Bangalore’s future? Up in the sky

A decade and half ago, land in Devanahalli or Sarjapur was quoted in lakhs-for an acre. Now it is in crores. Till 2008 the Bangalore municipal corporation was spread out over 200 sq km. Today, its writ runs in over 700 sq km area.

Bangalore’s urbanisation has been truly outstanding. Land is scarce and good title sites are at a premium. To cater to an ever-demanding public the government has announced the formation of new layouts.

The layout scheme was alluring. The farmers or land owners whose land will be acquired were to get developed sites or 40% of the surrendered land. But starting with Arkavathy Layout the whole project is now mired in controversy.

Last week, farmers opposed to the Shivaram Karant Layout took out a rally opposing its formation. This is just the tip of the problem. Land owners from other proposed layouts will also come on the streets for the right to decide the fate of their land. The value of the land is making all kinds of noise.

How to overcome this dilemma of development?

Burj Khalif is the solution. In our anniversary issue, renowned architect K Jaisim had written about mile-high towers with their own eco systems. Jaisim’s vision speaks of integrating fragmented plots to build meaningful residential and business districts. His Bangalore would have high integrated multi-zoned spaces reaching for the clouds and beyond.

We, the residents of Bangalore, have to give up the vertical fear. Select land in core areas and build towers. The planning should be future-proof. Basis necessities of daily life should be calculated, put on paper and guaranteed to the residents. We need the commitment of civic agencies in the development of  these kind of tower clusters.

The towers will have their own niche markets and malls. Each tower can support itself in terms of recycling and reusing resources. A mile high tower can tap the sun’s radiation for power, and can even be designed in a way that it uses the wind for cooling. A realistic planning and budgeting must be carried, based on a rational analysis of patterns of needs, before building these towers. The budget analysis  will help us assign resources to towers and sectors. The nuclear family will surely fit into this kind of a dwelling.

It is easy in Dubai with private players ensuring everything from a parking space to a heated pool on the terrace. In India, we need a different approach for these tower economies.

If we want to save Cubbon Park and Lalbagh and preserve a green city, we should go vertical. The plan saves on transport and unnecessary commuting. The plan should be implemented in the public-private participation method as it involves all sections of society. These towers should not become enclaves of the super-rich class. The principal of socialism will surely make us get the approval of the masses.

It is time Bangalore became a towering example.