Urban renewal
Chennai: The city will get 36 new parks and 11 playgrounds at around ₹44 crore, as Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will develop them in the first phase of Chief Minister’s Integrated Urban Development Mission (CMIUDM). GCC commissioner G S Sameeran said the tender process for 36 parks at a cost of ₹34.45 crore and 11 playgrounds at ₹9.52 crore was underway. The 11 playgrounds will be in Madhavaram, Tondiarpet, Kodambakkam and Sholinganallur. Guidelines from the Union Ministry of Urban Development recommend 10-12 sq m of open space per person. However, the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA), which covers four corporations, has only about 2% of its geographical area classified as declared parks, according to the Second Master Plan for the Chennai Metropolitan Area, 2026 (Volume 3), published by Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) maintains around 1,000 parks and 400 playgrounds in its 15 zones.
The new parks will come up across the city, in Manali, Tondiarpet, Alandur, Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Perungudi and Sholinganallur zones. The need for additional green spaces is significant.