SHAPING COMMUNITIES THROUGH URBAN GREEN SPACES – A STUDY IN THE INDIAN CONTEXTSelva Harshini, Champa H.S. and Ranjit KumarAbstract Public spaces in the form of green spaces need to be an integral part of every urban city. Public well-being and urban green spaces are synonymous to one another. The urban green spaces could be in the form of forests, parks, play grounds, garden, mangrove or agricultural lands along with other components of natural environment. The green spaces provide numerous opportunities and benefits in shaping the community or neighbourhood within which it is surrounded. This paper discusses the challenges faced by these urban green spaces and the advantages of green spaces to the people in particular and to the city in general. The social, environmental and cultural framework has been taken under consideration to understand the user behaviour in urban green spaces. These concepts are looked upon, on the basis of the existing situation, its limitations, and reasons of failure to bring about character to its co-existing community. It also, looks briefly into its benefits and end results on the users and its community. The coexistence and balance between urban and rural, natural and manmade is very essential in the present scenario. From the historic era, it is a proven fact that natural environment has played an important role in safeguarding civilization. The opportunity and necessity exists for a more meaningful and integrated relationship of the co-existence of the urban form and the natural environment. In considering the elements as naturally dependent within a single whole, it is possible to create a self-sustaining urban landscape in which green space can take on a number of ecologically and socially enriching roles which contribute in shaping the society. |