What are the barriers for the development of sustainable cities?

Before beginning a project, many a times, government fails to make proper planning because of which of which the development fails to proceed after some time.

I am not an expert on this issue, but I would add to all the good reasons explained here, and based in my observations, that one of the main barriers for the development of sustainable cities is that most of the plans are focused on old big cities which have a very bad and old infrastructure, due to they were built when the sustainability concept did not exist. This condition makes most of the plans very difficult or unaffordable. Maybe it is required to built new cities with a totally new concept base on sustainability

According to me, the greatest barrier to creation of a sustainable city is the lack of credentials. For example let us consider the population in India. It is estimated that by year 2011 it will increase to about 430 million making it the largest urban population in the world. The main burden of this urban overcrowding is in the metropolitan cities. So the projects are developed keeping the population in mind but at the end of the project the population gets explored and the plan becomes ineffective. So I think we should keep track of the data needed till the execution of the project.  

I agree to some extent to Abhik, Pragya and Anjali, and I see this issue as a vast circle which covers numerous issues which will lead to a big list if jotted down. If we see this issue in bits n pieces I think one and most biggest hurdle is the mindset of the citizens and more over the politicians and religious leaders. This is an important point as to create/covert a sustainable city there might be a need to modify or revise the master plan, now this is a great task, again there can be issues of re routing the electrical grids, the water pipelins or create a water resorvior which can need acquisition of land, revising the drainage lines layout,defining development zones for people migrating to urban areas, now if the politicans,religious leaders and citiens understand the necessity of sustainable city development I think its a half done job before starting, rest all is achievable as infrastructure can be executed with the help of private companies, required data can be available from private companies and thus government will have to prepare proper schemes to have financial terms with these private companies.

In order to solve the problems committeees should be farmed to iron out problems and find solutions at ward Level.Participation of ward people enhances  makes easy for government  to identify the problems and also funds can be prioritised. 

Hello,

Let Me speak of Bangalore City.

Government Bodies like BWSSB, BBMP, KPCB are the designated caretakers of pollution menace to be redress sustainably.                                           (a) Tanks/ Lakes of water is no longer Drinking quality.                          (b) Open Drains are a High Source for GREEN HOUSE GASSES emitted 24/7   spoiling the Eco balance of City.                                                               (c) Fish Kill is regular with Oxygen depletion anf other Chemical contaminants in Water Body.

For all these, as NGO, we have low Cost Long term sustainable Solution/s.

Only chagrin is We ARE NGO and NGO is Not a Frofiteering Contractor who is to Bid for Tenders. Lokayukta advised me to take Up Demo Jobs and give  Presentation to Authorities to open their Eyes.

Cost is forbidding our Enthusiasm.

Who is to bell the cat?   

with JNRUM laying down norms and offering supporting funds for development of cities and upgradation of citizen welfare services, Municipal authorities do not have reasons for lack of funds or lack of standardized development norms. Concerned public authorities now have to demonstrate core administrative competence in overall sphere of public responsibility in performing their statutory duties. any failure in achieving time bound program may be monitored and rectified using public body infrastructure. 

All-round Awareness is the key to success for the development of sustainable city and for sustaining the same.

A well understood legislation supported by conscious citizenry & creative green building industry alone can aid the development & sustenance of sustainable cities.

As government offices are so are the government officials... DILAPIDATED!! The people who are supposed to keep records and maintyain them are themselves in no shape to take care of their own selves what and how are they capable of handling the responsibility of India as a country??

Once you have your data correct and managed planning becomes a lot more easier and then if there are budgets then executing projects becomes easier. There is no dearth of manpower or expert manpower in India so once the base is taken care of carefully it is easier to build a city on it!!

I agree with you Mr. Abhik,  but sometimes they have good project but no proper fund to execute. Nowadays many private companies are entering the construction sector and are really doing well. The government should support those companies in implementing their projects. Many good projects are in pending due to lack of fund. So to develop a sustainable city we should allocate some funds and motivate other companies to come up with good project.