Sustainability and the City - Center for Urban Green Spaces

URBAwww.cugs.in Center for Urban Green SpacesVol. 1 | No. 2 July 2013Urban BiodiversitySustainability and the CityCenter for Urban Greens Spaces

Vol. 1 | No. 2 July 2013Editor-in-ChiefManoj DabasEditorial Advisory CommitteeDr. S NateshDr. Barin GanguliDr. Shashi KantMr. Vinay LuthraDr. Deep PandeyDr. Ms. Noor Azlin YahyaDr. Wang ChengDr. Fook Yee WongEditorial TeamShubhra DabasAsha AntilUtkantha SrivastavaPre-production / DTPPramod JhaRahul NautiyalOpinionsOpinions expressed in urbanaturedo not necessarily reflect the opinionof CUGS or other organizationsassociated with publication ofurbaNature.Comments & SuggestionsPlease send your suggestions and feedbackto urbanature@cugs.inProduced and Circulated byAFE Consultants Private LimitedAravali House431/D-22, Chhatarpur HillsNew Delhi-110074, IndiaPublished and Printed byAbhinav Chaudhary on behalf ofCenter for Urban Green Spaces fromAravali House431/D-22, Chhatarpur HillsNew Delhi-110074Printed atMontoo PressNarayana Indsutrial AreaNew DelhiFrom the Editor’s DeskWhether it is geology, climate, hydrologyor diversity of life, cities are an integralpart of the natural environment, no matterwhich part of the planet they come up toexist on. The health of the intermeshedand surrounding ecosystems and thebiological diversity that these ecosystemsbehold are critical for resilience of cities asfunctioning entities. As urban expansionbecomes the norm, are we caring enough for the natural environmentand diversity of life within our cities seriously? Perhaps the answer isnot as encouraging as one would have liked it to be! Urban Biodiversityand resilience of our cities go hand in hand as Neeraj Khera explainsin our cover story.Many cities in South Asia have gone about pursuing urban greeninginitiatives in a mission mode trying to rope all sections of the society inas many stakeholder groups. Kuala lumpur in Malaysia stands out in thiscontext. Noor Azlin Yahya describes what political foresight, executiveresolve and citizen awareness can do when it comes to developing a citywhere nature seamlessly blends with the built environment.As cities expand in the Indian sub-continent developing urbaninfrastructure has emerged as a prime concern and, more often that not,a bottleneck. While investments in utilities and connectivity are wellunderstood, Ian Mell highlights the importance of Green Infrastructure(GI) at various scales, from city scale to street scale that make a cityfunction more efficiently and cohesively. Going down the same trail,Deep Pandey and his colleagues review the role that greenery can playin ameliorating built environments using the building of RajasthanPollution Control Board as a case study.When it comes to pursuing urban greening, few cities match the gustothat Delhi brings to the table. We spoke to G N Sinha, the head ofDelhi’s Forest and Wildlife Department, on what needs to be done tokeep Delhi at its current ranking amongst green cities of the world.And finally, Chhaya Dabas takes a look at origin and evolution of TheMaidan, the vast green space that defines Kolkata, a city that traces itsorigins to the onset of the British presence in the Indian subcontinent.Maidans are one of the prominent reasons that make Kolkatas ofthe world worth fighting for. Isn’t it? Please do write back with yourcomments and suggestions.MANOJ DABASJuly 20133

COVER STORYNeeraj KheraUrban BiodiversityFor a resilient urban futureIn fast expanding urban areas, pollution and waste management pose a serious threat tothe health and overall quality of life of citizens. Predicted impacts of climate change anddisasters only escalate the problem, especially in coastal megacities and hill stations. Urbanbiodiversity contributes to provisioning of ecosystems services leading to amelioration ofurban microclimate, mitigation of the impact of disasters, public health, and enhancementof the overall quality of life of citizens.Relationship of humanbeings with the physicalenvironment has manydimensions and facets. Thisrelationship manifests itself in theform of life-supporting EcosystemServices that we derive from the stableand intact ecosystems. Ecosystemservices are the benefits thatpeople obtain from the ecosystems,including provisioning (timber,fodder, food, fuelwood, medicinalplants etc), regulating (air qualitymaintenance, climate regulation,carbon sequestration, regulation ofhuman diseases, pest and diseasecontrol, water purification, naturalhazard and disaster risk reduction,climate amelioration, pollinationetc), cultural (spiritual and educationservices, aesthetic value etc), andsupporting services (water cycling,provisioning of habitat, productionof atmospheric oxygen etc). Theselife-supporting ecological servicescan be ensured on a sustainable basisonly if the ecosystems are stable andresilient.So, what determines the stability andoverall health of the ecosystems?Its the variety and variabilityamong living organisms thatprovides stability and resilience tothe ecosystems. Biodiversity, thebackbone of ecosystems, is thevariability among living organismsfrom all sources, and the ecologicalcomplexes of which they are part.The variability of living elements orbiodiversity exists at different levelssuch as habitat, species and also atthe genetic or variety level.When we visualize the EcosystemServices, it is very natural for us toimagine the source of these servicesas a lush green forest, a hugeclear water lake, ocean and so on.Similarly, biodiversity is perceived astiger, orchids, whales, crop varietiesand so on. All this is fine, and it isvery natural to start our thinking fromthe pristine ecosystems and speciesand recognize their importance forhuman lives; the worry begins whenthis trail of thought ends withoutrecognizing the value of urbanecosystems and urban biodiversity.The fact is that urban ecosystems arethe closest relationship that an urbandweller can have with nature. MostNeeraj Khera Ph.Dis Senior Advisor, Biodiversity Programme, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, India(Email : neerajkhera@gmail.com)4 urbanature

Urban BiodiversityFor a resilient urban futuregreatly affected by activities outsidethe open spaces. Area basedconservation strategies, therefore,would be difficult to yield resultunless and until urban biodiversityis integrated in the regional planningand urban development plans andpolicies. New tools such as StrategicEnvironment Assessment (SEA)and The Economics of Ecosystemsand Biodiversity (TEEB) would beextremely useful in this context.The available open spaces must bemanaged based on sound ecologicalprinciples. Maintenance of diversityof habitats and species across openspaces, maintaining structuralfeatures of biodiversity, and restricteduse of exotic plant species are someof the key strategies. Also, a certainlevel of natural diversity existsbetween- for example, among urbanparks- that needs to be maintainedrather than bringing all the parksin an urban area under a similarmanagement regime and speciescomposition. Amelioration of theoverall urban area through greennetworks and channels in the formof road-side avenue plantations,streams, and community and homesteadgardens etc would be critical inexpanding the ‘biodiversity space’ inthe cities.Regular monitoring of ecosystemsis important to measure themanagement effectiveness of theconservation strategies applied, andto adapt accordingly. Monitoringurban biodiversity is therefore animportant activity. Most commonlyused indicators for urban ecologicalmonitoring are birds, as they aresensitive to even small environmentalchanges and thus useful models forstudying a variety of environmentalproblems. An unnatural changein the population of a bird speciesis an indication of an ecologicalimbalance in the urban environmentand provides an ‘early warning’to the citizens. Thus maintainingthe populations of bird species inurban areas is also an economicallyExisting diversity of the urban open spaces must be maintained while undertaking conservation and maintenanceof these patchesviable option for urban ecosystemmanagement. Regular monitoring ofurban biodiversity indicators is alsoimmensely useful for monitoring theimpacts of climate change on urbanecosystems.Engagement of citizens has beenone of the most important factors insuccessful conservation managementof urban biodiversity in many citiesof the world. Ecosystem servicestrade-offs exist in the way openspaces are managed; for example, apark managed to optimize space forwalk and sports would have less plantdensity and cover leading to reducedcooling effect. Citizens groups andassociations must be at the centrestage to plan and manage the openspaces for conserving biodiversityand for optimum provisioning ofecosystem services. Involvementof citizens is especially criticalwhen it comes to monitoring urbanbiodiversity.The House Sparrow (Passerdomesticus) is known to co-occurwith humans since historic times,and thus serves as a good indicatorof the ecological quality. Recently amajor decline in its population wasreported from many parts of theworld. Several studies and initiativesare now focussing on this species,not only to restore its population butalso to look into the reasons of itsdecline so as to get a clue for humanpopulations as well. Decline in thisspecies was also reported from Delhiand other parts in India. While thereasons of its decline are yet to beestablished, a great deal of initiativespave the way for restoring thepopulation. Delhi Government hastaken an important step by declaringthe House Sparrow as the State Birdof Delhi. All this explicitly reflectsnot only the importance of differentelements of urban biodiversity, butalso the need for regular monitoringto be able to take timely action.Management of urban biodiversityis not a new concept. Historically,the foremost criteria for humansettlements used to be presenceof clean water bodies and healthyecosystems. The high-paceddevelopment of human settlementsand the changing relationship ofhumans with nature have poseda challenge today on the urbanmanagers to find new and innovativeways to sustain healthy urbanecosystems. Predicted impacts ofclimate change and ever increasingthreat from natural disasters only addto this challenge. Investing in urbanbiodiversity seems to be the futureright now to tackle the situation andto continue to receive the ecosystemservices for our own health andoverall wellbeing. •July 20137

FEATUREGreening Malaysian CitiesIn step with timeN. Azlin YahyaLike many other countries in South East Asia, Malaysia is experiencing a tremendous growthin population. At the rate of 3.9% a year, the increase in urban population influences thedevelopment of urban and semi urban areas. Fortunately, natural forests still surroundMalaysian main population centres. Parts of the forests are opened for recreational andeducational activities, receiving increasing annual visitation as they are accessible and areusually free of charge to the public.Malaysia is committed to keep 50% of its area covered under forest and practice a policy ofallocating 10% of urban areas as green space. The natural forests as well as urban forestsand parks serve as a convenient “green lung” for the urban population. The success of theMalaysian tree planting campaign has not only made the country green but also encouragedhealthy recreational environmental pursuits.Malaysia is a country of329,750 km 2 in size. Thecountry’s two main regionsare separated by the South ChinaSea with Peninsular Malaysia at thesouthern tip of South East Asia whileEast Malaysia, comprising the statesof Sabah and Sarawak, is on the islandof Borneo. With a total population of29 million, Malaysia is a well knownmelting pot with ethnic races like theMalays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans,Ibans and multiple other ethnic groups.Malaysia is categorized as a countrywith moderate growth of urbanization(2.4% annual rate of change) with 72%of the population located in urbanareas (Index Mundi, 2012).As Malaysia progresses to becomea developed nation by 2020,urbanization will continue to proceedat a fast and steady pace, affectingresettlement of a large proportion ofpopulation. The rate of urbanizationtends to correlate significantly witheconomic growth. One inevitableconsequence of this structural changeand the consequent rapid economicgrowth has been the increasingurbanization of the country. In 1980,the Malaysian population living inurban areas was 35% but this figurehas increased to 55% in 1995. Theimpact of urbanization is naturallyreflected in the number of peopleliving in urban areas. Today, morethan 60% of Malaysians are stayingin cities and towns. The largestpopulation centre of Malaysia,Klang Valley which includes theFederal Territory of Kuala Lumpurand Selangor, supports 24% ofMalaysian population in an area of8,173 km 2 .FORESTS AND GREEN SPACE FOR THE URBANPOPULATIONJorgensen (1970), stated that urbanNoor Azlin Yahya Ph.Dis Head, Ecotourism and Urban Forestry Program, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) 52109, Kepong, Selangor, Malaysia(Email: azlin@frim.gov.my)8 urbanature

Greening Malaysian citiesIn step with the timesContributions of corporate organizations in greening the earthDepartment in January 1, 1996was to emphasize ‘Landscaping theNation’ initiative, following which,many nationwide tree plantingcampaigns were launched, aimingin making Malaysia a “GardenNation”. This campaign was carriedout with original targets of plantingthree million trees by the year 2000and 20 million trees by the 2020.Subsequently, in commemoratingEarth Day on April 2010, theMinistry of Natural Resource andEnvironment, Malaysia announcedthe nationwide campaign of planting26 million trees by the year 2014 tosymbolize the number of Malaysianpopulation at that time. Duringthe Urban Forestry Conference2012, organised by Forest ResearchInstitute Malaysia (FRIM) inKuching, Sarawak, the Ministry wasproud to announce that Malaysia hasachieved and further exceeded thetarget with 28 million trees planted.With the enhancement of theenvironment through urban forestryactivities such as urban greening andtree planting, Malaysian cities andurban areas would be a healthier andmore comfortable place to live in.However, tree planting will only befruitful if effective management iscarried out. Urban tree managementshould include individual plantedtrees as well as groups of treesplanted in bigger areas.There are various steps that need tobe taken by all local authorities toeffectively manage urban trees, oneof which is to adopt arboriculturalKuala Lumpur maintains its greeneries for a balanced developmentpractices. The emergence of the fieldof arboriculture is an important steptowards best practices in urban treemanagement in Malaysia. The rolesand responsibilities of arborists, theprofessionals involved in the careof urban trees are becoming moresignificant and an ArboricultureCertification Program was initiatedin May 2005.With the help from the Governmentof Denmark through a TwinningProject on Urban Forestry, thecertification program was embarkedby FRIM, Kuala Lumpur City Halland Universiti Putra Malaysia. TheArborist Certification Programis undertaken by the MalaysianSociety of Arboriculture (MSA),and conducted in affiliation andendorsement from the InternationalSociety of Arboriculture (ISA).The most explosive in term of urbangrowth, Asia will have the world’slargest urban population livingin cities. Thus, establishing andmanaging urban forests will not onlycontribute towards the conservationof natural resources but alsoprovide social benefits to the urbanpopulation.•10 urbanature

in personG.N. SinhaEnhancing green cover of DelhiKeeping the capital greenWith a cherished legacy left by the Britishin the form of its Lutyen’s Zone, Delhi hasworked hard to maintain its stature asone of the greenest capitals of the world.This has not been easy, given the fact thatDelhi has seen an exponential growth interms of people as well as vehicles thatnow Delhi holds.Department of Forests and Wildlife, Govt.of NCT Delhi, has been at the forefront ofDelhi’s fight for its green character.Mr. G N Sinha IFS, the man at the helm ofDepartment of Forests and Wildlife, Govt.of NCT Delhi spoke to urbaNature on thechallenges of conserving Delhi’s greeneryand the battle for conserving Delhi’snatural heritage.URBAN nATURE (UBN) : Delhi has been hailed as one of thegreenest cities in India. What made it possible in view ofpressures of urbanization and increasing density?G.N. SINHA (GNS) : Delhi is one of the greenest city capitalsin the world. This has been possible due to efforts ofDelhi Govt. by undertaking massive plantation drivefrom 2001 onwards by the department of Forests &Wildlife and by 20 greening agencies. From 2009-10onwards, forest department and other greening agencieshave taken plantation of more than 10 lakh saplingsand large number of saplings were also distributed tothe members of public. These efforts of various organsof the Govt. of Delhi have borne fruit. As a result forestand green cover in Delhi has increased from 5.93% ofgeographical area in 1999 to 19.97% of geographicalarea (296.20sq km) as per the report of FSI in 2011.UBN : What is the legal framework, in brief, that is in placeto protect/enhance green cover? What are the loopholes, ifany, that in your view still need to be plugged?GNS : All the Environment and Forests related laws inthe country are generally applicable to Delhi. But,there are three principal acts which have played keyrole in protection of forest and green cover in Delhi.G.N. Sinha IFSis Additional Principal Chief Conservator Forest And Head, Forests And Wildlife Department, Govt. of NCTDelhi, (Email: gnsinhauk@yahoo.co.uk)July 201311

Enhancing green cover of delhiKeeping the Capital GreenFirst act is Forest (Conservation)Act, 1980 which is applied in allcases of diversion of forest landfor non-forestry purposes. In thiscategory, notified reserve forestarea and protected areas in Delhiare covered. The department hasbeen implementing the provisionof Forest (Conservation) Act,1980 very rigorously. This leads toafforestation over equivalent nonforestarea or double the forestarea to the land actually divertedfor non-forestry purposes underthe said Act. Second importantpiece of legislation is Delhi(Preservation) of Trees Act, 1994which has made a provision toplant 10 saplings for every treeto be felled for developmentalpurposes. In case of DMRCProjects, the entire 10 saplings areplanted by this department whilein other cases, 50% saplings areplanted by user agency and 50%by this department. In that case,this department charges Rs. 28,000from user agency which includesmaintenance cost of 10 saplings for5 years. On successful plantationby the user agency Rs. 14,000/- isrefunded back to the user agency.In case of default, this departmentforfeits the security money andundertakes the balance plantation.Third piece of legislation is Indian(Forest) Act 1927 which providesa legal protection to the notifiedforest areas in Delhi against anyillegality including encroachment.Under this act, forest area in Delhiis also consolidated.UBN : Biodiversity in urban areas is nowbeing recognized as an invaluable asset.But one sees that today urban plantingis quite often of trees which are noteaten by animals. This adversely affectsthe biodiversity profile, which is quiteevident if one compares biodiversityprofile of lutyens delhi with a new layoutlike Dwarka. How would you comment onthis?GNS : Delhi is known to have richbiodiversity of flora and fauna inolden times. However, with thepassage of time faunal diversityparticularly of big cats decreasedin Delhi due to population pressureleading to loss of their habitat. Butin recent years, due to efforts ofthis department, area under greencover increased and many waterbodies were also recharged. Thisled to manifold increase in arrivalof migratory birds. The areasparticularly rich in biodiversity inDelhi include Garhi Mandu andAsola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.This departmenthas recentlycompiled dataregardingbiodiversity ofthese areas andpublished themfor general use.UBN : Protectionof plants in publicspaces is a majorissue which canbe best achievedby involvementoflocalcommunities. What mechanisms, havebeen put in place to elicit this support?GNS : The key is to involve varioussection ofthe society into urbanplanting activities right from thestart so as to develope a strongsense of stakeholdership. TheDelhi Park and Garden Society(DPGS) under the overall umbrellaof the Department of Environmentand Forests is actively associatedwith RWAs in planting saplings onavailable space in the colonies aswell as on public spaces. Schoolstudents are actively associated inAnnual Plantation Drive throughEco-clubs which are supported bythe department of Environmentand Forests. Even this year Mrs.Sheila Dikshit, Chief Ministerof Delhi formally launched TreePlantation Drive 2013 of thisdepartment at Ujwa, Najafgarh on22 nd June 2013.UBN : City forests have been developedaround Delhi. In addition to enhancinggreen cover, these green assets can alsobe a useful tool to educate the citizenryabout various dimensions of nature.Can you elaborate on plans to developsignage/interpretation facilities in theseareas which are thronged by thousandseach day for recreational purposes?GNS : This department has created 42city forests till date. Many of thesecity forests are visited by citizens ofDelhi in the morning and eveningfor their physical activities. Thisdepartment has decided to developnature trails in some of them withinterpretation centers. Examplesin this categories are Hauzrani cityforest, Alipur city forest, Valmikicity forest etc.UBN : What can a citizen do as per law,if s/he notices a tree being girdled byconcrete or being chopped down byirresponsible persons?GNS : Under the provision of Delhi12 urbanature

Enhancing green cover of delhiKeeping the Capital GreenPreservation of Trees Act (DPTA),if a citizen notices any tree offence,he may send information to thisdepartment on tree helpline or he canalso call up police control room ontelephone no. 100. This department isduty bound to stop such offences andprosecute the offenders in the courtof law. The penalty under DPTA isimprisonments which may extendto one year or with fine which mayextend to Rs. 1000 or with both.Felling a tree has been treated as anoffence under the Tree Act. “To fella tree” with its cognate expression,means severingthe trunk from theroots, uprooting thetree and includedbulldozing, cutting,girdling, lopping,pollarding, applyingarboricides, burningor damaging a treein any other mannerand putting concreteor non-porous tilesaround trees havealso been treatedas an offence under the Tree Act.The National Green Tribunal (NGT)in case no. 82 of 2013 has recentlyordered removal of all concreteor tiles from trees in a time boundmanner. This action is supposed to betaken by civic agencies like NDMCand MCD and others.UBN : One often sees infrastructureprojects coming in conflict with forestlaws on the issue of permission forremoving trees that fall on the way.This often leads to delay and/or costescalation. Where does the problem lieand how it can be avoided?GNS : Under the provisions of TreeAct, permission is granted to fell atree for developmental purposes. But,10 saplings are to be planted in lieu ofone tree felled. Likewise, if the projectfalls under forest then necessaryapproval has to be taken under Forests(Conservation) Act, 1980. This alsorequires equivalent non-forestry areasor double the forest area to be broughtunder compensatory plantation.Sometimes, development agencies arenot able to find land for compensatoryplantation which is mandatory underDelhi (Preservation) of Trees Actand Forest (Conservation) Act. Thisleads to delay in clearance of theproject. It is, therefore, suggested thatdevelopment agencies should locateland for compensatory plantationin advance and then process theproposal for tree felling. In case ofdifficulty, DDA may be approachedfor providing lands to developmentagencies for compensatory plantationor alternatively land bank may also becreated to meet the future requirementof compensatory plantation. •National Workshop on Urban Green SpacesUdaipur, Rajasthan | 22-23 August, 2013Objectives• To sensitize participants about criticality of urban green spaces in the context ofemerging urbanization scenario.• To exchange information on best practices and analyze success stories fromthe field.• To inform about tools and mechanisms for management of urban green spaces.• To provide opportunities of networking with peers from different geographicalsettings.Workshop Structure• Theoretical perspectives functional role of urbangreen spaces• Case studies of successful initiatives from variousparts of the country.• Technical sessions on tools and techniques inurban green space management• Field Trip and Interactive Discussions.Participation ProfileExclusively for the senior officers of the Municipal Corporation/Councils and Development Authorities from different parts of India.For Details Please contact :Center for Urban Green SpacesDirector, Association of Municipalities andAravali Foundation for EducationDevelopment Authorities (Amda)Aravali House, 431/D22, Chhattarpur Hills, New Delhi-747/6, Siri Fort Institutional Area, August Kranti Marg, New Delhi - 49E-mail: os@cugs.in Website : www.cugs.inEmail : amdadelhi@gmail.com Website : www.amdaindia.orgJuly 201313

eportGreen InfrastructureTranslating globallessons to Indian citiesIan C. MellIndian cities are expanding like never before. This is putting new pressures on capacity of theenvironment to meet the challenges posed by this rapid urbanisation.To ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, it is important to look beyondIndia and identify best practices that can be translated from cities of other countries tothose in India.The future of India’s citieslies in successfully balancingenvironmental capacity withurban growth to develop liveable andsustainable urban locations. Central tothis process is our understanding of theways urban Green Infrastructure (GI)can be managed to mitigate the effectsof urban expansion. Exploring thelinks between green spaces, adaptionto climate change and the promotionof urban well-being illustrates thaturban parks, waterways, greenwaysand in particular urban street trees areintegral to the creation of functionalenvironments.Due to the rapid rate of development inIndia the capacity of the environmentto meet the needs and challenges ofgrowth is becoming compromised.To evaluate how best to plan forsustainable environmental and socialexpansion it is important to lookbeyond India to identify whether bestpractices can be translated from othercities to India. Assessments of greeninvestments provide a useful lens toundertake such a process as evidencefrom the UK, Europe and the USAdraws on a decade of innovative urbanlandscape management. A numberof investment options have beenestablished which could be appliedto Indian cities - each promoting amulti-functional approach to urbandevelopment. The variety providesIndian planners with elbow space toapply alternative forms of landscapemanagement. Each of the GIdevelopment options discussed arealready seen in some form in Indiancities. However, due to a lack of coordination,funding and politicalwill they are not functioning at themaximum potential.The future of India’scities lies in successfullybalancing environmentalcapacity with urbangrowth to developliveable and sustainableurban locations. Centralto this process is ourunderstanding of howurban Green Infrastructure(GI) can be managed tomitigate the effects ofurban expansion.Ian C. Mell Ph.Dis Lecturer, Department of Geography & Planning University of Liverpool, UK(Email : i.c.mell@liverpool.ac.uk)14 urbanature

Green InfrastructureTranslating global lessons to Indian citiesCITY-SCALE PARKS AND GARDENSMost global cities are home to at leastone green space that is deemed to beof city-scale importance. Central Park(New York, USA), Parc de Villette(Paris, France) and The Gardensby the Bay (Singapore) all act asmagnets for local people, businessesand tourists. What they offer are largemulti-functional spaces providingrespite from urban environment. Eachwas planned to contain a combinationof water, physical infrastructure andlandscaping options. The impact ofthese spaces has been in terms ofestablishing locations that are centralto the economic and social value ofits host city. City-scale investmentstherefore provide valuable economicreturns on investment, as well as arange of social well-being benefits.Supporting city-scale investmentswith a tiered system of smaller greenspaces also enables planners to developintegrated green networks across widerurban areas; Copenhagen (Denmark)and Dortmund (Germany) aresuccessful examples of this process.New Delhi Trees signageURBAN TREESThe role of urban street treesis disproportionate to theirperceived value. Street trees offer acomprehensive form of urban greeningby adapting urban environments toclimate change, promoting betterphysical and mental health, mitigateurban pollution and support a widerange of economic activities (i.e. treecommerce).Evidence from five UKand European cities indicated thatstreet tree investments encourageeconomic returns in far excess ofimplementation costs (Manchester£24+ pppy; Esslingen €11+ pppy).Research undertaken in the Newcastle(UK) and Bari (Italy) highlighted therestorative value of trees for personalhealth. Whilst forest managers inIndianapolis and New York (bothUSA) calculated the value of streettrees to the local economy, identifyingthat in both locations the return oninvestment ran into millions of dollarswhich could be directly attributedto trees. Further evidence fromManchester (UK) also highlights therole of trees in interception pollution,mitigating temperature (between5-15 0 C change), as well as aidingthe ability of urban water systems tomitigate extreme weather events.RETRO-FITTING BROWNFIELD SITESRecently one of the most successfulforms of GI investment has beenretrofitting brownfield sites. TheHigh Line (New York, USA) utiliseda derelict rail track to reinvigoratethe Lower West side; the OlympicPark in London reclaimed 2.5km 2of contaminated land in EastLondon into commercial and socialuse; and in Detroit (USA) tracts ofdisenfranchised housing has beenreimagined as sites for large-scaleurban agriculture. The link betweeneach investment is based upon a reevaluationof undervalued land toform functional urban GI networks.Although the scales differ, the primaryfocus of each investment has beento create accessible, functional, andmost importantly, hybrid green spaceswithin heavily urbanised locations.MANAGEMENT OF URBAN GIIn London (UK), New York andPhiladelphia (both USA), andAmsterdam (Holland) there arecredible management agenciespromoting urban greening thatwork alongside engaged advocacystakeholders. The benefit of this is theestablishment of a range of integratedmanagement plans which identifystrategic investment sites. To ensurethis system is successful each cityhas earmarked funding to supportthis process. The combination ofappropriate funding and knowledgemanagement aligned with ecological,water and climatic expertise enableseach city to maintain its green spaces asecologically functional, whilst creatinglocations for social and economicinvestments. Working within suchan environment facilitates a moreengaged dialogue between advocacygroups, political structures and localJuly 201315

Green InfrastructureTranslating global lessons to Indian citiespeople who subsequently see greatertransparency in how and why urbangreen spaces are managed. A numberof key factors can therefore beidentified that support urban greenspace management environment.Each individually provides scope fora proactive forms of management,applied collectively, they constitutea long-term and sustainableapproach to development. Theindicators include: a sustainablesource of funding; an evidenced andthoughtful strategic managementplan; knowledgeable officials toexecute management objectives; anengaged population; buy-in frombusiness and advocacy groups; anda visible political will to ensureenvironmental sustainability.APPLICATIONS OF GI IN INDIAThe opportunities noted abovehighlight how a range of investmentscan be implemented within urbanareas to provide economic, social andenvironmental benefits. However,whilst best practice examples offerinsights into successful applications ofGI in the UK, Europe and the USAthere are questions over whether theycan be applied in India. Using NewDelhi as an example, but also drawingon evidence from Chandigarh,Chennai and Bengaluru, it is possibleto propose that GI can meet the needsof urban India.New Delhi offers an interesting casestudy as it highlights at least threedistinct epochs of planning; OldDelhi illustrates the organic natureof development, while Lutyens NewDelhi presents, in stark contrast,uniformity in street design, Europeanstyle boulevards and formalised greenspaces. The third era is currently beingseen in development of Gurgaon,Dwarka, Noida, and the new citiesof Faridabad and Gaziabad. Each isattempting to complement modernitywith GI to provide liveable places forDelhi’s expanding population, withvarying success.City-scale GI in Delhi is mostnoticeably linked with the investmentscentred on India Gate and theParliament area. The GI resources inthis area, and that of the wider Lutyensdevelopment, provide a number ofbenefits for the immediate location butalso, and perhaps more importantly,for the wider city. GI in the form ofstreet trees, formal parks and largepublic spaces provide resources tomitigate climatic variations, whilealso creating locations for social andeconomic activities. Aesthetically theyalso act as a focal point for the city’smodern expansion. The investment inNew Delhi forms the basis alongsidethe Yamuna River and the CentralRidge Reserve Forest of the city’smajor GI network, the value of whichis magnified as the city continues togrow. The Asian Development Bankand Asian Green City Index bothdiscuss how greener cities includingNew Delhi, are more sustainable,economically stronger and healthierthan those with lower percentages ofGI, such as Hyderabad.However, smaller scale investmentslike urban street trees offer equallyimportant benefits alongside urbanscaleGI. Street trees act as focalpoints for commerce, personalwell-being and climate control.Furthermore, given the nature ofpollution in New Delhi street treesbecome increasingly important inintercepting vehicle pollution, andcontrolling and mitigating rainfall andsolar radiation. This raises a questionover the lack of re-investment in streettrees seen in the urban extensions ofNoida and Dwarka where trees havebeen removed to enable developmentbut have not been replaced. Thus,while the city presents strongsustainability rhetoric regardingtrees (see Fig. 1) this is not alwaysevident in the implementation of newdevelopments. Research has shownthat the governments of Chennai andChandigarh support the value of urbanstreet trees arguing that investing in16 urbanature

Green InfrastructureTranslating global lessons to Indian citiesGI has a greater proportional valuethan other forms of investment.New Delhi could also benefit fromexplorations in green technology.Greenpeace India is campaigning topromote solar energy, but could alsobe taken further to include greenroof and wall technology. Given theissues with solar radiation and watersupply green walls/roofs could actas effective interception and storageunits in extreme weather events.They could also lower the costs ofheating and cooling due to climaticstabilisation properties. Investingin green technology could alsolower the reliance on serviced watersupplies helping to reduce waterscarcity. Working with sustainabledrainage systems and more efficientcontrol of water bodies, such asthe Yamuna River, could enable amore sustainable resource base tobe maintained to serve the urbanextensions of Delhi. Locations,including Bengaluru, could alsobenefit from more sustainable andinnovative forms of water supplyand management. In an era whereIndia’s climate is reported asbecoming dryer, but subject to moreextreme storm events, investingin an effective water managementsystem has long-term economic andenvironmental benefits.CONCLUSIONA number of case studies highlightthat investments in urban greeninghave a positive long-term impact onurban development. GI offers climatemitigation, promote social well-beingand provide economic returns. If, inthe future, planners in India engage GIas the basic network that underpinsurban functionality there should be aprogressive shift towards an integratedenvironmental-development approachto planning. Expertise of urbanecosystems, human-environmentalinteractions and explorations of how GIcan deliver more meaningful economicreturns than grey infrastructure are allpart of this process. Indian cities shouldat a minimum retain, and hopefully,enhance their existing GI networks bydeveloping an integrated network ofsupporting ecological resources shouldprovide a longer-term viability forfunctional cities. •National Urban Green Spaces Fellowship ProgramAPPLICATIONS INVITEDEligibility Selection Criteria Fellowship• NUGSFP is open to any personenrolled as regular Masters/Doctoral student at any recogniseduniversity/institution of India.• Must have secured atleast 55%marks in the graduate/postgraduatelevel (as applicable) inany of the disciplines approved forthe purpose of NUGSFP.• Should not have scored less than50% marks (overall) in Class XII/Intermediate level examination.• Should be a citizen/resident of anyof the SAARC nations.Subject to the applicants meetingeligibility criteria, Fellowship proposalswill be scrutinised on the basis of:• Relevance of the project in termsof generating new knowledge andpossibility of it being subsequentlypublished under CUGS OccasionalPaper Series.• Possibility of project beingsuccessfully completed within aperiod of 3-4 months from the dateof approval.• Relevant course work/publications,if any.• Each Fellowship carries a grant ofupto INR 35,000.• Each grant shall comprise of amaximum of INR 30,000 for fieldwork expenses (at actuals) andan additional INR 5,000/- forreport preparation and other minorcontingency expenses.• Project grant can be enhancedto Rs. 50,000 for exceptionallycreative proposals.Application complete in all respects should be sent to Coordinator-NUGSFP, Center for UrbanGreen Spaces, Aravali Foundation for Education, Aravali House, 431/D22, Chhattarpur Hills,New Delhi-74. Shortlisted proposals shall be considered by the NUGSFP screening committee.Successful applicants shall be intimated withing 90 days from the date of submission.For more details including application format please visit www.cugs.inJuly 201317

featureDeep PandeyVijai SinghalPushp D. PandeyWorkplace GreensProductivity with healthAccess to natural elements in urban systems has been found to promote physical health,relaxation, positive emotions, tranquillity, revitalization, satisfaction, cognitive fitness andpsychological well-being. Thus, provisioning of green space in the workplace can contributeto health and happiness of workers.Stress and stress-related diseasesare increasingly becomingmajor health challenges withan enormous cost for individuals,organizations and communities.Workplace is both a source oflivelihoods and a major contributorof stress and related illnesses. Greenspaces in the office environmenthave been found to reduce stressand enhance productivity. Evena view of greenery through theoffice window or a small stroll inthe office garden can help upliftmood and cheerfulness. Indeed,access to natural elements in urbansystems has been found to promotephysical health, relaxation, positiveemotions, tranquillity, revitalization,satisfaction, cognitive fitness andpsychological well-being. Thus,provisioning of green space in theworkplace can contribute to healthand happiness of workers.Interestingly, workplace green spacesare among the least studied typesof urban green infrastructure. Inour recently-assembled databaseof globally published research onurban green spaces comprising of15765 papers, there are just abouta few papers on workplace greenspace. With this understanding, wedeveloped a small workplace greenspace in the campus of RajasthanState Pollution Control Board,Jaipur. Benefits of urban green spacesare wide-ranging including physicaland psychological health, socialcohesion, climate change mitigation,pollution abatement, biodiversityconservation and provisioning ofthe ecosystem goods and service tourban inhabitants.The building of the State PollutionControl Board came into theexistence in year 1992 and since thenit had a open space enclosed by rowsof trees around its boundary wall.However, it was felt by employeesthat the open space was not adequateboth looking to the size of the officeand workforce employed, as wellas structural elements of nature.Accordingly, in year 2009 the openspace was redesigned with newlearning. The main emphasis wasto increase the total area undergreenery and introduce a diversity oflocal species.Deep N Pandey Ph.DRajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB), Jaipur, India; Vijai Singhal (RSPCB, Jaipur);Pushp Pandey (ISPLASH Creative Consulting, Ghaziabad).(Email : dn.pandey@gmail.com, singhalvijai@gmail.com, pushpdeeppandey@gmail.com)18 urbanature

Workplace GreensProductivity with HealthThe existing vegetation around theboundary wall was retained and twoadditional rows of trees were plantedall along the boundary to providea dense cover of tress to enhanceaesthetic appeal of the building fromoutside and green view from officewindows.Responsibility for lookingafter each new tree planted has beenassigned to a member of the workforceto create a sense of belonging. Twolarge lawns, dotted with tree speciescapable of developing into very largetrees, were also developed at thefront of the building to provide asoothing view to the workforce andthe visitors. These lawns are alsoused by the office personals to haveGreenway leading to office buildingsmall walks or to just relax for a fewminutes. Efforts have been made thatone should be able to have periodicvisual exposure of one or the otherelement of green space from most ofthe office rooms.As noted earlier, an important featureof the green space is plantation oflocal key-stone species of tress suchas peepal (Ficus religiosa), neem(Azadirachta indica), and bargad(Ficus benghalensis) which are likelyto develop large canopies once fullydeveloped. It is a well establishedfact that humans feel awe-inspiredduring rest or walk beneath suchlarge-canopied tress. These trees aregrowing very well and it is hopedthat in coming years, they will furtherenhance the beauty of the buildingand provide comfort to its occupants.Ficus trees are among the cultural andecological keystone as well as usefulin urban air pollution mitigation.Several species of frugivorous birdsand bats are likely to visit large Ficustrees contributing to biodiversityconservation in human-dominatedlandscapes. Likewise, multiple-useneem trees are a regular element ofurban systems across dry regionsof the world. To enhance thehabitat heterogeneity of the greenspace, tree-like structures made ofreinforced cement concrete have alsobeen erected along both sides of theshort drive-way leading from mainentrance to the lobby, and in thefront parking area. These structuresare now covered with thick foliage ofvarious species of climbers providingliving canopy to drive-way and theparking place.In coherence with evidence-basedinsights on developing small urbangreen spaces for health, happinessand stress reduction, the RSPCBworkplace green space has 5 keyelements that make it useful for all.These are:• Heterogeneity and richness of naturalelements: grass, flowering herbs, shrubsand climbers, variety of tree species, greenislands, and rows of mixed vegetationalong with climber-canopies. In literature,these natural elements are suggestedto contribute the most to high ratingson restoration, health and relaxationoutcome. Preservation of existing treesand vegetation further add to habitatheterogeneity for birds and butterflies andenhanced visual appeal as a moderatelydense vegetation.• Design with a sense of security andplace-identity: enclosed boundaries,good seating pockets on natural grass,openness, potential to enjoy sun & shadeat will, socialising corners, and sittingpockets that face natural elements. Themost liked elements that help in stressreduction are structural components suchas combination of grass, shrubs, trees, andJuly 201319

Workplace GreensProductivity with HealthOur cities need 9 square metres of green space per capita, at a minimumclimbers, larger surface covered by grass,the larger amount of trees and bushesvisible from the viewing and sitting placesand the depth of green-view.• Tranquil ambience: calm internalatmosphere, little traffic, compellingaesthetic appeal, proximity to officebuildingand chambers.• Robust management and maintenance:cleanliness, regular irrigation, collectionof fallen leaves and twigs, regularly mowngrassed areas.• Exposure to restorative qualities: Thereare several good qualities in RSPCB greenspace including serenity, wilderness,verdure, spaces, and cultural interactions.Benefits of urban green spaces arewide-ranging including physicaland psychological health, socialcohesion, climate change mitigation,pollution abatement, biodiversityconservation and provisioning ofthe ecosystem goods and service tourban inhabitants. Urban forests andtrees also serve various economicand social purposes. Research fromaround the world indicates thatproperty owners value the urbanforest by the premium they pay tolive in neighbourhood of urbangreen spaces and public parks. Urbanshade trees offer significant benefitsin reducing building air-conditioningdemand and improving urban airquality by reducing smog.There are variations both in coverageas well as per capita availability ofgreen spaces in cities. However,some discernible trends emergingfrom cities renowned for their urbangreen spaces suggest approximately20 to 30% coverage of the totalgeographical area, and 15 to 25m2 urban green spaces per capita.World Health Organization suggestsensuring at least a minimumavailability of 9 m2 green open spaceper city dweller. Overall, the peopleand planners will have to strive forregenerating at least 1 medium sizedmature tree as desirable number perperson in Jaipur, Rajasthan.Workplace green space at RSPCB isan interesting example of connectingscience to decision-making aimed atcreating multifunctional landscapesto enhance urban resilience andhuman well-being. We hope, incoherence with substantial scientificevidence, that the RSPCB workplacegreen space provides health andhappiness to both employees andvisitors. People who have to stayindoors for a long time, such asoffice workers, are likely to benefitfrom green space by going outsideand feeling the atmosphere for asshort a period of time as 15 min.The workplace green space providesemployees the experience of serenity,wilderness, and intimate contactwith nature at arm’s length.•International ConferenceChallenges of Extended Mega Urban Regions : The Changing Face of South East Asia and the World19-21 November 2013, Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside Hotel, Putrajaya, MalaysiaOrganised byInstitute For Environment And DevelopmentUniversiti Kebangsaan MalaysiaFor participation details contactShaharudin IdrusAhmad Fariz MohamedSenior FellowAssociate Professoremur2013@gmail.comemur2013@gmail.comWebsite : www.ukm.my/emur201320 urbanature

The Maidan of KolkataThe Vista of JoyThe Victoria Memorialto remain without successors, and thehandsome avenues across the Maidan stillconstitutes the primary identity mark ofKolkata, probably in collaboration withthe Victoria Memorial. Dotting the wideexpanse is a number of fine tanks, fromwhich the inhabitants were content informer days to obtain their water-supply.”Before it acquired its current formand dimensions, Maidan wasactually as a vast tiger-infested jungletill the British started building FortWilliam in 1758, a year after thedecisive Battle of Plassey, in whatwas then the village of Gobindapur.After the Fort was completed in1773, the British started clearingthe jungle around it, thus was bornMaidan to become the central vistaof the city that came up around thismagnificent greenspace.Maidan is intrinsically linked tosports - Indian cricket started itsjourney from here with a two-daymatch between officers of the BritishEast India Company in January 1804.World’s oldest hockey tournament(the Beighton Cup) was institutedhere in 1895 and it remained thenerve centre of Indian football till afew decades ago. Today, it housesmany sports clubsand stadiumincluding the Eden Gardens and thestadiums of a famous football clubslike Mohun Bagan, East Bengal andMohammaden Sporting. One can notalso forget that Maidan is also hometo the oldest golf club outside GreatBritain - the Royal Calcutta GolfClub.Maidan was the venue of animportant event of the BengalRenaissance - Jyotindranath Tagore(Rabindranath’s elder brother) taughthis wife Kadambari horse-ridinghere in the 1880s, which marked apermanent change in the way Bengalisociety looked at role and statureof women vis a vis men. Many arevolutionary idea took shape onthese grounds. But in recent decades,the Maidan has hosted, and has beenmauled by, huge political rallies thatare increasingly frequent and in someway have made Kolkata infamous.Maidan indeed is is many things tomany people. To the washer manwho washes laundry at one of thefew ponds or to the shepherd whotends his flock, it is a convenientworkplace. To joggers and walkers itis a favorite spot. It is a prime hauntfor young lovers, a haven for sportsenthusiasts, a must-visit for touristsand, during the winters, a retreat forpicnickers. But more than all thisis the fact that the Maidan, whichmakes for 50 per cent of Calcutta’stotal open space, acts as the city’svital lungs.As the juggernaut of urbanizationbegins its unstoppable roll, Indiais going to have more and more“Kolkatas”. But to ensure asustainable and livable future forthese new Kolkatas that India seeksto build it has to ensure that everynew Kolkata comes into being withits own Maidans. The country will beignoring this prescription at its ownperil. Afterall a great city is knownnot for its size, but by its livability.And it is the maidans that makekolkatas worth fighting for. •22 urbanature

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