Team Members:
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Rupesh Vyas [Senior faculty, coordinator for Information and Digital Design]
Office of the Chief Architect and Town Planning
Gujarat Ecology Commission (G.E.C.)
Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation

Need for Design:
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Where is the human race heading tomorrow, depends completely on how
sustainable we can be today.
Whether its tourists visiting from outside places, residents of the city, youths and students or professionals from other areas, there exists a gap in terms of an
informative hand. This can be narrowed down with the presence of an interesting map. A map not like any usual one which lists only transportation routes but rather, one that highlights and propagates ecological living - Green Map.
The need for designing a bridge between the place, people and wilderness need to be justified, so as to multiply human connectivity.

Objective:
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Aim is at identifying a sustainable way of living via mapping ecological resources, in a local context. What, How, and Where all can we inculcate a more healthier and environment friendly way of utilizing existing and newly discovered ecological resources is what we look into.
After collecting raw data that is related to the locations, the next phase is, to map this data in a way which would be informative to people. To analyze the region as per the resources available, themes such as the ones listed below will be taken into considerations during the course of the project.

Natural heritage
Energy efficiency
Cultural heritage
Ecological tourism
Health resources
Water / Food habits
Rural sites
Blight spots
Youth (in-campus and out)
Green aspects
Environmental care
Waste reduction
Wildlife habitats
Pollution scales

Hence, studying existing scenarios, identifying new cues or issues with context to the environment, building information architecture models and mapping information in a visual way. Thus, showcasing a new way to enjoy life, more naturally.
Why to focus towards a sustainable future and how to encourage use of greener resources is the central point of the project.
Mapping this information in a visual manner across areas, via youths and people, to outsiders, such as tourists, is essential.
As this project is directed towards a Green Map System initiative for Gandhinagar, the end product in terms of user testing and prototype model would be in the form of a map. This could be an aid for tourists, residents, students, elderly, environmentalists and travelers and propagated in the form of informative boards, printed maps or even leaflets.