Students from the School of Architecture, University of Mysore, have contributed innovative ideas for the implementation of the Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) project in Mysuru.
The Department of Urban Land Transport (DULT), Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with the Mysore City Corporation, is launching the PBS project to promote sustainable and non-motorised transportation.
The DULT engaged the architecture students in planning the project at the week-long Monsoon Studio-2015, which concluded on Monday, to ensure that the plan is rooted in ground realities. Four teams worked to bring out inventive ideas under the guidance of Vinayak Bharne from the University of Southern California.
Monsoon Studio-2015 was an exercise to engage the academic community in a dialogue with government agencies like DULT on Mysuru’s mobility issues and the ways in which Mysuru could be shaped into a cycle and pedestrian-friendly city.
DULT Commissioner V. Manjula said the students came up with brilliant ideas and the quality of their output was impressive. The pioneering elements of their concepts would be used in enhancing the appeal of the bicycle project, she added.
Describing Mysuru as a beautiful and impressive city, Prof. Bharne said the project had been planned at a crucial juncture in Mysuru. “If not now, it will be never. If the project was not implemented now, the city could face a blow in the next ten years. The ongoing efforts must be taken seriously and earnestly implemented,” he said.
Among the four teams, Team A was adjudged the best and presented with a prize at the valedictory of Monsoon Studio-2015.
C. Naganna, director, Prasaranga, University of Mysore; S.B. Honnur, former director, Department of Town and Country Planning, Government of Karnataka, were the chief guests. Krishne Gowda, director, University School of Design, University of Mysore, presided.
