Presentation tries to highlight the role and importance of open spaces in the context of human habitats, advantages it offers in making cities sustainable,livable, healthy and social. In addition presentation tries to define the policy framework for planning and designing these spaces..

1. Planning for
Open Spaces
to Make Cities
Healthy
• Jit Kumar Gupta
• Ex-Director; College of Architecture IET, Bhaddal
• Jit.kumar1944@gmail.com

2. Green Spaces in Urban Context
Cities more than just buildings
• Most liveable /famous cities known for open areas
• As cities grow-- green space becomes more
important/valuable.
• Paris Climate Change Agreement-making cities sustainable
and livable-
• --Promoting larger green cover–
• planting more trees
• -- taking green cover from 24-33% by 2030
• - creating additional carbon sink of 2.5- 3 b tonnes
• AMRUT-- Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation – Government of India--
• Increase amenity value of cities –
• --by developing greenery
• ---well maintained open spaces -- with special provision for
chlidren, senior citizens /Divyang friendly components
Challenges– Land/resources /development/ maintenance

3. Green Spaces in Urban Context
• Various frameworks call for promoting Green spaces in our cities.
• New Urban Agenda calls for;
• -- an increase in safe, inclusive, accessible, green and quality public
spaces.
• 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development pledges :
• … provide universal access to
• -- safe, inclusive and accessible,
• -- green and public spaces in particular
• --, for women
• -- children
• -- older persons-- persons with disabilities.
• --Open spaces range from ;
• --smaller green spaces-- sstreet trees /community gardens to
• Larger/ more interlinked spaces,
• -- parks / greenways.
• --Signals need to think beyond traditional urban park
• -- while considering
• --how to meet demand for green space for growing urban populations

4. Green Spaces in Urban Context
In land use planning -urban open space
defined as areas under:
-- “Parks", “
--Green spaces“.
--Play fields
-- Recreational areas
-- Natural landscape
which is-- Open to public
but Does not include
• -- areas outside city boundaries / open
space in countryside,

9. Status of Open Spaces

13. Objectives
and
Benefits of
open spaces

14. Benefits of Green Space in Cities• WHO--physical inactivity --a major public health risk in
urban areas
• people using open spaces --three times more physically
active
• Users - prefer nearby, attractive/larger parks/ open spaces
• Improving access / creating Network of parks / open
spaces results in--
-- increased physical activity
--better General health,
---reduced Stress levels,
-- reduced Crime
--- reduced Depression
-- reductions in illness / deaths
--reduce obesity
--reduced Healthcare costs.
--- Environmental benefits.
-- providing Healthy Habitats --for humans/ wildlife /
plants in densely built places
- Enhances Environmental/ Cultural /Heritage values of
area
--- Preserves Eco-systems amid Growing cities.
--Urgent need to preserve, enhance /promote existing green
spaces + create new spaces.

16. Benefits- Open SpacesOpen space provides 4 kinds of benefits to citizens
• Recreation, Ecology, Aesthetic, Economic
1 Recreational Benefits
• -- active recreation --organized sports / individual exercise/ encouraging
physical exercise -- Reprieve from urban environment.
• -- Cultural opportunities
• -- promote physical and mental well being
• --provide spaces to socialize
• -- opportunities to connect with natural world.
• -- becoming restorative enclaves in stressful cities
• -- reducing stress
• --enhancing social cohesion
2 Ecological Benefits --Protecting environment
• -- Conserving nature-
• - Creating ecological awareness.
• -- Promoting bio-diversity (variety of plant/ animal life-- high level of
which is considered important / desirable)
• -- Providing home to natural species --
3 Aesthetic Value
--People enjoy viewing nature
-- make neighbourhoods attractive
-- Promote positive attitudes -- Increase walking
4 Economic value-
- increase property value-- support local economies
- Attract Tourists- Attract Business Investment

17. Advantages of Green Spaces• Open spaces in urban environment provide many advantages---
• -- preserve natural environment
• -- modulate environment
• --Improved Air Quality
• -Improved urban environment
• ---Improve Quality of life
• --Promote social contacts
• --Promote Youth development
• -- provide vital lungs to city
• ---Improve community feeling
• --- Promote Safety
• --Make Value addition to communities
• --Make value addition to city
• --Give reprieve from the complex urban environment
• --Improve ground water recharging
• --Reduce flooding
• --Reduce soil erosion
• -- Reduce Heat Island Effect
• -- Keep city Cool
• -- Connecting spaces and people,
• -- creating safe/supportive environments – for people nervous
about venturing outside

18. Benefits of Green Space in Cities
Green Spaces also help in :
--- Lower Energy consumption--Creating
energy efficient cities
• - slowing down global warming.
• -- curtailing greenhouse gas emissions.
• Every tree helps in--
• --- fighting global warming
• --reducing greenhouse gases
• --cooling cities.
• - Generating 7 cylinders of oxygen
• - promoting Cooling equivalent to 5 air-conditioners
• In US, --evaluation of largest 85 cities --(population
of 57.2 million) -- health savings from parks
estimated $3.08 billion.
• Significant Environmental savings

19. Open spaces –Increases Ground Water Charging

20. Best air purifying plants for
general air cleanliness
Areca Palm Snake Plant
Best Air Purifier
Money Plant
Removes Nitrogen Oxides
& absorbs formaldehydes
Improving Indoor Air Quality through Plants – Air
Purifiers

26. Strategies for
Planning of
open spaces

27. Strategies for Planning Open Spaces
• Green spaces, Boulevards, Parks make a city Great
• Open spaces- to be provided as integral part of city planning
• -- Made Essential part of urban infrastructure - not an add-on
• --Open spaces to be valued - developing a basis of valuation
• --Hierarchy of open spaces to be defined
• -- Space Norms for all levels must be defined
• -- Open areas- to be distributed all over city.
• --Concentration of open spaces to be avoided
• - Derelict areas/ low lying areas -- be earmarked /developed as
open spaces/parks/recreation
• --Encroachment from open areas -- removed
• -- Involving people/ communities-- in planning, designing,
development and maintenance of open spaces
• -- Involving Corporate sector /institutions -- in planning,
developing /maintenance of open spaces
• --Preparing inventory of open spaces
• -- Safeguarded Open Spaces -- from encroachment.
• -- Organizing competition for best gardens at residential/
institutional level etc
• --Organizing dedicated festivals- like Rose Festival to promote
open spaces

28. Strategies for Open Spaces
• Planned development best option for promoting open spaces
• Master Plans/ Development Plans-- to provide detailed
plans/spaces for open spaces at Regional/city/sub-city/
neighborhood / cluster level- dedicated Chapter provided in the
master plan for open spaces-along with the norms and standards
for such open spaces- Landscaping Master Plan of city prepared
• Industrial /Residential area segregated with a green belt
• -Industries -- mandated to create green belts
• Private colonies-providing minimum 10% area under open spaces
– planned, developed /maintained
• Group housing --Providing 20% area under open space
• City to provide open spaces-- @ 9 sqm/per capita
• Careful positioning /Planning of open spaces
• Avoiding Open spaces abutting /backing on houses
• Planning Open spaces- to face majority of houses for optimization
/preventing encroachment
• Preserved all existing trees/ natural areas
• Tree Preservation law to be enacted

29. Strategies for Open Spaces
• Water bodies planned /developed-- green/recreational areas
• Native plants to be used for plantation
• Xeri-scape used for landscaping to minimize water
requirement.
• Perforated footpaths to be created to minimise hard surfaces
and to promote water absorption
• Parking /hard areas planned /planted with trees to minimize
heat island effect
• Involving institutions / campuses having large area for tree
plantation/landscaping
• Making environment/ ecology integral part of education/study
curricula
• Creating awareness about role /importance of green spaces at
individual/community level
• Public land available in city-- to be brought under plantation
• All urban local bodies/ development Authorities to create
dedicated horticulture wing for greening area

30. Planning for Open Spaces
• Open Spaces--Easier to plan in new development as compared to
existing settlements
• Open Spaces- expensive to develop /maintain
• Local Communities/corporate sectors – have great role in greening
cities- need active involvement
• Each city --must have a dedicated manpower to take care of open
spaces
• All natural areas/ existing trees-- must be protected
• Low lying areas - developed as open spaces
• Area under High Tension Lines- used for green spaces
• Derelict areas -developed as potential green spaces
• Mandatory provision of green belt along water bodies- developed
as green areas- to protect the water bodies
• All heritage areas protected and provided with landscaped
areas/tree belts
• Educational institutions /others --to be involved in creating green
spaces- on the land available with them
• Religious institutions also need to be roped for developing green
spaces on land available with them
• Railways/Irrigation/NHAI/PWD involved for Greening cities
• All open spaces to be used as 24x7x365 days
• Providing toilet improves people’s mental well-being– allowing them
to do activity that will improve their well-being

31. Planning Open Spaces-- Open to Everyone
• Open spaces for success must be
• -- identifiable,
• -- accessible,
• -- safe
• -- easy to use
• -having adequate area
• --accommodating
• --all people with
• --different goals,
• -- backgrounds/reasons to be there

32. Planning Open Spaces-offering something to everybody
Open Spaces for success must be made universal offering space to everybody for ;
• --Leisure
• -- walking
• --Sitting
• -- Socializing
• --Communication
• --Reading
• --Exercises
• --selling crafts/art,
• -- restaurant/- a cafe
• ---Entertainment

33. Planning Open Spaces– to attract people/maintain
• Open spaces must be planned to;
• -- attract -- people from community/city/visitors
• --Easy to maintain
• -- make it less noisy/ pollute
• - promoting pedestrianization
• -- minimizing vehicular traffic
• -- located in close proximity to habitable/activity area
• --Of adequate size/area

34. Planning Open Spaces– Promote Development
• Open spaces positioned;
• - not in isolation but
• - in the context of city
• -- as definer of city destinations– iconic buildings/landmarks.
• --serving as destination for visitor to city
• ---promoting urbanization
• -- Facilitating rational urban growth
• ---creating value for the place
• -- making value addition to city
• -- Symbolic of city development/glory
• -Creating distinct identity for the city

35. Planning Open Spaces-Promoting Sustainability/livability
• Open Spaces should be planned to be promoter of;
• -- sustainability
• -- environment improvement
• -- Public interest – by making them public centric
• -- Meeting basic human needs -- fresh air/ lack of noise /trash/ providing shade
• -- Creating value addition to development projects by integrating open spaces
• -- combining environmental remediation with economic development --" Garvin

36. Planning Open Spaces-Promoting Culture
• Open spaces known for their capacity/ potential of;
• -- bringing best in people.
• -- making people act to create amazing spaces.
• -- taking care of people
• --taking care of businesses using them,
• -- promoting respect for space
• --Creating a distinct culture for the city
•

37. Hierarchy of Open Spaces
• Each City must have well defined
hierarchy of open spaces
• 1 Regional level open space---
Specialized Open spaces- forest ,
natural greens, zoo, botanical
gardens
• 2 City level-- open spaces
• 3 Sub- City level-- open spaces
• 4 District level-- open spaces
• 5 Neighborhood level-- open
spaces
• 6 Housing Cluster -- level open
spaces
• 7. Tot Lots

38. Garden City- Ebenezer Howard

39. ECO-CITY TIANJIN- Master plan..
1. Land-use Planning – compact city , mixed land uses ,Transit-Oriented
Development (TOD) .
2. Transport Planning -Green transport .-- majority trips via public/ non-motorised modes of
transport --bicycles and walking
3. Green and Blue Network Planning---
--City planned with extensive green (vegetation) and blue (water) networks
-- to provide quality living /working environment.
--Green network -- green lung at the core and eco-corridors emanating from the lung to
the other parts of city.
-- Water bodies linked to enhance ecology /provide attractive environment , recreation
-- A wastewater pond rehabilitated /transformed into a clean/beautiful lake.
4. Master Plan summed as- 1 axis-3 centres-4 districts

40. ECO-CITY TIANJIN- Master plan..
.

41. Rolling garden on wheels in Milan

42. open spaces
In Delhi
Master Plan

43. Open Spaces--Delhi Master Plan
• Green / recreational use 8,722 ha- MPD 2001
• -- 19% of the total urban land area of 44,777
ha.
• -- Includes 1577 ha. under Ridge.
• Balance 7145 ha. –along Yamuna, District
Parks, City Parks, Community Parks etc
provided as :
• - Neighbourhood Parks
• -- Tot lots in gross residential use zones
• -- plantations / greens in large campuses like
• -- President's Estate,
• -- JNU, Delhi University,
• -- plantations along drains / roadside
plantations.
• --two Biodiversity parks

44. Delhi Master Plan- Norms/Standards

45. Open spaces
In
Chandigarh
Master Plan

46. Chandigarh Master plan- open spaces
• City Planned using three natural elements-
Sun, Space & Greenery
• 800 hectares of green open space-13%-
over 6000 Hec of Project area.
• Major open areas include ;
• -- Leisure Valley
• -- Rock Garden
• -- Special gardens
• -- Sectors/sub-sector level spaces
• - Green belt-- separating residential/
industrial area-- 500 feet
• --vertically integrated green spaces--
oriented towards mountains
• -- Institution level open spaces
• -- open spaces along choes-- Patiali ki Rao,
Sukhna Choe

47. Chandigarh Landscaping
• landscape plan based on the principles of:
• -- Catering to vehicular/ pedestrian
movement along V2 & V3.
• Landscaping within vertical green belts
made to provide unobstructed view of
Shivalik hills.
• All old existing trees retained-- to give a
feeling of ancientness.
• Trees of both exotic/indigenous variety
planted.
• Tree planted in form of squares/circles…. in
singles / clusters .
• Concept of city forest introduced --by
planting trees in large numbers in clusters --
to create beautiful effect.
• Trees –to act as buffer against dust/noise/
wind breakers.

48. CHANDIGARH PLAN --- ALBERT MAYER
• Designed for a
Population of
500,000.
• Based on a
system of low
density
• neighborhoods
defined by a
grid of slightly
curved roads.
• Two natural
valleys run
across site--
proposed to be
developed as
park strips.

49. Radiant city – Le CORBUSIER

53. Green Areas- city level--Leisure Valley-
8 kms parkway

55. ARIEL VIEW OF THE ROSE GARDEN

56. LEISURE VALLEY

60. Rock Garden-27 acs

61. Memory/Butterfly Park- Sector 26

62. Park at Sukhna Regulator

63. SUKHNA LAKE-3sqm, 1958, 8-16 feet depth-- Artificial Water
Body Created as part of Chandigarh City Planning by harnessing low
area of Sukhana Choe- seasonal river defining Chandigarh boundary
Artificial Water Body Created

64. Chandigarh– another artificial lakeLake-42

65. Landscaping within in Institutional Campus

66. Chandigarh open spaces

67. Chandigarh Traffic Rotaries- used for
Greening Chandigarh City-

69. Context of
Trees in the
Landscaping

70. Need for Tree Preservation
• Agricultural / urban expansion
taking place
• --at expense of native ecosystems /
forests/ woodlands/ croplands/
grasslands.
• Cumulative effects
• --produced serious global
environmental/ social problems
• -- loss of biodiversity
• -- extreme poverty of people living
in more vulnerable areas
• -Need to preserve/promote Trees

71. GREENING CITY- Vegetation/landscaping
•Mechanism of appropriate landscaping at city/building levels
---make cities/ buildings energy efficient.
•Vegetation
-Lowers daytime temperatures
-- controls humidity.
--Reduces heat emission during night
--Manages water
--during rains --lot of free water absorbed
-- during dry periods--- water is evaporated
---Cleans air, reduce noise,
--filter air up to 80% of pollutants
-- Reduce noise level up to 12 db
by 50-100 m thick vegetation cover
---Reduces air temperature up to 3.50 c
•Greening cities through
--Strategic plantation
--Massive plantation
--Landscaping
--Developing city forests.

72. Importance of Trees
• Trees improve air quality/ microclimate,
• Provide Oxygen
• Removes CO2, NO2 etc
• provide water protection,
• promote wildlife habitat,
• Promote recreation
• increased carbon sequestration
• Ensure biodiversity.
• hold symbolic cultural value
• Meet energy needs of poor
• Important parts of language, history, art,
religion, medicine, politics,
• Trees combat climate change
• Trees clean air
• Trees cool streets /city
• Trees conserve energy
• A Fully grown Tree offers;
• -- a cooling effect equivalent to 5 air-conditioners
• -- Generates fresh air equivalent to 7 cylinders

73. Importance of Trees
--Trees save water
– Improve indoor air quality
---Save Energy : 20-30%
• Trees --help prevent water pollution
• Trees-- help prevent soil erosion
• Trees- shield from ultra-violet rays
• Trees-- provide food
• Trees-- heal
• Trees --mark seasons
• Trees-- create economic opportunities
• Trees-- bring diverse groups of people
together
• Trees -- provide a canopy/ habitat for
wildlife
• Trees-- provide wood---

74. Importance of Trees
• Tree-- source energy -- from renewable
source--sun.
• Waste’ generated by Tree –as fallen leaves
recycled by-
• -invertebrates,
• - fungi and
• -- bacteria in the soil-
• - to provide nutrients
• for tree and
• other organisms.
• --Shade building to keep them cool
• - Protect openings in adverse orientation-
from gaining heat

75. Chandigarh Tree Preservation Order
• Chandigarh Tree Preservation
order:- best option to
preserve/promote trees in the
urban context
–All existing trees to be preserved.
–No removal of trees allowed
without permission.
–Sanction granted in cases of
extreme hardship
–New trees to be planted in lieu of
tree removed.
–No hopping, lopping and
chopping of trees allowed
without permission

76. Global
context of
urban Parks

77. Hyde Park London- 253 Hec

78. Central Park New York- 700 Acs Vaux and Olmsted'

79. Bukit Timah Nature Park Singapore= 1.64 SKM

80. Phoenix Park Dublin- 7.07 skm

81. PERTH- Australia

82. Sabarmati River Front- Ahmedabad

83. MOGHUL GARDEN PINJORE

84. TULIP GARDEN SRINAGAR

85. MOGHUL GARDEN SRINAGAR

90. Curitiba has > 50 sq metres of green space per person.

91. What makes Green Spaces valuable
• Giving a distinct Identity to open spavce
• -Theme based open spaces
• High degree of visibility
• Size of Open Spaces
• Being long term implications- need
integration with master
plans/sustainable/transportation/bio-
diversity strategies
• Understanding local community’s needs
with design responding to identified needs
• Involving communities in Planning/
development
• Adopting bottom up approach

92. What makes Green Spaces valuable
• Integrating physical development space with
social engagement.
• Making space multi- functional
• Providing amenities
• Accessibility
• Safety
• Comfort
• Active/Passive Activities
• Creating Shelter
• Providing walkways
• Providing spaces for grouping
• Space for performing
• Good management-
• - cleaning, offering food services
• -- scheduling events,.

93. What makes Green Spaces valuable
https://www.arch2o.com/tips-design-successful-public-spaces/
• 1. Keep it simple.
• 2. Make it accessible for everyone
• 3. Highlight the character of the city
• 4. Plan for people, not for vehicles
• 5. Use all your senses
• 6. Parks are more important than you
think
• 7. Trust the user experience
• 8. Choose the right materials
• 9. Engage the community
• 10. You are never finished
•

94. What makes Green Spaces Great--
https://www.pps.org/articlewe-answered

116. COBS
WORKINGLIVING
CIRCULATION
• The Radiant City
•An organism capable of housing the
works of man of machine-age society.
• placed under the masterful
government of natural conditions:
•Sun
•Space
•Greenery
•And its mission is the service of
mankind:
•To live
•To work
•To cultivate body and spirit
•To travel about
(in this order and obeying this
hierarchy)

118. MAKING CITIES/COMMUNITIES
GREEN --BE YOUR MISSION