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About the City
Nodal Agency – Cochin Smart City Ltd.
City’s Vision
Kochi aims to create venues where infants and toddlers can have exposure to sensory and physical stimuli, as well as accessible, safe public spaces, towards shaping neighbourhoods where all-round development of children is a priority and where caregivers can live more fulfilling lives.
The neighbourhood of Kalvathy, consisting of areas- Eraveli and Karippalam have been selected as test grounds to the pilot projects. Both locations have multiple early childhood facilities and amenities such as anganwadis which can be substantially improved. The neighbourhoods also lack well developed open play spaces for young children and recreation spaces for caregivers, which the city seeks to address through the innovative and inclusive design solutions.
News & Updates
The anganwadi is located in a residential neighbourhood with dilapidated access and lacked play and waiting spaces. The surrounding areas were filled with construction debris. The city revamped the anganwadi with provisions for safer access and created playful outdoor spaces and shaded waiting areas. This has added 33 sq.m. of public space as an anchor for the community.
The street connecting to neighbourhood park is being improved with shaded seating spaces in front of Reading room at the junction, educative and colourful play on the walkways and safe crossings.
The neighbourhood park had limited accessibility due to high boundary walls, with instances of anti-social activities in the park. The community got together to break down the compound wall of the abandoned park to make it transparent, with multiple entries. Seating spaces and informal play opportunities were added. The transformed 260 sq.m. of park has around 100 users including around 30 children to play outdoors, especially girl children, and for women to spend time outdoors.
This neighbourhood lacked in public spaces for children, with most vacant spaces used for parking. The city implemented tactical intervention of creating dedicated space of 42 sq.m. for children adjacent to the anganwadi, by removing parking, adding floor-based games and low-height seating. This has encouraged children to play outdoors, especially girl children, and for women to spend time outdoors.
The project aims to create a city level nature sensory play garden for children that enhances the historic relevance of Fort Kochi.
CSML is implementing Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge in Kochi to create safer, more accessible, and walkable public spaces with particular focus on play spaces for young children (0-5yrs) of all abilities.
Here is an exciting tagline competition conducting by Cochin Smart Mission Limited as part of the Challenge. Participants are encouraged to suggest a tagline in Malayalam for the Challenge and write a four-line poem using the tagline. Winning entries will receive following cash prizes: First prize: Rs. 5000, Second Prize: Rs 3000 and Third Prize: Rs. 2000.