Paper short abstract:

This paper seeks to explore the role of designed landscapes in contemporary Indian cities and how politics of aesthetics dictate the development of these public open spaces.

Paper long abstract:

Contemporary Indian cities are facing great challenges as unprecedented urban growth is exerting tremendous pressure on urban infrastructure on one hand and new found economic growth and neoliberal agendas are dictating the physical developments of the urban areas on the other. Landscape design is used in the large scale development projects for semiotic manipulations and identity creations. Landscape architects' involvements with large scale urban development projects are heavily influenced by larger political, economic, social, cultural and environmental power plays which need to be balanced by the professional group. This paper explores how the politics of aesthetics drive urban environmental changes in contemporary India by analyzing designed urban public open spaces from four metropolitan cities and critically examine the role of landscape designers within the whole political system.