the concept of 'a city'

The concept of a "City" came into existence long ago and it was thought to be the solution of, most of the problems that people face, living in a countryside. The problems such as limited access to health facilities, educational institutes, entertainment venues, recreation activities etc. The city was supposed to be planned to serve this purpose, as nothing pell-mell can go long, to serve masses. The way in which the most of the urban areas,in India, are extending is a challenge, for the very existence of the this concept.

The urban space is a very scarce resource and in deemed to be very efficiently utilized. Most of the infrastructure work is aimed at providing facilities to motorized vehicles. The hospitals, malls, schools, colleges etc. all have a very large share of land committed to the cars bikes etc. The roads, parking space and road-cum-parking space is a nuisance to this resourceful land.

As we came long enough to have, any of the our problems faced by someone else, that we can almost every time find someone to suggest. The problems that Indian cities are facing are not unique and were faced and are being faced by many countries around the world. So, its the time to learn from their mistakes, experiments, failures & learning.

The city is a solution, yes it is. The essence of it needs to be revived and to be understood. There are many institutes dedicated to the city planning and they are doing a great job in researches and suggesting the best. But, the problem comes with the execution of these ideas. 

Most importantly, the residents have to feel more responsible to their city and be involved in policy making. Role of the public is of utmost importance to the sustainability of the cities. We can not take everything for granted, every one using the city facilities must be well aware of the health of their surroundings and be actively participating in improving it, at least not degrading it.

The countries to learn from, are Denmark and Singapore. Showcasing, how the city can be improved and how planning can impact the way city lives and grows.

The city will be a solution, rather than a problem, if we have a will to make it and it is high time that we start working on the plans.