Abstract
Big and dynamic cities like Delhi have a complex governance structure, with multiple authorities and stakeholders working at various levels. There exists a lack of trust between development authorities and citizens. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is an efficient tool for garnering wider citizen participation in planning. Governments need to invest in digital platforms, where citizens can regularly engage and co-create solutions at the local/community level, thereby leading to better service delivery and collective trust between the citizens and the government. A long standing critique of the master planning process in Delhi is that it is not inclusive and does not account for ground realities. But a truly inclusive city is one that takes into account the most vulnerable groups. A large section of the settlements in Delhi are informal, and a large section of what makes up the urban economy comprises of the informal sector, that has suffered the most at the hands of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Yet there is structural exclusion of informal work when framing laws, rules and policies. In order to democratize the process of planning, it is imperative that local forms of decentralized governance are promoted. The pandemic has also further highlighted the importance of the ‘local’ in urban areas. Although cities’ preparedness and responses to the crisis mainly rely on larger institutional and economic capacities, the local response is also crucial for future resilience and sustainable recovery, starting at the community level. There have been several instances of solidarity witnessed at local levels, with individuals and enterprises coming together in collective action. It is also important to involve networks and civil society organizations (CSOs) with the broadest possible representation so that their outreach capacities and knowledge of ground realities can be leveraged to reach all types of stakeholders, especially those who are otherwise un(der)served. This research paper attempts to examine the global best participatory practices at different scales – policies, plans and programs/initiatives. The intent of the research is to provide a literature based informed overview of bottom up planning and present a framework of how it can be implemented in the Indian context, through the case of Delhi.
