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Sustainable site planning

Site planning is a vital component of any type of building
activity and is the first step. With growing urban development
and environmental degradation it has become imperative to
determine landscape design parameters, and also provide rules,
regulations, controls and procedures for the protection,
preservation and modification of surrounding environment. In
most of the cases the site is selected by the developer before
commencement of design phase. However, ideally the design
team should be involved in site selection and should assess the
appropriateness of the site relative to the proposed
development. Analysis and assessment of the site characteristics
in terms of its capacity to provide natural resources inside the
building such as light, air and water without damaging the
natural environment should be carried out during site selection
and analysis process. The process has been divided into two
parts: site selection and site analysis. The concerns related to all
natural resources during site planning are covered in the site
analysis section. The aim is to integrate an architecturally
sustainable design with the natural environment with least
damage to the nature and at best improving it by restoring its
balance.

Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India