The Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden in Howrah, Kolkata founded in 1786 is one of the world’s earliest established botanical gardens and the oldest surviving one in India. Unfortunately, the recent Amphan cyclone ravaged across West Bengal in March 2020, causing severe damage to the gardens and the city beyond, calling for an active urban regeneration of the site. The regeneration strategy for the Botanical Garden site provides a great opportunity to strengthen and expand international links in both science and culture.

 

However, given the wake of a global pandemic, it should also be sensitive to the existing socio- economic landscape of Kolkata. In a pre-pandemic world, there could have been multiple opportunities to attract foreign and scientific investment capitalising on its central urban locality, yet strategies call for sensitivity in a post-pandemic era have faced serious setbacks. The site still holds much potential due to its well-connected water front and central location to institutions, such as the IIEST Campus.

 

The strategy for Edge 01 contextualises this site as a potential catalyst to strengthen a sustainable regeneration process in this area and explores the following key objectives:

 

(i) Preserving the rich ecological and historic significance of the site, and (ii) Improving the area’s urban vibrancy, connectivity, and liveability.

 

The core aspects for Edge (01)’s interventions strategy include: preserving ecological and cultural significance, improving the current informal settlements, reactivating existing linkages to neighboring institution, improving visual connectivity, streamlining movements from/to the Ferry Ghat, prioritizing lanes for pedestrian and cyclist, providing diversification of activities through time, and enhancing the aspect of sanitation and cleanliness.