PANAJI
Speaking during a symposium on housing as part of the centenary year celebrations, of the Indian Institute of Architects Prabhugaonkar said that a Goa Housing
Policy was the need to the hour to protect Goa’s culture and identity.
“We as today’s professionals have reached crossroads wherein we need to ask ourselves about the pros and cons of current typologies and planning strategies for
housing in Goa,” Prabhugaonkar said.
“The planning methodologies for Goa as regards to housing needs a holistic approach, findings through such interventions should be taken up by the newly formed government that would enable Goa to draft and formulate the Goa Housing Policy. We need a policy that comes from architectural character of the place along with socio cultural aspects related to our settlement patterns rather than dictated by demand and
supply requirements of the building industry,” Prabhugaonkar said.
During the seminar different building typologies in Goa were reviewed and analysed such as settlement patterns along urban streetscapes, heritage precincts, gated communities, housing for urban poor as part of affordable social housing needs, traditional Gan village hamlets both along coastal and hinterlands areas which have contributed in a long way in influencing our architecture and growth pattern trends in Goa.
He also raised a question of inconsistent housing patterns with regard to shape and form as well as the fact that architecture in Goa is completely at the mercy of market forces.
“Have we looked at our existing stock of housing or do we blindly let market forces dictate this developments? Are the needy getting the shelter or a sweet home in their own land or its is just the second home concept or surplus fund that is invested in housing and land uses?
“What kind of planning approach is in store? Is it the mixed land use within a neighbourhood or a gated community that opens a debate for socio-cultural divide between communities vis-a-vis the traditional hamlets that existed in Goa’s private and public sector including Goa housing boards and comunidades?” he asked.
