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Pune's proximity to the financial capital of India gave it an edge yet the Peshwa City somehow stayed in the shadows of Mumbai. Today, development of IT, ITES and automobile sectors has blazed a trail of growth quickly picked up and accelerated by others

    Pune - a city with a pleasant climate, peaceful atmosphere, quality education, plenty of career openings and great accessibility to businesses communities worldwide - is fast emerging as one of the most desired youth destinations. 
    The last two decades have seen 'Oxford of the East' grow at an astonishing pace. Pune's proximity to the financial capital of India always gave it an edge, but this city somehow stayed in the shadows of Mumbai. Today, development of the IT, ITES and automobile sectors has blazed a trail of growth quickly picked up and accelerated by others. 
    Pune has always been a city of the youth, thanks to its reputed educational institutes. This youth has now become a talent base for the service sector pulling them to Pune and retaining its young students as young employees! 
    Naturally, Pune has seen an exponential growth in its real estate segment. It has spread its wings to incorporate the huge demand for homes of every type for everyone. 'The city of Wadas' has turned into a city of newly minted housing societies and townships. This has brought another growing industry actively to Pune, construction industry which has been developing high quality, unique and highly creative real estate solutions for its new and dynamic clientele. 
    However, an analysis shows that though the increase in construction has been massive, there is scope for more. The city has in the last two decades spread out and occupied much of the surrounding unoccupied land, but the demand is for more. This massive construction growth and a steady demand fuelling it are a call for speedy and wellplanned civic infrastructure development. The last two decades have seen a growing and increasingly severe strain on the city's roads, electricity grid, public transport, drainage system and water supply among other things. 
    Need for redevelopment 
    Pune, cultural capital of Maharashtra, was a city of joint and extended families and old structures; mainly large houses or Wadas made of mud and wood, concentrated in the Peth areas. With emergent trends and the precarious condition of the older dwellings 
they are either vacant or not safe for occupation. 
    One of the main problems of old houses in the Peth areas is their precarious condition. These buildings have fallen into disrepair owing to various factors. Many of them have started collapsing and are one of the biggest dangers in monsoons. Large residences are not much in demand with the family size shrinking and the cost of their maintenance escalating. Not just the wadas but almost all the building, of various sizes and built mostly of wood, around that time have become too dangerous for habitation. Again, many of these houses lack basic modern amenities like lifts, security arrangements, modular kitchens, dedicated parking and so forth. 
    Peth areas were designed before the era of the automobile. This has resulted in lack of parking space in these areas as also traffic bottlenecks. Such issues have made redevelopment not only essential but also popular in older parts of the city. 
    Gajendra Pawar, CMD, Pinnacle Group says, "Sadashiv Peth is located in the heart of the city. Out here, one gets to see the cultural heritage the city 
has to offer. While investing in a property, the parking space is the main thought that lingers on in an investor's mind. With redevelopment, such issues can be handled. Public transportation is available 24X7 in this area. The residents of the area also have easy accessibility to restaurants, offices, shopping destinations, renowned educational institutes and so forth." 
CLUSTER HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT: NEED OF TIME 
    Fast growing and globally relevant Pune, though bright and new, is still at heart a traditional and culturally wellrooted city. This is the reason development and multidimensional growth have not been able to tarnish the popularity of the Peshwai Capital's central areas. The citizens are still attached to the main city, especially Peth areas. Highly prosperous under the Peshwa regime, these peth and gaothan areas are now seen redefining their identities without losing their cultural ethos. 
    A major problem, as discussed, in these areas is the lack of parking facilities. Almost all major roads are like small lanes. Since none of the old buildings and 'Waadas' have enough space for parking, thinking of buying fourwheelers has become more of a space restraint than an affordability issue. When they are bought, they just eat up space on an already congested and narrow road. Due to P1 and P2 policies, citizens have to change the parking side on every alternate day. Needless to mention there is hardly any scope for guest's vehicles. Besides disturbing peace of mind, this issue has invited complications right from traffic chaos, accidents, damage to vehicle and property to civic administration. A solution recently implemented in Mumbai where the government grants additional FSI to the developer against the parking spaceavailed may be most beneficial for Pune. Punekars will be the most relieved if this policy could be adopted under our current redevelopment process. 
    The Pune city, mainly the peths and gaothan areas, now need to grow vertically in term of availing enough space for parking. If the government comes up with a policy of approving 50 meters height instead of existing 21 meters, not only the parking space could be maximised but major roads and lanes could be cleared up leading to improved traffic conditions. Almost all developed cities in the world have adopted vertical growth pattern in construction. This is now the ideal time to revisit the existing policy and make amendments for the better. Especially, cluster housing redevelopment projects should be encouraged wherein maximum solutions could be found for developing and implementing smart and futuristic planning. Owners and tenants of old structures and Wadas can collectively come forward to establish an excellent model of housing redevelopment. Doing so, these people can avail better, bigger and smarter, modern and low maintenance living spaces in addition to enjoying ample parking facilities. 
    Other than basic safety of dwelling and safe parking, the new generation of Wada and old buildings residents of the Peth and Gaothan areas are expecting stylish and modern homes suitable and comfortable for their new lifestyle. These areas are in prime locations hence redevelopment will provide the young generation with new stylish and modern homes. Everyone is attached emotionally to these houses as they are homes of their childhood, hence redevelopment will provide them with the benefit of staying at the same place but in a new stylish home with modern facilities, spaciousness and the most of all parking space. 
    Rohan Pawar, executive director, Pinnacle Group, says, "Pune has been growing horizontally and not vertically. On the outskirts, there is a constraint to construction with regards amenities being provided to the investors like parks and so on. It is the need of the hour to develop core parts of Pune, such as Peth areas so that the residents could enjoy all the amenities at their doorstep or at least in their vicinity. Cluster housing will help develop the area and one can enjoy the peace and tranquility the area has to offer. Redevelopment also helps a city or a town to prosper, he concludes" 
    (Compiled by Sonia Rodrigues)