Decoding Urban Planning Processes for Community Groups

The Development Plan/Master Plan in the context of an Indian city is a statutory document that guides land development. It is not just a communication tool but also a legal document whose usefulness hinges on clear communication, non-ambiguity, objectivity in the representation of reality and also on the ability and skills of citizens and community groups to read and understand it. Ability to read and decipher the Master Plan hence is fundamental to engaging with planning and development processes.

The training broke down the various steps of statutory planning and complex jargon into simple concepts supported with visually appealing and easy-to-read maps. Women learned to differentiate public land from private land, analyze different uses of public land, identify their own communities on the map, and articulate how the Master Plan impacts them, and where and how they can advocate for their needs and demands.