Delhi, the National Capital of India, is a nerve center for town planning ideas and activities. The successes and failures of its urban development implications. However, before assessing the end results, it is necessary to understand the complexity of urban development, which is an amalgam of political, historical, social and economic forces. Delhi provides an excellent case study in this respect. Delhi stands at a point in history where it can either take the road to a mean and squalid future, or, it, imaginatively handled to the status of a great metropolis. Highlighting the sense of impending crisis, it provides a tour de force of historical Delhis. Starting with the national scenarios and urban policy, the book, traces the historical and political evolution of Delhi, recreating the nostalgia when it used to be the most graceful and glorious city of the Orient. The issues of concern stretch over a wide spectrum: from policy planning to case studies. The papers cover the aspects of vital importance: upgradation of the core city, environmental and ecological conservation, informal settlements and housing. The subject of housing policy and shelter have been analysed with a fresh approach. Apart from assessing the current crisis, the routes it could and should take have been identified. The essays are not just academic and problem oriented but provide glimpses of the alternatives, showing what could be done to tackle the real life problems. The analysis and ideas converge in the Papankala Project, a sub-city being planned in Delhi. The town planning practice in India has been critically reviewed in conclusion. The publication offers a panorama of town planning and urban development practice, which should be of interest to any body working in these fields in the Third World.
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