Posted on 16th September, 2013 by admin

Well-Developed Social Infra Prove To Be A Major Draw

Smart growth is the buzzword for cities struggling to overcome the horrors of urban sprawl. ‘New guard’ urban planners at the Rio de Janeiro United Nations Conference on Environment and Development while accepting that growth and development would continue to occur, sought to put in place sustainable communities that are good places to live, to do business, to work, and to raise families. The aim was to facilitate residents’ access to quality education to livable, safe and healthy places and stimulate economic activity.

Remarkably, these are the very parameters that are powering North Bangalore. Not since the introduction of software industry and the resultant emergence of Electronics City has any economic activity so recharged Bangalore as the new international airport at Devanahalli.

But what’s working for North Bangalore is that the social infrastructure – good schools and hospitals – had started emerging in this area even before the airport came up. The main draw was the availability of large parcels of land at cheap rates. Many of these schools now top national lists and are, in many cases, the first choice preference of even third and fourth-generation Bangaloreans.

“The decisive difference is that in all other areas, including Electronics City, the localities sprung up first and the connectivity to the localities came limping along much later,” said V S Surendar, joint MD of Standard Brick and Tiles Company which has entered into a joint development with RMZ Corp to convert a major part of their sprawling facility off the Bangalore International Airport road in Yelahanka into a bouquet of mall, multiplex, hotel, office space and residential complex.

Arjun Menda, group chairman of RMZ Corp was emphatic when he said that in five years the centre of the city would gravitate towards North Bangalore. “We saw this happening in Mumbai when the focus of activity shifted from Central Mumbai to the Kurla-Bandra region. In Bangalore too, far flung areas like Whitefield and Banashankari are bound to lose out. They are far from the airport and road connectivity is choked,” he says.

THE KEY DRIVERS Social infrastructure like schools and hospitals came in early

Large parcels of land was available at cheap rates for some time

Proximity to international airport Soon to be opened elevated expressway

Healthy mix of residential and commercial areas CHANGING BANGALORE Clean air draws many to North B’lore

“On the other hand, connectivity in North Bangalore is set to become outstanding. The elevated expressway (expected to be commissioned later this year) will facilitate an 18-lane highway (6 lanes elevated and 12 lanes of service roads and main roads underneath), far wider than anything, anywhere in Bangalore. Then there are ring roads, peripheral ring roads, other wide

roads and the inevitable metro rail link to promote connectivity in these parts,” he adds.

All this is drawing sporting facilities to the area. North Bangalore has two golf courses with the third one on the drawing board. “When we started the Touche Golf Academy off Kogilu Cross it was with some trepidation,” said Dr Rohit Shetty, a golfing enthusiast. “Adarsh Developers chairman Jaishankar gave us these 26 acres of land to promote golf. While the response has been overwhelming, it is the reaction of expats and kids’ parents that are revealing. They love this part of Bangalore for its clean, non-polluted air and have shifted residence here. Some have admitted their children to schools in the vicinity.”

Connectivity struck a chord with Krishna Bhupathi, father of tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi and founder of the fabulous Tennis Village in Kodigehalli. “In the 1990s it was a 90-minutes commute from MG Road to here. Now it takes just 15 to 20 minutes in early morning. Once the elevated road comes through access would be easier,” he said.

Kengal Sripad Renu, former State cricketer and grandson of former chief minister Kengal Hanumanthiah said, “for the first time our generation has an opportunity to shape the future of a city. North Bangalore is without doubt the biggest game changer we are going to witness. There are plenty of open spaces with a tremendous potential for development. Thus builders must be mandated to provide playgrounds for kids. They cater to the older generation with gymnasiums and walking paths in residential complexes. But what about kids? With 40% of Indian population below the age of 25 it is necessary to promote playgrounds.”

“As North Bangalore’s population density increases it will support entertainment zones, malls and corporate offices,” pointed out Menda.

“The sparse population worked in our favour,” said Srinivas Velidanda, co-founder of Coringa, the coastal Andhra specialty restaurant on the airport road. He argued that the low population density gave his new restaurant the time and space to perfect its delivery mechanisms. “We are not your everyday Andhra restaurant. We have a 16-page menu bustling with vegetarian and nonvegetarian food that needs to be customized for an individual. Had we been on MG Road we would not have been able to pay attention to detail. ,” he stated.

Surendar believed that some residential areas are already going the right way. “In my opinion Sahakarnagar and Yelahanka New Town are the best examples. They have lots of play areas and parks. They also have a terrific mix of residential and commercial land use. Indiranagar and Koramangala have failed on these parameters and their residents are paying the price for it,” he stressed.

Nandan Heblikar, a consultant for golf courses, cricket grounds and other outdoor sports infrastructure pointed out to the existence of two golf courses in the area (Golfshire & Touche) and said that he was consulting for the third that has just completed land consolidation.

Certainly North Bangalore has all the ingredients for smart growth – airport, railway stations, TTMCs, connectivity, land, hospitals, schools, software parks, etc. Prophetically Surendar states: “The best is yet to come.”

Source: Times of India