<p>A neglected space near the police headquarters at ITO has come alive with coloured strings and houses potted plants which are now watered daily by office goers.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A group of four third-year students from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) have taken up the project of transforming and beautifying disused public spaces around ITO area in Central Delhi and making it appealing for the masses.<br /> To start with, the students cleaned the space between the ITO foot-over bridge and building boundary in a two-day cleanliness drive three weeks ago, followed by sprucing it with a “notional” enclosure and running a plant adoption drive.<br /><br />"Even if it is a neglected space, the area is being used by pedestrians and office-goers every day. This area is prominent but it was still disused. This is what we wanted to show people that we have such important spaces among us but we don't use them," said Heerali Singh, an architecture student from SPA, involved in the project.<br /><br />Since it is a government property and no structure can come up here, the students designed an enclosure with colourful strings and hung potted plants in used plastic bottles.<br /><br />"This was a shaded area but was not being used by people. Instead, passers-by used to spit here. So we thought even if we do something small in this area, people will realise its importance and start using it as a public space. We put up posters for those interested in plantation and during our cleanliness and plantation drive people became curious," Singh said.<br /><br />"The place was monotonous so we used a lot of colour. After transformation of this transitory space, it is a little disconnected from the road and people actually sit here in the evening and water plants," she added.<br /><br />The other students involved in the project are Kamya Khurana, Nimisha Saraf, and Sonaali Bhatla. The students initially feared that they don't have a back up of security of their work and it can be pulled off and anytime and again become a neglected space.<br />"But no harm has been done in the last three weeks. People are actually showing enthusiasm," said Singh.<br /><br />Many office goers in the area now recognise this space have now adopted a plant and put their names on it. Once saplings are grown, they will be planted in the college campus in the area.<br /><br />The group has taken up this project under an international competition by University of Westminster which encourages students to make "small changes" in your neighbourood and city. By January, the students are planning to expand this in other places around ITO. </p>
<p>A neglected space near the police headquarters at ITO has come alive with coloured strings and houses potted plants which are now watered daily by office goers.<br /><br /></p>.<p>A group of four third-year students from the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) have taken up the project of transforming and beautifying disused public spaces around ITO area in Central Delhi and making it appealing for the masses.<br /> To start with, the students cleaned the space between the ITO foot-over bridge and building boundary in a two-day cleanliness drive three weeks ago, followed by sprucing it with a “notional” enclosure and running a plant adoption drive.<br /><br />"Even if it is a neglected space, the area is being used by pedestrians and office-goers every day. This area is prominent but it was still disused. This is what we wanted to show people that we have such important spaces among us but we don't use them," said Heerali Singh, an architecture student from SPA, involved in the project.<br /><br />Since it is a government property and no structure can come up here, the students designed an enclosure with colourful strings and hung potted plants in used plastic bottles.<br /><br />"This was a shaded area but was not being used by people. Instead, passers-by used to spit here. So we thought even if we do something small in this area, people will realise its importance and start using it as a public space. We put up posters for those interested in plantation and during our cleanliness and plantation drive people became curious," Singh said.<br /><br />"The place was monotonous so we used a lot of colour. After transformation of this transitory space, it is a little disconnected from the road and people actually sit here in the evening and water plants," she added.<br /><br />The other students involved in the project are Kamya Khurana, Nimisha Saraf, and Sonaali Bhatla. The students initially feared that they don't have a back up of security of their work and it can be pulled off and anytime and again become a neglected space.<br />"But no harm has been done in the last three weeks. People are actually showing enthusiasm," said Singh.<br /><br />Many office goers in the area now recognise this space have now adopted a plant and put their names on it. Once saplings are grown, they will be planted in the college campus in the area.<br /><br />The group has taken up this project under an international competition by University of Westminster which encourages students to make "small changes" in your neighbourood and city. By January, the students are planning to expand this in other places around ITO. </p>
