Bio-Corridors: Linking Habitats For Productive And Ecological Connectivity
Shaurya Singh
India
Description:
The area identified in Gandhinagar, a capital state situated in western India has approximately 40% of public lands. The project attempts to club these lands under different ensembles such as Forest, Park, Planned, Agricultural, and Wilderness. Mapping these revealed they are fragmented and sparsely distributed. The project thus redesigns street networks to connect disparate ecological and productive ensembles into continuous biodiverse corridor systems.
The tertiary streets are proposed to become six continuous bio-corridors connecting peripheral ecological ensembles to the city center while Introducing various bio-retention strategies on streets. This is achieved by continuous medians and bioswales/rain gardens. The Primary streets are for people to engage with biodiversity, The city ring road becomes a green buffer for pollution control, and green thickets on adjacent lots are identified for conservation.
These strategies at the city scale will build a continuous habitat, introduce a larger range of survival, provide food for fauna, enable water percolation, and reduce the urban heat island effect while contributing towards ecosystem services and climate change.
Following are the key points of how the project addresses each of the three pillars of sustainability.
The first pillar, people, refers to the social aspect of sustainability. It involves creating a society that is equitable, and inclusive and provides opportunities for all. In the said project, people are at the center of the planning process, and their needs are prioritized. Green streets are designed to be walkable, shaded, and bikeable, promoting physical activity and reducing the need for motor vehicles. This accelerates positive impacts on public health, reducing the incidence of obesity, heart disease, and other health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle. The design also prioritizes the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. This is achieved through measures such as traffic calming, dedicated bike lanes, and pedestrian crossings.
The second pillar, profit, which refers to the economic aspect of sustainability involves creating a sustainable economy that is resilient, innovative, and provides prosperity for all. The design strongly initiates positive economic impacts by reducing the cost of transportation and creating new job opportunities, while promoting alternative modes of transport such as walking, biking, and other public transits. This can reduce the need for private vehicles, saving considerable amounts of money on fuel and maintenance. In addition, the streets will attract businesses and investment, supporting economic growth.
The third pillar, planet, refers to the environmental aspect of sustainability. It involves creating a sustainable environment that preserves natural resources and reduces the impact of human activities on the planet. The proposed street design can have positive environmental impacts by reducing carbon emissions, improving air-water quality, and promoting biodiversity.
Green street design can reduce carbon emissions by promoting alternative modes of transport helping to reduce air pollution, while also promoting the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, reducing the dependence on fossil fuels. It also conserves biodiversity by incorporating green spaces, such as trees, shrubs, and other vegetation providing habitat for wildlife and improving the quality of life for people by providing shade, and reducing heat island effects.
Biography:
I am Shaurya Singh, presently pursuing my Bachelor’s In Urban Design from CEPT University, India. I have an absolute passion for designing urban landscape projects to combat climate change and using the power of urban design to uplift marginalized communities and cities.
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