5 January 2009 | Posted inBlog News & Updates
Posted by Chirayu
this urban life
City life wasn’t easy a hundred years back. At the peak of industrial industrial innovation, cities were crowded and congested. As some scientists have found recently, urban life isn’t easy even today. Jonah Lehrer writes in his article in Boston Globe, “One of the main forces at work is a stark lack of nature, which is surprisingly beneficial for the brain.”
This is brings up one of the key differences between Traditional Urbanism and New Urbanism. Traditional cities were restrained by walkability and security needs to keep the urban form tight and close knit. This did not allow for much open space or natural escapes within the urban core. New Urbanism promotes a healthy mix of natural and man-made parks and open space networks within the urban environment.
Jonah’s article mentions Central Park in New York as an example of such a natural refuge within the urban setting. Growing urban populations will need additional land and investments in parks and openspaces as an investment in public health. Projects like the Beltline and Greenline in Atlanta find new relevance in light of this discussion.
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i must say i was lucky to b able to study in V V Nagar.. my dream was simple.. whenever i walk down the road trees should form an arc above. it was there most times. and i enjoyed walking around so much that never asked for a bike.
It continues here in Reliance as well.. our township rightly called “Reliance Greens” is green.. lush green and definitely helps u connect with surroundings. After a hectic 14-15 hour day, gardens and fountains help a lot getting energy back – only for next day.