Abstract

Urbanisation in Indian cities is often accompanied with modifying the existing landscape. This often confines local biodiversity to small green spaces like gardens or parks. Campuses and academic institutions also host such green spaces that boast rich diversity of flora and fauna1 . A recent study2 by the Wildlife Institute of India estimated that academic campuses in India host nearly 800 bird species, which is an astonishing 58.7% of the total 1,327 bird species found in this country. With such biodiversity, these campuses could serve as “living repositories and evolutionary labs for plant and small animal species that remain isolated due to fragmentation”. With a similar goal of understanding, and eventually establishing a self-sustaining social-ecological system, the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) set up its main campus on a 54-acre site at Kengeri, Bengaluru. Enabling interdisciplinary teaching-learning, research, and practice, its buildings and facilities are equipped to host nearly 3,000 students and 600 faculty and staff on campus in the long run.