Telangana signs MoU with HUL for rejuvenation of Hyderabad’s open public spaces

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Department of Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyderabad Urban Lab Foundation (HUL) to promote sustainable models, tools, and best practices for low-cost urban innovation and sustainable urbanization.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Telangana MAUD Minister K T Rama Rao on Saturday following a detailed presentation to the Minister by a HUL delegation stressing the need for rejuvenation of public open spaces through meaningful urban design. HUL will work in partnership with local stakeholders, private organisations, architecture students and colleges, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Special Chief Secretary, MAUD, Arvind kumar, GHMC Commissioner Lokesh and all Zonal Commissioners were present at the presentation and MoU signing ceremony.

The HUL, led by Anant Maringanti, has come forward to promote well-thought out design solutions for urban infrastructure and aesthetic deficits in Hyderabad by working in neighbourhoods in an ‘urban acupuncture’ mode.

The initiative aims to promote meaningful design solutions for the informal settlements like slums, abandoned and open places besides other spaces where rapid urbanisation is being witnessed. Through this initiative, these spaces will be converted into vibrant living spaces like playgrounds and libraries, among others, using the 'Urban Acupuncture' concept. All this will be taken up using low-cost intervention techniques.

‘Urban acupuncture’ is a term coined by Jaime Lerner to describe such interventions which can “heal, improve and create positive chain reaction”.

Almost all localities including slums have open spaces, varying from a few hundred yards to about an acre. They are often neglected, used to dump garbage and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Such places, over a period of time, turn into desolate places eventually becoming havens for illegal and anti-social activities. Left unattended, they often pose a grave danger to women and children in terms of their personal safety.

It is strongly felt that the Telangana MAUD, along with the state revenue dept and GHMC, can identify and inventorise all such land parcels and develop them over a period of time into meaningful spaces for public activities such as libraries, play areas, venues for social gatherings and hubs for economic convergence. The effective use of urban designing and architecture can set the plan for development for such sites, in consultation with local stakeholders to ensure their ownership. Once the plan is readied, MAUD and GHMC can actually implement them for effective utilisation and meaningful rejuvenation of such places.

Citizens are requested to send the list of such open spaces (Twitter: @TSmaudonline or @ghmconline or contact local Dy Commissioner / Zonal Commissioner of GHMC), which are in their neighbourhood and are either neglected, misused or likely to get encroached, so that all such places can be developed meaningfully.