Google Earth has been progressively updating the eagle's eye view of Indian subcontinent. Being a travel and places buff, an enthusiast for urbanity, development and dynamics, I've found it pretty fascinating. Take a look and see the dynamics from the heavens.
Full and continuous updating of new Google Earth imagery is right here on this thread of Urban and Architectural Forum Skyscrapercity Forum. Go on, click and it will open in a new tab ---> Kerala towns and cities: Google Earth. Do sit back and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Trivandrum NH Bypass in 2005, and at present. Pictures tell the tale, highrises are comprehensively edging out coconut tree-tops along this stretch.
Technopark fringes. The 150hp engine behind Trivandrum's surge forward surely does exhibit the graphic metamorphosis of the once quaint suburb.
Phase III of Technopark has erased the greenery along the NH Bypass. Necessary evil of progress. But all for good.
Massive Software Campuses of Infosys and UST Global rising side-by-side. And in 2016 this frame will be completely filled by some iconic modern structures.
City dynamics. Pattom Junction. The erstwhile Gateway to the city is now a thriving downtown area. Numerous apartments and commercial complexes stand testimony to this.
Cochin. Kakkanad. Infopark.You know it all! The massive Wipro Software Development Campus fills the frame.
Panampally Nagar, Cochin. The premiere residential enclave is almost a concrete Amazon!
Green makes way to cleared, brown patches of land, then transformed into highrise shelters. Cochin vista continues...
Vallarpadam Container Terminal taking shape in 2005, followed by the finished product in 2011.
Marine Drive (Extension). Kerala's most premium waterfront address taking shape in 2005, and the present state. New bridges to the western archipelago and the waterfront boulevard connecting the North-western fringes of the city are ready now.
New apartments fill the waterfront montage on Marine Drive (Shanmugham Road) , Cochin.
The islands on Cochin backwaters have transformed since getting connected to the mainland. Vallarpadam Terminal and the Petronet LNG Complex seen here.
Kannur. Even smaller Kerala towns haven't shied away from embracing highrise culture. First image from early 2006.
Payyambalam Beach front, Kannur. Highrises propping up here and there making way for another gorgeous residential setting.
Lot more images are there in the Skyscrapercity link above. Do bookmark for continued and thorough updates from the members. Always thanks to M/s Google! :)
On way just have a look at the development showcased below. Let's look in an anachronic manner on this one, I'll show you how Hyderababd International Airport looks from above.
And this is how the placed looked in 2005. Oye!
Perhaps the most impressive and landmark model development must be the Sabarmati Riverfront Development in Ahmedabad. The administrators of Gujrat's commercial capital have drastically changed the way River Sabarmati was viewed by the citizens. Kudos to the Gujrat Government. These sets of images prove my point.
The set of Google Earth images chart the rebirth of Sabarmati, which was another stagnant, clogged urban chokeway in 2007, but has now metamorphosed into the free-flowing bluewaters in 2011.
Full and continuous updating of new Google Earth imagery is right here on this thread of Urban and Architectural Forum Skyscrapercity Forum. Go on, click and it will open in a new tab ---> Kerala towns and cities: Google Earth. Do sit back and enjoy with a cup of tea.
Trivandrum NH Bypass in 2005, and at present. Pictures tell the tale, highrises are comprehensively edging out coconut tree-tops along this stretch.
Technopark fringes. The 150hp engine behind Trivandrum's surge forward surely does exhibit the graphic metamorphosis of the once quaint suburb.
Phase III of Technopark has erased the greenery along the NH Bypass. Necessary evil of progress. But all for good.
Massive Software Campuses of Infosys and UST Global rising side-by-side. And in 2016 this frame will be completely filled by some iconic modern structures.
Panampally Nagar, Cochin. The premiere residential enclave is almost a concrete Amazon!
New apartments fill the waterfront montage on Marine Drive (Shanmugham Road) , Cochin.
The islands on Cochin backwaters have transformed since getting connected to the mainland. Vallarpadam Terminal and the Petronet LNG Complex seen here.
Kannur. Even smaller Kerala towns haven't shied away from embracing highrise culture. First image from early 2006.
Payyambalam Beach front, Kannur. Highrises propping up here and there making way for another gorgeous residential setting.
Lot more images are there in the Skyscrapercity link above. Do bookmark for continued and thorough updates from the members. Always thanks to M/s Google! :)
On way just have a look at the development showcased below. Let's look in an anachronic manner on this one, I'll show you how Hyderababd International Airport looks from above.
Perhaps the most impressive and landmark model development must be the Sabarmati Riverfront Development in Ahmedabad. The administrators of Gujrat's commercial capital have drastically changed the way River Sabarmati was viewed by the citizens. Kudos to the Gujrat Government. These sets of images prove my point.
The set of Google Earth images chart the rebirth of Sabarmati, which was another stagnant, clogged urban chokeway in 2007, but has now metamorphosed into the free-flowing bluewaters in 2011.
This will make matters more clear... Sabarmati in 2007
For decades, we, down in Trivandrum, have been shouting and begging for our TS Canal to be cleansed, made navigable and to turn the historic waterway into a waterfront haven for Trivandrum. Apart from ourselves developing sore throats, nothing has happened so far. There is no dearth of projects but there is one crucial difference. It stays put on paper.
One of my old photo-blogs depicts this sorry tale. Please do take a look >> TS Canal: A passage through time (Link opens in a new tab)
Those who think such developments aren't possible in Kerala, think again. If Gujarat could turn the clogged and dead Sabarmati into a world-class waterfront boulevard then why we cant we do the same? The funds we received for it as part of National Waterway III were allowed to lapse. Criminal! Surely we're missing something the Gujjus have in plenty.
It's called will-power.
Nice one there Anish, sabarmathi water front can be included as an Indian wonder, it shows the world that anything can happen in India too, other states especially Kerala must learn from Gujarat, hope you know the condition of Canoly Canal in Calicut.
ReplyDeleteExcellent job of piecing it all together. Like some wise guy said, "A picture speaks a thousand words". And your pictures are speaking much more words.
ReplyDeleteAwesome work. Way to go!
ReplyDeleteOoooooh I so loved the comparisonss!! :D
ReplyDeleteI love the way our cities have developed over the past few years..........
how did u manage to get all these before and after images???
The Sabarmati pics made my jaw drop! :O Wow!
A lovely post. But having lived and watched in horror what the Sabarmati River Front Development has unleashed, I wouldn't want another Indian city to copy it. It remains a blot in terms of displacement of the poor, large scale gentrification of common/public lands, the complete covert privatisation for wider social and cultural capital in the form of inaccessible art spaces, promenades for the obese rich, and not to mention extensive commerical and residential interests that have come into their own. The earlier plans promised no displacement and settlement of the poor on their lands into vertical highrises, but they were slowly removed from the plans and our collective public memories altogether. The river bed was fertile winter farming ground, with road side selling each morning, but that has been uprooted ruthlessly. It no doubt makes for good viewing from the satellites above. The desire to bring Paris into the country, which is the dominant metaphor used by the designers and architects, whose meetings I have been attending for 4-5 years now.
ReplyDeleteBut the reality on the ground is far from it.
If green is all that matters, even then the River front is not a grand success, but I have many more complex ways to present, represent the undoing of an organic, pro-poor city into grandiose, hyper modern narratives of growth and development.
Interesting viewpoint there. I just did a superficial research on the project and didn't get into the social angles and such finer data. Commercial real estate development is always in the scheme of such projects to find returns for investment, like what happened in Sydney Opera house area development which has kinda spoiled the aura of the project. May be its in our best interests to strike a balance between all these parameters while designing and executing such 'landmark' facelift projects.
ReplyDeleteThis isThomas Lawrence CET 85 your articles about TVm very interesting and would love to meet with you. I live in the US since 1985 but born and bought up in Trivandrum Ivan be reached @ 8281653021 India or tomstl62@gmail.com
ReplyDelete