- Sustainable Holistic Approach and Know-how tailored to India - the SHAKTI project    797 kb by    Schwaiger, Bärbel | bschwaiger@eifer.org    Short Outline SHAKTI is focussing on integrated solutions for technical urban infrastructure with regard to spatial structures. The approach is interdisciplinary and collaborative. Research results using scenario techniques should assist the local decision makers. Abstract “Is the fast development of future Mega Cities manageable in a sustainable way?” This is the guiding question for the SHAKTI-project in Hyderabad, India, set up in a research programme for Mega Cities of tomorrow funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). SHAKTI places particular emphasis on sustainable integrated solutions for technical urban infrastructure within a given urban context with regard to spatial structures. In order to build up the project, SHAKTI has identified the tools for multi-scale analysis and action–operating at different levels. At a global scale, developments driving urbanization form a general context. In the peri-urban region, overall growth may be measured from a “top-down” perspective, while a “bottom-up” view from existing neighborhoods gives a more direct and intimate portrait representing the inner transformation of the city. The interdisciplinary German project team consists of 11 partners, composed of research institutions, NGO’s, and private companies. This team is collaborating with various Indian research and training institutions, city- as well as state government agencies, the chamber of commerce, utility companies, and numerous NGOs. All disciplines within the SHAKTI-team will define conditions and needs, and develop intervention strategies at both top-down scale (region and city), and bottom-up scale (neighborhoods and buildings). On each scale different actors need to be addressed. As the institutional structures are complex and political decisions are influenced by many other issues, identifying the impacts will take time. Intervention strategies on the neighborhood scale, which will include public participation, may lead to faster results. Building “sustainable” capacity within the population may also trigger changes in the decision-making process on the political level. Collaborative learning and planning is a vital part, ensuring public participation and the development of long-term monitoring and evaluation procedures and supporting the political decision making process. Keywords sustainable development, urban infrastructure, holistic approach Case Study presented on the ISOCARP Congress 2007: Urban Trialogues   Click to open the full paper as pdf document   Click to send an email to the author(s) of this paper