15-day course on sustainable urbanism concludes at NIT-P

Time of India

7 days ago

Patna: A 15-day global initiative of academic networks (GIAN) course on 'sustainable urbanism' organised by the architecture and planning department of the National Institute of Technology-Patna (NIT-P) concluded here on Friday with a call to develop a context-sensitive balance of environmental stewardship and social equity in any architectural project.
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The GIAN course, supported by the Union ministry of education, brought together 48 participants, including researchers, teachers and professionals from India and abroad, to engage with the latest theories and practices in urban sustainability. Led by renowned international expert Jerry Anthony, professor at the School of Planning and Public Affairs, University of Iowa in the USA, the course provided the participants with a deep insight into the contemporary issues of urban growth, equity, resilience and sustainability.
The course reaffirmed that sustainable urbanism is not a one-size-fits-all model but a context-sensitive balance of ecological stability and economic viability. Participants engaged in interactive sessions with hands-on group activities which fostered cross-learning, critical thinking and exposure to best practices that can be applied to achieve sustainable urbanism in developing countries like India.
Course coordinator Shailendra Kumar Mandal pointed out that the participants engaged in a rich blend of theoretical discussions, practical activities and collaborative exercises and analysed global variations in urbanisation, focusing on the spatial distribution of urban areas across countries, regions and cities. They also chalked out urban resilience strategies addressing transportation, solid waste, sewage, stormwater management and climate adaptation.
At the outset, NIT-Patna's director P K Jain inaugurated the course. Those who conducted the course included Samrat Mukherjee, Abhishek Kumar Bittu and Prakash Gupta.