BENGALURU: Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), in collaboration with Sensing Local and the Institute of Urban Designers India - Karnataka Chapter, has launched a unique city-level initiative called ‘Revitalisation of Public Spaces in Bengaluru City’ under the project ‘Open as Desire’ and has identified 194 sites or public places that have been underutilised or unused for ages for various reasons.
To better utilise such places, a two-day expo under the title ‘Citizen Open House’ is being held on Friday and Saturday to attract investment under CSR. “The objective is to reimagine road and street infrastructure of Bengaluru not just as vehicular traffic routes, but as inclusive, people-centric public spaces that meet the needs of diverse communities. As part of this initiative, a public call was issued to citizens to identify underutilised or unused public spaces in their neighbourhoods.
This received a good response from across the city, with residents’ welfare associations, urban planners, architects and academic institutions identifying over 250 sites. After initial screening, 194 sites were identified as actionable sites and included in the city-level public repository, and a series of projects have been formulated for phased implementation through the five municipal corporations,” said a release.
As per the survey, detailed site surveys are being undertaken to assess local conditions and determine appropriate interventions. So far, 25 places have been approved for funding under the National Clean Air Programme.
Distribution of identified sites
Bengaluru Central 43
Bengaluru North 49
Bengaluru East 21
Bengaluru West 31
Bengaluru South 50