This commission involves envisioning a 25,000-acre city at Narela on the outskirts of Delhi for the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The proposal is built upon a bedrock of nature-oriented design. Waters from existing canals near the site were channeled to create large, meandering waterbodies that became sites of recreation, leisure and entertainment — much like Singapore’s bustling quays.

The buildings themselves exemplify the intersection of nature and the manmade, with trees and plants being woven into their spatial programmes. The city includes several towns, connected by large thoroughfares, pedestrian paths and bicycle tracks bordered by gardens and shaded by trees. The road system is thoughtfully worked out, and ensures that points of intersection between bicycle paths and large roads are minimal, making cycling to places of education and work safe.

The masterplan proposes two CBDs, which create the scope for high-rises, but even the plots earmarked for such developments are interspersed with green gardens and lung spaces, preventing a feeling of congestion. Through this masterplan, the idea was also to demonstrate that it was possible to provide opportunities to Indians for a good, meaningful lifestyle through the mediation of research and good planning.