Connecting Waste spaces, Environment and Communities
Saturday, June 13th, 2015Normally I take my morning walk near home but since it was a Saturday, and the traffic on Chennai roads is still less early in the morning, I decided to walk in, from my perspective, a new area – Kottur Garden. I left home before 6.00 AM.
Soon after I crossed the bridge I observed a small gate with a board that said ‘Kotturpuram Tree Park’. I entered the park where lots of other morning walkers were walking. The park was extremely clean, with no cigarette butts or broken pathways, which I would expected in Corporation managed parks.
My Observations
1. There is huge variety of trees in the garden and each tree was labeled with its name in English and Tamil.
2. The park is designed well with center meeting space and long running pathways.
3. This park was an initiative of Corporation of Chennai and the NGO Nizhal, with the purpose of cleaning a dump yard full of debris on the bank of Adyar river.
4. The community planted 300 saplings of 150 species of tropical dry evergreen forest.
5. I like the poster at the gate that called for ‘Shram Dan (Donate service)’ on every Sunday.
6. Friends of Kotturpuram tree park meet every Sunday evening in a nearby restaurant.to plan and carry out activities for the proper use and enrichment of the park.
7. The park is used as a great community conversation space, learning about nature and species of trees and above all building pride in the neighborhood.
Its a great example of Design Thinking in Action which connects
a. Waste spaces into usable parks and
b. Connecting parks to Specific purpose of Trees and environment awareness and
c. Connecting it to a self empowered community.