PlanningUrbanORegional: Amsterdam

Showing posts with label Amsterdam. Show all posts

Apr 24, 2023

Information, connectivity and networked life as understated but intrinsic qualities of smart cities.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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The flow of information has evolved from farmers reading the sign of nature to estimate rainfall, to kingdoms relying on harbinger posted on hilltop communicating warning signs about approaching enemy convoys, to messages critical getting delivered through telegraph using Morse code, to modern-day ICT and mass media revolution.

Connectivity has not just emerged in terms of shortening the physical distance but assumed a new role and meaning that simply didn’t exist centuries back i.e., virtual connectivity.

Networked life, though has existed from the very beginning of societal structural formation, the emergence of trade activities, and evolution of economic ecosystem; it was never as organised, resilient, and transitory as today.

The way social and technological evolution occur, like an almost unstoppable but invisible force; it remained almost unnoticeable, until recently. While we assume that getting timely information, availing universal connectivity, and living a networked way of life is fundamental and intrinsic to society, almost like the presumed service rights; only until we encounter paucity of information, obstruction in connectivity or experience friction or blockage in network.

What it takes for cities to offer a seamless flow of information, ubiquitous connectivity, and resilient modern networked life? Almost all of the above values and conveniences of modern life can be encapsulated under the ambit of the smart city concept; with the concerted efforts of multiple stakeholders.

The city administrations, city managers, and urban planners have to leverage all of these in a holistic, inclusionary, and cautionary manner while creating a fail-safe provision for system redundancy. The discourse around amorphous and shape-shifting “smart city concepts”, yet seemingly an unstoppable force, is increasingly required to be directional and formulative (instead of divisive) to be constructive.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please Note, that I am also conducting a FREE 45-minute online individual consultation on your interior design and home decor needs and aspirations if you are in the Netherlands or even internationally. Drop me an email at anoop.jha@gmail.com

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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#smartcity #urbanmanagement #urbandevelopment #ICT #Digitalisation #governance #egovernance #publicpolicy #ml #machinelearning #iot #Rotterdam #Amsterdam #DenHaag #Delft #Alkmaar #DenBosch #Eindhoven #Utretch #Hague #Netherlands

Idea of time-space in city making: the two realities.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Those in project management understand single concept of time, i.e. time by clock and calendar. Project executed as per work schedule, days, month etc., there is no other reality. There is also single reality of space here i.e., per unit distance or area, at different spatial scale, meter, km, sqft, sqkm etc.

Those in urban planning affair, do understand above concept of time, as every urban development project is some kind of project/ programme management only, applied in a spatial context; but they also encounter another idea of time and space, different from clock, calendar and spatial unit, which is sometimes difficult to measure or interpret or even acknowledge. Here meaning of time and distance may differ for different individuals/ groups, depending on age, ability, gender, purpose, intention, aspirations, resources, geography, culture, familiarity, temporal reference, psychological conditions etc. This multifaceted idea of time and space is a reality different than minutes and meters; distinctly observable in urban planning affair. For instance, the centuries of idea of walkable distance or distance to be covered by bicycle or cart and time consumed in travelling such distance may logically and technically be measured in meters and minutes; but these distances and associated travel time may mean different thing to a child, old person, person with physical disability, people with special needs, person carrying weight or child, a jogger, fitness enthusiast, a pro native, a lost tourist, a person travelling to cinema and a person being taken to hospital while battling for life. This idea and perception of time and space is further different depending or use of powered vehicle, bike, wheelchair, horse cart or without these. Also different in context of metropolis, city, small town, or suburb. A 500 meter distance might be an easy distance for some and may feel like 10 miles to other.

Its important to acknowledge that the "unit time" by the clock or calendar which we are conditioned to use as a benchmark as an urban planner, city managers or project/ programme managers, is somehow a weighted average or a median of all aspects mentioned above, which are rarely widely discussed. Simply put 500 meter walking distance for example to be understood as average of what an athlete and an old age person can comfortably walk.

Irony is that there are possibly no scientific project management tool, method or explanation that acknowledge this "other" kind of spatiotemporal reality. Its just that urban planners, urban designers and landscape architects, instinctively acknowledge and factor in a different kind of time and space definition as well i.e. time beyond clock and distance beyond mile-stone; and they make provisions for same and alike, to make city a better place.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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#urbanplanning #Utrecht #hague #Denhaag #Amsterdam #Delft #Leiden #architecture #Alkmaar #Netherlands

Involving designers and engineers in urban policy-making for assuring policy success and sustainable built environment.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Policy by its very nature mostly remains abstract and sometimes open to interpretation. Urban policy aspirations related to built environment, have to eventually trickle down from vision to some form of project i.e., to brick-and-mortar level. Such policies also effectively have to reflect in improved quality of life and sustainability parameters like resource optimisation and energy saving, as an outcome. The successful outcome of policy hence depends on whether the policy is closer to ground reality or not.

In the long value chain of city-making affair, usually “urban policymakers” and those who are actually responsible for execution of project i.e., “designers and engineers”, represent two opposite ends of the spectrum. These designers and engineers usually have little say in urban policy formulation related to built environment. This is because the process and information flow in public institutional hierarchy follows similar linear project management model. i.e., top-down; characterised by similar hierarchy and dyadic extremities. Urban policy making though try to represent and incorporate insights from several stakeholders, still essentially remains a top-down process.

First, analysing design project management itself, wondering why design projects for instance tend to overshoot project budget and timeline? Possibly for two main reasons, one in the top down project management process, budget, client negotiation processes, etc. are usually dictated by management higher up or departments/ experts different than planning and engineering (i.e. procurement, financial, legal etc.), who sometimes may or may not be having complete exposure to dynamic day to day design and execution challenges involved in range of built environment projects or may be having limited comprehension of how design and engineering project may get affected in different possible scenarios and in different site context. Hence missing out on critical insights of other bottom extreme of project management value chain, i.e., designers and engineers; while formulating project budget and time frame. The second aspect which may not be directly related to above policy discussion but still noteworthy related to budget and time overshoot is that project management processes like standard operating procedures (SOPs) and tools including many software don’t explicitly factor in real-life challenges and don’t allow to test scenario building, out of scores of possible scenarios which may directly or indirectly impact project. Apparent from the fact that how design projects and project management processes/ software struggled to respond in real time at the onset of the pandemic, despite knowing that the force majeure or Acts-of-God may become a reality at any time; despite having robust industry accepted project management SOPs.

Designers and engineers here imply material experts, product designers, furniture designers, interior designers, architects, building engineering experts (MEP - HVAC/ Electrical/ Plumbing experts), ICT/ intelligent building management experts (IBMS), green building experts, infrastructure experts (Dry/wet utilities), and now emerging circularity experts, who actually design and execute the very constituents or building block or unit of built environment or a city i.e., neighborhood, building/ housing unit or its components, with all its material composition, furnishing, and appliances.

Designers and engineers including project managers, for instance, are those who are usually most close to the reality of execution, having the first-hand understanding of implementation and execution challenges and palpable ground realities. But, urban policy formulation and sometimes strategic report and action plans, related to built environment are traditionally formulated at a level, and with the kind of resources or skilled manpower involved, which may or may not be having the exact or hands-on understanding of sometimes bitter realities of project execution and context. Hence the insight and understanding of designers and engineers are vital for policy making and may simply dictate the success or failure of policy. These critical insights coming from designers and engineers are fundamental to policy formulation as they control the unitary elements of built environment. Any error or innovation at the unitary level has a multiplier effect. If we consider the household or individual house as a constituent unit of the entire population or city, for instance if we save or waste 1 kWh of energy per household, then at a city scale it may result in unimaginable energy saving or energy wastage. Designers and engineers are capable of offering such critical insights, information, modalities, and tools (to save material and energy for instance), which can be directly embedded into the urban policies related to built environment, leading to assured measurable benefits.

Hence, if we incorporate the insights of designers and engineers in the policy formulation, the outcome of the policy will most likely be tangible, realistic and measurable. The abstractness of policy though is acceptable, but it should not stop policymakers to factor in empirical expertise and insights gathers from the other extreme end of city making value chain, i.e., that which comes from designers and engineers.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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#urbanplanning #townplaning #cityplanning #circulareconomy #projectmanagement #infrastructureplanning #engineering #construction #biobasedmaterial #policy #publicpolicy #governance #Rotterdam #utrecht #Amsterdam #Hague #Netherlands

Apr 8, 2023

Information, connectivity and networked life as understated but intrinsic qualities of smart cities.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Connectivity has not just emerged in terms of shortening the physical distance but assumed a new role and meaning that simply didn’t exist centuries back i.e., virtual connectivity.

Networked life, though has existed from the very beginning of societal structural formation, the emergence of trade activities, and evolution of economic ecosystem; it was never as organised, resilient, and transitory as today.

The way social and technological evolution occur, like an almost unstoppable but invisible force; it remained almost unnoticeable, until recently. While we assume that getting timely information, availing universal connectivity, and living a networked way of life is fundamental and intrinsic to society, almost like the presumed service rights; only until we encounter paucity of information, obstruction in connectivity or experience friction or blockage in network.

What it takes for cities to offer a seamless flow of information, ubiquitous connectivity, and resilient modern networked life? Almost all of the above values and conveniences of modern life can be encapsulated under the ambit of the smart city concept; with the concerted efforts of multiple stakeholders.

The city administrations, city managers, and urban planners have to leverage all of these in a holistic, inclusionary, and cautionary manner while creating a fail-safe provision for system redundancy. The discourse around amorphous and shape-shifting “smart city concepts”, yet seemingly an unstoppable force, is increasingly required to be directional and formulative (instead of divisive) to be constructive.

Author: Anoop Jha

************************************************

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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Good architecture and interior design never fails to amaze.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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It took sometime to notice the thoughtful and aesthetic design of handrail of wooden staircase in the apartment. It has close resemblance with sine curve or Bezier curve, a sign of harmony these may be called. This handrail was very comfortable, ergonomic and playful because of such design.

Also had opportunity to visit old style Dutch house earlier a couple of times, though was critical and puzzled at first, to see the steep narrow indoor staircase, narrow steps, short risers and low height handrails; different than those shown in pictures. Its almost felt like one needs to undergo a crash course to learn to navigate those staircases effortlessly and safely. While once again it took a while to get accustomed, one realises that those low height handrails goes very well with steep stairs. Not just that narrow staircase has space saving benefits, it also makes sense to have staircase designed in a more flexible, organic and fluid manner compared to modern popular geometric design as it fits in overall distinct architectural typology, especially pitched roof ones, where series or maze of steps may lead to different multilevel spaces, making it possible to make use of every possible space within the building envelope. And we are not even talking about sudden transitional quality of such staiways yet, which helps curb street behaviour while climbing the stairs.

While some may still find Dutch stairways, especially old ones, challenging to navigate, one thinks local/ traditional architects have mastered the craftsmanship of stairs and handrail making in many senses.

The obvious challenges associated with narrow steep stairs for instance related to age, abilities, and cargo handling are acknowledged, but that remains a separate topic for discussion.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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#Dutcharchitecture #Utrecht #hague #Denhaag #Amsterdam #Delft #Leiden #architecture #Alkmaar #Netherlands #interiordesign

Analyzing network characteristics.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Networks often have two juxtaposed characteristics, one vulnerability, and the other redundancy/ resilience. Vulnerability in a sense that even a single or few weak links or blockages may interrupt the functionality of the network. Redundancy/ resilience because, due to multiple nodes and links, in case of disruption there might be multiple alternate paths that exist to continue the intended process.

Let’s take a case of business as a network. If there is a missing link or continued blockage in the supply chain, for instance, due to logistics infrastructure under-capacity, it may disrupt a business or even prompt some businesses to close down their operations. This is an example of vulnerability. On the other hand, if there is a policy change for instance that makes it impossible for a traditional business to serve a particular client base, in that case, the same business may either choose to serve a different market or mutate its business to offer another kind of product or service, using same logistics and supply chain. This is an example of redundancy.

If we acknowledge the dyadic nature and potential of the network from the very beginning, we may be able to plan better, may be able to plan in advance, we may be able to minimize vulnerability, and leverage redundancy, possibly through scenario building.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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#urbanmanagement #urbandevelopment #governance #egovernance #publicpolicy #Rotterdam #Amsterdam #DenHaag #Delft #Alkmaar #DenBosch #Eindhoven #Utretch #Hague #Netherlands

What true seamless experience may mean in future cities!

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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On the other hand, public and private institutions know very well that the product or services they are providing today will be paid for today, tomorrow or some other day, with interest, as long as the transaction is recorded and person who is using or buying the service or product is legitimate, so that they can always be traced back.

Which means purchase behaviour at individual end is usually self-regulatory; and institution level fear of not being able to recover the money for product or service rendered is usually illusionary.

If all transaction related to any rendered service or product sold in a city will be recovered eventually, with due interest i.e., without any losses, in a legit society where every citizen is identifiable and accountable for their purchase of such product or services, of course though a leak-proof mechanism, then there is no need for the barriers, barriers which hinder day to day seamless experience of millions living in a city. For a truly seamless experience these barriers will cease to exist.

Seamless experience in a city may mean, its good to have multimodal unified transportation card, but it also means you can travel without need of such card, without any card, as long as you are able to identify yourself at access/ exit points, in one of dozen or more possible ways that can technically be devised with todays technology. Seamless experience also means in this context that you are free to manoeuvre wherever you like in a city, by which ever mode you like, with or without making payment, as payment will eventually be settled. Seamless experience in a city may also mean that you don’t need to carry cash or a debit card or credit card or mobile wallet, to pay for low to medium value products or services below a certain thresholds (say exclude purchase of house or car etc. for now), as long as the purchase is linked to your identity, as payment will be settled eventually, as long as you are legit and you are okay with some incremental service charges.

The seamless city might be perceived as a cashless society today, but a true seamless smart city of tomorrow will possibly be even cardless, credit cardless, and digital walletless. Where consumer's identity itself will be a latent currency, as long as they are able to identify themselves in one of dozen odd ways; where consumer is able to manoeuvre and conduct seamlessly without any boundaries, as long as they are aware about consequences of their monetary actions.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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#smartcity #urbanplanning #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

Apr 5, 2023

What AI might have to do with anthropology, culture or linguistics?

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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AI certainly gives us a reason to cherish and leverage history, tradition and culture. It empowers us and generation to come, to instantly connect to roots and increasingly getting the grip of lost anthropological and cultural context. You not necessarily have to visit museum, or open encyclopaedia or search in gazette documents, to trace and learn about tradition and once thriving culture, as AI comes to rescue.

Why its important? Because, in very short span of time we observe how our language changes, once common words disappear from our lingo, once commonplace household items disappear from our day to day life, once common cultural practices disappear from modern lifestyle.

Not necessarily one must continue to use certain elements, items, or practices from past; as relevance, context and validity of some of those may remain futile or sometimes questionable. But what may be of interest here is the immense knowledge and several practices from past which AI makes more accessible. Also, making world of knowledge a more equitable playfield.

For instance, drawing inspirations from past culture and tradition has became much more easier for those in creative fields - designers, multiple forms of media creators, artists etc.

Also, finding the root cause and mapping certain geographic and cultural behaviour and traits have become more accessible for those on cultural exploration and for business communities, where personalised experience, products and services have become key to success. Ease and timely access to such wealth of historic quantitative and qualitative information may also help city planners, urban designers and architects to provide more humane solutions and urban fabric, that corresponds to aspirations of local community.

Most importantly, making a rational decisions might have become easier considering Open AI and alike gives quick insight based on a large body of work (including text from deep in past, and referring to texts from left, right and centre perspective), hence providing us with a additional validated input, to base our decisions on. Acknowledging that personal opinion, undocumented knowledge (to which AI might not have access to) and intuitions, may still continue to play a key role in decision making in near future, at individual and Institutional level.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

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#technology #AI #Chatgpt #openAI #anthropology #urbanmanagement #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

What true seamless experience may mean in future cities!

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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In spite of multitude of choices, attractions and temptations, people usually tend to spend within the limit, in short, medium and long term. That is, they spend within their possible means, as they know well that they have to settle bills today, tomorrow or one fine day. Realising, that there is no getting away.

On the other hand, public and private institutions know very well that the product or services they are providing today will be paid for today, tomorrow or some other day, with interest, as long as the transaction is recorded and person who is using or buying the service or product is legitimate, so that they can always be traced back.

Which means purchase behaviour at individual end is usually self-regulatory; and institution level fear of not being able to recover the money for product or service rendered is usually illusionary.

If all transaction related to any rendered service or product sold in a city will be recovered eventually, with due interest i.e., without any losses, in a legit society where every citizen is identifiable and accountable for their purchase of such product or services, of course though a leak-proof mechanism, then there is no need for the barriers, barriers which hinder day to day seamless experience of millions living in a city. For a truly seamless experience these barriers will cease to exist.

Seamless experience in a city may mean, its good to have multimodal unified transportation card, but it also means you can travel without need of such card, without any card, as long as you are able to identify yourself at access/ exit points, in one of dozen or more possible ways that can technically be devised with todays technology. Seamless experience also means in this context that you are free to manoeuvre wherever you like in a city, by which ever mode you like, with or without making payment, as payment will eventually be settled. Seamless experience in a city may also mean that you don’t need to carry cash or a debit card or credit card or mobile wallet, to pay for low to medium value products or services below a certain thresholds (say exclude purchase of house or car etc. for now), as long as the purchase is linked to your identity, as payment will be settled eventually, as long as you are legit and you are okay with some incremental service charges.

The seamless city might be perceived as a cashless society today, but a true seamless smart city of tomorrow will possibly be even cardless, credit cardless, and digital walletless. Where consumer's identity itself will be a latent currency, as long as they are able to identify themselves in one of dozen odd ways; where consumer is able to manoeuvre and conduct seamlessly without any boundaries, as long as they are aware about consequences of their monetary actions.

Author: Anoop Jha

************************************************

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

************************************************

#smartcity #urbanplanning #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

Analyzing network characteristics.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Say if we visualize the transportation system as a network, if there is a missing link or persistent blockage (obstruction) in the bicycle route it may deter users to use bicycles altogether. This is an example of vulnerability. On the other hand, if your vehicle malfunctions at a certain place, you can always switch to an alternate parallel transportation mode like public transport. That is an example of redundancy within the same network of the transportation system.

Let’s take a case of business as a network. If there is a missing link or continued blockage in the supply chain, for instance, due to logistics infrastructure under-capacity, it may disrupt a business or even prompt some businesses to close down their operations. This is an example of vulnerability. On the other hand, if there is a policy change for instance that makes it impossible for a traditional business to serve a particular client base, in that case, the same business may either choose to serve a different market or mutate its business to offer another kind of product or service, using same logistics and supply chain. This is an example of redundancy.

We also see this juxtaposition at the societal level, if we consider society as a network. For instance, once the traditional rural fabric grows bigger to become a town and once the urban boundary is drawn, it tends to disrupt the social fabric on both sides of the urban-rural border. But using the same residual network, society on both sides of the border adapts to new socio-economic order within the newly established identity. i.e., the mutation in economic activities and readjustments in social characteristics.

If we acknowledge the dyadic nature and potential of the network from the very beginning, we may be able to plan better, may be able to plan in advance, we may be able to minimize vulnerability, and leverage redundancy, possibly through scenario building.

Author: Anoop Jha

************************************************

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

************************************************

#smartcity #urbanmanagement #urbandevelopment #governance #egovernance #publicpolicy #ml #machinelearning #iot #Rotterdam #Amsterdam #DenHaag #Delft #Alkmaar #DenBosch #Eindhoven #Utretch #Hague #Netherlands

Mar 30, 2023

What could be the barometer to know if a city is doing well?

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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You may be able to figure out if a city or even country is doing somewhat well for community and visitors alike, by observing or experiencing some of following traits.

If you are feeling safe at all time of the day and night in a city. That may mean, your anxiousness doesn't increases (as a function of safety perception) as the night approaches. That is possible when you know there is next bus, tram, metro or train to make sure you reach your eventual destination, and if you could remain assured, that you can be rescued from an unsafe or unwarranted situation.

If you are still able to make sense of place any hour of day and night. That may mean, you are able to orient yourself in space and time throughout the day and night, at any location within city. That is possible when space is easily legible and well illuminated, for you to spatially position yourself in any part of city.

Making city work well is a constant quest for city administrations, urban planners, researchers and many. Targeting above may be a good starting point for any city, as there is always scope of making things good to better and more.

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

************************************************

#urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam

Preconditions and trade-offs of making a great city!

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Making great city has preconditions like right aspirations, thorough planning, right partnerships, timely resources, among others. Though process seems straightforward but its as organic and uncertain as gamble. That is because there are trade-offs at each level of preconditions mentioned above and many more. For instance there is wide range of choices available at each precondition level. Then there is wide range of possibilities about when these choices were made (early, midway, late, missed), and who made those choices (public, public representatives, internal or external institutions providing aid, or driven by commercial forces). These organic event timeline, and choices made along the way, shapes the outcome called "City". What is interesting to note here is that events (action) are sometimes spontaneous and choices are sometimes based on intuitions.

Following are some of the "trade-offs" witnessed when it comes to making choices, that has potentials to result in great cities if right degree and mix of choices are made at right time.

PRECONDITIONS

(Right choice/ decision is to be found somewhere in between; while process of making choices many a times are more complex than presented below)

"Right aspirations"

a) Top down (by administration) OR bottom up (by community)

b) Vision A, B, OR C

c) Work on weaknesses and threats OR build on Strengths and opportunities

"Thorough planning"

a) Redevelop (brownfield) OR build new (greenfield)

b) Alternative A, B OR C

c) External Expertise OR Local knowledge

d) Plan for now OR plan for future OR wait for particular technology/ concept to mature

"Right Partnership"

a) Proven partnership OR Potential new partnership

b) Relying on established industry players OR betting on promising newcomers/ startups

c) Comfort of traditional role OR reward and risk of new emergent roles

"Timely Resources"

a) Immediate Borrowing OR Strengthening old/ new sources of revenue

b) Invite talent or build competencies

..and more.

It seems that making a great city is more of an art than science; more learning than demonstration. Right choices at right moment makes a great city, and its never too late.

Additionally amidst range of choices and trade-offs, focus must be on core aspects including liveability, climate, equity, economy, circularity and context, we should be closer to making a city great!

Author: Anoop Jha

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[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Page Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #circulareconomy #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

Some thoughts on water infrastructure and water resources

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Water supply network infrastructure, if not maintained and operated properly may rather become an infrastructure for speedy wastage the precious high value treated water. Non revenue water (NRW), which is primarily leaked water at trunk transmission/ distribution infrastructure level, is a big challenge across countries and demands no less focus and attention than what we give to minimise water consumption.

The best thing a city administrations can do to immediately start water saving and stop household and facility level water wastage (due to inefficient appliances and leakage), is to a) set aside some amount from budget to replace old water fixtures, install new water saving fixtures and/or retrofit existing appliances/ fixtures (tap/ faucets etc.) with small water saving fixtures in each household, free of cost b) to send technicians/ plumbers periodically and on rotation to each household for checking the health of water fixtures and for maintenance if required, that too free of cost. Reduced effective per capita water usage and reduced NRW shall itself possibly be able to pay for these budget expenses in many cases.

At community level, especially cities with lakes and ponds, and at urban fringe and especially in rural areas, local community should be encouraged to adopt the lake and pond, with appropriate mechanism and incentives.

As a city planners, and as many other professionals, through spatial planning or otherwise (event etc.) should find more reasons and more ways to connect city life and a much border range and profile of citizens, to all sorts of waterbodies, so that more and more citizens feel engagement with water and feel the connect, ownership and purpose to protect and regenerate waterbodies.

Finally scientists and entrepreneurs should devise a new system/ technique/ practice/ frugal and inexpensive tool of shared economy at the confluence of open pond aquaculture, open field farming and indoor aquaponics, so that benefits of scientific aquaponics practices and traditional knowledge of pond based aquaculture/open farming can come together, for benefit to a wider community.

Author: Anoop Jha

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands #aquaculture #aquaponics #worldwaterday #worldwaterday2023 #savewater #regenratewaterbodies #communityponds

How different stakeholders of city having different perception and measurement scale for city, make them judge city performance differently.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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A saying that goes something like - Every peasant measures the sea with the pond in their village - Anonymous

And we also remember the story of elephant, how it was assessed differently, blindfolded.

That is, we have our own idea of scale or measurement unit or performance measurement; at individual level, at institution level and at fraternity level. And we see city as an object of analysis form these lenses.

How city is performing? Depends on the position which each actor takes while posing such question. For instance, real estate developer may see city from asset perspective, assessing city on a per square feet real estate basis, while assigning each zone and neighbourhood a price tag. Urban designers may visualise city as interplay of mass, in terms of built and open spaces, and assigning weightage to each zone based on form and order. Landscape architects, might visualise city as punctuation of green and open within built environment, and assessing liveability of different neighbourhoods based on percentage and access to green. Climate scientists may visualise city as a heat map of energy usage intensity and might like to assess city on per capita energy usage or carbon footprint. Social scientist might be judging city in terms of Human Development Index/ per capita income/ happiness index etc. Transport planners may like to assess city, in terms of road density and model split, spatially assessing city based on ease of access to public transport. Engineers may judge performance as per capita power and water availability etc. And so on. List is long. Though mostly it remains a composite assessment based on quantitative and qualitative parameters. But sure qualitative also still has benchmark, scale.

City as a physical dynamic entity may mean different things to different actors, stakeholders and fraternity, but it practically cannot fit 100% in the aspiration and assessment matrix of each actor. There may be mismatch in their aspirations and assessment satisfaction, because of different assessment tools they use, assessment scale with which they are comfortable with, intuitively. So usually consensus in city making process is reached when parties arrive at a win-win situation after rounds of discussions and deliberations, also a trait of network governance.

As cities are expected to change, at the same time measurement scales and industry wide fixation or affinity with particular assessment indices also need to change/ evolve over time, in a synergistic manner. We sometimes need to leave a particular stand or position to see things from each others perspective, to appreciate "City" for instance, in the grand scheme of things.

Author: Anoop Jha

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#urbanplanning #urbandevelopment #urbanmanagement #urbandesign #smartcity #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

Disparity and equity of other kinds.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Disparity of any kind, either by faulty socio-economic structure, or path dependency, or prolonged ignorance, or by design, is an obstacle for universal and ubiquitous equity. Equity, that is essential not just at economic level but also on societal level, at the level of collective or individual empowerment, recognition and identity.

We mostly tend to associate disparity with economic conditions. As we often understand, experience and hear about economic disparity. Its is characterised by mostly extremities, sometimes by gradation, and often by barriers. Sometimes economic disparity is obvious, sometimes relative. Sometimes a result of economic lock-ins, sometimes by societal construct and many a times situational trap. Economic disparity is easy to observe and recognise.

There may possibly be other kinds of disparities, equally relevant to be recognised for the purpose of achieving equity. Disparity of education, disparity of opportunities, disparity of geography for instance. Though each one of these can eventually be converted to economic indices, but not necessarily economic condition is only important aspect to tackle or consider when it comes to equity.

Disparity of education may simply mean those having access to education or not, but it may also be in form of disparity between low elementary level of education Vs highest degree and form of education. It may also be in form of linguistic disparity.

Disparity of opportunity may mean, ease Vs limitations in access and probability of encountering right opportunities. For instance, what factors proves to be ground for opportunity for some and not for others, within the same demographic traits and same context.

Disparity of geography, geographical push or traps, that enables some regions and its socio-economic condition to excel, some to keep status quo, some to transition and some to remain in disadvantages situation for long.

It is also noteworthy that sometimes the very tools and mechanism applied to bridge the disparity may have potential to create divide, if not same then another kind of divide, for instance, like digital technology and some forms of incentives etc. Quest to bridge disparity remain a wicked problem to some extent. Acknowledging the fact, policy measures for equity, across the world, at different vertical levels, targeted to bridge gap and bring equity, must be rather encompassing and to be formulated in a flexible manner with embedded mechanism for periodic adjustments, based on time and tailored to geography, analysing and quantifying what seem to work and what not. Instead of waiting for new updated policy document several years down the line, we can have policy amendment provisions over short period of time. True for larger public policy realm.

Author: Anoop Jha

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#governance #equity #publicpolicy #urbanplanning #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands

What AI might have to do with anthropology, culture or linguistics?

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

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Why its important? Because, in very short span of time we observe how our language changes, once common words disappear from our lingo, once commonplace household items disappear from our day to day life, once common cultural practices disappear from modern lifestyle.

Not necessarily one must continue to use certain elements, items, or practices from past; as relevance, context and validity of some of those may remain futile or sometimes questionable. But what may be of interest here is the immense knowledge and several practices from past which AI makes more accessible. Also, making world of knowledge a more equitable playfield.

For instance, drawing inspirations from past culture and tradition has became much more easier for those in creative fields - designers, multiple forms of media creators, artists etc.

Also, finding the root cause and mapping certain geographic and cultural behaviour and traits have become more accessible for those on cultural exploration and for business communities, where personalised experience, products and services have become key to success. Ease and timely access to such wealth of historic quantitative and qualitative information may also help city planners, urban designers and architects to provide more humane solutions and urban fabric, that corresponds to aspirations of local community.

Most importantly, making a rational decisions might have become easier considering Open AI and alike gives quick insight based on a large body of work (including text from deep in past, and referring to texts from left, right and centre perspective), hence providing us with a additional validated input, to base our decisions on. Acknowledging that personal opinion, undocumented knowledge (to which AI might not have access to) and intuitions, may still continue to play a key role in decision making in near future, at individual and Institutional level.

Author: Anoop Jha

[Recent update

Starting 2024, launching urban management, interior design, home decor and commissioned artwork services in the Netherlands, serving local as well as international remote clients.

Please visit my web page "Urban Tenets" at https://urbantenets.nl/

Instagram interior design page @urbantenets

Instagram fine art and illustration page @urbanoregional

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anoopjha/

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#technology #AI #Chatgpt #openAI #anthropology #urbanmanagement #Amsterdam #Utretch #Hague #Delft #Eindhoven #Rotterdam #Netherlands