New Town, Kolkata

Project Name : New Town, Kolkata

Location : West Bengal

Typology : City

Client: West Bengal Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO)

Certification : IGBC Green Cities -Gold Rating

Site Area : 3000 hectares

Overview and Green Highlights of the project: One of the most prestigious projects is the green city of New Town Kolkata by WBHIDCO which achieved the IGBC Green Cities Gold rating in 2018. This is an urban agglomeration systematically planned and developed at Rajarhat near Kolkata. The New Town is planned over a land area of around 3000 hectares.
VK:e was involved in feasibility studies, interventions and recommendations at policy level to incorporate green measures and providing facilitation for the IGBC Green City rating.
New Town Kolkata has addressed sustainability under the heads such as landuse planning and built environment, health and well-being, sustainable mobility, water, energy and infrastructure management and information and communications technology. New Town city would indeed emerge as a model green & smart city and would be a source of inspiration & model for all the upcoming cities in India.

Green features: The Gold rated green city, spread in an area of 3087 hectares, has a good mix of residential, commercial, recreational landuses. It addresses the aspects of sustainable land use planning and built environment by having a compact city plan, adequate employment opportunities for its citizens, EWS housing and ample public spaces for recreation.
The city has a good mobility plan with transportation options such as monorail, metro rail, city buses and various last mile connectivity options such as rickshaws, bike taxis, etc. The city also has planned dedicated bicycle lanes in the 1st phase of development.
The city has a good hierarchy of open spaces ranging from city level open spaces to community level open spaces in each sector. The city has efficient storm water and recycled water usage plans. There are renewable energy installation policies implemented in the city. Urban heat island mitigation strategies such as shaded roadways, reflective roof tops are implemented
The city has proposed rain water harvesting system to harvest around 50% run-off volume.
A comprehensive waste management plan includes segregation at source, policies to cater to the construction and demolition waste, medical waste, municipal waste,etc. A waste to energy plant is also proposed.