Reimagining Gated Communities: Challenges and

opportunities in incorporating sustainable mobility

principles in private development projects

Sudeept Maiti, Associate, Urban Development and

Accessibility, EMBARQ India

Townships and gated communities are increasingly the urban

imagination of residential development of the city.

The promise of a better quality of life is

being defined as

• the one where mobility is dependent

on cars.

• safety is realized through complete

segregation.

• spaces are more designed for cars

than people.

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Can we reimagine these developments as

opportunities?

• Create a better quality of life for the

people ?

• Security is realized through

community ownership and

participation?

• Create more people-oriented

spaces?

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Can we reimagine to create …

Connected communities?

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Situation today: Disconnected from within!

Too many enclaves?

Source:www.andertoons.com

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Reimagine: Connected communities?

Connected spaces to create a

connected neighborhood?

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The segregated ‘enclave’

planning

The hierarchical

vehicular network

Reimagine: A network

for pedestrians

Reimagine: Connected communities?

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Can a compromise between security and mobility be achieved?

Reimagine: Connected communities?

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Cycles: an alternative ?

Reimagine: Connected communities?

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Can we reimagine to create …

More spaces designed for people?

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Situations like these make walking a tough choice !

Situation Today: A need for prioritization of people!

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Need for more space!

Situation Today: A need for prioritization of people!

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Maybe a little less

for cars and lot

more for people!

Situation Today: A need for prioritization of people!

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Getting the walkway design right!

Source:www.mto.gov.on.ca

Reimagine: prioritizing people

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Maybe Ill be more comfortable taking the car!People first!

Reimagine: prioritizing people through links

Create opportunities for social and economic interaction

Reimagine: prioritizing people by node creation

Converting leftover spaces as sit-outsConverting pickup points as people spaces

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A safe place for everyone

Reimagine: prioritizing people through junction design

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Can we reimagine to create …

Safety, through community involvement?

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Is complete segregation the answer?

Today: Safety through segregation?

Source:www.seos-projecteu .com

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Safety through segregation?

Reimagine: Safety through live edges?

Wouldn’t you feel safer here?

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Opportunity to create

better

neighborhoods?

Reimagine: A place to celebrate?

Artwork display Street furniture AmenitiesShading

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How do we do it?

• Technical aspects

• Finance

• Value addition and

marketability

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How do we do it?

• Capacity building amongst

architects and planners for

sustainable mobility

• Creating publications and

manuals as a resource.

• Create information resource

for developers

Technical aspects:

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How do we do it?

Finance: managing parking demand?

Car ratio

1.25Paved area

55000sqm

Car ratio

1.00Paved area

6% reduction

Rs 55 lakhSaved in construction

Rs 18 lakhYearly maintenance

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How do we do it?

• Safety

Safe spaces, for children

women and elderly

• Health

Healthier environments

• Better quality of life

Value addition and

marketability:

Effect of quality of life elements on competitive

grading of projects by real estate analysts

Elements that

effect the quality

of life effect the

value of project by

30 to 45%

Source: Product Viability study, Liasis Foras

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What are the

Barriers and enablers?

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Barriers and enablers

Barriers Enablers/ Recommendations

1. Goal setting and aligning policies across and within levels of government

Policies

Lack of infrastructure provision

Inter-agency miscommunication

Lack of information amongst

government agencies and

officials

Absence of sustainable mobility

principles as planning mandates

in state township policies, state

housing policies or national and

state level transportation or

climate change policies

Advocacy and awareness

Multi-stakeholder convening.

Influence State Township planning policies

guidelines:

for Greenfield developments

for Brownfield developments and

redevelopment projects within old or

inner city boundaries

In the long term, need for a new

institutional set up

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Barriers and enablers

2. Enabling policies and incentives for LCR investment

Regulations

Retrofitting housing

development is more difficult

than planning upfront

Building bye-laws

Design progressive regulations that would

mandate the use of certain design elements

and sustainable mobility standards

Progressive regulations can help redirect

costs from auto-mobility and parking towards

promoting alternate technologies for internal

mobility such as electric shuttles, bicycle

sharing systems, and other para-transit

facilities

3. Financial policies and instruments

Finance

Lack of incentives

Lack of financial instruments

Market value creation - Incentivize

Use financial incentives to add market value

and create demand

Providing incentives to private developers to

integrate sustainable mobility principles while

planning new residential townships

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Barriers and enablers

Barriers Enablers/ Recommendations

4. Harness resources and building capacity for an LCR economy

Information

Lack of information for

developer to plan for

sustainable mobility

Advocacy and awareness/ Building information

systems

Developers, real-estate professionals, town

planners, and architects—need to be made

aware of the principles and benefits of

sustainable mobility to plan for it.

Adequate information would inform

developers to locate developments close to

public transit nodes

Developing relevant measurable indicators

would help in impact assessments to

communicate to policy makers and

therefore incentivize these developments

Developing a rating system that could add

value to the property and increase

awareness regarding sustainable mobility

principles

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Barriers and enablers

5. Promote green business conduct and consumer behaviour

Information

Lack of information for potential

consumers and settlers

Advocacy and awareness/ Building information

systems

Instruments such trip-rate analysis and trip-

calculators would help consumers identify

the benefits of such developments

Cost-benefit analyses and impact

measurements for the individual fuel savings

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Reimagine to create …

For what we really want.

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What do we want?- your feedback

• Safe access

• Great walkways/pedestrian paths as a priority

• Be connected to everywhere and everyone

• Places to sit, hang around stroll without having to pay !

• More green spaces, less pollution, less commuting time.

• A bus stop with safe crossing!

• Active and safe public spaces

• Give space back to people and only public transport options

• Shaded spaces, better spaces.

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Then why build for cars?

Source:www.falconevcom

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