Global trends of human population show hat urbanization is increasing day by day. As a result of which, modern housing projects are coming on the view along with a lot of global planning and environmental concerns. Like other nations, Pakistanis also like to get urbanized in a short time and their keenness on these lines has lead them to work on modern urban housing projects and/ cooperative housing societies intensively. Dozens of housing projects have been accomplished successfully and dozens of projects are still in the way of completion in different cities. No matter how big the city is, modern house building activities can be observed enormously. Apparently it's good that my motherland is getting urbanized at a quick pace, the concern is these housing societies are being often built on agriculture lands because of which food insecurity is increasing. Besides food insecurity, disturbance or complete removal of local flora and fauna will lead to the highly important global environmental issues. Present wheat and sugar crisis, electricity crisis and environmental risks somehow come under the consequences of this so called urbanization or modernization trend. But on the other hands, they claim that they are going to strengthen the country economy, by creating too many business opportunities (as construction work creates the business opportunities for all kind of industry) for different stockholders and by creating the job opportunities for the local citizens ultimately playing their role highly in the poverty alleviation. What if they cut and remove some old plantation to meet their purpose, they plant thousands of modern colorful plants by following the proper landscape principles. True they disturb the local environment initially but they are going to give a brand new environment also with a lot of rare landscape features additionally, in the nearest future.
Leaving all the urban planning issues aside, I''m concerned here about how an environmental balance can be created locally. In the title, Palm Royale (a modern housing society in Faisalabad whose landscape project I've been doing in the recent past) represents the housing societies built or being built in the country while Royal Palm (which is of course the most famous palm plant Roystonia regia) represents all type of plantation, being removed or being installed to complete these modern housing projects.
It's true that these housing societies are creating a lot of business opportunities for the local industrialists and also playing their role in the poverty alleviation by creating hundreds of job opportunities for the local manpower. They also look true in their modern landscaping claims, these pictures which I've drawn from different housing societies are also the evidence of this claim.
Like these have very beautiful and well planned green belts.
and
These have well landscaped amenity parks
are well maintained
and well equipped with modern landscape features.
Like these have very beautiful and well planned green belts.
and
These have well landscaped amenity parks
are well maintained
and well equipped with modern landscape features.
Hence they look absolutely true in generating secure and serene environment for their inhabitants, a lot of business opportunities for the local industry and a lot of job opportunities for the local manpower. However these societies should be planned by the concerned authorities in such a way that agriculture land and old flora and fauna should be saved as much as possible, to avoid the national food insecurity and environmental concerns.
http://hortist.blogspot.com/2009/10/palm-royale-not-royal-palm.html?showComment=1256133666844#c6962416044877114429'> October 21, 2009 at 7:01 AM
Landscaping with trees and shrubs that bear edible fruit seems the sensible thing to do. For years, US landscapers have stuck 'Bradford pears' in front of houses. A fruiting pear would serve the same purpose and the fruits are delicious Pears have fewer pests than peaches or apples. Blueberry bushes or currants instead of azaleas, grapes instead of flowering vines, herb gardens, and many other substitutions could be made that provide food and an attractive landscape. I hope that a turn in that direction is coming.
http://hortist.blogspot.com/2009/10/palm-royale-not-royal-palm.html?showComment=1256162847718#c2557541857071633383'> October 21, 2009 at 3:07 PM
Hello,
What an informative article about the effects of urbanization. I agree that rapid urbanization needs to be well thought out, especially in regards to using agricultural land and saving the old flora and fauna.
Here in the Arizona desert, many developers dig up cactus and keep it in a temporary nursery until they can be replanted around the development or sold to someone else who can use them.
http://hortist.blogspot.com/2009/10/palm-royale-not-royal-palm.html?showComment=1256178366049#c2049279071030643149'> October 21, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Most gardeners & naturist worry about urbanisation, especially when wildlife is sacrificed for this cause.
The only one thing that can minimise the damage is to plant as many plants as possible to keep the empty pockets - its ok for the plants but not ok for animals.
Thanks for your comment & adding in the blog follower.
http://hortist.blogspot.com/2009/10/palm-royale-not-royal-palm.html?showComment=1256215297221#c8405331834116078331'> October 22, 2009 at 5:41 AM
You make a lot of good points in your post. Very informative...everyone should read this!
Rosey
http://hortist.blogspot.com/2009/10/palm-royale-not-royal-palm.html?showComment=1256261900359#c2290658351862349425'> October 22, 2009 at 6:38 PM
I'm usually torn as well, though I often side on the team that is for preservation. There's a lot of debate around here about an old dairy farm. It's surrounded now by suburbs, and includes many many acres, and the derelict farm buildings. My first inclination is always to keep it the way it is!!! But then again, seems almost wasteful to consider the space that could be used for living, creating 50,000 jobs (as this project proposes). THen again, high rises don't belong in the middle of the suburbs. Then again, it's not used for anything productive and sits fallow. THen again... and it goes on.
It is curious though how developers do things like chop down royal palms and name the development palm royale. Next to where I grew up, there was a farm owned by the Clopper family. Well, level that area, build a hundered million dollar homes that are a stone's throw from each other, then call the development "Clopper Farm". It's almost like the final insult!
http://hortist.blogspot.com/2009/10/palm-royale-not-royal-palm.html?showComment=1264450294539#c1678667671537793954'> January 25, 2010 at 12:11 PM
Hello Saif. So It was u who handled that work in 2008 and 2009 also. Thank God. I was much worried Abt Owner of the Housing society after I left that for my next job. I tried to search a horticulturist for them but i could not find as i had very short time before coming to Kuwait. How much development did u make there. How was looking Duranta, Iricine, Ficuses, ROyal Palms, which i planted there. and who is working there now. Ulfat Rasool
http://hortist.blogspot.com/2009/10/palm-royale-not-royal-palm.html?showComment=1264508181886#c1508002116124341214'> January 26, 2010 at 4:16 AM
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