Most of us are so fed up with the traffic mess on roads, pending construction works in city and various other urban development issues, that these just end up as nothing more than an occasional discussion over coffee. But not anymore. The city is playing host to a new concept of Urban Cafes as a part of San-kranti, the ongoing nationwide student challenge initiated by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) along with Café Coffee Day.
These discussion sessions bring together young thinking heads, willing to address the urban issues in their respective cities.
“It is a platform that will bring 8 to 10 minds together to discuss city-focused urban challenges. Youngsters can just drop in and be a part of the discussion. The entries are on first-come-first-serve basis. The first one we had in Delhi last month, was held in Connaught Place where discussions revolved around pending construction works, parking problems, etc in CP. Discussions led to interesting responses. For instance, someone suggested that shuttle service could be the answer to the never-ending parking problem,” says a San-kranti spokesperson.
Sharing her experience of the first café discussion in the city, Ramya, a participant, tells us how it gave her a sense of empowerment. “It gives you a fair idea on how you can solve various issues in your city. This will be taken forward and implemented,” she says.
The upcoming sessions will feature discussions on topics like “Infrastructure and student life”, “Can Delhi be slum-free?” and “Safety for women in Delhi’s Metro”. Rohit Chawla, Hansraj College student, says, “It would be worth all the fuss if any of these discussions lead to concrete solutions. We all discuss these issues with each other everyday but there’s no common platform to express what we feel about urban development issues.”