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CASE STUDIES

Figue 1: Cheonggyecheon Stream: Before and After

(image source: www.https://www.landscapeperformance.org/)

cities to be developed as a off the city is under intense the growing traffic, little is
smart city under Smart Cities renovation. There is a shift left as quality open space.
Mission. seen in the socio-economic Moreover, the congestion has
status which is a sign of led to deterioration of public
The city, covering an area of development of the city. Other transport and inconvenience
approx. 90 sq. mile, has three impacts are the changing to pedestrians.
parts- the old city area along preferences of the citizens
with the fort and its lake; in terms of consumerism, This urbanization and
the planned areas of the city, commute and recreation. The unplanned development
which are laid in a grid layout direct impact on the spatial have distanced the city
during the colonial era; and the city growth is the increase in from its inherent nature and
lush green cantonment area, the number of private cars identity. It has deteriorated
which was also established which has led to discussions the underlying systems, both
during the British rule. The for solutions in transport natural and infrastructural
National Highway-4 cuts infrastructure as the key focus and prevented people from
the city in two halves while of the development. The city connecting with the natural
the southwestern railway and its roads, which were environment. The piecemeal
line runs along the Highway. earlier pedestrian and bicycle solutions to various urban
There are 4 railway crossing friendly, are now unsafe for issues have disintegrated
gates in main areas of the city. these modes of commuting. the underlying ecosystem

The city has seen immense The open spaces are mere & infrastructure rather than
adopting a comprehensive
growth in the last two decades fragment portions of land, not whole city master plan
from being a quiet, laid back serving the original purpose. approach. This has led to
city and an education hub to With the city core getting consequences in the last few
a bustling, commercially and denser to meet the growing years, the recent one being
industrially growing hub. demands of the city, as well as the flooding of the city in 2019
With smart city projects and the citizens and adding new monsoons.
infrastructural projects taking infrastructure to negotiate

October 2021 Volume 22 No. 2 - SHELTER 71