BBC declares Chandigarh as the perfect city in the world

[Hello It's me]

Chandigarh, India’s most prosperous and greenest city, was born of dreams at the time of one of the country’s worst nightmares. In 1947, India gained its independence from Britain. As part of this process, the country was divided in two and some 14 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were displaced. Ethnic tensions and rivalries led to up to around a million (estimates vary) brutal murders.

In the Punjab region, the dividing line between the two states meant that the old capital, Lahore, was now a part of Pakistan. In 1949, Chandigarh was decreed. Not only would this be the capital of Indian Punjab, but it would be the very model of a modern city promising peace, democracy and a new social order free of bitter divisions.

But, what would a modern Indian regional capital be like? Who would plan it? At the time, the United States was the world’s most overtly modern democratic country, so Indian politicians and bureaucrats looked there for expertise. The New York planner Albert Mayer, already advising Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, came up with a scheme for the new city in the foothills of the Himalayas that fused Modern Movement and Garden City ideals

In 1950 however, Mayer’s talented principal assistant Matthew Nowicki was killed in an air crash, at the same time as the value of the US dollar was rapidly rising. Nehru and his advisors began to look elsewhere. An Indian delegation went to see Le Corbusier, the renowned Swiss-French architect, in his Paris atelier. Corbusier had long dreamed of creating an ideal city, and although initially unsure, agreed to take on the planning of Chandigarh along with the design of its principal buildings.
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Of all the world’s ideal cities, Chandigarh has done remarkably well, offering striking monumental architecture, a grid of self-contained neighbourhoods, more trees than perhaps any Indian city and a way of life that juggles tradition with modernity. While history tells us ideal cities are mostly best left on paper, Chandigarh – perhaps one of the least likely – appears to have succeeded against the grain.

Read the complete report here: BBC - Culture - Is this the perfect city?

 

[Gibbs]

It does'nt say it's the most perfect city in the world, That thread title is misleading.. What it says is it's the best India has to offer, If the criteria is a green modern city planned in the post independence 40's and maintained it's glory Islamabad wins hands down as far as it goes in the Subcontinent

Having been to both cities can surely attest to that

 

[Hello It's me]

It does'nt say it's the most perfect city in the world, That thread title is misleading.. What it says is it's the best India has to offer, If the criteria is a green modern city planned in the post independence 40's and maintained it's glory Islamabad wins hands down as far as it goes in the Subcontinent

Having been to both cities can surely attest to that

You need to read the report again. It doesn't say it is the best India has to offer (please tell me the line where it is written), it says it's perfect in certain technical aspects that have been clearly mentioned in the article. Read this last paragraph:

Of all the world’s ideal cities, Chandigarh has done remarkably well, offering striking monumental architecture, a grid of self-contained neighbourhoods, more trees than perhaps any Indian city and a way of life that juggles tradition with modernity. While history tells us ideal cities are mostly best left on paper, Chandigarh – perhaps one of the least likely – appears to have succeeded against the grain.

Obviously, BBC report is more credible than 'you-been-to-both-the-cities'

And this thread is not about Islamabad, don't start a flamewar by comparing both the cities. If you want to cry, cry in front of BBC office.

 

[EternalJives]

It does'nt say it's the most perfect city in the world, That thread title is misleading.. What it says is it's the best India has to offer,

While the article doesn't cite Chandigarh to be the perfect city in the world, it also doesn't just say that Chandigarh is the best India has to offer. The article is clearly trying to compare some of the famous cities planned, designed and built from scratch across the world and opines that Chandigarh is arguably one of the better success stories. I agree, however, that the list should have included Islamabad too and who knows, it might have trumped Chandigarh,

 

[supereffect]

Chandigarh, India’s most prosperous and greenest city, was born of dreams at the time of one of the country’s worst nightmares. In 1947, India gained its independence from Britain. As part of this process, the country was divided in two and some 14 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were displaced. Ethnic tensions and rivalries led to up to around a million (estimates vary) brutal murders.

In the Punjab region, the dividing line between the two states meant that the old capital, Lahore, was now a part of Pakistan. In 1949, Chandigarh was decreed. Not only would this be the capital of Indian Punjab, but it would be the very model of a modern city promising peace, democracy and a new social order free of bitter divisions.

But, what would a modern Indian regional capital be like? Who would plan it? At the time, the United States was the world’s most overtly modern democratic country, so Indian politicians and bureaucrats looked there for expertise. The New York planner Albert Mayer, already advising Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, came up with a scheme for the new city in the foothills of the Himalayas that fused Modern Movement and Garden City ideals

In 1950 however, Mayer’s talented principal assistant Matthew Nowicki was killed in an air crash, at the same time as the value of the US dollar was rapidly rising. Nehru and his advisors began to look elsewhere. An Indian delegation went to see Le Corbusier, the renowned Swiss-French architect, in his Paris atelier. Corbusier had long dreamed of creating an ideal city, and although initially unsure, agreed to take on the planning of Chandigarh along with the design of its principal buildings.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Of all the world’s ideal cities, Chandigarh has done remarkably well, offering striking monumental architecture, a grid of self-contained neighbourhoods, more trees than perhaps any Indian city and a way of life that juggles tradition with modernity. While history tells us ideal cities are mostly best left on paper, Chandigarh – perhaps one of the least likely – appears to have succeeded against the grain.

Read the complete report here: BBC - Culture - Is this the perfect city?

chd is heaven....i love CHD..low polulation..nice ROADS...Everything is awsome

 

[Donatello]

Le Corbusier

The same BBC that is labelled 'imperialist and racist' by Indians, is now the gold standard.

Retarded Indians. Nothing unusual there.

 

[Gibbs]

You need to read the report again. It doesn't say it is the best India has to offer (please tell me the line where it is written), it says it's perfect in certain technical aspects that have been clearly mentioned in the article. Read this last paragraph:

Of all the world’s ideal cities, Chandigarh has done remarkably well, offering striking monumental architecture, a grid of self-contained neighbourhoods, more trees than perhaps any Indian city and a way of life that juggles tradition with modernity. While history tells us ideal cities are mostly best left on paper, Chandigarh – perhaps one of the least likely – appears to have succeeded against the grain.

Obviously, BBC report is more credible than 'you-been-to-both-the-cities'

And this thread is not about Islamabad, don't start a flamewar by comparing both the cities. If you want to cry, cry in front of BBC office.

Again nowhere does it mention that Chandigarh, is the perfect city in the world,

But in the opinion of the writer (Every individual has a bias) the one that most succeeded in maintaining the ideals of a post war planned city

As an individual who has first hand experience visiting both i'd stand by my view on Islamabad a contemporary of Chandigarh

The only flame war that could ignite is from misleading thread titles, Especially when forum rules are clear on tampering with articles posted @waz

While the article doesn't cite Chandigarh to be the perfect city in the world, it also doesn't just say that Chandigarh is the best India has to offer. The article is clearly trying to compare some of the famous cities planned, designed and built from scratch across the world and opines that Chandigarh is arguably one of the better success stories. I agree, however, that the list should have included Islamabad too and who knows, it might have trumped Chandigarh,

I'd say Chandigarh is indeed the best planned city in India without a doubt so in that context it is the best India has to offer, It is indeed a lovely city

Yes my crux was with the misleading title not so much the context of the article

 

[PoKeMon]

The same BBC that is labelled 'imperialist and racist' by Indians, is now the gold standard.

Retarded Indians. Nothing unusual there.

Another retard post from you, nothing sensible.

Nothing unusual there as well.

 

[Levina]

Little hard to believe that Chd is a perfect city.

The same BBC that is labelled 'imperialist and racist' by Indians, is now the gold standard.

Retarded Indians. Nothing unusual there.

Sullying a nationality is against the forum rules.

 

[The BrOkEn HeArT]

I love this city. It is like a perfect home to me.

 

[zebra7]

What happens to Greater Noida or Navi Mumbai

 

[jamahir]

while chandigarh is a well-planned city ( from what i hear ) contrasting greatly with most other indian urban habitations, calling it "perfect city in the world" is a subjective issue... i have my own criteria of what a ideal city is.

and of late, chandigarh has developed a serious safety issue that is a legacy of actions of the 1998-2004 bjp government at the center - the dog menace, that now threatens every part of india.

from [1]...

A six-year-old girl, who was bitten by a rabid dog here has died, prompting city Mayor Poonam Sharma to seek help from the Centre before more lives are lost due to the stray dog menace.

Sadia, who was brutally attacked by the dog in Manimajra here on March 25, died of rabies last night at the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, PGIMER spokesperson, Manju Wadwalkar said today.

The dog, who had died later after attacking 13 persons in Manimajra about three weeks back, had bitten Sadia on her lips after which she was rushed to PGIMER, she said.

from [2]...

The menace of stray dogs has been on the rise in Chandigarh, with nearly 500 dog bite cases being reported from the city each month and the municipal authorities battling to find a solution to the problem.

Earlier this week, 13 persons, most of them children, were bitten by a dog in Mani Majra town here, an attack similar to the one witnessed in Sector 20 here last year, in which a stray dog had bitten 20 persons.

The children who were bitten were mostly in the age-group of 5-8 years. One of the victims was bitten by the dog on her lips and the child had to be later admitted to PGIMER here.

Another girl's hair was torn and she sustained injuries on her head and other parts of the body in the attack by the dog, who later died and was found to be rabid.

Officials said that nearly 500 dog bite cases are reported from the city each month, with over 13,000 persons falling victim in the past two years.

During the past months, there has been a sudden rise in the number of dog bite cases, with over 600 cases being reported in January alone this year.

The residents of the city, especially in southern and the central sectors, have complained that stray dogs can be found roaming around in every neighbourhood and have also occupied parks and gardens, making it difficult for the general public and children to use the green spaces for their daily walks and playing purposes.

"I fear sending out my children to play outside. The parks, including the Animal Park near my home, are filled with stray dogs and we cannot allow the children to go out without adult supervision," Arun Kumar, a resident of sector 49-D here, said.

He blamed the Municipal Corporation officials' "lackadaisical approach, causing the problem to go out of control now".

other than direct human safety issue, existence of dogs in society leads to increase in crime and disharmony via people adopting the habits and attitude of the dog.

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[1] Stray dog menace: Chandigarh to seek help from Centre | Business Standard News

[2] Stray dog menace in Chandigarh: 500 dog bite cases each month | Business Standard News