Resources for green infrastructure development and maintenance: a study with particular reference to gated communities in the Bangalore metropolitan area

The objective of this study is to identify resources for the developmentand maintenance of green infrastructure in the privately developedgated communities. The study is primarily with a view to obtainingan environmental planning strategy and guidelines for creation andconservation of green infrastructure in the gated communities. Thispaper explores the resources for green infrastructure developmentand maintenance in selected gated communities in the BangaloreMetropolitan Area

Augmentation of the urban green infrastructure using stormwater surface runoff as a resource in the NICE expressway, Karnataka, India

Urban areas, characterized by impervious surfaces, produce storm water runoff which during unexpected heavy rainfall exceeds the carrying capacity of the storm water drainage system causing urban flooding. Transport expressways are massive hard-scaped surfaces generating large amounts of polluted surface run-off during the rains. In the case of the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) Expressway at Bengaluru, India, which is also a tolled road, the demonstration is about using the surface run-off or stormwater as a resource for developing urban green infrastructure complementing the transport grey infrastructure. The functions of urban green infrastructure include air quality improvement, microclimate modification, storm water management, biodiversity, recreational opportunities and visual aesthetics. Here we show, that the surface runoff or stormwater is effectively channelled to the areas around, to mark the beginning of a well-planned and executed drainage system, maintenance-free landscape and technically a sound, urban green infrastructure in the form of site-specific models of Rain Gardens. The same models can be used in other transport expressways as they are the indicators of economic growth and connectivity although would require to be customized as per the city and its climatic conditions. This paper explores three different scenarios with a typical model of development of green infrastructure along the transport expressway tailormade for each of the situations. While in the first and the second models, the Central Rain Garden and the Edge Rain Garden have been respectively proposed, the third model explores a comparatively complex scenario in the form of an Intersection Rain Garden

Energizing the Future with Memories of the Past: The Wadas of Pune City

Pune, described as the Queen of the Deccan, [1] is located in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is a historic city associated with the Maratha Empire and seat of the Peshwa power. During the Colonial Period it was a British cantonment. Contemporary Pune city is considered as the cultural capital of Maharashtra and is also referred to as the Oxford of the East due to the presence of several well-known educational institutions. The old city of Pune is constituted by the seventeen Peths or localities. The wadas are a characteristic built-form that evolved during the Maratha Period. They were the residences not only of the Peshwas but also those connected with the administrative system of the times and are the manifestations of the culture of the period. They vary considerably in size and form. They have a characteristic spatial organization harmonizing form and space with distinct architectural features. They were once the seat of power, intrigue and grandeur. Now, they are the surviving witnesses of battle plans and palace intrigues at the height of glory of the Maratha Empire. After more than three hundred and fifty years the wadas themselves are waging a final battle for survival considering the apathy towards their woes and issues from both the civic body as well as their private owners. The objective of the paper is to explore the possibility of developing selected wadas as nodes in developing Pune city’s culture infrastructure as well as heritage showcase. It seeks site specific solutions of ‘Energizing the Future with the Memories of the Past’ in Pune city

Resources for green infrastructure development and maintenance: a study with particular reference to gated communities in the Bangalore metropolitan area

The objective of this study is to identify resources for the developmentand maintenance of green infrastructure in the privately developedgated communities. The study is primarily with a view to obtainingan environmental planning strategy and guidelines for creation andconservation of green infrastructure in the gated communities. Thispaper explores the resources for green infrastructure developmentand maintenance in selected gated communities in the BangaloreMetropolitan Area