To revive the natural water systems in the city, and respond through urban design, by looking into the quotient of Liveability along the central water system network and the various planning policies that address the future physical interventions along this corridor.
Participant Name: Sarfaraz Yaseen
Country: India
Contemporary Issue : The city of Coimbatore today is an industrial and education centre, and registers 96% population in the tertiary sector in its occupational pattern, major based in the industrial based units in and around the city and its neighbouring districts and states. The orientation of the city hence in the last 30 years, in its urban gesture has left its environmental bodies, along its river and its network of tanks, underdeveloped and has created a divide in the city’s participation[of the multi-cultural communities] with its water systems. The man made tank systems that when made were connected and had a unique system of ascending levels which filled up one by one as the river further flowed towards the east of the city, which was serving the needs of portable water to the city, today is hindered by the sporadic development along this edge, cutting off the connection the community had with the water systems, and has left all the 7 water tanks rich with ecology[ flora and fauna] disconnected[ physical interventions, movement networks].
Lack of Urban Design: This scenario if not addressed through urban design, the city in the future might lose its connections, [social and cultural].the natural developments that have been planned according to the CDP, also has most industrial based developments proposed along this edge, this can lead to complete disconnect of the water systems and city. The residents and migrants who comprise of the most population close to the water networks today do not have opportunities at a city level to exhibit their capabilities to contribute to the city, and use the precincts of the lake and river, as the city in its urban gestures have over-ridden the aspirations of the local communities.
Water tanks as Self Sustaining Economy Generator and Why Coimbatore ? The city today is need of public spaces, as statistics show that coimbatore has 0.69 sq m open space per person today on an standard that is at 12 sq m per person, by reviving all the tanks and the green corridor along the central city spine, we can achieve about 7 sq m per person. Coimbatore also has favourable microclimate as a result of the water networks, hence the proposed water system corridor can remain usable for public all round the year, and the already existing infrastructure framework which will allow it to continue its growth.
INTENT BASED ON ISSUES ON SITE [BASED ON SITE STUDY, DESCRIPTIVE REFERENCE IN PANELS ATTACHED].
THE THESIS LOOKS AT THE WATER SYSTEMS AS A PART OF A LARGER CITY FUNCTION THAT CAN BE PART OF A DAY TO DAY USE OF A CITY USER , AS A PART OF TRAVELLING TO GET TO A POINT IN THE CITY, TO RECREATE CLOSE TO WATER , AS A PLACE FOR PUBLIC GATHERING – PROTEST PLACE, MARKETS AND SUNDAY OPEN FAIRS, AND CITY FUNCTIONS THAT ADDRESS THE CITY AND ITS HERITAGE VALUE. THUS TO RE-ESTABLISH THE RELATION THE CITY HAD WITH ITS WATER BODIES IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT.