prevailing trends in gated community and ways of improving the infrastructure

1. S.HARINI
M.Arch 2016-2018, SEM 1, MCE, KKNagar, Chennai
ar.harini@gmail.com
GATED COMMUNITY – TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
This research paper is presented by the author towards the Urban Design Conference, Oct 6, 2016
at MCE, KK Nagar, Chennai. The theme of the conference in “SUSTAINABILITY”

2. Abstract
Urban sprawls in the developing countries have
resulted in increased population growth and this has
led to the development of multistoried residential units
– the so called gated communities. Natural resources
are being exploited to meet the needs of ever increasing
population, which has eventually ended up in global
warming. What has once been a serene environment
has now become a polluted environment. We have now
reached a stage where the survival of our future
generation is at risk. The aim of this research is to find
ways of creating sustainable development within a
gated community- at micro level. If each gated
community in the city were to follow this, a sustainable
environment can be achieved at a mega level. Small
droplets of water contribute to a bigger ocean.
Contents:
Need For a Sustainable Development
Gated Community _ An Introduction
Parameters for a Sustainable Gated Community
Areas of Study
Solid Waste Management
Definition
Processes Involved
Composting and Vermicomposting
Benefits Of Composting
Collection and Segregation Of Wastes
Key Criteria For Vermicomposting
Why Vermicomposting in Gated Communities?
Case Study
Way To Go
Storm Water Management
Definition
Study Of Water Origin And Management
Integrative Design Choices
Processes Involved
Way to Go
Case Studies
Capturing and Utilization of Solar Energy
Definition
Why Is Renewable Energy Important?
Methods Of Harvesting Solar Energy In A
Gated Community
Tools and Ways to Storage Solar Energy
Benefits of the Efficiency Of Solar Energy
Way to Go
Case Studies
Bibliography
NEED FOR A SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
Overwhelming population, depletion of natural
resources, urbanization, ever prevailing imbalance in
standard of living in developing countries, global
warming, depletion of ozone layer e. have raised a
question of survival in the near future. “How to stop this
alarming threat and grow towards a healthy, positive,
sustainable development” has become a serious question
at the global level. We have almost reached a stage where
if we don’t act now, we will no longer be able to save our
environment for our future generations.
Economists have used the term sustainable
development in an attempt to clarify the balance between
economic growths on the one hand and conservation and
protection of environment on the other. Sustainable
development refers to “meeting the needs of the present
generation without compromising the needs of future
generation”.
The aim of this article is the study of sustainable
infrastructure in gated communities and how it can be
achieved. The termsustainable infrastructure development
in urban design and land use planning has gained
importance since last two decades due to the depletion of
natural resources. It deals with the increased importance
given to the environment in urban design and land use
planning decisions.
GATED COMMUNITY
AN INTRODUCTION
Gated communities are residential enclaves
developed by the private sectors. In Chennai metropolitan
area, they are much sought after housing destinations
mainly by the IT community. They are developed and
being developed by the private developers and are located
mostly in the suburbs. This research is significant because
it orients the private developers to create a sustainable
infrastructure and the same is later maintained by the
respective resident welfare association.
The literature data for this study has been
collected from the primary source - municipal byelaws
and development control rules, secondary source - online
references and tertiary source – from the case studies.
PARAMETERS FOR A SUSTAINABLE
GATED COMMUNITY
Solid waste management - MSWM
Storm water management - SWM
Waste water recycling & sewage treatment plant – STP

3. Capturing and utilization of solar energy
Landscape amenities
Safety Insights
Sustainable infrastructure maintenance
AREAS OF STUDY
Of the above parameters, private developers
have started erecting STPs, landscape amenities, safety
measures and Resident Welfare Associations in their
developments because these are the magnets that attract
the buyers.
The parameters like MSWM, SWM and
utilization of solar energy is often neglected or it is not
made mandatory by our governing authorities. This
research focuses on ways to implement MSWM, SWM
and Capturing And Utilization Of Solar Energy in gated
communities to make it sustainable and measures &
policies that could be taken up by the government to
make the same mandatory.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
DEFINITION
Solid waste management - SWM in urban level
deals with the collection, segregation, transportation and
recycling of collected wastes from commercial,
corporate, residential and industrial developments in
appropriate sites by the municipality.
The issue of solid waste management within the
gated community is most important to prevent pollution
in the nearby areas, normally arising out of heaps of
rubbish which constitutes an eyesore and can become a
health hazard.
It is now the era of gated communities due to
the ever increasing population and urbanization, and if
each gated community could contribute its part in a
micro level towards SWM, Sustainable environment can
be achieved at macro level.
The wastes generated in any development may broadly
be categorized as under:
1. Wet waste – The beneficial waste - kitchen
waste – organic matter
2. Dry Waste – Recyclable waste – papers,
fabrics, Glass, Ceramics, Metals and Tins Etc
3. Domestic Hazardous and Special Wastes which
includes (i) plastic waste (ii) e- waste (iii)
slaughter house waste (iv) Bio- medical waste
(v) waste tyres and (vi) lead battery waste.
It is estimated that 2.5kg of waste is generated per
household per day and of this .8 to 1 kg of waste is
organic..
This research is oriented towards the management of Wet
waste in a gated community of 500 to 600 residential
units. The dry wastes and the domestic hazardous wastes
can be handed over to the municipality for further action.
PROCESSES INVOLVED IN SOLID
WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
1. Composting
Types of Composting - Windrow Composting,
Aerated Static Pile Composting, In-Vessel
Composting, Decentralized Composting and
Vermi Composting
2. Waste to energy (WTE)
3. Production of refuse derived fuel( RDF )
4. Incineration, Pyrolysis/ Gasification, Plasma
Pyrolysis Vitrfication
5. Sanitary Landfills
COMPOSTING AND
VERMICOMPOSTING
Composting is defined as the controlled
decomposition of the organic waste in aerobic conditions.
This has to be done only with appropriate and effective
pre sorting and treatment of feedstock.The byproduct –
Compost is used as a very valuable soil amendment which
reduces the dependency on chemicals and fertilizers.
BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING
 Improved micro-nutrient content and improved
soil quality
 Enhanced water retention capacity of the soil
 Increased biological activities
This research focuses on vermicomposting as it is more
relevant to SWM in sustainable gated communities.
VERMICOMPOSTING
Vermicompost is the natural organic manure
produced from excreta of earthworm which are fed on
scientifically semi decomposed organic waste.
Vermicompost units of small sizes have been set up in
Chennai city- the largest being in Bangalore.
Vermicomposting is preferred to microbial composting as
it needs less mechanization and ease of operation. Utmost
care to be taken that toxic material does not enter the
chain which if present may kill the earthworms.

4. COLLECTION AND SEGREGATION OF
WASTES FROM SOURCE
This can be done manually. At the apartment
level, each unit has to be provide d with color coded
Bins for organic ( Green Color ) and inorganic wastes (
Red Color ) At the service entry of each block bigger
bins can be placed to collect the wastes at the block
level.
Each day the occupant has to put the segregated wastes
into each bins respectively or the community welfare
association can depute respective labors to do the same.
At the community level, further segregation has to be
done to separate ceramic, plastic, paper and organic
wastes. Ceramic, plastic and paper wastes can be handed
over to municipality and organic wastes as feedstock for
the community vermicompost unit.
Collection At Unit Level Collection at Block Level
Collection At CommunityLevel
KEY CRITERIA FOR
VERMICOMPOSTING
Amount of waste treated : 200 TPA
Land required : 0.5 ACRES
Time : 8 weeks
Temperature : 30-40°C ideal range
Energy input : low
Financial implications : Though Purchase of
exotic earthworms is
expensive; It is after
all the gated community
who gets benefited.
WHY VERMICOMPOSTING IN GATED
COMMUNITIES?
• The cost of setting up of a vermicompost unit is
comparatively less and the unit occupies less
area
• The maintenance cost of the unit is less and
highly skilled labor is not required for making
the unit functional
• By adopting the principle of “REDUCE-
RECYCLE-REUSE” in a gated community, the
cost of storage, transportation and processing of
waste and land requirements and maintenance
cost for the same at urban level gets in turn
reduced.
• The Byproduct of the wet waste management
systems – organic manure can be used to enrich
the landscape top soil there by creating a
sustainable development.
• The excess manure can be sold out and the
income can be added towards the community
welfare association fund. This reduces the
maintenance cost per dwelling unit in the long
run and this could be an attractive feature for the
promoter to sell his development.
• Not the least, rag pickers can be trained for
vermicomposting and they can be appointed by
RFA, thereby upgrading their livelihood, for a
social cause.
COSTOF 200TPA VERMICOMPOSTING
UNIT
SOURCE:http://www.keralaagriculture.gov.in/htmle/bankableagriprojec
ts/ld%5Cvermi.htm

5. PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS IN
MAINTAINING A VERMICOMPOST
UNIT
SOURCE: National WorkshopforFinalizationof theDraft Manual on
Municipal SolidWaste Management,July 24th – 25th, 2014
From the above data it can be inferred that,Only less
skilled labors are required for the operation of the unit,
the unit is not much Maintenance seeking and no
mechanical energy is needed.
WAY TO GO
As of now there are no clear policies and
mandates for setting up a vermicompost unit in a gated
community. By setting up a vermicompost unit in a
gated community, we can improve the environment and
inch towards a green sustainable environment in the near
future.
Following points can be brought in the
limelight while planning for the revision of DCR and
urban land use patterns:
1. Setting up of a vermicompost unit can be made
mandatory for all gated communities
2. Subsidies can be given for each resident for the
effective use of the byproduct thereby
encouraging them for the maintenance of the
unit (there are subsidies for WTE which will
help at the city/ state level development.
Subsidies for community level MSWM will
encourage the promoters to go for it)
3. Whether the OSR area can accommodate the
Vermicompost unit can be debated
4. Whether the government can take up the task of
setting up and maintenance of the
vermicompost unit in a gated community, by
providing employment opportunities for the
underprivileged there by upgrading their lives.
CASE STUDY:
VERMICOMPOST UNIT BY HAND IN HAND
INDIA at GUINDY. CHENNAI
Waste drying yards Vermi compost pits
Removing liquidwaste Waste grinding machines
What was once a huge heapof garbage is now a valuablechemical
free byproduct – thanks to vermicomposting
Adjoiningland enriched byvermicompost and now a self
sustainable andpollution free pocket in the urbanscenario.

6. STORM WATER MANAGEMENT
DEFINITION
The source of storm is rain. It is the excessive
rain that cause storm. Increasing Global warming and
increasing green house gases has resulted in a situation
where storm is unavoidable. Now, the challenge with us
is to channelize the stormat urban level for safeguarding
our structures and in turn our environment. This research
is oriented towards the storm water management within
a gated community. What we aim to do in urban level
can be scaled down to a community level to achieve a
sustainable infrastructure.
STUDY OF WATER ORIGIN AND
MANAGEMENT IN URBAN CONTEXT
The source of storm is the built environment
where the water is getting logged and eventually it flows
along the perimeter and joins the ocean / downstream.
SOURCE: WorldAcademy ofScience, EngineeringandTechnology
International Journal of Civil, Environmental,Structural, Construction
andArchitectural EngineeringVol:7, No:6, 2013
This figure shows detailed connections among
Source, Perimeter and downstream. The source areas
include shops and residences and their immediate
landscapes; some storm water management features are
within these areas such as water harvesting. The
perimeter area includes the swale alongside the road and
a detention pond which buffers downstream flows. The
downstream area is the wash where excess flows
eventually end up.
INTEGRATIVE DESIGN CHOICES
This conceptualdiagram compares potential
contributions to place of different types of stormwater
management facilities.
SOURCE: WorldAcademy ofScience, EngineeringandTechnology
International Journal of Civil, Environmental,Structural, Construction
andArchitectural EngineeringVol:7, No:6, 2013
The diagram’s vertical axis is the perceptual
contribution to place through degree of human contact,
readability, and association with nature. Most facilities
occupy a range on the vertical scale, indicating the
importance of specific design choices for achieving or not
achieving contribution to place in specific applications.
Along the horizontal axis the facilities are
arranged in order of priority for spatial use, from fully
human on the left to fully water on the right. The overall
horizontal sequence is the storm water flow sequence,
from source area, through the perimeter, to downstream.
The following subsections outline specific design choices
for each type of facility which has relative spatial
occupation and perceptual contribution to place
PROCESSES INVOLVED IN STORM
WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
In a gated community human accommodation
and storm water management are equally important. This
research explains how rain water can be used to create
amenities within the gated community that enhances the
community value orienting towards the sustainable
development.
In building a gated community, the traditional methods of
drainage and sanitation are supplemented with guidelines
/ mandates and byelaws for protection of water quality
and quantity, and the resources that depend on water.
These guidelines can be generalized as permeable
pavements , green roofs, water harvesting, rain gardens (
BIORETENTIONS) , swales, channels, drain spouts,
culverts, storm sewer inserts, traps, inlets, wells, surface
filters and screens, ponds, basins and wetlands.
The above methods that can be adopted in a gated

7. community can be summarized as follows:
1. Rain water harvesting
2. Permeable pavements and landscapes
3. Rain Gardens
4. Storm water gutters and trenches
5. Waterfalls, Ponds and water bodies
6. Swales ( on a larger scale)
RAINWATER HARVESTING
Rain water harvesting is the technique of
collection and storage of rain water in surface (or above
the ground, natural or man-made structures) or in under-
ground aquifers (the under-ground water table), before it
is lost as surface run-off. Rooftops of buildings in gated
communities offer a large catchment area which is
effectively available free of charge and they provide a
supply at the point of consumption
Recharge Pits Harvesting From The
Landscaped Areas
Harvesting From the Roof Tops Of Buildings
Permeable Pavement Construction
PERMEABLE PAVEMENTS AND
LANDSCAPES
These are landscapes, open fields, parks, storm
water drains, roads and pavements and other open areas.
These can be effectively used to harvest the run-off. The
main advantage in using ground as collecting surface is
that water can be collected from a larger area. This is
particularly advantageous in areas of low rainfall like
Chennai city.
RAIN GARDENS
A Rain Garden receives water from impervious
(hard) surfaces such as rooftops, sidewalks, driveways
and patios.The shallow depression of the garden holds the
water so it can slowly infiltrate back into the soil as the
plants, mulch and soil naturally remove pollutants from
the runoff.
A Typical Rain Garden
SOURCE: Catch it where it falls – a guide to water conservationand
management Author: Centre for ScienceandEnvironment.

8. WATERBODIES, WATERFALLS AND
PONDS
The potential of tanks and ponds to store
rainwater is immense. The harvested rainwater can not
only be used to meet water requirements of the
community, it also recharges groundwater levels.
STORMWATER DRAINS, GUTTERS
AND TRENCHES
Most of the residential colonies have proper
network of storm water drains. If maintained neatly,
these offer a simple and cost effective means for
harvesting rainwater.
SWALES
Swales are simply shallow, low depressions in
the ground designed to encourage the accumulation of
rain during storms and hold it for a few hours or days to
let it infiltrate into the soil. Swales ideally are tree-lined
and store water for the immediate landscape as well as
help cleanse the water as it percolates down. Swales on
slight slopes can also be used to direct water away into
percolation pits that will charge the groundwater. This
charges the subsoil over several years allowing the trees
planted into the mound to thrive even during the driest
of times which provides for a sustainable development.
Bio swales are vegetated open channels
specifically designed to attenuate and treat storm water
run-off for a defined water volume. Like open ditches,
they convey larger stormwater volumes froma source to
a discharge point, but unlike ditches, they intentionally
promote slowing, cleansing and infiltration along the
way.
A Typical Swale
WAY TO GO
1. By adopting the above design processes and
solutions in a gated community, the private
developers can aim at the sustainability of their
gated community at specific level, gated
communities in urban level, and in turn towards
a sustainable Chennai.
2. Community participation to keep the storm water
gutters and trenches clean and unblocked to be
encouraged by the developers.
3. The integrated design choice for storm water
management in a gated community can be
debated and amendments and policies can be
framed to make SWM in gated communities a
mandatory.
4. Whether the government can take up the task of
construction and maintenance of the rain water
trenches and gutters in a gated community can be
analyzed and byelaws can be framed
accordingly.
5. based on the extent of SWM incorporated in a
gated community, subsidies can be given to the
residents Though rain water harvesting is a
mandatory in all developments, other means of
SWM could be adopted for effective capturing
and usage of stormwater.

9. CASE STUDIES:
Rain Garden In Portland, Oregon(1)
Storm Water Basin In Orange County
Rain Garden In Portland, Oregon(2)
Waterbody In University Centre, Charlotte, North Carolina
SOURCE: WorldAcademy ofScience, EngineeringandTechnology
International Journal of Civil, Environmental,Structural, Construction
andArchitectural EngineeringVol:7, No:6, 2013
CAPTURING AND UTILIZATION
OF SOLAR ENERGY
DEFINITION
Sun is a source of energy and it is renewable.
This era of ever increasing population and urbanization
has led to shortage of electricity t o support our industrial
and domestic needs. Energy from the sun can be captured
by the use of solar panels and solar cells which convert
solar energy to other forms of energy like light energy,
heat energy and fuel energy. Harvesting the solar energy
in gated communities is still on the dark side and under
discussions. This research is oriented towards the means
of harvesting solar energy and the implications of the
same in a gated community.
WHY IS COMMUNITY RENEWABLE
ENERGY IMPORTANT?
Community owned renewable energy projects
create social, political, environmental, economic and
technological benefits in the following ways:
• Strengthening local economies
• Building community participation, resilience &
empowerment
• Educating people about renewable energy and
involving them in creating a sustainable low
carbon future.
• Directly and significantly reducing a
community’s carbon footprint.
• Developing renewable energy outlets and
thereby reducing the dependability on electrical
and mechanical means.
• Solar energy is a renewable source of energy. By
adopting solar energy harvesting techniques, we
can aim towards a sustainable development.
METHODS OF HARVESTING SOLAR
ENERGY IN A GATED COMMUNITY
This research orient towards the active
methods of solar energy harvesting, as it is more relevant
to the infrastructure than the passive mode of solar energy
harvesting, which is relevant to the building structure
itself.
Following are the Methods of harvesting:
1. Solar cells / photovoltaic cells for street lighting
2. Solar water heaters
3. Solar fuel for battery operated cars

10. SOLAR / PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
Solar, or photovoltaic, cells convert sunlight
directly into electricity. Most photovoltaic cells are
made primarily of silicon, the material used in computer
semiconductor chips, and arranged on rectangular
panels. When sunlight hits a cell, the energy knocks
electrons free of their atoms, allowing them to flow
through the material. The resulting DC (direct current)
electricity is then sent to a power inverter for conversion
to AC (alternating current), which is the form in which
electric power is delivered to the community for street
lighting.
Conventional Solar Cell
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
A solar water heater uses the energy of the sun
to heat water, which is used for various applications like
bathing, washing, cooking, and other chores.
A domestic water heater with a capacity of 100
lpd (litres per day) caters to a family of four or five
members. It can easily replace a 2-kW electric geyser
and can save up to 1500 units of electricity in a year. It
recovers its cost in three to five years, depending on the
electricity tariff and hot water used in a year. After this,
water is available almost free of cost for the remaining
lifespan of the system, which is 15–20 years. The cost of
the water heater with a capacity of 100 lpd ranges
between Rs 18 000 and Rs 25 000.
The overall potential of solar water heating in
India is estimated to be 140 million m2. Of this, about 1
million m2 of solar collector area has been realized.
Solar Street Lighting
Schematic Diagram Explaining The Functioning Of A SWH
Solar Water Heater
SOURCE: An abridged manual on ENVIRONMENTAL BUILDING
GUIDELINESfor HyderabadMetropolitanDevelopment Authority by
TERI

11. SOLAR POWERED WHEELS
The below figure shows how solar energy can
be captured, converted to electric energy and can be
stored effectively in batteries. Solar powered vehicles
can be used for short distance travel within the gated
community like going to a shop, swimming pool, ATMs,
Club house, Daycare centers and in-house clinics etc. by
this way we can avoid the carbon emission fromvehicles
within the gated community. Usage of solar powered
wheels promote for a sustainable development.
Schematic Diagram Explaining The Functioning Of A Solar Powered
Battery
Solar Powered Wheels
TOOLS AND WAYS TO STORAGE
SOLAR ENERGY
Another important point about applying solar
energy is storage. New technologies have come up to
effectively store solar energy. Following are some of the
ways:
• use superconducting magnets or flywheels (all of
which could provide convenient power storage in
many applications)
• Mimic the biological capture of sunshine by
photosynthesis in plants (which stores the sun’s
energy in the chemical bonds of molecules).
• Nano Antennas or Nantennas which convert
infrared Sunlight into Electricity with High
Efficiency.
• Artificial photosynthesis
One approach to storing solar energy is artificial
photosynthesis, which attempts to replicate and improve
on the natural process, mainly to obtain hydrogen as fuel
for use in fuel cells, and includes the photo
electrochemical splitting of water into hydrogen and
oxygen (the inverse of a fuel cell, where hydrogen and
oxygen recombine to give water, releasing the energy
stored in hydrogen. In this way, the photon energy is
converted directly into chemical energy rather than into
electrical energy as with solid-state or electrochemical PV
cells.
BENEFITS OF THE EFFICIENCY OF
SOLAR ENERGY
Efficiency of the solar energy exists because
solar energy is renewable; it doesn't deplete our earth's
natural resources;
Efficiency of the solar energy exists because it is
dependable, affordable and easy to distribute, and simple
to connect to existing electrical grids;
Efficiency of solar energy exists because you can
lock in long-term electricity rates, putting you in control
even if on-grid utility prices soar.
WAY TO GO
1. By adopting the above methods of solar energy
harvesting,private developers can aim at the
50% reduction in electricity consumption for
street lighting though the initial cost of setting up
of this systemis high, it is after all the residents
who are benefitted and can they be convinced by
the developer easily.
2. Public awareness and public participation to use
the renewable energy for the gated community
can be made.
3. Government can make an amendment to adopt
solar energy harvesting a mandatory, apart from
the subsidies given,so the developers would be
left with no choice than to go for it. Once used,
they will never regret it.

12. CASE STUDIES
SOLAR PARKING LOTS: LOS ANGELS
This buildingreceiveda Solar Incentive Programrefundcheckfor
installingone ofthe largest solar panel projects in Los Angeles. Lucy
Nicholson/Reuters/File ViewCaptionOf the total surface areain a
typical city,35 to 50percent is pavement, accordingtoresearch
conductedby the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Of the total
pavement, about 50percent is parkinglots and40percent is exposed
parkinglots.ResearcherHaley Gilbert at the LawrenceBerkeley
Laboratorysaidthat these percentages result in an environmentally
damagingcycle of heat energy. Its amazinghowhot these pavements
get andhowweve let them cover most of our urban surfaces, because
dark pavements absorbalmost all ofthe suns energy, the pavement
surface heats up, which in turnalso warms the local air andaggravates
urban heat islands. But there is a solution: coveringparkinglots with
solar panel roofs. Such technology wouldreflect heat fromthe sun and
use the suns energy topower buildings andelectric cars.
SOURCE: http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Energy/2015/0128/
Solar-parking-lots-sound-like-a-great-idea.-Why-aren-t-they-catching-
on
SOURCE: Meraki Solar – Us
Photovoltaic Panels Provide Power To Wireless Mesh Repeaters,
Making Almost Anywhere A Wi-Fi Hot Spot building
Façade with Solar Glass Panels in Kerala
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Extracts from “National workshop for
finalization of the draft manual on municipal
solid waste management”, July 24th – 25th,
2014
2. Online Reference :
http://www.keralaagriculture.gov.in/htmle/ba
nkableagriprojects/ld% 5Cvermi.htm
3. “International Journal Of Civil,
Environmental, Structural, Construction And
Architectural Engineering” Vol:7, No:6, 2013
by World Academy of Science,Engineering
and Technology
4. “Catch It Where It Falls” – a guide to water
conservation and management by Centre For
Science And Environment (CFSE)
5. An abridged manual on “Environmental
Building Guidelines” for Hyderabad
Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA)
by TERI