Built environment created in the past was invariably based on nature and optimally using resources made available by nature to meet the basic requirement of ventilation, heating and cooling of the buildings in order to create ambient environment for quality living. Using local materials and local skills ,built environment created was based on adopting passive approach and passive methods of making buildings sustainable. Cities in the past were made compact to make them human centric, energy efficient, land efficient and promoting safety and security. Mechanism of mixed landuse was used to make cities more humane and social. Cities were treated, planned and designed as integrated entities. Water was valued and innovative mechanisms were used to conserve, preserve and promote availability of water. Streets dominated the planning of human settlements instead of roads. Despite being planned and developed as compact cities, adequate public spaces were made integral part of planning process. Planning focused on creating self-sustaining communities , mutually supporting each other. Fundamental principal was promoting planning and living based on need and not greed. Nature was the governing principle of planning and nature based solutions were evolved, devolved and made applicable in making human settlements sustainable and livable. Back to basic remains a great option and agenda to understand the principles which can be used to charter the future agenda for growth and development.

1. Back to Basics - for
Promoting
Sustainability
Ar. Jit Kumar Gupta;
Chairman ; Board of Examination & Architectural Education, Indian Institute of Architects
Chairman, Chandigarh Chapter, IGBC Chandigarh
jit.kumar1944@gmail.com

2. Countries/
Cities/ India
in the Global
Context

5. Global- Tree Count

6. Global Context of Cities

7. Population Scenario- India-2011
 Population of India reached
 250 million in 1919
 500 million in 1966 (47 yrs. Later)
 1000 million in 2000 ( 34 yrs. Later)
 1027 million in 2001 (1yr Later)
 1210 million in 2011 (10 yrs. Later)
 2020– Indian Population -1380 M (35% )- 483 million_
 2050- Indian population- 1600 mil. -- 50% in Urban India.
 Metropolitan Centers -5 (1951)- -53 (2011)-68(2031)
 10 m plus- nil (1951)- 3 (2011) -7 (2031)-9 (2051
 Urban India --first time added more persons(91m) than Rural India
(90m) in last decade
 During last 100 years, India witnessed—
- -Urbanization level going up by 3 times
- --Urban settlements growing merely 4 times
- --Total Population multiplying 5 times
- -Urban population increasing 15 times and
- -Rural population increasing 3.5 times
 Increased population requires
 -- More housing, More educational/ healthcare/ institutions
 --More commercial space
 -- ,More transportation
 – More infrastructure – more Resources

8. Cities
impacting
Global/local
Sustainability

9. Cities and their Context
 Cities have been part of human history.
 - Cities- known to command power and authority
 Cities -- known for their dualities and contradictions.
 Cities- known for both -- positivity and negativities
 Cities -- known to be areas of concentration of population/ activities,
infrastructures, services, healthcare, education
 Cities -- known to be Engines of economic growth-70%
 Cities - generators of employment , wealth and prosperity,
 Cities – also known for their negativities,
 Cities – large consumers of resources/energy/ land
 Cities- generators of 70% waste;-- consume 60% global energy -
generating 70% of carbon footprints
 --98% /56% cities in low& middle/high income economies - do not
meet air quality WHO norms Cities- remain a manmade , mechanical
habitat
 Cities- destroy natural habitat-anti-thesis to bio-diversity

10. Cities and their Context
 Cities- home to large migrants
 Cities- home to slums
 Cities- remain in crisis- both -natural and manmade
 Crisis-- of population, poverty, pollution
 Cities – ever evolving and devolving, never static
 Cities – to remain dominant in future
 Cities- drivers/definers of nation’s future
 Cities largely responsible for climate change ,global
warming, manmade disasters etc-
 However Cities - needs rationalization
 Cities --need to be made more
 -- bio-diverse; productive, effective, efficient, humane,
 - livable, inclusive, safe, Resilient ,sustainable, Healthy
place to live /work

11. Built
Environment
in the context
of
Sustainability

12. Buildings- Role and Importance
 Buildings-- integral part of human history, growth and
development since inception
 Buildings –also define future journey of human
growth
 Buildings-- constitute manmade environment-
 Buildings-- remain vital for human growth
 Buildings – are living organism
 Buildings – cater to all human activities
 Buildings- full of dualities and contradictions
 Buildings -- largest consumers of energy
 Buildings - largest consumers of resources
 Buildings – largest generators of waste
 Buildings- largest polluter of environment /ecology
 Buildings --- responsible for largest carbon footprints
 Buildings -- responsible for global warming
 Buildings -- major determinant of global sustainability

13. Buildings- Role and Importance
 Buildings– providers of optimum/worst living conditions
 Buildings -- make people healthy/sick
 Buildings --critical because 80% human life spent in buildings
 Buildings vital to overcome human/ ecological concerns
 Making Buildings Sustainable-- essential for;
 -- making value addition to;
 -- Cities
 -Climate
 - Resources,
 -- Environment ,
 --Ecology
 Studies have revealed —
 A Green School--makes learning easy/ more meaningful
 A Green House--- makes people happy and healthy
 A Green Hospital-- cures patients quickly
 A Green Shopping Mall-- can increase sales / profits

15. Buildings- Built Environment
 Operational domain of professions of Architecture/Engineers
revolves around;
 --creating state of art built environment, involving;
 --Siting
 -- planning/ designing,
 --construction,
 --operation,
 -- maintenance
 --Demolition and
 -Reconstruction
--Architects– have critical role & responsibility for
--making value addition to
- Cities, Resources ,environment ecology
 -- by creating sustainable built environment.
-- Going green --necessity--to ensure -sustainable tomorrow
---Each building remains unique
--need different options to make it green

16. BUILDINGS AS CONSUMERS OF RESOURCES
•Built environment impact environment / consumption of
resources:
16% of world’s fresh water withdrawal.
25% of wood harvested.
30% of consumption of raw material.
50% of global energy consumption.
35% of world's CO2 emission
40% of Municipal solid waste.
50% of Ozone depleting CFC’s still in use.
30% of the residents having sick building syndrome
( Roodman and Lenssen, 1995)
•70% global warming--outcome of buildings / transportation
•Existing buildings--low concern for energy conservation.
•Considering annual addition of- 700-900msqmts
•- energy/ environment implications can be critical.
•Buildings designed /constructed /operated with utmost care for
•- energy
•--sustainability
•--resources

17. Designing Built Environment


18. Promoting
Sustainabilit
y

19. SDG 11- Make cities and human settlements
inclusive ,safe, resilient and sustainable

20. Back to Basics- Achieving
Sustainability in Past
 Making Cities Climate responsive
 Making Cities Land Efficient
 Making Cities operationally Economical Efficient
 Planning Cities on Human Scale
 Promoting Pedestrianization
 Promoting Walkability
 Adopting Mixed land-use pattern
 Creating Public/ open Spaces
 Creating Sustainable built environment
 Using Passive Approach to designing of buildings-
Sustainability
 Making Buildings energy/resource efficient
 Using Local materials and local skill
 Making optimum use of nature/natural resources- Sun, Air
 Valuing, preserving, conserving Water

21. Rediscovering Indian ethos-Planning with
Nature- Panchbhutas
Prithvi (Earth) Site Selection and Planning
Jal (Water) Water Conservation
Agni (Fire) Energy Efficiency
Vayu (Air) Indoor Environmental Quality
Akash (Sky) Daylight, Night Sky Pollution
Daylighting
Views
Water Body Local materials

22. Planning with Climate-Cold Climate- Leh
- Planning on Southern Slope- avoid shading

23. Jaisalmer-Rajasthan- Climate Centric City-
Planning with terrain, Physiography, climate on
human scale

24. Climate Centric City-Compact City—
Economizing Resources, Land,
Services,Cost

25. Respecting Local Terrain

26. Walkable Cities-Mixed Landuse

27. Shaded Streets- Promoting
Predestination

28. Valuing and Respecting Water

29. Valuing Water--Step Wells- Gujrat

30. Valuing Water--Step Wells- Gujrat

31. ntegral part of in Cities/ Built
Environment-Taj Mahal

32. Valuing Landscape-Humayun Tomb
Delhi

33. Creating Large Open Spaces- Gardens as part of
making value addition/Recreation of people Cities-
Moghul Garden PINJORE

34. TULIP GARDEN SRINAGAR

35. MOGHUL GARDEN SRINAGAR

36. Hawa Mahal – Jaipur- Passive cooling;
cross-ventilation, privacy, shading
interiors, viewing

37. Promoting Passive Cooling—Cross-
Ventilation

38. Climate Responsive Architecture -Creating Buffer
Spaces for minimizing heat gain, open
sitting/viewing

39. Adopting Courtyard Planning- Passive
Cooling and space for Family
socializing

40. Jallis- Providing Light, air, Privacy, Protection
from Sun

41. Using Local Materials- Yellow sand Stone,
mud, lime, reed & grass - in natural form-
minimizing maintenance, reflecting sun

42. Leveraging Local Material/Local Skills-
Creating Unique Vocabulary of
Architecture

43. Way Forward
for Promoting
Sustainability

44. Making cities Great Places to Live
 Achieving Agenda defined in SDG-11- Making
cities/communities- Safe, Sustainable , Resilient, Inclusive
 -Making Cities/buildings- Net Zero Carbon/Net Zero-
energy/Net Zero waste/ Net Zero Water
 Smart Visioning
 Promoting State of art Planned Development
 Planning with Climate, Nature with Natural Resources
 Making cities Compact; Inclusive- Safe
 --Leveraging Technology
 Making cities Green/blue - Leveraging landscape/water
 -Leveraging Culture, Heritage, Art / Architecture
 -Creating Quality Public /Green Spaces
 -Designing Sustainable/Green Buildings
 -Making cities community/people centric-
 -Creating ownership for city
 Reconnecting cities to food productivity
 - integrating agriculture into cities through holistic architecture-
Making Cities Spongy- keeping large area open/ promote water
harvesting--ground water charging/reducing flooding
 Making informal sector- integral part of planning/develop.

45. CO
BS
WO
RKING
LIVING
CIRCULATIO
N
• The Radiant City
•An organism capable of housing the
works of man of machine-age society.
• placed under the masterful
government of natural conditions:
•Sun
•Space
•Greenery
•And its mission is the service of
mankind:
•To live
•To work
•To cultivate body and spirit
•To travel about
(in this order and obeying this
hierarchy)

46. Chandigarh Master Plan- Le Corbusier
-Integrating urban fabric with nature

47. Defining- Green Buildings

49. Transportation- Options
 Minimize travel- Making cities compact-
 Planning for mixed land-use/ TOD
 Changing priority for travel-
 Planning for People-- not for vehicles
 Promoting Accessibility-- Not Mobility
 Promoting Cycling
 Promoting Mass Transportation
 Pricing Roads
 Making Equitable allocation of road space

50. Defining Sustainable Transport
 Sustainable Transport --
 -- sometimes known as Green Transport
 -- form of transport that does not use / rely
on dwindling natural resources.
 -- relies on renewable /regenerated energy
 -- rather than fossil fuels that have a finite life
expectancy

51. Valuing Villages

52. Punsari, Gujarat- Technology driven Villag
Punsari village,-- Closed-circuit cameras, water purifying plants, biogas
plants, air-conditioned schools, Wi-Fi, biometric machines – done in
eight years- cost of Rs. 16 crore.--Transformation made possible by
young tech-savvy sarpanch – 33-year-old Himanshu Patel
--village offers amenities of a city but the spirit of a village.”

53. Mawlynnong, Meghalaya- Cleanest
village
 plastic is banned--paths lined with flowers-- bamboo
dustbins stand at every corner, --volunteers sweep
streets -- signboards warn visitors against littering. --
Cleanliness a ritual for all old/young –
 --village Known as cleanest village in India /Asia.

54. Piplantri, Rajasthan- Saving girls&
Trees
Village Panchyat saving girl children & increasing green cover
---planting 111 trees when a girl is born –ensuring survive of trees --
attaining fruitation as girls grow up. - set up a fixed deposit for girls -
parents sign an affidavit ensuring their education
.-During last nine years,- planted over a quarter million trees on village’s
grazing land—Preventing trees from termite,
-planted over 2.5 million aloe-vera plants around them.
Trees/aloevera,-- a source of livelihood for several residents.

55. •
 Three Mantra for Sustainable/
Inclusive/ Resilient cities
1. Achieve smart growth
 -- finding best options to do things sustainably
 -- promote economic growth for people –
 -- making them earn good livelihood
 -- make them enjoy a good quality of life.
 2. Do more with less–
 -- cities need money-- to accomplish all wants .
 Cities to collect, manage/spend resources effectively/ efficiently
 3. Win support for change-
 - City leaders need to;-- deliver fast, positive & visible results,
 - build support for changes.
 -- Based on high-performing civil servants-- made accountable
for their work—Singapore model

56. Architect -Jaimy Learner- Mayor
Curitiba-BRTS, TOD, Spongy Cities, SWM

58. Grateful for your time,
attention and
patience

59. Masdar- Abu Dhabi