Ideas at Work

Bangalore's struggles are not due to lack of expertise or new ideas. We've tried those, with only limited success. What is needed instead is faith in the right institutions and processes, and realising that until the rest of Karnataka develops, it will be next to impossible to restore and maintain the capital alone at high levels of livability. It is the prerogative of every new government to appoint its advisors, but in doing so, it must take care that the statutory bodies which have the mandate to guide development are not bypassed or diluted. Indeed, if those same advisors were…

Bangalore's struggles are not due to lack of expertise or new ideas. We've tried those, with only limited success. What is needed instead is faith in the right institutions and processes, and realising that until the rest of Karnataka develops, it will be next to impossible to restore and maintain the capital alone at high levels of livability. It is the prerogative of every new government to appoint its advisors, but in doing so, it must take care that the statutory bodies which have the mandate to guide development are not bypassed or diluted. Indeed, if those same advisors were…

In some neighburhoods, citizens are vexed by an increasing number of bars and pubs, and the dramatic change in the surroundings as a result. There have been various instances of conflict between residents and these establishments, and also a demand that BBMP should address this properly. This is doable, but only if we correctly identify the problems. (a) The first challenge is that people who want to set up the establishments are themselves property owners in the area, which causes discord between the neighbours in terms of what they themselves want. (b) The second is that often those letting their…

In some neighburhoods, citizens are vexed by an increasing number of bars and pubs, and the dramatic change in the surroundings as a result. There have been various instances of conflict between residents and these establishments, and also a demand that BBMP should address this properly. This is doable, but only if we correctly identify the problems. (a) The first challenge is that people who want to set up the establishments are themselves property owners in the area, which causes discord between the neighbours in terms of what they themselves want. (b) The second is that often those letting their…

Square sections of tar have appeared on various roads, as BBMP and the government scramble to resurface the city. While these will provide immediate relief, they will also become the reason why we end up in the same problem once more later. This is this trap we need to get out of. In crisis mode, we must do something NOW. And inevitably the only option left at that time seems to guarantee a future crisis. There is only one way to solve the problem. We have to bite the bullet, and start doing the things that will solve the problems…

Square sections of tar have appeared on various roads, as BBMP and the government scramble to resurface the city. While these will provide immediate relief, they will also become the reason why we end up in the same problem once more later. This is this trap we need to get out of. In crisis mode, we must do something NOW. And inevitably the only option left at that time seems to guarantee a future crisis. There is only one way to solve the problem. We have to bite the bullet, and start doing the things that will solve the problems…

Multiple groups are protesting the manner in which BBMP instituted ward committees in about 2/3rd of the wards - ignoring citizen volunteers and public interest groups, and taking only the input of the corporators. Such protests were bound to happen - and anyone who understands the history of urban failure will see clearly why. About 40 years after the Republic of India was founded, Parliament decided that the system of Central governments and State governments managing everything was ineffective, and therefore we needed to add three other pieces. To make this happen, they passed two laws - one for rural…

Multiple groups are protesting the manner in which BBMP instituted ward committees in about 2/3rd of the wards - ignoring citizen volunteers and public interest groups, and taking only the input of the corporators. Such protests were bound to happen - and anyone who understands the history of urban failure will see clearly why. About 40 years after the Republic of India was founded, Parliament decided that the system of Central governments and State governments managing everything was ineffective, and therefore we needed to add three other pieces. To make this happen, they passed two laws - one for rural…

BBMP's proposal to begin charging people to park on the streets can seem like a long-overdue scheme. But while the principle of charging for public space seems reasonable, we should do more than that. We should set targets for what we hope to achieve by charging parking fees. One direct result will be revenues to the BBMP. Each of the 85 streets on which parking charges will be introduced should produce several lakhs in income to the municipal corporation each month. But are there other results we wish to see? And if yes, can we connect those results too to…

BBMP's proposal to begin charging people to park on the streets can seem like a long-overdue scheme. But while the principle of charging for public space seems reasonable, we should do more than that. We should set targets for what we hope to achieve by charging parking fees. One direct result will be revenues to the BBMP. Each of the 85 streets on which parking charges will be introduced should produce several lakhs in income to the municipal corporation each month. But are there other results we wish to see? And if yes, can we connect those results too to…