331 / 2019-02-24 17:38:16

Data Protection Law and City Planning: Role of open data in climate resilience and governance of National Capital Territory of Delhi, India

Right to Privacy,climate change,spatial database,geographic information systems (GIS),Empirical,Spatiotemporal variations

全体主题 > Urban Planning & Modeling

A nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India in its 547-page judgement ruled the Right to Privacy as a Fundamental Right. This landmark judgement also affects India’s first data protection law, and coincides with a time when planning profession has come to the forefront through India’s schemes and missions of smart city development, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), to name a few. It is the most opportune time for planners to voice their concerns over data availability and coverage- an important factor that guides decision making and public policies.
In planning profession, every step of the planning process is guided by data- either in the form of primary data or secondary data, collected by various institutions and agencies, but rarely shared in the public forum. Each project allocates a significant portion of project timeline for data collection- from offices on persistent perusal or collected personally through surveys, interviews, visual perspectives, and other such methods. The cost associated with such efforts of data collection, in terms of money and time, is often large. and becomes an issue when the data that is collected becomes redundant by the time city diagnostics and policy frameworks are developed for these dynamic cities. However, the costs and challenges can be drastically reduced if the data is open.
Not only would the data availability help cut down costs of procurement, but also better utilize time frame a team devotes to non-data collection exercises including conceptualization of problem, analytical framework, research, modelling, formulation of strategies, and testing of strategies.
What data? How much of the data and for whom the data would be available? - are thus some serious questions that need to be answered to before notifying any legislature- from a planning perspective.
Cities like New York, Copenhagen, Amsterdam- are pioneer exhibits of incorporating the benefits of open data in planning practice. A plethora of data is available free of cost, from the national or state or local governments on their respective online portals, which public policy makers and planners alike are using to their benefit. Several studies on socio-economic parameters, climate change, spatial dimensions, temporal variations are being conducted at a much efficient rate and better credibility.
The chapter highlights a case example whereby the role of open data in climate resilient development for Delhi is worked out. The example indicates use of open data, available on the geoportal of international agencies, national agencies and local government, in conducting the spatial-temporal analysis of spatial development, climate change environmental degradation, for three decades within a time span of 5 months. The study is grounded in remote sensing based on Landsat imageries made available from the online portal of United States Geological Survey (USGS) and digital elevation model available from the USGS as well as national geo-portal called Bhuvan. The models built from these aerial imageries is empirically analyzed in a correlation model supported by data inputs through national, state and local government data available on various government portals of Delhi, including Geospatial Delhi Limited.
With over 70 per cent analysis and modelling work based on open data, the research was further supported by statistics collected and published by government bodies but not available online, including economic and statistical handbooks, as well as stakeholder consultations. The latter was conducted to assess risks to climate vulnerable population. The crux of the research highlighted in the chapter is to emphasize on the importance of open data for urban planners and administrators of India in ever-changing dynamics of the city and its region.