VIEW FROM WITHIN WIDER, DEEPER

India’s population is all set to reach the world’s highest in another few months. Cities are getting denser with each passing day and with an expanding urban envelope

- Geeta Wahi Dua

More areas are coming under cities, demanding new infrastructure, design, planning, and management of urban land uses and services. In this context, an example of the capital city of Delhi may be quoted, which is undergoing massive construction and infrastructure development in the last few years. New institutional and cultural buildings, revamped ceremonial vista and surroundings, streetscapes, historic precincts, spruced up sub-ways, public parks, afforestation drives, design of parts of the river front as public parks, series of biodiversity parks and address of sanitary landfill sites are some of the main activities being carried out.

With the Government authorities gradually realizing the importance of the landscape architecture discipline [due to the legacy of the landscape practice, both in the private and public realm, more aware and conscious patrons with the now global exposure of designed spaces and an expanding work base across the country ] for envisioning ideas for streets, roads, historic gardens, public parks, the planning and design of open areas in the cities are now being looked at with informed sensibilities with an active role of landscape architects. One of the important deliberations in various conversations of urban development amongst government authorities, the building industry, the construction sector, and the professional fraternity of other space designers has been to continue to acknowledge the role of space design professionals in envisioning the new image of the city. Hence, many landscape professionals are contributing valuably to these projects.