Lavasa, Part 2

It was bizarre to drive around a town that looked a lot like Disneyland with no rides. With restaurants, hotels, and playgrounds, it was an idyllic looking city-in-progress, but the lack of people and the abundance of amenities made it a little creepy. The government has put a hold on all new construction because of environmental concerns, while the HCC claims the government has "magnified minor environmental issues."

I found the above in the information center. From the brochure;

"Lavasa is a hill city located in Western India and nestled amidst the majestic Sahyadri Mountains along the contours of the Warasgaon Lake. Some distance from Mumbai and Pune, this new city embodies the spirit of human nature to aspire to a holistic life. Unique in its scale and in its guiding philosophy, it is a model of new city development and is pioneering the need for future cities in India. With all urban advantages in a natural setting, Lavasa is envisioned to be a more liveable [sic] city of the future."

Also from the brochure;

"The city has been planned based on the principles of New Urbanism, which organizes all the components essential to daily life within walking distance from each other. Lavasa offers you a planned, lakeside life - a 5-town centre plan that will evolve into a cosmopolitan city. The landscape and architectural design of Lavasa is based on the transect model. The development begins from a town centre and goes uphill. The man-made environment blends into the natural environment seamlessly."