Design policy draft calls for women, children-friendly tourist spots in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  To make tourism destinations across the state women, children and pedestrian-friendly, the government has come up with a draft design policy that aims to give a distinct touch to the state’s physical assets to enhance their utility and aesthetic appeal.

The draft policy, drawn up after a three-day design policy workshop, was presented to Tourism and Public Works Minister P A Mohamed Riyas. The workshop, ‘Design by Future’, held at Craft Village at Vellar, near Kovalam, was a joint initiative of the Department of Tourism and Public Works Department (PWD).

The draft design policy was presented by Prof Praveen Nahar, director of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The draft design policy that emerged from extensive deliberations by top experts factors in the state’s traditional design concepts while imbibing new trends and foreseeing future needs to be applied while creating and preserving public assets, mainly focusing on tourism and public infrastructure.

It also lays down a set of best practices to be followed while designing physical assets such as roads, bridges, streets, street furniture, signages and public spaces, which are crucial in enhancing the experience of tourists. Among the highlights of the draft policy are recommendations for creating special tourism, heritage and ecological zones and setting up Kerala State Culture Fund.  

The other suggestions include considering autorickshaws as a product and drivers as ambassadors of tourism, standardisation of signages and lighting, and integrating technology in communication and public spaces. Also suggested are: creating design awareness at all levels, a special package for traditional art performance spaces, a craft design centre and Kerala brand for arts and crafts, mapping of craft communities and a centralised data management tool for tourism and PWD.