Resume
Prakash M. Apte.
B.Arch. M.Tech. D.B.M. FIIA. FITP
Prakash M. Apte, born in 1939, graduated in Architecture from M.S. University of Vadodara and completed Masters Programme in Regional Planning in 1961 from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He studied Urban Design at Naples University, Italy in 1963. Later in 1974, he obtained a Diploma in Business Management from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi. He is a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Architects, the Institute of Town Planners, India and Eisenhower Exchange Fellow, USA 1988.
He had initial work experience in Architecture, housing and City Planning with Chandigarh Capital Project, Architect A.P. Kanvinde, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research and the Delhi Development Authority. He led a team- working with Ford Foundation Experts-to prepare a Development Plan for the 600 sq.km. Asansol region in West Bengal. In 1965, he led a project team, to design and build the new capital city - Gandhinagar - for Gujarat state on a 5400 hectare site, and designed Government housing clusters, the city centre, Governor’s residence, and River Front.
Joining the Housing & Urban Development Corporation of India - HUDCO - in 1972, as Chief (Projects) he formulated its Policies, project appraisal and monitoring systems, organised research, undertook consultancy, executed housing projects and by 1979 raised HUDCO’s lending to Rs.5000 m. for over 1000 projects to build more than 0.3 m. dwelling units. Since 1979 he has worked with private sector designing and executing low income housing and resettlement projects, commercial complexes and star hotels.
As a Senior Adviser to the Royal Government of Bhutan (2004) he prepared the Shelter Strategy for the Capital City, Thimphu. He participated in the drafting of the Housing Sector paper for the 8th five year plan of India, and has been a Consultant for World Bank funded Low Income Housing programme in Malaysia and in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. As an Expert with Tata Consultancy Services, he developed, a Project Evaluation System for Slum up gradation projects, real estate development potential for Karjat-Panvel rail link Mumbai mass transport system..
In Madhya Pradesh, working as an Expert with the Institute for Habitat and Environment on a project, ‘Review of planning standards for preparation of city and Area Development plans for different size cities in Madhya Pradesh’; he reviewed all state legislation related to Housing and Urban Development making specific suggestions for improvement, amendment and changes in the same. His work in this regard was highly appreciated by the visiting World Bank Mission. For the project ‘Development of a Municipal Management system’ for Thane Municipal Corporation, he critically assessed all legislation related to Urban Development Sector and suggested modifications required to make it more effective.
He planned and designed a ‘Rehabilitation and Resettlement Project’-‘Vivekanand nagar’ Township in India for the Gujarat Slum Improvement Board, to accommodate 3122 families staying in the slums of Ahmedabad. He worked on the World Bank aided project, ‘Integrated Sites and Services and Related Housing Programme for Malaysia’ as an Expert with Malaysia International Consultants. His working paper on ‘Building Materials and Construction Industry’ was greatly appreciated by the Government of Malaysia.
From 1999 as a consultant to the World Bank aided resettlement and rehabilitation project for Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) & Tsunami Emergency Rehabilitation Project at Chennai involving shifting of over 56000 slum dwellers families, he guided planning and architectural designing of apartments, conducted consultations with PAPs for all architectural & planning issues relating to resettlement, conducted periodic meetings to monitor progress of the projects, reporting regularly to the World Bank on the progress and assisting the Bank Mission during its visits and regularly supervised construction and implementation of the projects till the occupation of the apartments by the PAPs and guided preparation of maintenance manuals and user guidelines.
He has been a Consultant to HUDCO, Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), Centre for Development Studies & Activities, Pune and a Member of the Bombay Development Plan Advisory Committee and the Development Plan Committee for the Vasai-Virar Region. As a Consultant, he has prepared a manual of Housing guidelines for MHADA, detailing the entire process of housing development, prepared a Research Report on Land procurement for Housing in Maharashtra, reviewed and redesigned the development plans for Gandhinagar, Mumbai and Vasai-virar sub-region. He was responsible for identification of real estate projects for raising resources for the Transportation Plan for Kalyan Complex near Mumbai, Panvel-Karjat Rail link and for ‘Mass Rapid Transit System for Mumbai’.
He is on the Panel of Consultants for the Asian Development Bank and U.N. Centre for Human Settlements, Nairobi. He has been a Governor of the Delhi School of Planning & Architecture, and a Guest Faculty at Delhi School of Planning & Architecture, Indian Institute of Management, the Economic Development Institute’s Programme in India; Institute of Environmental Design and M.S. University, Vadodara. He has Chaired and addressed national and international seminars contributing papers on urban development, housing, education, city planning, and has been a jury for Architectural/Planning Competitions.
He has been a member of MHADA, Academic Committee of M.S. University, and the HURE Board of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). He won an Italian Government Scholarship for higher study in 1963 and the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1974. Vice-President of the Institute of Town Planners, India in 1976, he is a Founder Trustee of AVAS, a public charitable trust engaged in upgrading the quality of life in the slums in Bangalore. There he was involved in complete Rehabilitation and Resettlement of a slum in Bangalore from Income generation, health and nutrition to construction of housing for the inhabitants.
He has contributed over 45 papers on different aspects of urban planning and development at various national and international seminars, and conferences and has published articles in technical journals in India. His career graph appeared in the book “International Careers in Urban Planning” edited by Sarah Bowen and Christina Delius published by American Planning Association in 2001.
He was invited as the 1988 Eisenhower Fellow from India by the Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships Inc. U.S.A. in the field of Urban Management, the first Architect-Planner from India to be so invited. In 2004 he was invited by the Royal Government of Bhutan as a Senior Adviser for the Shelter Sector project for the Capital city Thimphu.. He is the author of the books “Building of Gandhinagar, New Capital of Gujarat”,“Urban Planning & Development: An Indian Perspective and “Urban Growth Strategies; Mumbai Lessons” .
Nominated for the "Padma Shri" award.