AI in an Urban Village in Delhi

Abstract

Delhi is characterized by several ‘urban village’ settlements which exhibit unplanned and haphazard urbanization. These settlements have flourished in the city due to demand for low cost housing, private real estate greed for profits and institutional negligence of administrative authorities. Lack of affordable housing and mushrooming of unauthorized constructions combined with mixed land use has scraped the urban landscape with such dried out and wilted village areas as islands. These settlements are witness to rampant violations of safety measures such as Floor Space Index, building bye laws and regulations, social infrastructure and adequate public spaces. The exposure to hazards is further escalated due to increasing population density vis a vis the carrying capacity of the land. The demand for urban services has increased disproportionately in comparison to the capacity of the institutions responsible for providing these services. Further, the intersection of national, state and local jurisdiction in the city has resulted in several complexities and challenges in urban governance. In such a scenario of increasing vulnerabilities and inadequate institutional capacities, technology holds the promise to bridge some crucial gaps in governance. However, technology in itself is a double-edged sword and so, participation of community becomes crucial for transparency and accountability. The present research focuses on the use of Artificial Intelligence in building community integration and social resilience through a more appropriate and participatory vulnerability mapping.