Lucknow: Eminent architects, urban planners and policymakers met on the concluding day of the two-day Times Property Expo on Sunday to discuss initiatives to raise the city’s livability quotient, with speakers outlining measures spanning energy efficiency, groundwater recharge, fire safety, public transport, infrastructure and better building design and planning.Technical expert at Awas Bandhu and former state chief town planner Anoop Kumar Srivastava said development stakeholders must shift attention towards day-to-day quality of life.He underlined the need for pedestrian-friendly cities and better public transport to curb pollution.Prasenjit Sanyal, former chairman of the Lucknow chapter of the Indian Institute of Interior Designers, underlined construction waste management and regulatory compliance.Sanyal advocated for revival of traditional ‘jaali’ designs to cool buildings naturally and stressed rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling.Sandeep Saraswat, chairman of the Indian Institute of Architects (UP chapter), flagged urban heat as a growing challenge. He said resident-driven tree plantation could mitigate the problem substantially.He urged architects to minimise heat absorbing materials like concrete, favour traditional bricks and design buildings with greater natural shade.Prashant Pal Singh, president of the Lucknow Architects Association, emphasised water conservation and said rainwater harvesting is affordable for most property owners.Shubendra Vajpayee of the Lucknow Architects Association said future city projects can benefit from technology, though manual inputs remain crucial for context-specific planning.He said urban planning must benefit citizens across income groups.Another panel discussion titled ‘Building Wealth Brick by Brick: The Role of Real Estate in Financial Planning’ focused on breaking down complex financial and investment concepts.Vice-president HDFC Bank Lucknow, Santosh Singh, said, “City’s rental values have skyrocketed, allowing buyers to cover 70% of EMIs through rent while home loan rates remain stable.”CA & RERA consultant Akash Jaiswal advised viewing property strictly as a long-term vehicle, warning against cheap options.CA and founder of Credi Flex Consultants LLP, Gaurav Agarwal, outlined pride of ownership, wealth creation and utilising financial leverage via bank loans as three investment pillars.Assistant general manager (retail business centre) Bank of India, Lucknow, Naveen Singla, said real estate booms are rapidly extending outwards to Barabanki, Kanpur Road and Unnao.
