Harmonising civic workplace and recreating life with nature should be a priority area for the Government. The green streetscapes can be an apt beginning in this direction. Environment-friendly streets are urban India’s lifeline
The foremost noticeable aspect of world class cities is their impeccable streetscapes. A fusion of immaculate planning and responsible implementation is enabling countries across the world to not only excel in achieving the best out of their urban spaces but move towards the concept of ‘green streetscapes’. The urban layout of these cities of the developed nations has been the benchmark for many aspiring nations including India.
Allocation of sizeable budgets for upgrading of civic infrastructure and improving the city streetscapes has not helped the cause of Indian cities which continue to suffer from illogical planning, shoddy execution and deliver below par living conditions to the citizens. In fact, hosting prestigious international events such as the Commonwealth Games has sullied the image of the nation globally, instead of improving the city by several leagues. From an urban planning perspective, the Indian cities reeling under immense population pressure, scant resources and drowning in their own waste, have taken a giant leap backwards.
Compared with the global standards, India has a lot of catching up to do. Disposal of household and construction waste that is dumped in a haphazard manner across our cityscapes has to be stopped, and the citizens in the form of NGOs and other environmentally active bodies must ensure that the municipal corporations are held accountable for their duties. Passing the buck will not do. But the Government has to play a crucial role in bringing about this change. This can happen if the Urban Development Ministry is able to adopt a radical vision that promises to alter the very structure of our cities and align the new urban blueprint according to environmental considerations. The effort must begin by redrawing the manner in which our streets are conceived, built and maintained. Ignored quite often, streets play a vital role in acting as arteries in the urban scenario, and have the potential to bring down pollution, reduce high temperature hotspots, besides increase the green cover.
In fact, the success of urban development relies heavily on the surrounding physical environment. Streets play a vital role in the urban fabric and have the ability to both positively or negatively affect attitudes about a place. Through the urban rejuvenation vision and its implementation, the Government must foster positive attitude of the citizens in their cities and encourage them to walk to their destination instead of using automobiles. This would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve this desirable state of environmental compassion in an urban setting the real estate developers, designers, architects and policymakers must be sensitised and equipped with essential components for achieving successful ‘green’ streets.
The very concept of street layout in itself has several attributes of green streetscape, be it trees and improved pedestrian environments, which encourage walking. The planning and implementation by the authorities needs to build on this to achieve sustainable best practices in green urban development.
The Government must also ensure that certain non-negotiable objectives form the basis of achieving green streetscapes, be it improved air and water quality, enhancement of urban forests and mitigation of brown field conditions. While improved pedestrian facilities, user-friendly signage and street furniture are part of green streetscapes, it is the trees that play a vital role in achieving the true objective of green streetscapes.
Street trees can significantly reduce the impact of automobile emissions including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. According to studies, street trees within the city absorb nine times more pollutants than trees outside the city, converting harmful gases back into oxygen and other useful and natural gases.
For a country with more than a 400-million urban population, the average Indian city cannot remain an example of urbanity gone wrong. It needs a new initiative driven by a resolute Government to get it out of its vicious cycle of problems. For this, the role of the municipal corporations requires overhauling. The civic bodies need to be equipped with the relevant know-how and the international collaborations to attain the global standard in urban development.
This can be complemented by the participation and contribution of local bodies and the NGOs which can enrich urban rejuvenation with their inputs. Besides this, harmonising civic workplace and recreating life with nature need to be the priority area for the Government. The green streetscapes can be an apt beginning in that direction.