EXAMPLES OF URBAN PARKS

UNA BIODIVERSITY PARK

 • IN ORDER TO RESCUE AND RESTORE THE LOST
NATIVE BIODIVERSITY IN URBAN AREAS, THE
CREATION OF BIODIVERSITY PARKS IS AN
INNOVATIVE AND NOVEL APPROACH.

PHASE II
• BIODIVERSITY PARKS, ARE ASSEMBLAGES OF
SPECIES IN THE FORM OF BIOTIC
COMMUNITIES THAT BELONG TO A
PARTICULAR ECOLOGICAL RANGE.

PHASE I
• ONCE THE LIFELINE OF MANY CIVILIZATIONS
AND CITIES THAT EMERGED ALONG ITS
BANKS, THE RIVER YAMUNA SUFFERS FROM
INADEQUATE WATERFLOW AND HEAVY
POLLUTION
• THE YAMUNA BIODIVERSITY PARK WAS
DEVELOPED IN TWO PHASES IN TWO DIFFERENT
AREAS— ON THE INACTIVE FLOODPLAINS OF THE
RIVER IN PHASE I AND ON THE ACTIVE
FLOODPLAINS IN PHASE II.

• THE PARK IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PHASES.

• PHASE I IS LOCATED ON 157 ACRES OF AN INACTIVE
FLOODPLAIN.
• PHASE II LIES IN ACTIVE FLOOD ZONE WITH AN AREA
OF 300 ACRES.
• BOTH THE PHASES ARE CONNECTED BY A 200 M
LONG FUNCTIONAL CORRIDOR. THE CORRIDOR
ALLOWS ANIMAL MOBILIZATION IN BOTH PHASES
DURING FLOODING AND LEAN SEASONS.
YAMUNA BIODIVERSITY PARK PHASE II
SANJAY GANDHI NATIONAL PARK
IS AMONG THE RAREST OF NATIONAL PARKS,
SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY ONE OF THE
DENSEST CITIES ON THE PLANET – MUMBAI, INDIA.
• THE POPULATION OF METROPOLITAN MUMBAI
IS WELL OVER 18 MILLION PEOPLE.THIS
FORESTED PARK ACTS AS THE LUNGS OF THE
GREAT CITY, REDUCING AIR POLLUTION AS IT
ALSO SUPPLIES WATER AND REGULATES LOCAL
TEMPERATURES.

• THE PARK IS ALSO HISTORICALLY AND

CULTURALLY IMPORTANT, WITH
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES THAT TRACE BACK
MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS AND MORE THAN 100
CAVES, MANY OF RELIGIOUS IMPORTANCE.

• IS APPROXIMATELY 104 SQ. KM

• THE NATIONAL PARK COVERS NEARLY ¼ OF

MUMBAI’S LAND AREA.
• SGNP IS LOCATED IN THE REGION OF THE WESTERN
GHATS OF INDIA.

• THIS AREA IS A MOUNTAINOUS RANGE ALONG THE

WESTERN COAST OF INDIA THAT IS WELL KNOWN
FOR ITS BEAUTY AND IMMENSE BIODIVERSITY.

• THE PARK ITSELF IS A DIVERSE ECOSYSTEM THAT

ENCOMPASSES A PROTECTED AREA OF
APPROXIMATELY 104 SQ. KM, INCLUDING THE
TANGARESHWAR SANCTUARY TO THE NORTH (95.25
SQ. KM), A PUBLIC RECREATIONAL AREA (BORIVALI:
5.75 SQ. KM), A NON-‐NOTIFIED BUFFER ZONE
(10.38 SQ. KM), AND A CORE ZONE (86.96 SQ. KM)
WHICH IF OFFICIALLY NOTIFIED AND REQUIRES
SPECIAL PERMISSIONS OF PARK MANAGEMENT TO
ACCESS.
ECO-PARK AT NEW TOWN, KOLKATA COVERS AN
AREA OF 194 HECTARES (480 ACRES) AND INCLUDES
A 42-HECTARE (104- ACRE) WATER BODY WITH AN
ISLAND.
• ECOLOGICAL ZONES SUCH AS WETLANDS, GRASSLANDS AND URBAN
FORESTS
• THEME GARDENS AND RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACES
• URBAN LEISURE, EDUCATIONAL AND FUNCTIONAL SPACES SUCH AS
GALLERIES FOR FLORA AND BIRDS, AN URBAN MUSEUM, CRAFTS
BAZAARS, A PLANTS AND FARMERS’ MARKET, FOOD COURTS,
AMPHITHEATRE, AND PLAZAS.
RIVERFRONT PARK: SUBHASH BRIDGE
• AREA 6Ha

• THE RIVERFRONT PARK (1.2 KM LONG AND WIDTH

RANGING FROM 30-60 MTS) IS LOCATED ALONG
SABARMATI RIVER IN AHMEDABAD, INDIA. THE
LEVELS OF THE PARK ARE MODULATED SO AS TO
PROVIDE UNINTERRUPTED VIEWS OF THE RIVER.

• THE PARK IS ENVISAGED AS AN EXTENSION OF

GANDHIJI’S SABARMATI ASHRAM, ACROSS THE
RIVER, PROVIDING A SERENE AND CONTEMPLATIVE
BACKDROP TO THE ASHRAM AND MAXIMISING THIS
VISTA.

• SIMULTANEOUSLY, IT ALSO COMPENSATES THE

MUCH NEED OF PARK FOR SHAHIBAUG-
DUDHESHWAR NEIGHBOURHOODS.

• THE PARK HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS

OF A DIVERSE RANGE OF PEOPLE.
• THE SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE
PARK ALLOWS A NUMBER OF LINEARLY
PLACED THEMED AREAS WITHIN IT,
CATERING TO DIFFERENT PREFERENCES,
ACTIVITY LEVELS & AGE GROUPS.

• THESE INCLUDE A LOTUS POND,

CHILDREN'S PLAY AREAS,
AMPHITHEATERS AND VARIOUS SMALL
POCKET PARKS. THE DESIGN ALSO AIMED
AT ACKNOWLEDGING THE STRONG
CONTEXT OF THE GANDHI ASHRAM
(LOCATED AT THE OPPOSITE BANK) FOR
THE VISITORS TO THE PARK.

• AN ELABORATE FOOD COURT IS

DESIGNED NEXT TO THE PARK WITH A
SHOPPING STREET.

• THE SPACE WAS CREATED TO MAKE THE

PARK MORE VIBRANT AND BRING
COMMERCIAL VALUE INTO IT.
MEHERAULI ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
• MEHRAULI IS AN IMPORTANT
HISTORIC “URBAN VILLAGE” OF
DELHI.

• APART FROM THE KUTUB

COMPLEX, THE FACT THAT
MEHRAULI CONSISTS OF
NUMEROUS OTHER EXCEPTIONAL
BUILDINGS AND GROUPS OF
STRUCTURES SET IN SPECTACULAR
LANDSCAPE IS QUITE IMPORTANT.

• THE SITE OF TWO MEDIEVAL

CAPITALS, THAT OF RAI PITHORA
AND LALKOT IS ALSO LOCATED
JUST OUTSIDE THE “URBAN
VILLAGE”.

• URBAN SETTLEMENT IN THIS

AREA PRE-DATES THE ARRIVAL OF
ISLAM, WITH LAL KOT BEING
CONSTRUCTED BY ANANG PAL
TOMAR IN THE 11TH CENTURY.
LAL KOT GREW INTO THE
FORTIFIED CITADEL QILA RAI
 MODERN
MEHRAULI CONSISTS
OF THREE DISTINCT
PARTS; THE ENCLOSED
QUTUB
MINAR
QUTUB COMPLEX,
NOW A UNESCO
WORLD HERITAGE SITE,
THE URBAN MEHRAULI
VILLAGE CENTERED
AROUND BAKHTIYAR
KAKI'S DARGAH AND
KILA RAI PITHORA
LALKOT THE BEAUTIFULLY
LANDSCAPEDMEHRAUL
I ARCHAEOLOGICAL
HAUZ E SHAMSHI
PARK.
KOLKATA MAIDAN
• ‘MAIDAN’, 620 HECTARES OF OPEN
GREEN SPACE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY,
IS REFERRED TO AS THE “LUNGS” OF THE
CITY AND CONSTITUTES 61 PER CENT OF
KOLKATA’S PUBLIC OPEN SPACE.

• ALONG WITH OTHER ADJOINING PARKS,

IT IS THE HUB OF MAJOR RECREATIONAL
AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES, A GREEN BELT
AND REPOSITORY OF BIODIVERSITY.

• THE MAIDAN IS A PROPERTY OF THE

INDIAN ARMY AND HOSTS THE EASTERN
ZONE HIGH COMMAND OF THE INDIAN
ARMY IN FORT WILLIAM. THE WIDE
FIELD STRETCHES FROM THE HOOGLY
RIVER ON THE WEST TO THE VICTORIA
MEMORIAL ON THE EAST. IT IS A
HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER OF
KOLKATA AS WELL AS A CENTER OF
LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR
CALCUTTANS.