Venu Gopal Koranne

LA4010

100 PARKS

Ahmedabad’s radial urban expansion has outpaced expectations, resulting in development that overlooks the city’s natural layers. This neglect is evident in Town Planning (TP) schemes, leading to issues like groundwater depletion, urban heat island effects, and biodiversity loss. The project aims to explore design methodologies that protect natural layers while supporting development. Through curated design guidelines, it proposes clear open space percentages along stream channels and adopts a scale-based approach, addressing open spaces from thin to thick levels. The concept culminates in the “100 Parks” strategy—creating a constellation of green sponges between two major wetlands. This network aims to reconnect natural systems, ensuring ecological preservation while supporting urban development. Unlike isolated interventions like Vastrapur Lake, which suffers from disconnection from natural systems, the 100 Parks framework prioritizes ecological preservation while balancing urban expansion and fosters a responsible community network. 

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First Impression_The Broken Cycle:Two contrasting characteristics of the Khari Cut Canal and highlights its transitional zone, which serves as a peri-urban interface. This interface endures significant pressure from both extremes, reflecting the dynamic and challenging nature of this transitional landscape.

Context & Analysis- My site of interest lies at the threshold of these extremes. It consists of green fragments, some densely vegetated, while others are existing farmlands. Unfortunately, the city’s future development plan (DP) shows these green areas being zoned for residential use, which would engulf them and convert the permeable landscapes into impervious surfaces. This change will cause fast surface water runoff and the disappearance of biodiversity, further threatening the city’s fragile ecosystem. Immediate intervention is essential to protect these crucial green sponges.

Collating the Natural Layers led to a critical question: Can there be a design methodology that preserves site’s natural layers while enabling sensitive, sustainable residential development for future communities? Design Conceptualisation Process: a) Design Guidelines as per natural layers. b) Scale based approach: Thick & Thin edges. c) Deriving Park Typologies: achieving the 100 Parks.

Strategic Masterplan: Through a comprehensive study of the natural layers of the site, the project develops a systemic approach that includes guidelines for the preservation, protection, and creation of habitats conducive to local biodiversity. By proposing a constellation of diverse park typologies, “100 Parks” seeks to foster an integrated green network that not only enhances ecological value but also addresses urban challenges such as flooding and groundwater recharge. The Masterplan envisions a sustainable urban landscape that acknowledges and incorporates natural systems, ensuring that the city can grow without sacrificing its ecological integrity.

Programming & Conditioning: The 100 parks exhibit diverse programmatic variations, ranging from public to private and active to passive spaces. Along with this the spaces carved out depends upon the ecological significance, Diversity and Programs.

Post Monsoon Masterplan with Sections: The chosen extent captures a comprehensive spectrum of park typologies, providing a dynamic context for exploring open space design. It includes a proposed lake whose siting raises critical ecological and planning questions and a wetland overlooked in current TP schemes, highlighting the disconnect between natural systems and urban development. The area also features a vital residential-commercial interface, offering an opportunity to design transitions that harmonize private and public zones.

Pre Monsoon Masterplan with Section: The pre-monsoon condition of the chosen extent highlights dried-up waterbodies, typically less than 2 meters deep, revealing the seasonal shifts in their ecological character. This period activates various programs, including the lakefront open-air theatre and yoga/meditation decks, which attract community engagement and recreational activities.

Testing seasonality through Flux & Evaluating Resilience: The selected site for flux analysis is a proposed wetland park envisioned as a biodiversity hotspot. A range of nature-based interventions has been designed to enhance habitat diversity and support ecological balance. The plan includes the creation of various shallow and deep wetlands to accommodate diverse species and ecosystems.

Addressing the situation of Water: a) Calculating percentage reduction in infiltration capacity in a span of 25 years. b) Calculating the change in micro-climate due to NBS. c) Biodiversity mapping.

Conclusion: The Mended Wheel

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