Flea markets often exist or voluntarily spring up amidst communities, and then the State recognises them in its planning and administrative activities.
They are transient in nature; when the sellers depart, the spaces revert to their original use.
Any formal allotment process is likely to legitimise territorial rights and enhance presumption of ownership.
Locations for unprompted, people-generated activities cannot be determined by administrative convenience, just as fun and spontaneity cannot be mandated.
Any changed use, that too one that involves gathering of people, requires infrastructure and services planning and provision.
Citizens must be made aware of the purpose of change and residents of the area informed about the advantages and disadvantages, and steps taken to mitigate the disadvantages.
Markets and recreational parks are not compatible activities. The hustle and bustle of a market will destroy the quality of parks.
Parking, public transport, toilets, garbage, goods movement, water, noise, fire, security, lighting, structures, pedestrian comfort and safety, destruction of plants and greenery, hard landscaping, structures, policing, access, and so on, are all critical issues in planning and introduction of ‘flea markets’ in developed neighbourhoods.
Equally important is context and location-specificity, which will reveal the real or imagined need for a flea market. Stakeholder participation will be key.
In this case of imposing a flea market for branded and expensive goods in public parks and playgrounds, the stakes are especially high for residents, especially the elderly and children, who are going to be impacted in their daily activities and routine by this changed use.
Why the haste?One does not know the reason for haste behind the Chennai Corporation’s proposal. Even more unclear is whether it has looked at the non-financial fallout of the proposal and has mitigation measures in place.
Terming it a flea market and calling it fun and promising affordable goods seem merely to obfuscate what appear to be the real and hidden intent of this proposal — cheap venues across the city for branded and expensive goods to benefit large traders and importers (who otherwise have to rent space in shops and malls), cheaper non-essential goods for the rich and upper-middle class and another avenue for the Corporation to augment its revenue.
Parks and playgrounds and indeed open spaces are often the most vulnerable common spaces, and those Chennai’s administrators have often sought to grab to address issues of bad policies and planning.
We are all aware of numerous instances where parks have been converted into parking areas.
We have seen the destruction of Buckingham Canal for the underutilised MRTS. This current proposal falls squarely in that category.
This will also be yet another instance of non-equitable and environmentally unsound planning.
Having lost our beaches to trade and commerce, we now wish to destroy the new parks created by the Corporation — its only success in recent years.
