Midweek Musings 20, 22.04.2026

 

Designated areas for markets, shopping centres, Malls, buying and selling consumables and commerce


 

By Malini Shankar

Digital Discourse Foundation

By all accounts planning is critical for Smart City Governance. Planning provides for spaces to be designated for Central Business District – including shopping malls, markets, artisanal wares, perishables like milk, fish, vegetables, fruits, green leafy vegetables, educational and research institutions health care infrastructure and so on. Areas can then be centrally air-conditioned complementing essential, minimalist planned architectural provisions for natural air circulation, cross ventilation etc.

In another designated area we can have wired back end server space, bandwidth for telecom products, electronic technology. Sensitive electronic wares also need air-conditioning – but it has to be climate change adapted and must sequester Carbon with a Green footprint.

Furniture focussed outlets in another sprawling arena without air conditioning. /Built up areas must complement green belt correspondingly.

Educational institutes research establishments R & D Labs etc must function out of designated areas, commensurate with green footprint.

Auxiliary infrastructure like supply chains, roads, EV powered vehicles for supply chains, EV charging stations, food outlets, with options for health food trucks, toilets should be planned with farsight.

Toilets must be inclusive -for gender minorities, Flushing public toilets must be fed with recycled grey water so as not to waste fresh water. Primary water usage in toilets have to be fresh water though. Automatic cleansing of toilet seat rims have to be installed in the interest of public hygiene.

Renewable energy should be part of the supply chain in the public domain… street lights, power supply for all public infrastructure including schools, universities, hospitals, vet care infra, and so on… infrastructure development, - it is mandatary – has to be ecologically viable and eco-friendly. No compromise here. Otherwise we have to revisit Silkyara Tunnel rescue to learn lessons!

Central Business Districts have a tendency to literally outgrow, given how easily trade n commerce expands to cater to fancy unwanted needs…  So extra space must be factored in for buffers, buffers not just for expansion but for green lung spaces to sequester Carbon footprint.

Commerce designated areas, markets and malls have to be planned and Climate friendly, no compromise.

Can we please have shopping centres instead of windowless concrete behemoths called Malls?

Why do architects want to conceive of buildings deprived of natural air light and ventilation? I don’t understand.

In my opinion a hygienically maintained market place should suffice for trade in perishables. But the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai has created air conditioned fish landing centres with plush flushing toilets for the fisher community, based on gender IDs… MSSRF has provided menstrual hygiene products and other products relevant to reproductive health like condoms etc in these upscale toilets for

Emergency response stations, logistics supply for first responders, Climate Adapted infrastructure  is necessary …(no windowless structures like temporary shelters or soup kitchens, must all be factored in, commensurate with Climate Change Adaptation.

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