BIOPOLIS: ADVANCING CIVIC ECOSYSTEMS

Cities are not merely a confluence of millions of people and the requisite infrastructure to
meet their diverse needs; they represent a spectrum of societies, ranging from cities to
megacities and megalopolises. In its archaic sense, a city is the focal point of civilization,
serving as the nucleus for human and natural resources. Cities extend a plethora of essential
services on a massive scale, encompassing transportation, housing, sanitation, agricultural
requirements, power generation, and systems for efficient water usage and waste
management.

However, in the contemporary world, cities are often perceived solely through the lens of
economic development, driven by real estate agents and individual interests. This perspective
has led to the cluttered and unlivable architecture of many urban spaces. A city should not
only be compact but also feature essential public spaces and a distinct character that
contributes to its liveability. Unfortunately, the emphasis on functionality in modern street
design has resulted in a homogeneity that erases the unique charm found in the details of
older, more character-rich streets.

Reflecting on my days in the countryside of Patan, I fondly recall the enchanting atmosphere
of the old streets, contrasting sharply with the dullness and confinement experienced in
modern marketplaces. Similarly, neighbourhoods and "vaados" (small, packed societies)
exhibit a unique beauty with their inner streets and central open spaces, fostering social
interaction due to their compact nature.

In the context of social interactions, the safety and security of all inhabitants emerge as
crucial elements in creating cities that are conducive to a high quality of life.

We can say that it is the duty of the government, and strict laws should be abided by.
If we plan the city in such a way that an environment is created where safe neighbourhoods
are achieved,
That there will be much lower crime rates in the city can be achieved through this method.
The vadis in my countryside are the best example of that.

In modern days, the best example is Chandigarh. It's planning by Le Corbusier, with its
sectorial organization and careful considerations for green spaces, roads, and building
typology, contributes to the development of safe neighbourhoods. The sectorial layout
ensures that each unit satisfies human needs, with separate roads for pedestrians and vehicles,
creating well-organized and secure living environments.

Another main reason that makes the city dull are, slums.
The juxtaposition of slums adds complexity to the urban narrative. Often excluded from city
planning, these communities find themselves occupying
is near riverbeds or garbage dump sites, making rehabilitation challenging once they settle.
Mumbai's Dharavi serves as a vivid example of this predicament. To address this issue,
inclusive planning should involve slum communities, ensuring their needs are considered in
the broader urban landscape.

Architect and urban planner Smruti Jukur Johari challenges traditional city planning by
emphasising the importance of involving the poor in decision-making. She advocates for user
empowerment, suggesting that allowing people to design their homes is crucial for shaping
inclusive and sustainable cityscapes.

Some of the steps can improve the planning of the city and also its usage to its user groups:

Engaging citizens in the planning process is crucial. Regular public planning meetings, where
citizens can participate and be informed about decisions shaping their city, offer a platform
for suggestions and feedback. This participatory approach fosters awareness and empowers
individuals to contribute to the evolution of their urban environment.

Beyond all these solutions to a meaningful city, there are also minimal solutions that help in
creating a cityscape environment and also play a major role in making the city more lively,
such as adding a green roof to your structure, whether it be a building, a house, or any
commercial tower. The addition of it may be costlier, but its addition can improve the
liveability of the city.
SOURCE IMAGE: GOOGLE MAPS STREET IMAGE

In ancient times, communities constructed dedicated areas, such as the "Chabutaro" in my

hometown Patan, to provide shelter, food, and water for city-dwelling birds and animals. The
vanishing presence of sparrows in urban settings underscores the growing separation from
nature. Unlike rural areas thriving with biodiversity, cities tend to overlook these ecological
aspects. Urban rewilding stands out as a viable remedy, aiming to reintegrate green spaces
and habitats into urban landscapes. This process holds the potential to harmonize city life
with the natural world, fostering a healthier coexistence between human settlements and the
diverse fauna that once thrived alongside them.

The towns go beyond their role as practical hubs; they're dynamic living places where all
kinds of creatures coexist. Thoughtful city planning' is important to transform towns into
places people want to be that go together with nature and help meet the many needs of the
people living there. Asking everyone and including all can pave the way for sustainable,
exciting cityscapes that balance economic development with keeping the earth and people
well. How we build our communities matters a lot; it's about building a place where animals
and people can thrive side by side without hurting each other or the land. By working
together on plans that respect all living things, maybe we can have towns that people are
proud to call home for many years to come.
The population's perception of the city often leads to an increased demand for the area. In
response to this demand, various government bodies collaborate with private players and real
estate developers to engage in the process of creating the necessary infrastructure to
accommodate these needs.
Real estate developers undertake the creation of societies, housing, commercial projects, and
various other categories of projects, including transportation hubs, railway stations, and bus
stations. They strategically leverage governmental policies and bylaws to maximise the
utilisation of the floor space index (FSI), ensuring the optimal extraction of profits.
For example, while building a house, a developer will always go with the minimum
requirement of a C.O.P. (common open plot) and place the houses or vertical blocks
(buildings) without considering the liveable environments or the outcome of the social
haphazard of the place.
So, due to these reasons, the formation of a generalised city takes place, which at last ends up
in social disaster, destruction of the ecosystem, and the formation of slum areas.
After that, major issues arise: “Where should we give a place for poor people to live?”
Then we choose a place that is already surrounded by the community, where the government
decides to make ‘Ahwaas’ or ‘Suman’ (HOUSING PROGRAMME FOR POOR). In that
case, many poor people give their flats given under the Yojna for rental income to sustain
their ongoing lives and find another place in the city to live, like railway stations, etc., thus
the cycle goes round.
In an ideal case, if all the people of the slum also moved up to the flats given by the
government, the community living around them would be disturbed as the prices of the land
surrounding them went down.
Various economic and social damages will be caused to the environment around it, and many
various issues will be increased due to it.
Thus, the solution to this issue is never-ending; it can be shown fulfilled in the books of the
government by creating an Ahwaas for the poor public residing in the slum area.
But the after-effects are never-ending.
On the other hand, at the very first stage, when the city is planned, why don’t we focus on the
development of places for poor people by including them in the process for their own
development?
The government can build the place that is actually needed instead of putting vertical AHWA
blocks only for their housing.

If we observe any city that has been in existence since historic times, we will always observe
that a place or area is known as an old city or town where major market areas are located,
including housing in a mixed-development style.
We can also notice that there are public spaces or clock towns in some cities located in the
centre of the city.
Also, this olden part is not too large; one can also walk from one end to another end in a
maximum of 20 to 30 minutes.
We can also observe green spaces in them and all the elements that can make the city
beautiful and memorable, but it’s not the same case with newly developed cities around the
old towns.
Previously, small towns had efficient public places that acted as the city centre, but newly
made cities from towns are like extensions of these towns as they have inadequate public
spaces.

All the pressure from people for public space is diverted to the existing public spaces in old
towns, which make the place city-centric, and hence this affects the lifestyle of the people
living in the area far from these city-centric public spaces.
This scenario ends up in the formation of cities with undesirable environments, leading to a
low quality of city life for residents, as cities are also part of social equity.
Meanwhile, these urban extensions are also made from the boundaries of the pre-existing
towns that were previously forests or any jungle area that can disrupt the biodiversity of that
area. Instead, we can also build places preserving the biodiversity, and that preserved part
also acts as a small green pocket of the city, accomplishing the need for green spaces in the
city.
This scenario ends up in the formation of cities with undesirable environments, leading to a
low quality of city life for residents, as cities are also part of social equity.

Another important place that acts as the centre for the formation of public space—water
bodies in the form of lakes, ponds, and rivers also fulfils the water requirements of the city.
Developing the promenade around it enhances public space with pleasing views of water; on
the other hand, efficient usage of these spaces in the water allocation makes the city system
more efficient.

In all the races for developing the city to emerge as an economic centre, we built many
industries that actually harm the environment, but these industries are also necessary for all
overgrowth, so not managing the waste is the biggest issue in the matter.
A major issue is polluted water from industries that gets mixed into rivers or creates a dull
pond of poisonous polluted water that harms the urban environment. Proper planning of water
management can be done through modern-day technologies like DEWATS, etc.

After dissecting all the scenarios and extremes of the metropolis, a conclusion can be drawn
for the proper establishment and function of the city.
A good example of a city that has achieved the 5 Mains for running a city eco system is one
project developed by the Bjarke Ingles Group.
They developed the idea of floating cities that have all the things that cities require to run
efficiently.
The system is built in such a way that it can harvest the thermal mass of the oceans, the forces
of the tides and current, the power of wind, and the heat energy of the sun as a power
resource.
Underpinning the floating city concept is adaptability. The architects' vision for the design
aims to accommodate various cultural contexts across climates, from the tropics through the
Middle East and Southeast Asia to Scandinavia, by adapting to the diverse locales. This
flexibility fosters a sense of cultural inclusivity and allows the concept to resonate globally.
The project's potential extends beyond individual islands to envision a network of
interconnected floating communities. These floating islands, designed for approximately 300
people each, can cluster together to form neighbourhoods and, eventually, entire cities
accommodating up to 10,000 residents. This scalable model envisions dynamic and organic
growth, akin to a culture flourishing in a petri dish.
As the architects look to anchor the first floating city in the Pearl River delta, they paint a
vivid picture of a sustainable utopia. A canopy of photovoltaic adorns the archipelago,
aquatic transportation replaces conventional cars, and permaculture gardens become vibrant
social landscapes. The community port, emerging as the pulsating heart of the floating city,
serves as both a gathering place where residents may commune together throughout each day
and night as well as a locus fostering a robust sense of community and shared purpose
amongst all.

In conclusion, the proposal for floating cities represents a bold and imaginative response to
the challenges of a changing world. This sentence reflects a dedication to sustainable living
through adapting to climate change while cultivating vibrant yet inclusive communities.
While the uncertainties of tomorrow cast a shadow of doubt across our world, this pioneering

framework serves as a guiding light, illustrating with clarity and care a path towards balance
and accord where humanity and nature may walk as one.

REFRENCES:

1)https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-architectural-reviews/a4125-tedtalks-for-
architects-what-if-the-poor-were-part-of-city-planning-by-smruti-jukur-johari/
#google_vignette
2)https://archestudy.com/planning-of-chandigarh-by-le-corbuiser/
3) https://www.designboom.com/architecture/bjarke-ingels-group-oceanix-floating-city-
busan-south-korea-04-28-2022/

4) Book referred :How to Make an attractive city.

5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy4QjmKzF1c

6) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X9OcbSiO0Y&t=221s