|
The term has been interpreted by various people in various manner in the
context of changing times. And it has now been universally accepted that
urban renewal is a complex phenomenon and has several aspects.
It includes slum clearance and improvement, provision of housing,
provision of adequate social facilities and civic amenities, creation of
infrastructure, road widening and traffic regulation, improving the
visual appearance of old areas and creation of better living
environment, and preservation of historical monuments areas.
Stated simply, urban renewal is a combination of the process of
rehabilitation, conservation and redevelopment.
A comprehensive urban renewal exercise involves technological
interventions, planningand networking between various agencies and
authorities.
The Indian government has recently launched the National Urban Renewal
Mission (NURM) that aims at raising the efficiency level of urban
infrastructure and to make the local governments more accountable
towards citizens. But will the local communities be roped in while the
Action Plan of this ambitious mission is being drawn up? Will the people
have a say in deciding “What needs to be done? How can it be achieved?
What would be the right technology?”
 
Eco-feminism, or ecological
feminism, is a philosophy and movement born from the
union of feminist and ecological thinking. It believes
that the social mentality that leads to the domination
and oppression of women is directly connected to the
social mentality that leads to the environmental abuse
of Earth |
|
>>
Eco-feminism emphasises the experience of domination and
exploitation shared by women and the natural world. It provides
unique insights into environmental issues by exposing the
essentially masculine bias of our thinking about the natural
world.
A central tenet in eco-feminism states that male ownership of
land has led to a dominator culture, manifesting itself in food
export, over-grazing, the tragedy of the
commons and a land ethic that amounts to land abuse.
It advocates moving back to small
eco-villages of 100 to 140 people, which anthropological studies argue
as the most stable and prevalent type of human society. Here, women
function as landowners, and property is inherited only maternally, i.e.
in a matriarchy.
The more extreme eco-feminists view colonisation akin to rape, and have
equally harsh things to say about games such as golf or bobsledding that
inherently require destruction of ecologies to be 'played' — and were
historically played only by men. Sustainable development demands
recognition and value for the multitude of ways in which women's lives
intertwine with environmental realities. Especially in agricultural
economies like India.
Congestion tax is a transport
control measure (TCM) that taxes the users of a specific
section (generally the most congested section) of the
road for its use. It ensures that those using valuable
road space make a financial contribution |
|
|
