ABSTRACT
Received wisdom holds that post-independence planning policy and practice turned its back on India’s past. The adoption of the comprehensive planning model for the building of new towns such as Chandigarh and the pursuit of outward-oriented development in existing cities such as Delhi epitomized both a rejection of provincial sentimentalism about the history and heritage of urban India and the use of state power to translate Nehru’s modern vision on the ground. 1 Overall, the approach was in line with the ideology of the ruling elites, who envisioned India’s future in the image of liberal democracies such as those found in Western Europe and North America. They posited development as the index by which efforts toward modernization were to be measured, and the State’s primary task. 2 Thus, even when paying lip service to the historical narratives and regional identities for nationalistic causes, such as those evident in the colorful tableaux of Delhi’s Republic Day parade and the state pavilions of Pragati Maidan, permanent exhibition grounds showcasing national progress, Indian planners faced forward and not backward. 3 So, how did planners make urban plans in places beyond the familiar Chandigarh and Delhi? What role did the neighborhood unit concept play in these efforts?
