A. Srivathsan: 60 years of Planning - Lessons from Chennai

A. Srivathsan is an architect and urban designer, and currently Director, Center for Research on Architecture and Urbanism, CEPT University Ahmedabad. He was previously the Academic Director of the University, and before that taught for a decade and worked as a senior journalist with The Hindu, the national newspaper. His research and writings include the themes of urban history, planning policies and contemporary architectural practices. Srivathsan’s recent work includes work on evidence based affordable housing policies for Chennai, a study conducted for Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission. In this podcast, using Chennai’s Planning history, Srivathsan explains how master plans have become the single most important measure, tool and the end of planning. Despite its repeated failure, master plans remain entrenched in planning practice and establishments. He argues that it is time to rethink this approach. To begin with it would be productive to acknowledge the limited capabilities of plans, build on them and find an alternative approach to planning a city.