Developing Inclusive Cities in India : A Reform Agenda

This book recognizes the need to explore various innovative affordable housing programs launched at the National and State level in India and other countries. The main aim of this book is to draw lessons for designing a robust agenda for affordable housing to the urban poor in the country. Keeping this research objectivein view, this book covers the following topics: a brief picture on urbanization and urban housing scenario in India to set the context of this research, highlighting the need of affordable housing to the poor; dimensions of urban housing shortage and the paradox of a large number of houses belonging to high and middle income groups being vacant and not available to meet the demands of urbanization; salient features of the Housing for All Mission in India. The book also discusses: various models of affordable housing proposed and key issues in their implementation; economic theory of inclusionary zoning and inclusionary housing ; attempts by India to promote inclusionary practices for affordable housing and their outcomes; emerging international examples and case studies in inclusionary zoning and inclusionary housing; issues in implementation of such programmes in India and possible approaches to deal with them learning from national and international practices. This book sets an agenda and a road map for ensuring inclusionary zoning and housing in India with special emphasis on the urban poor and suggests a summary of actions to be taken. This book is meant to assist Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and state government officials in undertaking inclusionary zoning and housing programmes. It is also meant to guide policy-makers at the State and Central levels in designing urban policy, including urban land and housing policies and sector reform agenda. We have focused on drawing lessons from known theories and successful practices that have worked elsewhere. The key objective of this book is to • present an action agenda to be pursued by policy-makers and civic administrators. Accordingly best ipractices and experiences from many sources have been pooled together and their implications for Indian cities have been examined.