Exploring the Status of Urban Greenspaces in Indian Cities

The world is undergoing massive urbanisation. It gives opportunities for more economic growth but also contributes to the degradation of the urban environment. The alterations in the landforms are the result of their use in exploiting and deforming the available natural resources (greenspaces). One such precious resource at the city level is the green space. Greenspaces contribute to the overall well-being of human beings and nature itself. This research aims to assess the current state of urban greenspaces in Indian cities based on their Master Plan documents. The entire study is based on secondary data sources (master plans), and the selection of cities is based on the population of urban settlements. Further, data on urban greenspace, including the terminology used to address them, the total area under them, the categorisation and sub-categorisation of these spaces, the classification hierarchy, the standards or guidelines adopted, and other relevant details, were retrieved. These data were categorised and checked against the URDPFI guidelines for city-level requirements for green spaces. A two-tailed t-test was also conducted to validate the data and findings statistically. It was found that there is significant variation in the Percentage share (%) of the recreational area of the total developed area, i.e., less than the existing standard land use structure share of a minimum of 12 % of the total developed area. Based on these findings, recommendations have been suggested for planners and policymakers to separate greenspaces from recreational spaces and make standard regulations for the provision of greenspaces in Indian cities.