Bhubaneswar, located on the east coast is one of the fastest growing cities of India. Bhubaneswar is the Capital of Orissa state in India, popularly known as the “temple city” of India. The city was planned by Otto H. Königsberger in 1948 for a area of 16.48 sqkm with a population of 40000 is now covers an area 135 Sq km with more than million population.

In past the city had tried various options to keep public space free from ugly posters, unauthorized wall-posters and urinals etc. However, the results were not very sound. Very often visitors found it’s strange to imagine a city of heritage importance have all such nuisance in its street walls.But gone are those days most of these spaces are now history with restoration of public spaces from street vendors. After organised form of vending zones these spaces are now used for pedestrian paths or greenery. Today these pedestrian paths were transformed into living heritage with paintings reflecting ancient history, heritage, culture and tradition of Orissa. These street painting sites have become an important destination for tourists of the city and it also acts as an instant tourist guide or pedestrian paradise.

 How many city do realizes the statement of Winston Churchill today will perhaps reflect in our  future !