Ecologically sustainable housing and transporting in Pune, India : Ekologiskt hållbar hus- och transportplanering i Pune, Indien

Abstract: This thesis is the result of a final project work carried out by Anna Friestedt and Kristin Sjövall during the spring semester of 2006. The purpose of this work is to investigate in what ways the Indian city Pune is working towards ecological sustainability within the fields of housing and transporting. The work contains a case study of an area in Pune called Magarpatta City. The report is split into four parts. First, laws and regulations both in Sweden and in India that concern ecologically sustainable development are presented. Second, an explanation on existing solutions within housing and transporting in Pune follows, later specified details concerning the case study in Magarpatta City is presented and finally this is analysed. Pune is in many ways working to improve their ways of ecologically sustainable development. In India, and Pune, there are several laws and regulations to regulate sustainable development. Unfortunately it has been a long time since these laws and regulations were updated and by doing so one might achieve sustainability. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has many projects on the go to improve the city environmentally. PMC has brought out an Eco-housing concept which promotes a more ecological way of building. The concept makes it easier for private builders to get a bank loan if the construction is considering several eco-friendly aspects. To achieve more houses constructed in an eco-friendly way Pune and India are in the need of more pilot projects showing eco-friendly materials and construction techniques. PMC is also taking decisions in how to transform the public transportation system to a more environmentally sustainable one. Several different transportations systems are under evaluation. After our time in Pune our meaning is that the Bus Rapid Transit system is the most cost efficient one to implement in Pune. Magarpatta City is an area in Pune that is developed considering the concept ‘walk-to-work and walk-to-school’. The area has made many efforts towards ecological sustainability and is probably the best area in Pune, as well as in all of India, to do a case study at, in the aspect of ecological sustainable housing and transporting.