“Planning of New Industrial Parks / Investment Zones” is one of the core topics of the Indo German Environment Partnership (IGEP). GIZ-IGEP in partnership with Auroville Consulting organized 2- day training programme on the topic “Environmental Friendly Siting and Site Master Planning of New Industrial Parks” during 10-12 June 2014 at Unity Pavilion, Auroville. This training programme was conducted for government officials from pollution control boards as well as industrial development corporations from different states of India. The training programme was attended by 6 participants from different organizations. Programme schedule is attached.

Mr Thomas Kraubitz, Senior Consultant, Buro Happold Cities, was the principal resource person for this training programme along with co-facilitators from Auroville Consulting as well as from GIZ. Mr Kraubitz is a strategic planner, urbanist and architect with strong experience in regional and city planning, international development, urban and building design. He has worked in different climatic zones in Consulting, Project Management, Urban Planning, Urban Design and Architecture for Stefan Behnisch, Ken Yeang and Rem Koolhaas amongst others. As an urban expert and former Fulbright Scholar he lectures at various national and international universities. He has been actively involved initiating the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) and is leading the economics section for the Industrial Districts Scheme. Mr Kraubitz studied architecture at the University of Coburg and Urban Planning at Tongji University Shanghai, the MIT and Harvard and holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Design with Distinction from Harvard University. He is a LEED GA (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design -Green Associate) and DGNB Auditor.

The co-facilitators of the training programme were: Ms. Suhasini Aiyer Guigan (Principal Consultant, Auroville Design Consulting), Mr. Tency Beaten (Co-founder, Auroville Centre for Scientific Research), Mr. Toine van Megen (Co-founder, Auroville Consulting), Mr. Paul Blanchflower (Director, Auroville Botanical Services) and Ms. Anshika Gupta (Junior Technical Expert, GIZ-IGEP).

The training programmes focused on:

• Master planning principles
• Standards, Rating systems – technical quality, environmental quality, economic quality, socio- cultural & functional quality etc.,“Greening” of industrial areas
• Technical Aspects:
  • Transportation/circulation systems, Landscaping, renewable energy systems planningWater,
  • waste water, waste managementCommon infrastructure and services
  • Organizational and management models
• Retrofitting aspects of existing industrial areas
• Case Examples – national, international

The methodology of the programme was a mix of interactive presentations, field visits at innovative applications of concepts within Auroville as well as hands-on exercises to impart basics to the participants. Also, short documentaries were showcased to the participations for demonstrating the topics- Sustainable Industrial Development in India, Innovative and Successful Business Models for Waste Recycling and Vermi-composting at ALEAP Green Industrial Park, Nandigama (carried out at ALEAP with technical support from GIZ).