Epigraphic inscriptions found on hero-stones, pillars, rocks and temple foundations around Bangalore are filled with tales of hunts and wild beasts. One of the most interesting narratives in the changing history of nature in the city of Bangalore can be constructed around wildlife. Urban wildlife plays a major role in the imagination of nature in cities. In this era of rapid urbanization, can we hope to derive a different, urban ethic of nature conservation? One that goes beyond the popular urban fetishization of nature via protected area tourism and wildlife photography, to a more inclusive consideration of how to deal with the challenges of the coexistence of the human with the wild in a city? Begur Hero Stone Inscription, now preserved in Bangalore Museum Wildlife conservation remains a discussion centered on the rural and the forest, spaces that are increasingly shrinking as the city enlarges its footprint on the rest of the country. Yet the importance given to trees and plants seems high in comparison to that given to urban wildlife, which hardly ever figures in the conversation about city planning in India. The focus on a sustainable vision of planning rarely includes a consideration of green spaces. In the urban India that is increasingly becoming our future, the focus of administrators has largely remained on infrastructure provisioning: for roads, energy, piped water, and increasingly, for internet access. Some predictions indicate that 600 million Indians may live in cities by 2031.

Many of these predicted future ‘smart’ cities will come up on farmland and pasture, often commons land used or managed by the local village.

Plans have been recently announced to build 100 new “smart cities” across India, with an ambitious plan that includes the proposed investment of 1.2 billion US dollars in 2015. While currently only 30% of India’s population lives in cities, this is changing rapidly. India is on a rapid path to urbanisation.

Nature in the City by Harini Nagendra