Sabarmathi RiverFront

Introduction
 Sabarmati river has been an integral part in the life of
Ahmedabad since the time the city was found. 
 Besides being an important source of water, it provided a
backdrop to cultural and recreational activities.
 Untreated sewage flowed into the river through storm water
outfalls and dumping of industrial waste posed a major health
and environmental hazard.
 The river bank settlements were disastrously prone to floods
and lacked basic infrastructure facilities.
 Lacklustre development took shape along the riverfront.
 Such conditions made the river inaccessible and it became a
virtual divide between the two parts of the city. Slowly, the
city turned its back towards the river.
 There had been a long-standing acknowledgement that the
riverfront could be turned into a major urban asset from its
undesirable state. Proposals to achieve the same have been
made since the 1960s and it was finally in 1998 that this
multi-dimensional project was envisioned and undertaken by
the city. 
Location Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Coordinates 23.0341367°N 72.5723255°E
Status Under construction
Groundbreaking 2005
Opening Gradually since August 2012
Use Urban development

Companies
Architect Bimal Patel-led HCP Design, Planning
and Management Pvt. Ltd[1]
Developer Sabarmati River Front Development
Corporation Limited

Technical details
Cost ₹ 1152 crore by June 2014[2]
Size 202.79 hectares (501.1 acres)
Proposed since 1960s
Project
URBAN RE-DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
 The project aims to provide
Ahmedabad with a meaningful
waterfront environment along
the banks of the Sabarmati River
and to redefine an identity of
Ahmedabad around the river.
 The project looks to reconnect
the city with the river and
positively transform the
neglected aspects of the
riverfront.
Objectives
 The objectives of this multidimensional project can be categorised under
three topics- 

 Environmental Improvement: reduction in erosion and flood to safeguard the

city; sewage diversion to clean the river; water retention and recharge.

 Social Infrastructure: rehabilitation and resettlement of riverbed dwellers

and activities; creation of parks and public spaces; provision of socio-cultural
amenities for the city.

 Sustainable Development: generation of resources, revitalisation of

neighbourhoods.
Envisioned riverfront on the eastern part of the city during the kite festival

Visualization of Proposed Park Near Khanpur

MASTER PLAN
MASTER PLAN
 The Riverfront project presents a great opportunity to create a public edge to
the river on the eastern and western sides of Ahmedabad.
 By channeling the river to a constant width of 263m, riverbed land has been
reclaimed to create 11.25 kms of public riverfront on both the banks. The
total land reclamation is 202.79 hectares. 

 The main considerations in allocating land uses for the reclaimed portions
were:
 existing land uses along the river;
 extent, location and configuration of reclaimed land available;
 potential for development;
 the structural road network and form of the city;
 bridges proposed in the Ahmedabad Development Plan, and the possibility of
providing adequate infrastructure.
Street Network
 The SRFD streets have been designed carefully and deliberately to serve as
effective movement conduits for various users and to be an extension of the
public realm.
 The SRFD streets run parallel to the river on both banks and provide
continuous access to the riverfront development.
 Access streets at key locations connect the SRFD streets to the rest of the
city.  
 All SRFD streets have dedicated pedestrian paths with cycle tracks, parking
bays, and 6 m/20ft wide carriageways.
 Access lanes on one or both sides of the streets provide entries to the
existing development and when required, the proposed riverfront
development.
 The infrastructure services run below the access lanes, and the stormwater
line runs below the central verge.
Street Network
Overall Schedule
 Construction of the project started in 2005, the first phase of 11 kilometers of
east and west embankments is complete.
 All heavy engineering and land reclamation works are complete and all of the
interceptor sewer lines and sewage pumping stations are in place. 
 All the work on the lower level river promenade, which will provide a twenty-
two kilometer long waterside pedestrian realm, is complete.
 All stretches of the promenade are now open for public use.
 Three boating stations are operating.
 Laundry Campus and two of the many proposed parks are completed and have
been made available for public use in January 2014.
 Riverfront Market is also complete and has been operational since February
2014. 
 Work on the upper level river promenade, elevator blocks, public washrooms
along the promenade, the event centre and flower garden is completed.
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Places and Facilities
River Promenade
 River Promenade
 The key feature of this project is a two-
level, continuous promenade at the
water’s edge along each bank of the river.
 The lower-level promenade is built just
above the water level to serve pedestrians
and cyclists, and to provide access to the
water. The upper level promenade shall
host a variety of public features at the city
level. Together these provide Ahmedabad
with an uninterrupted, pedestrian
walkway, nearly 11.5km in length, in the
heart of the city.
Facilities
 The width of the promenade varies from 6-18m. Facilities provided at the River Promenade include:

 Access points from the city level via staircases and ramps at regular intervals and under every
bridge.
 Lifts or Elevators to make lower-level promenade accessible for people with disabilities.
 Ghats at key locations to enable continuation of cultural activities.
 Boating facilities with a boating station.
 Public washrooms at regular intervals.
 Concrete paved flooring which can support walking, jogging and cycling.
 Continuous seating arrangement at the river’s edge along with protective railing.
 Evenly spaced lighting along the length of the promenade.
 Evenly spaced tree plantation along the length of the promenade
 Circular concrete seating around the trees and provision of dustbins at regular intervals.
 Platforms at regular intervals for regulated and organized vending activities.
 Security arrangements to handle entry-exit, timings and emergencies.
River Promenade
Night View of Lower Promenade Visualization of Gauri Pooja Celebration
in Lower Promenade

Boating Station Seatings

Ghats Walkway
Parks and Plazas

 The project devotes around seventy hectares,  Riverfront Park: Subhash Bridge
more than a quarter (26%), of the reclaimed
land towards creating public spaces in the  Riverfront Park: Usmanpura
heart of the city.
 Amusement Park
 These open spaces range from public parks
and gardens to shaded plazas and urban  Flower Garden
forests.
 The parks shall enhance livability in the
 Urban Forest: Paldi
neighbourhoods and provide the city with  Plaza: Vallabhsadan
much needed green spaces and respite from
the dense built environment.  Plaza: Gandhi Ashram
 The plazas on the other hand will offer  Riverfront Park: Khanpur
public places for social gatherings, and
informal activities to take place.
Riverfront Park Subhash Bridge Riverfront Park Subhash Bridge
: An overview of the Park : View of the amphitheatre in the park

Riverfront Park: Subhash Bridge after Riverfront Park : Subhash Bridge

its been opened to the public
Riverfront Flower Park 2017

 "The Annual Flower Show” on the Sabarmati

Riverfront at Sardar Bridge is inaugurated by
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay
Rupani.
 The Flower Show will remain open from 10 am
to 9 pm from 3rd Jan to 13th Jan 2017.
 It is spread over an area of one Lakh sq mt.
 Moreover, the show will be a display space for
more than 750 species of flowers, plants,
bonsai, vegetable plants and trees — with more
than 50 of these species marking a debut at
the show."
Sports Facilities

 Amongst the many public spaces and  Paldi Sports Complex

facilities, the project also offers three  Pirana Sports Ground
significant sports facilities.
 Shahpur Sports Centre
 These facilities have been proposed
with reference to its location in the
city and the surrounding context.
 These range from a neighbourhood
level facility at Shahpur to a city-level
sports hub at Paldi and a cluster of
grounds near Pirana for informal
sporting activities.

Pirana Sports Ground

Sports Facilities
Amenities
 Many public facilities are now open and other few are being built on the reclaimed
land – to include sections with particular needs. 

 The Riverfront Market  has been created to house ‘Ravivari’, the traditional flea

market at a permanent site adjacent to its previous location. The market provides
designated vending areas with 1,641 vendor platforms, seating areas, paved
walkways, food courts, vehicular access, parking and 4 public washrooms. The
public areas shall be shaded with over 800 diverse trees that have been planted. 
 At the Exhibition Centre , the riverfront will host trade-fair facilities to serve the
business community. 

 The Events Ground offers venues for holding organised events of local and national
importance. 
 The Laundry Campus provides facilities for the washing community that traditionally
used the river banks for laundering.
 Integrated outdoor vending areas, situated all along the length of the project, will
accommodate street vendors so they too benefit from the project.
Amenities Provided
Laundry Campus

Riverfront Market