School of Planning and Architecture to host  

Mysuru: On the occasion of World Environment Day, a one-day workshop on ‘Strategies for Improving Blue-Green Networks in Urban Areas’ will be organised on June 23 at 10.30 am at Prof. K.S. Rangappa Auditorium, School of Planning and Architecture, University of Mysore (UoM), Manasagangothri, Mysuru. 

The workshop will be inaugurated by Nitesh Patil, Regional Commissioner, Mysuru Division and Administrator, Mysuru City Corporation and will be presided over by Prof. N.K. Lokanath, Vice-Chancellor, UoM.  

Prof. Dr. B. Shankar, Convenor, Institute of Town Planners, India (ITPI), Mysuru Centre, will be present at the workshop jointly organised by the School of Planning and Architecture, UoM; ITPI, Karnataka Regional Chapter, Bengaluru and ITPI Mysuru Centre. 

 The programme aims to bring together urban planners, architects, engineers, environmental experts, administrators, academicians, researchers, students and citizens to deliberate on sustainable, resilient and liveable urban development strategies. 

S.B. Honnur, Council Member, ITPI, New Delhi; Prof. Dr. N. Sridharan, Council Member, ITPI and former Director, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, Vijayawada and Bhopal, along with senior office-bearers of ITPI Karnataka Regional Chapter K. Narayana Gowda, Laxmikanth Pawar, M.C. Shashikumar and A.V. Rangesh, K. Narasimhamurthy, Prof. Narayana Sastry and Dr. Yashaswini, ITPI Mysuru Centre will participate  in the workshop. 

The Director of School of Planning and Architecture Prof. Dr. H.S. Kumara, HoD of Planning Prof. Dr. H.N. Nagendra, HoD of Architecture Prof. Pramod M. Gawari, faculty members, planners, architects, academicians, researchers and students will also participate. 

The workshop focuses on the importance of Blue-Green Networks — an integrated approach combining blue infrastructure such as lakes, rivers, wetlands and water systems with green infrastructure including urban forests, parks, biodiversity zones, green corridors and public spaces. These networks help address climate change, urban flooding, heat stress, biodiversity loss, water security and environmental degradation. It is expected to generate valuable recommendations towards building a greener, healthier and more resilient Mysuru for future generations. 

The technical sessions will focus on: 

1. Blue Networks and Sustainable Urban Water Systems: Conservation of lakes and water bodies, rainwater management and sustainable  drainage systems.  

2. Green Networks and Integration of Blue-Green Networks for Climate-Resilient Cities: Urban forests, green corridors, biodiversity conservation and nature-based solutions.  

3. Green and Blue Spaces from an Urban Planning Perspective: Planning methodologies and policy approaches for  ecological integration. 

Experts participating in the deliberations include Jeevan Roy, Technical Adviser, BORDA Bengaluru; Bhanu Khanna, Programme Manager, World Resources Institute (WRI) India, Bengaluru and Mohamed Hussain, Urban Planning Expert and Consultant.