This proposal is part of the TSUCE architecture and planning competition. This is Part 1 and deals with only the Planning proposal.

A living learning laboratory for smart urbanization. Vision for a Sustainable, Resilient, and Collaborative Campus of the Telangana State Urban Center of Excellence
By 2050, India will become more urban than rural, with the country projected to add 400 million urban residents. Telangana is a rapidly urbanizing state that will likely cross the urban-rural threshold to become majority urban within 5-10 years. Telangana faces an immediate demographic transition that India will face three decades from now. This makes the state an ideal laboratory to test urban planning approaches, policy reforms, and design strategies that support an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient urban transition for India.

Urbanization is a process of transformation taking place within cities, towns, and villages as livelihoods evolve and landscapes transform. Telangana and India need well-trained practitioners and policymakers from various disciplines who will guide this transformation. Urban expansion in metropolitan areas need to be managed through strategic infrastructural, transit, and housing investments to ensure sustainable growth. Small-medium towns need new planning approaches to become inclusive sites of economic opportunity. Settlements along the urban-rural continuum must be resilient to migration, resource scarcity, and disaster risks that will be further aggravated by climate change.
The Telangana State Urban Center of Excellence (TSUCE) campus will facilitate research, incubate start ups, and implement capacity building programs that lead to innovative, implementable, and scalable solutions to the challenges and opportunities of urbanization.

Our vision for TSUCE supports a multi-disciplinary, integrated, and hands-on curriculum with research, learning, and incubator spaces where future urban leaders can guide India’s urbanization to be “smart” in a holistic sense. The campus serves as a demonstration space for “smart” integrated urban planning with new models of affordable housing, sustainable mobility, blue-green infrastructure, responsive systems, and vibrant public spaces. The masterplan envisions five districts that replicate a livable and walkable urban neighborhood: Mixed-use Innovation District at the heart of the campus with multi-functional open spaces; Cultural District as a gateway to the campus with an iconic hotel and convention center; Ecological Preserve as an urban ecological landscape; Residential District as a model community with multiple housing typologies, and the Infrastructure District as a laboratory for innovative and circular urban systems. These districts are connected by a highly walkable and bikeable Campus Loop that fosters exploration and collaboration. The buildings, landscape, and infrastructure systems facilitate circular flows of energy, food, waste, and water to make the campus self-sufficient.