Placemaking in cities is a collaborative process—comprising people, governments, and designers—to re-imagine public spaces. Strengthening the connection between people and the spaces they share, forms the heart of Placemaking - objective, to promote community wellbeing.
As India urbanizes rapidly, we are witnessing shrinking public spaces in cities. While the streets are overcrowded, parks and open spaces are fast disappearing, water bodies depleting and there is encroachment of open spaces. Re-imagining public spaces in Indian cities needs to be brought to the forefront of the city planning and design process. Since ancient times, Indian public spaces like market-streets, food streets, baghs, chowks, plazas, and ghats have been critical for the formation and sustenance of communities.
Public spaces define the image of the city and the quality of life for its residents. There is an urgent need to focus on the socio-economic, cultural and environmental values of public spaces that can be leveraged to build sustainable and resilient urban development.
In recognition of the above, NIUA, with the support of Oasis Designs, has brought out an ebook, Transforming Urban Landscape in India: A Compendium of 75 Public Spaces. It was unveiled by Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister - Housing and Urban Affairs, India on 6 June 2022.
About the book
As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the book celebrates the transformational efforts of cities in creating such spaces, and demonstrates India’s journey in the last few years to transform public spaces in cities. It is a first of its kind book that documents 75 exemplary Indian public spaces categorized under the seven core categories: Waterfronts, Streetscape, Plazas + Markets, Transit Nodes, Urban Landscape, Adaptive reuse, and Tactical Urbanism.
The projects represent connected open space network, linear corridors, inclusive streetscape design, and urban waterfronts, all of which contribute to making the city more accessible, fun and enjoyable. Streets, parks and the public open space in the cities also combat the climate- change challenges and help mitigate the impact of stormwater flooding, the urban heat island effect, and vehicular pollution. Climate sensitive, resilient, people-oriented vibrant open spaces help in incorporating quality of life for all and define the image of the city.
The projects included in this book showcase the role that safe, vibrant and inclusive public spaces play in reimagining urban landscape and bring together communities to enjoy the public realm and their unique cultural heritage. We hope they act as catalysts for contributing to improved mobility, enhanced walkability, urban renewal and multi-modal integration in cities.
These projects have been incredibly successful in repurposing derelict open spaces, urban regeneration, waterfront urbanism, people-friendly street design and making people feel connected with the public realm. These examples will help facilitate peer-to-peer learning, inspire architects, planners and other states and cities to take up similar projects in their jurisdictions and build exemplary public spaces in India.
It is dedicated to the cities, which have been instrumental in India’s urban transformation through mainstreaming people-centric planning and design.
The e-book can be downloaded by clicking: https://niua.in/intranet/sites/default/files/2349.pdf
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