Infrastructure and planning hold promise for city

Infrastructure and planning hold promise for city

The upgraded civic infrastructure and international airport will see the city change gears once again, writes Mythili G Nirvan

With the arterial roads, metro rail project and another ring road augmenting connectivity, the city's dynamics is all set to change yet again. Bangalore first changed gears with the IT-driven boom and then again when the Outer Ring Road brought new localities into the reckoning for commercial development. The making of an IT Corridor and upgradation of arterial roads saw localities find new potential. And now with the international airport and the expressway to Mysore, the city is all set for another growth phase.
Second generation
expansion
Many of the city's IT players are in for an expansion soon. The second and third generation expansion has seen considerable demand in the city's peripheral areas. The connectivity that the planned Peripheral Ring Road and the widening of arterial roads leading out of the city translate into has seen commercial activity in locations in the South and East parts. The six-laning of the road to Devanahalli and the proposed tunnel from Minsk Square to the Hebbal flyover will see the north take off with the international airport. The large land parcels available here will make it comfortable for campus developments.
Greater Bangalore
The Greater Bangalore project will see civic infrastructure falling in place around the city. The six City Municipal Councils and One Town Municipal Council localities will see road, water and social infrastructure being put up. This apart, the opening up of registration for developers to launch projects here will see real estate growth in many new localities.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission's funds for infrastructure development around the city will go a long way in making efficient and well-planned localities. The Greater Bangalore project will make large campus development with housing options close by possible. More IT hotspots around the city will be created.
City roads upgradation
The grade separators and road widening in the city will make traffic movement smoother. If it becomes easy to criss-cross the city, the major arterial roads around will make commuting across large distance much easier. This coupled with the Metro Rail will make commuting easier and faster. Development of suburbs will get a push thanks to the connectivity that these projects will entail.
Integrated townships
This new concept is set to give the city another dimension. The integrated townships planned along the Bangalore-Mysore expressway and around the city by the State Government will see this new concept take root here. Integrated townships entail mixed land use leading to the 'walk-to-work' concept. These townships, with their civic, social and commercial infrastructure, will being entrepreneurs and investors to the city. They will be self-contained with all modern amenities. The civic authorities now have the luxury of planning the townships from scratch with future expansion needs in mind as they are yet to take shape. They have the luxury of learning from the Bangalore growth story to put in place self-contained satellite townships that boast of state-of-the-art civic amenities and facilities.
Global destination
The international airport powers the city on to the world map. Bangalore will be on the radar of global corporate houses with this project in place. The climate, upgraded infrastructure, adequate space for expansion and townships developing around go into making this city a global destination. The days of grappling with traffic and power outages are over. The civic agencies are gearing up to manage this burgeoning cosmopolitan commercial hub and make it a business hotspot every corporate must have a base in.