[Urbanstudy] Reply to Curt Gambetta, Yashdeep Shrivasta and Sebastian

[ipsita sahu]

In reply to Curt Gambetta, Yashdeep Shrivasta and Sebastian.

Thank you all for your responses. The comments and suggestions have
been very interesting and I'll keep them in mind as I carry on with my
research. I apologize for my late reply but I had not been online for
a while since my first posting, and so had not seen your mails.

Yashdeep, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your article. Thanks for
sending it. In the light of what Curt Gambetta had to say about your
concluding remarks about malls 'robbing the city of diversity and
difference' and 'papering over differences', I would agree with you in
that these fortified premises are built for the elite classes and as
such do not cater to poorer classes and therefore are indifferent
towards the diversity in society. But as you said these are also
'divisive' in nature and by 'concentrating' the elite consumer classes
in special niche zones, such as the malls, the multiplexes-and one
specially takes notice of their political incorrectness for these are
'public spaces', they sharpen already existing differences by forming
homogeneous units for different classes through the dual process of
'concentration and segregation'. In this sense then they do not iron
out differences but etch it out and make it more 'visible' in the
urbanscape through its built environment. In the suburbia, real
estates perform a similar function as they build mini townships,
(Aquapolis, Sun City in Ghaziabad in the pipeline) which are like
'concentration camps' for the super elites. These fortified enclaves
are self-suffient, very exclusive and autonomous units- with their own
malls, golf courses, sports complexes, luxurious apartments etc. A
little less magnificent are the neighborhoods with cheaper apartments
and meant for the middle class. Hence 'clannish' settlements are
created which are distinct and distinguished through the lifestyles of
its inhabitants. The poor in this process are relegated to the
peripheries and alienated spatially, economically and psychologically.
In all these ways, suburbanisation in terms of its built environment
leads to social stratification.

In reply to Sebastian's queries, about malls devouring small
businesses/markets, it is true that this problem is also seen in the
Ghaziabad area, mall development has definitely affected the local
traders- the vendors, grocers, fruit sellers etc and also small
departmental stores. The hypermarkets in malls like the Big Bazaar and
Spencer offer a variety of items ranging from clothes, accessories,
food items, vegetables, fruits, cold meat, dairy products, and at
rates cheaper than the markets outside. Consumers definitely prefer to
buy it all from one place at cheaper prices and in a comfortable
environment.  As for small businesses/ markets, in a situation where
there is a lot of competition and supply has far exceeded demand,
these large multi-formats seem to be gobbling up fast the smaller
centres. For instance mini malls and shopping complexes are not
surviving. Similarly the mall and multiplex combo has become so
popular and convenient that a format that lacks this combo does not
survive.