URBAN OPEN SPACES

CALICUT
 INTRODUCTION
Calicut,a city in the state of Kerala,the southernmost tip of India.
Coastal city with:
urban population of 0.8 Million
with decadal growth of 9.67%
and urban population density of 1000p/sq.m
while state avg.urban population is 700p/sq.m

Temperature vary between 23C<36C

STRENGHTS
Hospitality
History
Urban wetland
Well connected by air,water,road and rail
Proximity to majour cities

WEAKNESS
Lack of proper planning
Declining open spaces due to real estate boom
 URBAN OPEN SPACES

Defined as land/water in an urban area that is not covered by cars or

buildings. It is a positive space that promotes active and passive recreation.
Total available open space in Calicut is
14.94 hecters
(0.038 hecters Per 1000 person).
Its just 9% of accepted standards(0.4
hecter/1000 persons)

Thus it is not just necessary to

conserve existing green areas but
introduce more green zones by
integrating small pockets of utilized
spaces through proper urban design
guidelines.

Calicut is blessed with urban water

channels consisting of rivers and canals
most of them turned into waste drains
due to lack of proper planning.

Conserving and preserving key

ecological capital areas are a necessity
of urban design plans.
 GREEN AND BLUE

A healthy mind originates from a healthy

body and it makes it imperative to have
good green environment to develop a
healthy and happy society.
Clean water and clean air are the basic
necessitates of people.
Though the idea of green areas and water
bodies in city planning has been existing
from historic periods, the term green and
blue is a new addition to the concept of
master planning. The term green refers to
all existing green areas in a city like parks,
plantations,
mangroves,Kaavu street greens, open
spaces, private green compounds and even
manmade green areas.
The term blue stands for all water bodies,
tanks, lakes, canals, coastal lines and even
small water channels.
Calicut has some very actively used open spaces in
Beach
Sarovaram
and Mananchira Square
The kind of crowd seen in these areas even in working days really surprises anyone. But
then these areas being fragmented and overused is in a state of imminent danger.
Canoly canal has become the waste drain of the city and beach and other spaces are
overcrowded and hence losses its neatness identity.
Calicut though is rich in its natural equity with such a big mangrove agglomeration
inside the city and several hills around it, these facts have been of little consideration in
earlier master plans.
 MANANCHIRA SQUARE
Where the city takes a memory walk
Without the square , there is no city ..There is no substitute for spontaneous social
gathering where atoms unite ,precisely as citizens of city -P&P.Goodman

An evening in the lap of nature, that is what

Mananchira square means to hundreds of
people thronging the square to spend leisure
time with their family and friends.
Mananchira Square is a vast open ground located
in the heart of the city. It was thrown open to the
public in 1994. The Square was created by
annexing two parks, viz.Tagore Park &
Ansari Park, the Pond and the Maithan.
It was thrown open to the public in 1994 In
fact, the city of Kozhikode is marked by
Mananchira.
It was once the main courtyard of the
Zamorin's palace.
The main attraction here is a large pond and
a park.
The place is named after this pond of the
palace of the erstwhile Zamorin ruler, King
Mana Vikrama, known as Mana-Devan's
Chira (Pond) which was later changed to
Mananchira.
The Mananchira square is being maintained
by the city Corporation.
It is meticulously landscaped with lawns
trees, plants, an artificial stream and hill,
sculptures and an open-air theater.
The entire maithan is lined by 250
lampposts designed in colonial style.
 SAROVARAM BIO-PARK
Sarovaram (also known as Sarovaram Bio Park) is an
eco-friendly development near the city of Kozhikode
in the southern Indian state of Kerala, situated
adjacent to Canoly Canal.
The project has been developed with an eco-friendly
theme and is located in an ecosystem consisting of
wetlands and mangrove forests containing bird habitats.
The construction has been done in traditional Kerala style.

As per national standards, there should be at least 0.4 hectares of open space and park per 1,000
persons for healthy living. Accordingly, Kozhikode city needs 320 hectares of open space and park. The
Sarovaram project, envisaged in the 1980s, identified nearly 200 acres of wetlands at Kottuli in the city
and Nedungottur village.

The project could become a boon for the people of the city who throng either the Mananchira square
or the beach in the evenings, especially on holidays, in the absence of other alternatives.

Of the 200-acre project area, only 98 acres is government land; the rest is with private parties. The
government will have to acquire the remaining land to take the project forward.

The Kottuli wetlands is home to seven species of mangroves, 20 mangrove associates, 20 species of
waterbirds, 11 species of fishes, one species of prawn, and one species of crab.
The project area for intervention has
been considered into six zones such as
Green Belt,
Canolly Canal,
Active Recreation Zone,
Kalipoika,
Bird Sanctuary Area and
Mangrove Bio Reserve.

The major components of the project

are
canal walkway,
boating facilities,
Otter Park,
Butterfly Park,
bird sanctuary,
aquarium, coracles, f
loating rafts, board-walk,
park/ musical fountain, open air
theatre, Interpretation centre etc.
Calicut Beach

The renovated Calicut Beach attracts hundreds of people

from all walks of life. People from the city, suburbs and
even from neighbouring districts throng the Beach during
holidays to enjoy sunset and for a retreat. The beautifully
laid walkways are being used by people; old and young
alike for their morning walk. A marine aquarium sporting
a variety of fishes is situated on the northern side of the
beach. Lions Park, which attracts young children, lies
adjacent to the old light house. The beautification of
Calicut beach has been a boon to the city dwellers while
there are not many options for outing in the city limits.
This is the right place for them to sit,walk and relax in
the evenings after a full days routine chores.

Evening sea walks is something more;chatting

with
friends and loved ones,family get together in
an open space that rejuvenates them with fresh
thoughts and hopes.