Green Cities

The city of Frankfurt, 710,000 inhabitants, represents today a business and financial centre, transportation and logistics hub, research and technology location in a national and international context. As a result, the city is experiencing a constant and for European settings considerable population growth. Such increase implicates a high demand for housing, infrastructure and open space development. Urban extensions would be needed, but within the municipal boundary there are no development areas left. Further growth demands will have to be met within the already built-up city. On the one hand, inner city development, re-use of brownfields and densification can reduce the consumption of green fields and suburbanization. On the other hand, it involves an increasing conflict between the demand for new developments and the preservation of open and green spaces and quality of life within the city, leading to risks for climate and environment.
Suitable policies and adaptive strategies have to be prepared to cope with these changes and their impact. In Frankfurt, these include: the Energy and Climate Protection Concept, containing over 50 actions and guidelines, with a particular focus on the construction of “passive houses”; the Master Plan 100% Climate Protection, with milestones that focus on how the city can achieve 100% renewable energy supply by 2050; the Frankfurt Green City municipal platform, which coordinates information on city policies and programmes regarding urban and environmental development; and the Integrated Urban Development Concept Frankfurt 2030 as a vision for environment, housing, economy, mobility and social coherence until that year.
Recently, Frankfurt has been ranked as “the most sustainable city” worldwide by the ARCADIS Sustainable Cities Index. In both the environmental and the economic aspects, Frankfurt was evaluated first, whereas with regards to social issues, it was rated only 9th. This result makes clear that successful urban management in the environment and economy fields alone cannot solve (and may eventually even increase) social disparities, making this a major issue in all future integrated urban development efforts.

This paper addresses the dearth of knowledge and theoretical development on how ecological or environmental factors such as green resources can be integrated into the concept of city branding. The gap-branding model used for identifying the perceptual disparities in a city branding process was modified to incorporate the theme of green resources such as parks and green spaces. The dimensions and elements of a green city brand were designated and tested in a study using a questionnaire survey with local and non-local city consumers in Hong Kong. The results explored the potential for branding a metropolis by its green resources and identified two distinctive Green (Resource) Brand Pentagons for each respondent group. A comparative analysis was also conducted to explain how the two groups of city consumers perceived the green resources of Hong Kong similarly and differently. This paper acts as a pilot study to bridge the disciplines of marketing and geography.

The subject of the paper is both the presentation of the set of concepts relating to "smart and green cities" and the examination of the urban intervention sectors, methods and tools and the formulation of systems of evaluation indicators of smart green urban interventions in the European Union (EU) and Greece. In particular, they are included in the paper: (a) The summary assessment and hierarchy of modern urban problems, indicatively: “excessive" urbanisation, migration, poverty and social exclusion, problems of building blocks, land use and preservation of city identity/physiognomy (b) The critical review of the "smart city" and the "green city" concepts included in a single theoretical framework, focusing on the concepts of innovation in the urban area, the circular economy and "green development" (c) Review of the content of "smart and green" urban interventions per thematic areas and presentation of the main relevant methods and tools of intervention (d) Critical reviewn of existing evaluations (from relevant surveys, studies etc.) of the results of implemented "smart and green" urban interventions in the EU and Greece. This includes a critical review of different systems of criteria and indicators for evaluating interventions proposed by international standardization bodies, research groups and researchers, EU funded projects etc. The paper concludes with a brief critical assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of "smart and green" urban interventions.

disampaikan adalh menghindari pembangunan kawasan yang tidak terbangun. Hal ini menekankan pada kebutuhan terhadap rencana pengembangan kota dan kota-kota baru yang memperhatikan kondisi ekologis lokal dan meminimalkan dampak merugikan dari pengembangan kota, selanjutnya juga memastikan pengembangan kota yang dengan sendirinya menciptakan aset alami lokal.  Ciri-ciri -Pembangunan sesuai peraturan undang-undang -Konsep Zero Waste (Pengolahan sampah terpadu, tidak ada yang terbuang) -Konsep Zero Run-off (semua air harus bisa diresapkan kembali ke dalam tanah, konsep ekodrainase) -Infrastruktur hijau (tersedia jalur pejalan kaki dan jalur sepeda) -Transportasi hijau (penggunaan trasportasi massal, ramah lingkungan barbahan bakar terbarukan, mendorong penggunaan transportasi bukan kendaraan bermotor -berjalan kaki, bersepeda, delman/dokar/andong, becak) -RTH seluas 30% dari luas kota (RTH publik 20%, RTH privat 10%) -Bangunan Hijau -Partisipasi Masyarakat (Komunitas Hijau)  Kelebihan Adapun kelebihan dari penerapan Green City ini; dapat memenuki kebutuhan keberadaan Ruang Terbuka Hijau (RTH) pada suatu kawasan, sehingga dapat

[Perencanaan Kota] Penjelasan Secara Umum: Pengertian Kota, Perkotaan, Bagian Wilayah Kota, Kawasan Fungsional, Klasifikasi Kota, Rank Size Rule, Kota Metropolitan dan Megapolitan, Perkembangan Kota-kota di Indonesia, Permasalahan dan Konsep-Konsep Pembangunan Kota, Kebijakan dan Strategi Pengembangan Kota di Indonesia, Konsep-Konsep Pembangunan Kota, Pengantar Psikologi Perkotaan.

This article was originally written for and published, September 2016, in Review 12, a publication of the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).

This paper first summarises ten critical responses which would change the nature of urban development to a more ecological, sustainable model. These dimensions revolve around urban transport systems and their links to urban form and are therefore mostly, though not exclusively, focussed on the problems of reducing automobile dependence in cities, building more sustainable urban form and creating more livable places.

These ten dimensions are not exclusive of other critical factors in the quest for urban sustainability and some caveats, limitations and omissions, as well as a detailed description of each dimension, have been provided in Kenworthy (2006). However, these ten dimensions are central to any attempts at greater sustainability in both prosperous and less prosperous cities, especially because of the powerful city-shaping ability of transport systems.

The adoption by United Nations (UN) Member States of Agenda 2030 in September 2015 was a major milestone: for the first time there was clear recognition from the international community of the need to focus on sustainable urbanisation, with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11, “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, dedicated to this aim. This included a specific provision on public space: “By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities”1. A number of targets under SDG 11, as well as other SDGs, are linked to functional, well planned and designed public spaces to ensure urban development responds to climate change and promotes safety, inclusivity, and public health.

This report was prepared to inform review of master plans for six secondary cities in Rwanda done under the Green Climate Fund Readiness Proposal and is conducted in the frame of the joint project on green and public spaces in Rwanda’s secondary cities implemented by the Rwandan Ministry of Infrastructure, Rwanda Housing Authority and the Global Green Growth Institute. My particular inputs are on Huye and Rusizi Secondary City (Pg. 11-19 and Pg. 62-70) regarding the City profiles and mapping of their Public Spaces.

Municipalities at the Crossroads of Change
The earth’s many sovereign nations garner much attention and allegiance for their powers to shape human destiny through their founding constitutions and their just laws.  Yet within each of these are smaller self-governing units––from regional provinces, to states, to counties, to cities, to boroughs and towns, as well as the lands of self-governing tribes.
While historians record the rise and fall of nations, they often overlook these smaller jurisdictions, where so many important aspects of our lives take shape. This book offers guidance to local municipalities––called “cities” or “towns” for short throughout this book ––that seek sustainability in their environment, their economy, and their engineering.
“Sustainability” in this book means capable of enduring and adapting over time. Without the qualities of endurance and adaptability, cities can see their assets and even their identities erode over time. The role of a good local government is to prevent such erosion, whether it be of natural habitat, human communities, or engineering infrastructure.

This article assumes the character of a test towards the technical and scientific discussion through dialogue between the themes of Environmental Urban Renewal and the Green Infrastructure, integrated into a process of research in development. The research appears in a context where Brazilian cities begin to stand out and to commit to the goals to achieve the status of green cities and focuses on the impacts generated by actions printed from the urban interventions of upgrading and transformation urban environments in the quality of spaces and people's livelihood. In a metropolitan context, it has the city of Rio de Janeiro, especially its western part, his spatial area.

KEYWORDS: Environmental Urban Renewal . Green infrastructure. Periphery.

More than half of the world's population currently lives in cities and, consequently, urbanization has been among the major drivers of global environmental change. The fast urban growth, likely to result in a share of 75 % of people living in cities by 2050, has resulted in the development of cities which are unfriendly to people as well as to the environment. As a contribution to reverse this trend, various institutions have organized competitions between cities by ranking the degree of their "greenness," based on quantitative and qualitative indicators accessing economic, social and environmental performances. Most of these competitions have only been conducted once and the studies include different cities because their attendance was voluntarily. In this paper we analyze the potential of city rankings to contribute to a positive development of cities. The first part of this paper analyzes and defines the "Green City" concept comparing the definitions in the literature. Three keywords have been identified to characterize a "Green City": the "environmental quality," "human well-being," and the "political and social action" that aims at the first two dimensions. For measuring the "greenness" of cities, we analyzed the urban indicators of four popular indices, representing 13 categories which were then grouped into the three "Green City" dimensions. Regarding "environmental quality" and "human well-being," quantitative indicators are used, while qualitative indicators seem better suited to define the "societal and political action." By monitoring the quantitative indicators over time, we are also able to assess the "Green City" performances and at the same time verify the effectiveness of "social and political action." Thus, more clarity in the "Green City" definition is achieved, making constant monitoring of cities' performances possible. The use of quantitative and multidimensional indicators can be a valuable tool for urban governance and planning.

This paper analyzes how collective leadership develops from more individualistic leadership through ethnographic analysis of the rise of urban environmental stewardship in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Longitudinal analysis of a 30-year period reveals how leadership shifted from being highly individualistic, to become more pluralistic, and ultimately more collective. I demonstrate how specifying the location of leadership action in the case addresses ambiguity regarding the definitions of and distinctions among collective, plural, and integrative leadership. I identify two processes that helped to relocate leadership from more individualistic to increasingly collective, emergent spaces: fueling a public imaginary and organizing inclusively. These processes were central to connecting and mutually advancing collective leadership and collective impact.

Purpose – This paper aims to connect green spaces with city branding by introducing a proposed Green (Resource) Brand Hexagon (GBH). Design/methodology/approach – This study empirically tested the principles of the GBH with samples of Hong Kong residents (n 301) and visitors (n 395). Surveys were carried out to investigate the perceptions of the 23 elements in the GBH by both respondent groups. Findings – A comparison of the results via factor analysis identified two green brand structures preferred by local residents (a brand pentagon) and by visitors (a brand square). The findings suggest different associations of green resource elements in their brand perceptions, which were partly reflected in the governmental Brand Review exercise in Hong Kong in 2008. Inter-group differences in the ranking of GBH's elements also indicate a knowledge gap between visitors and residents. Research limitations/implications – The modification process of the GBH from Anholt's City Brand Hexagon framework involved researchers' interpretations and understanding of green resources in Hong Kong; it inevitably produced some degree of subjectivity. The working definition of " green resources " in this study perceptually excluded certain features in public parks, such as the geological landscapes and beaches that are, in principle, part of the Hong Kong Geopark. Originality/value – The findings of this paper offer an indicative green brand framework for destination marketers and brand managers whose cities enjoy attractive green resources. The ratings of GBH's elements provide useful references for local brand management through an understanding of strong green brand attributes and structures by local residents and visitors. The inter-group comparison of the green brand structures also informs policymakers and city marketers about the divergent associations of brand elements for possible brand extension. Finally, the results are also very beneficial because they provide an opportunity for regional green brand development.

Since the first urban climate initiatives began in the early 1990s, urban responses to the climate challenge have progressively shed their narrow environmental framings. A technocratic focus on measuring and reducing emissions is being challenged by a more holistic conception of climate plan- ning and action that embraces increasingly complex engagements with other issues like economic development, equity, spatial development, health, and quality of life.1
As a result, this chapter argues, a new form of agency is emerging to drive urban responses to climate change forward. A top-down vision of cli- mate action focused on the regulatory powers of isolated local government agencies is being replaced by one that is horizontal, relational, and collab- orative. This is in response to the fact that no one agency or organization can take the cross-cutting action that holistic responses to climate change require. Rather, climate-relevant policies and programs are driven forward by coalitions of multiple different actors. This collaborative and networked approach to urban climate governance capitalizes on the synergies between objectives across different subject areas (emissions reductions and health, for example) and also between different groups of actors that cut across scales and bridge the governmental, civil-society, and private sectors. This approach transforms relationships both inside and outside of local govern- ments, by linking together traditionally siloized municipal agencies and also forging partnerships with civil-society and business actors.

The world's population will be 9.2 billion in 2050, which is 2.2 billion more than today, with most of the increase in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. That will negatively affect the availability of arable land, infrastructure, and environmental performance of cities, furthermore, achieving sustainability pillars (environmental, economic, social) becomes mandatory for all countries after signing in the recommendation of the 2015 UN Summit, many initiatives and concepts were adopted to face these challenges and accomplish sustainable development. The green cities concept (GCC) and its strategies are considered an optimum approach to achieve sustainable development objectives and overcome these challenges, by enhancing performance for the existing infrastructure, reducing natural resource consumption, decreasing CO 2 emission, and engaging citizens in decision-making. On another hand, infrastructure projects are vital for achieving (GCC) concept because it reflects the progress and economic performance of countries. This study discusses the green cities, conventional and green infrastructure challenges, then presents Public-Private Partnership (PPPs) as a tool for implementing and overcoming its challenges from the green economy and green contracts perspectives. In addition, concluding an Operational Framework for implementing infrastructure projects by (PPPs) which determines the main phases in (PPPs), allocates the most important strategies for each phase, and indicates the main internal stockholders who share in decision-making. Finally, the study assigns (53) efficiency indicators and obtains a weight for each indicator by identifying the Relative Importance Index through an online questionnaire evaluated by (15) experts to track the achievement of the operational framework.

GEM Group Extends GBP 300 Million Equity Line of Credit to Royal Indian Raj International Corporation for an Additional Multi-Year Term.The equity line, one of several instruments RIRIC is using to develop planned, private cities and its Royal Garden Villas & Resort developments in India

Article from: Internet Wire | March 14, 2007 | Copyright

http://business.highbeam.com/436102/article-1G1-160558824/gem-group-extends-gbp-300-million-equity-line-credit
in

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND NEW YORK, NEW YORK, Mar 14, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- The Royal Indian Raj International Corporation (RIRIC) today announced that the GEM Global Yield Fund through GEM Group in New York has extended RIRIC's GBP 300 million (US$547 million) equity commitment structured as an equity line of credit through UK-based GEM Global Emerging Markets' Global Yield Fund.

The equity line, one of several instruments RIRIC is using to develop planned, private cities and its Royal Garden Villas & Resort developments in India, and will be utilized for the inaugural Royal Garden City in Bangalore, which is expected to commence in 2016.

"We are delighted to be working with GEM to develop the New India," said Manoj Benjamin, Chairman of Royal Indian Raj International Corporation. …

Una sistematica dei parchi
La definizione di parco che dà il Dizionario di Architettura ed Urbanistica è sorprendente. Il parco è anche recinto, "barco".
Quest'ambiguità spinge a sollevare una questione: se è vero che il parco, debitamente inteso, rappresenta effettivamente un recinto, è, forse, questa nozione estendibile al concetto di città come insieme di complessità  all' interno di una cinta muraria ?
La domanda dimostra che la categoria  parco, nel contesto del disegno del territorio e della città, occupa una posizione sempre più prossima alla pura sperimentazione.
Le possibilità che il "tipo" del parco offre sono molteplici, sia per la "scala" dell'intervento, sia per il fatto che il progetto degli spazi aperti trova, forse a causa di una sensibilizzazione operata dai mezzi di comunicazione, buona sorte presso il grande pubblico e, dunque, l'opinione pubblica è pronta ad osservare benevolmente interventi sul verde, salvo, poi, a non utilizzarli se realizzati. La ricostruzione della natura, se intesa solamente come piatta restituzione degli equilibri naturali, rischia di essere una finzione, una mimesi, una negazione di tutto ciò che c'è stato prima. Questo fenomeno trova un analogo nell'uso sconsiderato che gli architetti fanno dell' hi-tech che, mettendo in mostra elementi che poco hanno a che vedere con l'architettura, trascende la qualità del progetto per dimostrare al pubblico che qualcosa, bene o male, è stata fatta.
Il termine "progetto di parco" illustra chiaramente come all' origine ci sia, da parte dell'uomo, un intervento progettuale che non può, secondo chi scrive, dimenticarsi di quello che pre-esisteva.
Nel vasto panorama della cultura che concerne il parco, caratterizzato dalla presenza di numerose scuole di pensiero, è complesso riuscire a identificare una scala di rappresentazione alla quale ascrivere il parco stesso.  Non si può parlare genericamente di parco o di giardino. Le odierne molteplicità di rapporti e di scambio di dati fa sì che il parco non sia più solamente un luogo destinato all'ottocentesca esposizione di specie botaniche, così come il giardino non può più semplicemente essere assimilato all'orto o la porzione di terreno semplicemente destinata al "decoro" del quartiere.
E' soprattutto in relazione ai secoli precedenti che l'immagine del parco subisce una mutazione: se, difatti, nel periodo compreso tra il cinquecento ed il settecento il parco/barco/recinto è contenitore, in misura sempre maggiore, di geometrie e regole auree, popolato da divinità (il giardino di Orfeo ed Euridice)1 e se nell' ottocento questo non è più sorretto da proporzioni "sacre" ma è semplice recinto, contenitore, nella seconda metà del novecento il parco torna ad essere popolato da regole auree, segnali che si configurano attraverso il conflitto silenzioso e "sublime"2 tra uomo e natura.
E' dunque necessario, attraverso l'analisi di alcuni esempi significativi, stabilire una sistematica del progetto del parco contemporaneo.

La double dynamique de requalification urbaine et de densification qui se deploie dans le territoire de Plaine Commune (Seine-Saint-Denis) se traduit par la selection des espaces composant la " nature en ville ". La figure des " natures de parc " (espaces verts publics et prives) s'impose peu a peu, au detriment des " natures contenues " de la friche et du delaisse ainsi que des "natures jardinees".

Natália Fernandes Ribeiro 2 RESUMO O presente artigo assume o caráter de um ensaio voltado a uma discussão técnica e científica a partir do diálogo entre os temas da Requalificação Ambiental Urbana e da Infraestrutura Verde, integrado a um processo de pesquisa em desenvolvimento. A investigação surge em um contexto onde cidades brasileiras começam a se destacar e a se comprometer com as metas para alcançarem o status de cidades verdes e, tem como foco os impactos gerados por ações impressas a partir das intervenções urbanísticas de requalificação e transformação de ambientes urbanos na qualidade dos espaços e de vida da população. Em um contexto metropolitano, tem na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, em especial sua zona oeste, seu recorte espacial.

The 6th IPCC report and the IPBES report, which have recently been published, have drastically shown us what will happen in the next decades if we do not reach the 1.5 degree target. The construction industry is one of the mega polluters. Yet we cannot stop building in the face of an exploding world population. But how can we manage this - building without damaging the environment? TheStiftung Biotope City has presented a concept that pursues planning and building in harmony with nature. In Vienna, an entire neighborhood has been built according to this concept for the first time. A first step in the right direction. Where do we go from here? The symposium will present 10 essential elements of such a strategy to unite urban life and space for nature with its so important mechanisms of self-regulation and regeneration. State of the art of such an approach, en detail all already tested in practice.

Bu makale, Türkiye’de bölgesel ölçekte düşük karbonlu büyümeye dayanan kentsel politikaların genel egilimini sayısal bir performans analizi ile sunmakta ve kentsel yönetim performans sıralamasını vermektedir. Çalışmanın ilk bölümünde, Türkiye’de düşük karbonlu büyümeye yönelik ulusal politika ve stratejiler genel olarak değerlendirilmiştir. İkinci kısımda ise, TÜİK (Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu) veritabanı çerçevesinde, TÜİK’in istatistiki bölge sınıflandırmasına göre -düzey 2 kapsamında- 26 bölge için sağlamış olduğu veriler OECD’nin yeşil kentsel büyümeye dayalı gösterge grupları dikkate alınarak tanımlanmıştır. Bu kapsamda düşük karbonlu büyüme temelinde kent yönetimini tanımlayan ve TÜİK veri tabanına dayanarak belli bir yıl (2016) ölçeğinde alınan 8 (sekiz) kriterden oluşan gösterge seti üzerinden seçilen değişkenler ile Türkiye’de kent yönetiminin bölgeler ölçeğinde PSI (Preference Selection Index-Tercih Seçim İndeksi) yöntemi ile performansının ölçümü yapılmıştır. Belirlenmiş 8 kriter sırasıyla şunlardır: (C1) Bin Kişi Başına Otomobil Sayısı, (C2) Kişi Başı Ortalama Belediye Atık Miktarı, (C3) İl ve İlçe Merkezleri Nüfusu, (C4) Kişi başına Gayrisafi Yurtiçi Hasıla, (C5) Belediyelerde Biyolojik Arıtma Tesisi Sayısı, (C6) Belediye Çevresel Harcamaları, (C7) Kişi Başına Toplam Elektrik Tüketimi (KWh) ve (C8) Hava Kalitesi İndeks Değeri. Sonuç olarak, bu performans ölçümü düşük karbonlu kentleşmeyi destekleyecek politikaların geliştirilmesi için genel bir politika çerçevesi sunmaktadır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Düşük Karbonlu Kentleşme, Kentsel Yönetim Performansı, Düşük Karbonlu Kentsel Büyüme, PSI Yöntemi, Türkiye.

The following research article presents a research on how to encourage citizen participation and citizen involvement in the context of smart cities and solutions and their development. Experts from the field have been interviewed and a survey has been conducted over the internet aiming at young people's opinions and knowledge on the topic. The goal of this applied design research was to find solution principles for a design, that will encourage Dutch citizen to socially take part in activities and challenges proposed by their municipality, with the aim of reaching out to growing groups of people over time.

La double dynamique de requalification urbaine et de densification qui se déploie dans le territoire de Plaine Commune (Seine-Saint-Denis) se traduit par la sélection des espaces composant la « nature en ville ». La figure des « natures de parc » (espaces verts publics et privés) s'impose peu à peu, au détriment des « natures contenues » de la friche et du délaissé ainsi que des « natures jardinées ». Les tissus urbains des villes de la proche banlieue parisienne, dans les départements de petite couronne, apparaissent nettement plus végétalisés que celui de Paris intra-muros (Riboulot et al. 2012). Historiquement, l'appropriation de ces espaces de nature a été portée par plusieurs réseaux d'acteurs : usagers temporaires marginaux, habitants-jardiniers, et professionnels des espaces verts. Aujourd'hui, le traitement des enjeux écologiques (assurant la liaison entre le coeur de l'agglomération et ses périphéries rurales), économiques (de coût d'entretien) et so...

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec. 10, 2003 - CPG Corporation (CPG Corp) has been appointed by Canadian-based Royal Indian Raj International Corporation (RIRIC) to master plan Phase 1 of Royal Garden City, India's largest private real estate fully integrated township development. CPG Corp would also be designing the transportation, utilities, environmental and other infrastructure of this 20-square kilometre, USD$791 million (S$1.4 billion), township in Bangalore.

Phase 1 of the Royal Garden City, strategically situated just 25 km from downtown Bangalore and 5 km from the new Bangalore International Airport, is approximately 6 square kilometres in size, equivalent in size to Pasir Ris town in Singapore. Comprising 7,500 residential units, a central business district, industrial and entertainment districts, parks, educational and civic facilities and amenities, catered to an estimate 400,000 people, it is slated to be the new model for Indian townships.

Chairman and chief executive officer, Mr Manoj C Benjamin of RIRIC, said, "I am confident that CPG Corp's Singapore style of planning and design would make the Royal Garden City a wonderful place for our people to live, work and play in."

Said Mr Khor Poh Hwa, president & ceo of CPG Corporation, "This project marks a significant milestone for CPG Corp as it is one of our largest private development projects in India."

Taking up the Singapore government's suggestion to firms to form alliances, Mr Khor added, "With this project, we also see opportunities for collaboration with Singapore firms to work with CPG Corp to tap on the vast growth potential in India."

Business & Economy -India's Most Influential Business and Economy Magazine

100 Most Influential People of 2007 in the World.

As the indian economy moves into a new year with all guns blazing, b&e presents a compilation of the people who will matter most...
WITH THE LOOKS, COME $2.9 BILLION
Manoj Benjamin! That’s the name the realty sector wants to get to know well, and real soon, for with $2.9 billion of planned foreign direct investment in the real estate arena, in one shot, he becomes the king colada, the big enchilada, and for the sake of simple words, the number one player in the sector. If this man’s name has a huge twang of an ethnic touch, wait till you hear about his corporation of which he is Chairman – Royal Indian Raj International Corporation.

Sustainability of a civilization mainly depend on the way of using environmental resources. Almost all civilizations were collapsed due to many reasons including war situations, famine, pandemic situations etc. But all historians have forgotten to address the environmental impact caused by the horizontal spread of human settlements. On the other hand, even today, we do not have proper definition for human settlements or human habitat. In this document human settlement is simply defined as an organized grouping of human habitation, which can involve many people in cities/urban areas or just a few in rural areas.
Similarly, with the advancement of socio economic and cultural settings globally, in many societies people tend to differentiate human settlements in to cities or urban areas and villages or rural areas. This differentiation causes serious environmental impacts in rural as well as urban areas due to unplanned growth strategies adapted in settlement development work. This devastating environmental impacts are not considered currently even in global contest. Generally, cities are the places where opportunities popping up and dynamic in nature. Rural areas are the places with lifelong stagnation in every form of livelihood improvement and land is always exploited for primary production. Most of the villagers become laborers in their own fields where they cannot get fair price for their own products due to lack of appropriate marketing channels. Hence, people are trying to find better pastures in cities while providing cheap labor to run service oriented city economies.