Enhancing community well being through landscapes: a case of neglected open space of Lal Bagh palace Indore

Abstract

All of us have had the experience of walking through a garden, by a river, or trekking to a mountain or hill station, and finding ourselves calmed, refreshed, engaged in mind, and reinvigorated simultaneously. Nature has restorative and healing powers. Continuous urban growth and sprawling city with stressed and over-occupied lifestyles have led to nutrientdeficient diseases even in youth. As defined by the world health organization, human health is defined as overall physical, mental, and social well-being, which is lacking in today’s hectic lifestyles. Despite Indore being the commercial capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh, life’s value is predominantly decreasing here as in other urban jungles. Indore although being the cleanest city in India often focuses on the development of green spaces in and around the city. But still, amidst the urban sprawl, the large number of vacant and unused lands can be easily seen. This thesis is aimed to explore the associations of urban green spaces and community well-being, through a project-specific case of the large open space of Lal bagh palace in the core area of the city. Through the survey of park users, the park itself will be assessed according to positive and negative aspects and urban landscape design theories. Through the compilation and interpretation of survey results, theories, and assistance of case studies, this thesis expects to produce new guidelines not only for Lal bagh palace grounds but also for well being of communities in similar neglected open spaces and new parks in Indore city.