Varanasi Riverfront Urban Initiative/ India

Landscape Restoration of River Slope and Pedestrian Walkway Varanasi is situated by the Ganges is a city that has strong river edge where only the historic edge is protected and the stretch beyond Assi Ghat is not thought about. The proposal focuses to create a restorative scheme for public spaces and landscapes and strives to be an “Anandvana” that it was once referred to with forest and groves. A total of 4km stretch of highly erosive slopes are restored using landscape development and various existing ghats are connected using pedestrian walkway and public spaces along river edge. Two major zones are proposed which includes public parks, ghat facilities and socio-cultural buildings that would engage the public in creating awareness about the river and the initiatives to improve ecology of the River Ganga. The Vision Plan covers a larger area between the 4km long edge stretched between Assi Ghat and Vishwa Sunder bye-pass parallel to Ganga. The current proposal visualizes the city for next 25 years highlighting the constraints, potentials and suggestions for holistic development of urban area. The idea of Varanasi Anandvan as “Panchvati” or the five forest concept is based on a restorative landscape scheme which comprises of 5 sacred tress of India, i.e. Pipal, Amla, Bael, Ashoka and the Banyan. The main approach to design is regenerative / renewal rather than a tabula rasa approach. To give a fresh direction to city development a contemporary approach has been adopted based on environmental, ecological and social surveys.

Volume Editors

ISBN
978-1-944214-31-9