Inclusive City Framework

Modern cities are convenient and enjoyable places for living and working to most of the users presenting varied levels of socio-economic opportunities and spatial experience. However, such designed urban environments are full of latent uncertainties, hidden anxieties and potential dangers for ‘Vulnerable’ groups of people. In India, out of the 1,21,00,00,000 population 2,68, 00,000 persons are ‘disabled’ which is 2.21% of the total population. Out of these, 56% (1,50,00,000) are males and 44% (1,18,00,000) are females. 1, 86,00,000 of the disabled population (69%) reside in rural areas and 81,00,000 in urban areas (31%). The percentage of persons with disabilities in the total population has increased from 2.13% in 2001 to 2.21% in 2011. In rural areas, the increase was from 2.21% in 2001 to 2.24% in 2011 whereas, in urban areas, it increased from 1.93% to 2.17% during this period (Census of India). Statistics also reveal that of the total disabled population, nearly 55% are literate as compared to 74% in case of the total population and 36% of the total disabled persons are workers as compared to 39.1% in case of total population (Census, 2011). These figures establish a link between a lack of opportunity for education and employment leading to poverty which creates a vicious circle. Other than people with different types of disabilities, senior citizens, children and women also face different types of socioeconomic, cultural and institutional barriers in the urban environment. In the field of human rights, growing attention has been devoted to the rights of persons belonging to these “vulnerable groups”. People belonging to these groups have certain common characteristics or are in a situation that has been shown to make these people more vulnerable to discrimination. They are especially “vulnerable” because these grounds for discrimination have been overlooked or insufficiently addressed in general human rights instruments. These people encounter several obstacles, which prevent them from moving freely and safely in urban environments, thereby causing social and economic segregation and finally self-withdrawal. Urban inclusiveness, according to Henry Lefebvre (1996), can be achieved through “participation,” “appropriation,” and the creation of “value” in the context of urban life of its marginalized subjects.

source :
https://niua.in/intranet/sites/default/files/2185.pdf