Abstract

This research is about the passive recreational spaces provision in Hyderabad city and compares the area distribution within the city with respect to National Reference Manual (NRM) and shows the backlog differences area in acres as per population intake within the city. The research focuses on the increasing absence of appropriate passive recreational areas to fulfil the need of the inhabitants, with better needs and demands in accordance with the population influx into the city. It may be used to thrive and give the foundation for social cohesion among the people for healthier living and better functioning.

Key Words

Passive Recreation, National Reference Manual, Social Cohesion

Introduction

One of the most crucial elements of the urban landscape is passive recreation (Lachowycz & Andy, 2013). Spending time in such well-maintained passive recreation places has been shown to increase energy and decrease negative emotions, according to some research (Bowler et al., 2010). Passive leisure spaces also have unintended advantages that are more widespread(Lee & Maheswaran, 2010), such as fostering social cohesion by providing opportunities designed for more human connection and group activities (Maas et al., 2009). Numerous studies on urban landscape concerns have been conducted. Only a limited number of these studies, however, have emphasized how much people like living close to public open spaces. The American public is very supportive of creating public open spaces in urbanizing areas. Sprawl has been strongly opposed by American citizens.(Wu & Plantinga, 2003).

Concrete aspects (physical elements) like street patterns, urban design, and the surrounding built, or natural environment makes up the landscape (or urban form) of a settlement. Whereas the foundational elements of political economics and theological ideals make up the minor characteristics of a community or settlement  (Mohammed Abdullah 2000). In the modern city, landscaping is primarily found in residential neighbourhoods (with courtyards presenting groups of homes and in the vicinity of residential plots/areas as gardens), as well as close to schools and other institutions for young people to learn.  (JunJie Wu and Andrew J. Plantinga 2003). 

Landscaping is very important since it increases the property's value. Among the many benefits of landscaping is the way it connects ethnicity to the environment and helps to create a realistic perception of the area. Things that matter to people have been improved by the landscape, and people's values are reflected in the level of landscape arrangements in the places where they live. (Dirk Van Nellestijn, 2014).

Green passive areas are frequently overlooked in the urban design and planning process when it comes to the physical environment, such as open green spaces. Open space design, which has led to heat islands in metropolitan areas, has gotten little noticed during the design and planning process of urban areas. (Moohammed & Erik, 2014). Intense effects brought on by specific environmental changes can be reduced by green areas. (Sharifah Khalizah, et al., 2013; Chiesura, 2004; Project EverGreen, 2013).

One may argue that either the man-made or natural environment should be able to accommodate human activities. This method of urban planning results in environments and urban infrastructure that are more suited to human needs and habits. The discipline of urban design, which is more focused on the built environment and offers improved built environments, which focuses on the constructed environment of settlements as opposed to planning and landscaping, plays a significant part in the evolution of civilization because it addresses these intangible settlement activities. From one generation to the next, these traits or routines gradually evolve or alter. They bridge the gap between older and younger generations and are historically based. The distinctive environment is a reflection of a society's originality that may be understood from the appearance, sounds, odour, and way of life of its individuals. They may be symmetrical or asymmetrical. (Rapoport, 1998; Rapoport, 1996). Investigating actual land evaluation is made easier with the integration and usage of geographic information systems (GIS). (Saleem A., 2014)  (Fang and Julie 1998).  Exploring the unique characteristics of urban green recreational spaces is the decision that serves as a constraint regarding economically and socially distinct areas.  (Atifa, Neelum and Ghulam Abbas 2016), and to control whatever effect the existing peripheral has on the value of the park feature at some grade (Soleckia & Joan M. Welchb, 1994).

Aim and objective

The primary focus of this research is passive recreational infrastructure as it's an essential part of Hyderabad City. This research assesses the backlog with respect to the standard need to fulfil the inmates' needs to provide better provisions to get interaction within the city for social cohesion of its locales.




Problem Background

An integrated system of man-made structures and protected ecology is referred to as passive recreational infrastructure, and it provides numerous, well-balanced solutions to promote sustainable urban development (Ahern., 2007).  It has been witnessed that such passive recreational areas are facing various problems, one is deficient in balancing with the standards of the National reference Manual. To transform Hyderabad Metropolis's urban shape into a prosperous, healthy, and effectively operating green city, careful policy development activities are required. 

Research Design /Methodology

The aim of this study is to explore potential urban landscape greening prospects in terms of passive recreation in Hyderabad City that can improve local environmental quality and social life (Pakistan). To read and understand the chosen landscape of Hyderabad City (i-e: passive recreation), this research used a variety of methodologies. For this, the suggested research technique is separated into the following primary sections as provided in the research proposal paper.  In research, the methodology process enlightens to acquire passive recreation problems through literature review and gathering the data from the concerned authorities. The literature review explored, the use of qualitative and quantitative methods as the most effective way to get a set of results. This attempt recognizes the importance of this research in terms of its originality and scarcity. The suggested quantitative technique has aided in the evaluation of several policy frameworks connected to passive recreation created by local governing organizations in Hyderabad City. 

On independently created cadastral maps, the small area spatial analysis has also been helpful in combining multiple activity data sets. In geosciences studies, this kind of information is referred to as "Map info." Additionally, these information maps display statistical data of any kind, such as socioeconomic statistics, by depicting them in various colour tones and contrasts  (Fang and Julie 1998) Viewers are given visual information about activities and intensity levels at various spatial or scales levels through the presentation of data using different colour schemes. The final goal of this research will also be accomplished using the "Map info" technique.




Questionnaires and Interviews

After gaining a broad understanding of Hyderabad's passive recreational Park, the questionnaire created at the beginning of the research for the purpose of providing recreational was somewhat adjusted. The surveys were translated from English to Urdu to accommodate the majority of the locals, who have a wide range of educational backgrounds. About 25 questions make up the questionnaire, which is then disseminated. The park's gate was used to reach out to the general public, and the gates of active recreation areas were used to reach out to sportsmen. In order to do this, a basic sampling technique was used, which required filling out 384 questionnaire samples for every city with at least 1 lac residents (Robert & Daryle, 1970 (Fang and Julie 1998). Participants were contacted at random and on the spot and asked to complete surveys. Additionally, surveys about famous eateries and traffic lights were being completed. In Hyderabad, roughly 480 respondents responded to the questionnaire survey between the hours of 11 a.m. afternoon timing and 4 p.m. evening timings.




Study Area

With a population of two million, Hyderabad is the second-largest metropolis in Sindh province and one of Pakistan's larger cities. (Hyderabad population density map, 2014). Three talukas in Hyderabad, namely Qasimabad, Latifabad, and Hyderabad City, have been selected as the study areas for this research. The population of Hyderabad is expanding quickl  (USAID 2014) y. Which city experiences a variety of concerns, such as ignorance regarding an unsanitary atmosphere, which leads to a variety of health issues. Hyderabad's outdated public utility system has been excessively burdened for many years and has outlived its usefulness, but the city still lacks a working master plan  (Khan 2015). Open space areas in the city, which are viewed as good opportunities for revenue production, have performed poorer due to the lack of a master plan (District Govt. Hyderabad, Govt. of Sindh 2009). The economy, the ecology, and the health of city residents can all be quickly improved by expressing concern for the passive recreational parks and urban landscape. The following Fig: 1, shows the map of Hyderabad city, mentioning respective talukas along the city boundaries. 

Figure 1

City map of Hyderabad



Lack of Passive Recreational Space: Inappropriate Use of Urban Relief Spaces

The residents of Hyderabad urban territory are not only socially isolated due to a lack of possibilities for engagement, but they are also cut off from their community because there are no public areas for relaxation, escape from the bustling city, or any other form of stress relief.  (Khan 2015)

Recognizing the value of public passive recreational areas has undoubtedly been neglected by the city administration. Despite the fact that there are gathering places for the Hyderabadi populace, these are rarely, if ever, planned from an urban perspective  (District Govt. Hyderabad, Govt. of Sindh 2009). However, due to a lack of planning guidelines, this area appears more like a poorly managed territory than a delightful representation of the city's vibrancy.

The following are some of the significant factors that Hyderabad City policymakers have largely disregarded:




Location

The population distribution was not taken into account when planning the majority of public spaces.




Ethical Conduct of Public

People who have poor literacy rates are not aware of how to use the city's communal open spaces. The management and skills practices required for the preservation and maintenance of urban public spaces, however, are also lacking in responsible management organizations (Ahern., 2007).




Accessibility as User-friendliness

Due to a lack of an efficient public mass transit system, some recreational locations are unreachable from outlying areas of the city. On the banks of the Indus River is where the city of Hyderabad is located. In the past, the Hyderabad tract's terrain didn't support much in the way of greenery or a good green space  (District Govt. Hyderabad, Govt. of Sindh 2009). 

Over 50,000 acres of land were set aside for open spaces as part of a 1963 land use survey that sought to determine the ratio of open space to the population in the past. In a 1986 survey(Greater Hyderabad Master Plan (1986-2003), 1986), 365.03 acres total are only designated as open space(Hyderabad Master Plan (2007-2027), 2009). The area under the agricultural and unoccupied land categories was combined when calculating the area in the 1963 land use report. As a result, the entire area was accounted for as consolidated open space, making it impossible to determine the precise amount of open space in a city (Hyderabad Master Plan (2007-2027), 2009). Due to this discrepancy, it was determined that the 1963 data and the 1986 data used for comparison were incompatible. After independence, the land was set aside in a planned scheme for parks and playfields. 

Local architects and urban planners have typically been unable to address the aforementioned problems. Planners have compiled a great deal of factual information, but this information is only useful if it has been determined how residents of Hyderabad behave in the local community when using passive recreational spaces. The Sindh Government's handling of the issues of the HDA, the bodies principally in charge of maintaining and improving the municipal system, has contributed to the feeling of deprivation (District Govt. Hyderabad, Govt. of Sindh 2009). It exhibits the government's utter lack of compassion and awareness for the suffering of the people.

The 2007 master plan was flawed, and its implementation was nearly impossible, according to an executive with the Hyderabad Development Package (HDP), which was launched after the Musharraf government gave the city's former district government Rs10.5 billion (Khan, 2015). While adding together to missing a master plan, the city also lacks clear design standards, which encourages the growth of densely populated districts and eventually urban slums, further harming the local ecology.

Activity Data for Passive Recreation

Passive Recreation Standard demonstrates the requirement for passive leisure spaces in order to keep the population intact and to fulfil the inhabitants' needs as per the required area. Following is one of the standards evaluations of passive activity provided in the National Reference Manual; that need to get followed while designing any particular area/city or town in general:




 

Table 1. Passive Recreational Space Standard (National Reference Manual, 1986)

S. No	Type	Category	Allotment Standard	area in Hectare	1000 pop. Served/Hectare
1.	Metropolitan City park	Botanical & zoological gardens as a specified facility.	Two million	50 to 70	0.025 to 0.035
2.	City Park	Amusement amenities, fountains, lakes designing etc as a broad variety	400,000.00	12 to15	0.03 to 0.037
3.	Municipal Park	Selected amusement facilities, paved walks, and tree plantation.	100,000.00	4.5 to 5	0.04 to 0.05
4.	Neighbour-hood parks	road variety of kids activities, fixtures, walking and jogging tracks.	25,000.00	3.25 to 4	0.13 to 0.16
5.	Muhala parks (3-8/ mohala ave. size 0.45 hec: each	Tot-lots with slides, swings, seesaws; other spaces etc.	6,250.00	1.6 to 3.6	0.26 to 058
	Total area in Hectare				0.485 to 0.862

 




As extracted from the National Reference Manual, Table 1 outlines the National Standards for Providing Passive Open Spaces with Population Intake Within Cities (Anon, 1986). Contrarily, according to Pakistani national standards, the amount of area needed for active leisure for a population of over 2 million is 172.974 acres taken to the National reference Manual (NRM).

Whereas, following is the list of passive recreational spaces within the city of Hyderabad, showing the areas of each in acres.




 

Table 2. List of the Passive Recreational Spaces in Hyderabad City

S. No	Passive Use of open spaces	Usage - Open	Areas in (Acres)
1.	Inside Qila Open Space	Open	0.17
2.	Phooleli Park	Open	03.96
3.	Near College Road Open Space	Open	0.08
4.	Baby Hafsa Park at Latifabad	Open	2.03
5.	G.O.R passive use Open Space	Open	2.63
6.	Qasimabad passive use Open Space	Open	2.07
7.	Askari Park	Open	03.45
8.	Memon Society Park	Open	00.34
9.	Muslim Society Park	Open	01.59
10.	Abdullah Town Park	Open	00.12
11.	Nassim Nagir Park	Open	00.42
12.	Citizen Colony Park	Open	01.23
13.	Marvi Town Park	Open	00.12
14.	Bhittai Nagir Park	Open	00.18
15.	Mehran Park	Open	05.00
16.	Latifabad Unit no. 06 Park	Open	03.55
17.	Mustafa Park	Open	01.88
18.	Latifabad Unit no. 03	Open	00.51
19.	Latifabad Unit no. 10 Park	Open	02.75
20.	Latifabad Unit no. 4 Park	Open	02.49
21.	Kohisar Park	Open	02.40
22.	Latifabad unit no. 09 Park	Open	1.50
23.	Abbas Bhai Park	Open	5.21
24.	Rani Bagh Passive Park	Open	34.55
25.	New Hyderabad city	Open	07.86
Total Passive Use (Area in acres)			86.09

 




Table 2 lists the open spaces in Hyderabad city that are appropriately open in use and have prescribed the area in acres  (Hyderabad Recreational plan at Hyderabad, 2009). The Table displays passive use for the area inside the city of Hyderabad, which is accordingly open in use. These facilities are managed by the government of Sindh. (Hyderabad Recreational plan at Hyderabad, 2009)

Chart 1:

Area assessment Passive Recreation



Analyzing Backlog Assessment with Respect to NRM Standard

Chart 1 illustrates that there are only 86.09 acres accessible for passive usage, although standards state that there should be 172.974 acres available for the intake of 2 million people. 

Conclusion

A district master plan for the entire district, created in 2007 by the district government of Hyderabad City and intended to be in operation until 2027, was unsuccessful owing to execution. The Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) had created a similar proposal in 1985, but it was deferred and abandoned. Inhabitants of Hyderabad believe their city has endured years of official neglect because it lacks the resources to effectively operate and maintain its parks, playgrounds, and open spaces. The way the Sindh Government has been running the operations of the HDA, the entities largely in charge of maintaining and improving the municipal system, has contributed to the feeling of deprivation. It demonstrates the government's complete lack of empathy for the plight of the people. The city also lacks particular architectural guidelines, which leads to a proliferation of crowded districts that eventually give birth to urban slums, further degrading the local environment. This is in adding together to the absence of a district master plan for the city.

According to HMP-2007, the distribution of these amenities and services in Hyderabad is uneven because the availability of recreational space differs in each neighbourhood (Hyderabad Master Plan (2007-2027), 2009). There are places that, when measured by acres per 1,000 inhabitants, come relatively near to the average allocation of recreational space for the area's population; There are instances when this computed outcome significantly fails to meet that requirement. It should be noted that there is an approximate 50% gap between the standards for recreational space and the actual allotment for this use. It can only be attributed to land grabbing, encroachment, population growth, and altered land uses. Despite the pressure from other land use demands, space must be allocated and utilized in that way to make up for this lack of recreational space.

References

• Ahern, J. F. (2007). Green Infrastructure For Cities The Spatial Dimension
• Anon. (1986). National Reference Manual On Planning and Infrastructure Standards | PDF. (n.d.). Scribd. https://www.scribd.com/document/457528871/National-Reference-Manual-on-Planning-and-Infrastructure-Standards
• Batool, A., Naz, N., & Anjum, G. A. (2016). Socio-Cultural Value of Public Open Spaces with Hamachas in Dera Ghazi Khan City, Pakistan. Mehran University research journal of Engineering & Technology, 35(02), 181-188
• Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L. M., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health, 10(1) https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-456
• Chen, F., & Delaney, J. (1998). Expert knowledge acquisition: A methodology for GIS assisted industrial land suitability assessment. Urban Policy and Research, 16(4), 301–315 https://doi.org/10.1080/08111149808727778
• Chiesura, A. (2004). The Role of Urban Parks for the Sustainable City. Landscape and Urban Planning, 68(1), 129–138 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.08.003
• District Govt. Hyderabad, Govt. of Sindh, (2009), Hyderabad Recreational plan at Hyderabad. Karachi: Osmani & Co. Pvt, Ltd.
• District Govt. Hyderabad, Govt. of Sindh, 2009. Hyderabad Master Plan (2007- 2027), Karachi: Osmani & Co., Pvt, Ltd
• Eben Saleh, M. A. (2000). The architectural form and landscape as a harmonic entity in the vernacular settlements of Southwestern Saudi Arabia. Habitat International, 24(4), 455–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0197-3975(99)00044-2
• Evergreen, P. (2019, February 23). Project Evergreen | Creating a Healthier Cooler Earth. Projectevergreen.org. http://projectevergreen.org/resources/e conomic-benefits-of-green-space
• Khan, M. H., (2015). Lack of master plan worsens civic conditions in Hyderabad, s.l.: Daily Dawn Newspaper
• Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining Sample Size for Research Activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607–610 https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
• Lachowycz, K., & Jones, A. P. (2013). Towards a better understanding of the relationship between greenspace and health: Development of a theoretical framework. Landscape and Urban Planning, 118, 62–69 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.10.012
• Lee, A. C., & Maheswaran, R. (2011). The health benefits of urban green spaces: a review of the evidence. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), 33(2), 212–222. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdq06
• Maas, J., van Dillen, S. M. E., Verheij, R. A., & Groenewegen, P. P. (2009). Social contacts as a possible mechanism behind the relation between green space and health. Health & Place, 15(2), 586– 595 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.20 08.09.006
• Paudel, S., & Yuan, F. (2012). Assessing landscape changes and dynamics using patch analysis and GIS modeling. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 16, 66–76 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2011.12.00
• Rapoport, A., (1996). Culture and built form- a reconsideration. Architecture in Cultural changes: Essays in Built Form and Culture Research. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, pp. 157-175
• Rapoport, A., (1998). "Culture" in Housing Design. Housing and society. Housing and Society, 25(1 & 2), pp. 1-20
• Solecki, W. D., & Welch, J. M. (1995). Urban parks: green spaces or green walls? Landscape and Urban Planning, 32(2), 93–106 https://doi.org/10.1016/0169-2046(94)00193-7
• Thani, S. K. S. O., Mohamad, N. H. N., & Abdullah, S. M. S. (2013). The Influence of Urban Landscape Morphology on the Temperature Distribution of Hot-Humid Urban Centre. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 85, 356–367 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.365
• Thawaba, S. A. (2014). Integration of GIS and perception assessment in the creation of needs-based urban parks in Ramallah, Palestine. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 7(2), 170–186. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2013.8 79454
• USAID. (2014). Pakistan: Sindh-Hyderabad Population Density Map https://reliefweb.int/map/pakistan/pakistan-sindh-hyderabad-population-density-map-august-201
• Wu, J., & Plantinga, A. J. (2003). The influence of public open space on urban spatial structure. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 46(2), 288–309 https://doi.org/10.1016/s0095-0696(03)00023-8
• Yahia, M. W., & Johansson, E. (2014). Landscape interventions in improving thermal comfort in the hot dry city of Damascus, Syria—The example of residential spaces with detached buildings. Landscape and Urban Planning, 125, 1–16 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2014.01.01