The Paper Promises of Digitization: Digitizing Spatial Information for Planning in the Chennai Metropolis

Bhuvaneswari Raman (1) , Eric Denis (2)

1 CSSSS - Centre for the Study of Science, Society and Sustainability
2 IFP - Institut Français de Pondichéry

Initiatives for implementing geospatial information databases are being implemented across Indian cities. This essay explores one such initiative implemented by a metropolitan planning agency, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) in a South Indian metropolis. It shows that, contrary to the promises of digital databases as a toolfor improving information sharing to aid in decision-making and further citizen participation, the state agencies tend to use them primarily for surveillance and storage.

Mots clés: India; Chennai; GIS; Spatial knowledge; Urban planning

Domaines: Géographie

Bhuvaneswari Raman, Eric Denis. The Paper Promises of Digitization: Digitizing Spatial Information for Planning in the Chennai Metropolis. Critical Planning, 2013, 01/2013 (20), pp.91-95. ⟨halshs-01061298⟩