E-Paper
Your Space: Civic facility fails its purpose
With residents saying that the ten public amenity spaces built by PMC on placemaking concepts are lying unused and neglected, is it the right decision to plan another such project in the city?
With residents saying that the ten public amenity spaces built by PMC on placemaking concepts are lying unused and neglected, is it the right decision to plan another such project in the city?
Security needed
For a long time, the city has seen occurrences of public property theft and vandalism. The same thing happened at amenity spaces at Kharadi. If the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is serious about this concept, they need to come up with a similar project but should appoint a security team for this placemaking initiative. Citizens would respond positively if the civic body ensured security at the placemaking.
-Gayatri Mukherjee
Novel concept
The city boasts a sizable population of IT professionals and global corporations, and the project has been designed to engage them. The PMC has launched a good initiative, which should be commended. I believe we should applaud the civic body for coming up with such excellent ideas.
- Manoj Surti
Good idea but failed execution
A concept or idea that works in one city or country may not work in another. The PMC simply put money into the placemaking concept to take credit, but the implementation has failed. There was no plan for the concept’s upkeep, security, or sustainability. As a result, time, effort, and money are wasted.
-Vishwas Pandey
Citizen participation required
There is a need for citizen’s participation while selecting a location and setting up the project. This will allow citizens to have some direct connection, as well as an interest in these spaces. The PMC can include residents, and cultural or educational organizations as part of the concept. These groups and citizens will use the amenities, keep vigilance, and maintain the amenities to make it a sustainable project.
-Sarika Patil
Waste of Money
A single location to set up amenity spaces under the placemaking concepts costs around ₹50 lakh and adding up more such concepts in different parts of the city is a waste of money. When the existing facility is underutilised and neglected what is the need to set up more such locations? This will lead to wastage of public funds which can be utilised for other public facilities like toilets, gardens or transport.
-Adv. Harshal Bhosale
Another failed project
The so-called Smart City project of PMC is a failed project with big pavements taken over by hawkers and the homeless and roads left with less space for vehicles. After the failure of this project, the civic body has come up with a placemaking concept which is yet another failed project in waiting. When the city is struggling with basic facilities like roads, water and transport there is no need for a placemaking concept.
-Sanjog Gaikwad
Vested interests of politicos
The civic body came up with a new project keeping in view the vested interests of a few influential people and not the public. From BRTS to Smart City, none of their ideas were effective, but everything was done with the vested interests of a few strong people, and the citizens suffered as a result.
-Anuradha Pillay
No need for the project
When the existing facilities are neglected and unutilised, there is no need to set up more such projects in the city. The civic body should make the existing placemaking concepts successful and then think of expansion. When an existing facility has no takers why are they developing more facilities and for whom? This is not a wise decision to set up amenities at more locations under the initiative.
-Raj Gurjar
Temporary Failure
The placemaking concept is a new project and currently seems to be neglected but it’s a temporary failure. Similar projects in different countries have received tremendous response and similarly, in Pune, it will be a success.
-Salonee Gupta
-As told to Vicky Pathare
