Corporate Member Showcase: AECOM India Pvt. Ltd.

At AECOM, our Masterplanning, Landscape Design, and Economics practice line have been a global leader in the field for almost seventy years. Our firm is widely regarded as the world’s leading land-based design consultancy integrating landscape architecture with urban design, economic planning, and environmental considerations. The desire to enhance a sense of place drives our design approach. We find inspiration in the local culture and character to deliver a truly unique identity. Successful place-making is a celebratory response to the larger forces of homogenization in our rapidly urbanizing world.

Since its inception in 2009, AECOM’s India office provides a unique approach combining international expertise alongside the best local talent to provide the most effective design conceptualization, delivery, and implementation. Our services in the field include but are not limited to, landscape master planning & design services, concept to construction documentation and construction administration, resource management, ecological restoration, recreation planning, streetscape design, design of residential communities, interpretive and wayfinding signage design.

Central Park & Reclamation Garden at Haji Bunder, Mumbai

All livable cities need parks and public open spaces to improve the quality of life. Urban gardens to experience, inspire, and educate. Landscapes and natural systems to create ecology improve air and water quality, to support and manage sustainability initiatives and mitigate climate change. In order to achieve this, the planning, design, and implementation of parks and public open spaces must be an essential part of the urban development fabric. 

Named the ‘’Park of Seven Islands’’, this park will become Mumbai’s front yard, its garden, and its urban forest. It will be one of the lasting memories of Mumbai tourists and visitors take away with them. It will be a symbol of pride for Mumbai’s residents. It will be the first land reclamation project that dedicates its entire area as a public amenity. It will stimulate, educate, and inspire people to respect the environment, value, and encourage stewardship and care for the land, air, and sea.

The proposed 145 Hectare park will be the largest green conglomeration in the city of Mumbai.  Envisioned as a ‘Destination Park’, it will be the most dynamic public park and open space in the city. The city park shall focus on successfully engaging the users towards ecology and environment, health and well-being, culture and education, and most importantly, recreation. The user shall be taken through an experience of land, water, and air through a series of bridges, decks, and meandering pathways. The urban park program will creatively utilize the unique setting of the port industrial heritage, respond to the surrounding urban context, and enhance the waterfront.

The salient features include:

• Benchmarking city identity & celebrating Mumbai’s culture and commitment to environmental sustainability
• Creating a destination on the waterfront
• Introducing an innovative park program to the Port’s land in disuse
• Reclaiming nature for human health, habitat and future generation
• Designing for a resilient ecosystem

Activation Area Landscape Design in DSIR, Gujarat

AECOM is the Program Manager (PMNC) for the 900 sq.km Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR). This is the first Greenfield Smart City in India along the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor. The landscape design for its 22 sq.km “activation area” includes multiple community parks and a 6 km long canal-side park.  This is designed to function as a stormwater reservoir and provide water quality improvement for the surrounding area of 150 Ha. The key objective is to create a safe and comfortable outdoor environment as well as reinforce community identity through the programmatic inclusion of various government initiatives while promoting health wellness, art, and culture. The design also aims to reinforce Gujarat’s strong association with trade by providing an opportunity for display within the hardscape design palette.

Social integration through the creation of all Ability Public Park, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

With the India Smart Cities Challenge, the Government of India took the first step towards realizing its vision of building 100 smart cities in the country. As part of the India Smart Cities Challenge, Visakhapatnam (Vizag) is one of the cities that was selected amongst the top 20, in a nationwide competition between 100 cities.

The Smart City Plan for Vizag revolves around the vision of creating "a resilient and healthy metropolis for people". Aligning with the Smart City Vision, Visakhapatnam focused on health and well-being of its citizens especially children and elderly and upgraded its social infrastructure i.e. Parks & Open Green Space to:

• Cater to the health & recreational needs of citizens;
• Ensure social inclusion through 100% universally accessible parks;
• Provide for social, cultural & intellectual interaction
• Increase Green cover in the ABD area

The Premise

"Access is not only a basic human right; it is an important part of ensuring a high quality of life".

This project is a demonstration project, first of its kind in the country that will allow children with all abilities to share the same public space & play together. The methodology of resolution is based on existing park upgradation as universally accessible & functional spaces to improve urban life by integrated & phased improvements to attain better air quality, social integration & healthy lifestyle.

Project objectives

• Create 100% universally accessible public spaces
• Increase active & passive recreation spaces
• Create a greater opportunity for all to interact with nature & learn through play
• Enhance the health and wellbeing of citizens, reduce lifestyle diseases

DLF Sector Road, Gurugram, Haryana

DLF is a gateway to Gurugram, and AECOM provides a holistic design approach to create an integrated and connected city for a smart and sustainable realm of tomorrow. The 10 km stretch of DLF Sector road starts from the city toll and connects to the DLF business District, a bustling transit hub, and a premier residential neighborhood. DLF intends to achieve a driving time of 10 minutes between the two terminating ends and is being upgraded to provide smooth traffic movement to various destinations. Our landscape design aims at creating a visual oasis within traffic infrastructure as well as identify and design adequate public realm areas within the pedestrian network. Each junction and chosen stretches are earmarked by distinct softscape and tree-lined avenues.

Gomti Riverfront Development, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

AECOM is engaged to provide consultancy services for the landscape masterplan of 14 kilometers of Gomti riverfront in the city of Lucknow. This covers an intervention area of 31 Ha and a 1.2-kilometer focus area on both banks of the river. The vision for this project is defined as ‘PURE’ -  to Protect heritage, Unify the city to the river, Restore the environment, and Engage with the community. The client brief is to transform the river edge into an active waterfront and create a ‘landmark’ destination for the city of Lucknow. Through the project, AECOM aims to re-establish the identity of the river and unify the people of Lucknow with the river.  

Rejuvenation of Vinayak Sagar Lake, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh

With the India Smart Cities Challenge, of building 100 smart cities across the nation, Tirupati is one of the cities that was selected in Round 2 and was ranked 4th amongst a nation-wide competition between 67 cities. The Smart City Plan for Tirupati revolves around the vision of creating - "A 21st-century pilgrimage city that promotes arts, innovation & sustainable growth”.

Aligning with the Smart City Vision, Tirupati has focused on the integration of existing open spaces and water bodies with the city’s urban fabric by celebrating cultural, spiritual & social values. Tirupati, also known as a city of lakes, has taken up rejuvenation of Vinayak Sagar Lake as a demonstration project such that a similar approach can be replicated in the rest of the lakes/water bodies in the city. The project has been undertaken by Tirupati Smart City Corporation Limited (TSCCL) under the Smart City Mission, Govt. of India.

The project envisages integration of the existing open space around the lake and focusing the lake itself as an active public area within the city’s urban fabric used to demonstrate and celebrate cultural, spiritual & social values. Transforming the edges around the lake has been envisaged to create and cater to the needs of all strata of society. The selected lake landscape edges will be designed as per best practice planning standards for urban public spaces.

The key components of the rejuvenation of Vinayak Sagar Lake have been listed below. 

• Activating the lake edge & enhancing the lakeside experience
• Create opportunities for recreation & interaction
• Making the place a destination for all
• Introducing around 3 km long pedestrian promenade around the lake that will include wide areas for walking/cycling, resting stops at regular intervals, shaded walkways through trees at a regular interval, dedicated parking, refurbished, and a dedicated area for festivals, dedicated vending areas, public amenities like toilets, etc.
• Dedicated vending zones, advertisements spaces will create revenue potential for the City

These components will help the lake precinct transform into a more “functional and usable space” and will allow achieving the following outcomes:

• To enhance the biodiversity in and around the lake
• To induce recycling and reuse of wastewater after treatment
• Develop the local economy through increased recreational activities at the lake

For more information please visit: https://aecom.com/in/