An adolescent-led community effort reimagines Maharana Pratap Park as a greener, more versatile, inclusive and accessible space.

Jaipur, 23rd April 2025: WRI India, in collaboration with I-India, today inaugurated a four-day-long adolescent-focused event called YuvaScape 2025. A cohort of Jaipur's adolescents, with inputs from residents of all ages, co-designed elements to transform Maharana Pratap Park into a multipurpose public space with essential amenities.

With dedicated spaces for different age groups, the park also includes comfortable seating, shaded rest areas, greenery and play zones geared towards enhancing the well-being of residents. The park's existing infrastructure has been augmented, making the walkways more accessible and brightening the space with community artwork. The improvements were guided by WRI India's Public Space Assessment Framework (PSAF), a data-driven tool co-developed with over 800 adolescents in Jaipur and Bhubaneswar to evaluate how a public space caters to individual needs. The launch was graced by Ms. Monica Soni, Deputy Commissioner, Jaipur Nagar Nigam-Heritage.

Maharana Pratap Park is the second site in Jaipur this year to undergo improvements through a tactical urbanism approach led by local adolescents. Simple, low-cost and temporary changes provide a blueprint to help city authorities adopt long-term solutions across Jaipur. The park now offers a multi-sport arena and customizable, multi-use spaces. The park embraces the idea that coupling permanent facilities with adaptable spaces can serve a wider array of community needs.

YuvaScape 2025, under the aegis of Fondation Botnar’s 'Safe, Vibrant and Healthy Public Spaces' initiative, connects adolescents with communities and government bodies – empowering them to co-create public spaces that reflect their aspirations. Through this project, over 400 adolescents in Jaipur have been trained as "Public Space Ambassadors" equipping them to drive change within their communities.

Ms. Prerna Vijaykumar Mehta, Associate Director, Urban Development, WRI India, said, “With the park’s 360-degree transformation, it has the potential to cater to every kind of user. For the first time, this community is looking at the space with excitement, hope and is investing time in understanding its multiple benefits, which will help in ensuring the space is maintained and used responsibly. Joining hands with authorities is key for scaling such initiatives across Jaipur and rejuvenating our public commons.”

Charu Goswami, Secretary, I-India said, “Starting out, adolescents weren't engaged with public spaces at all. Now, they’re at the forefront of community collaborations to develop them. I believe that including it in school curricula would enrich students’ life skills and help them connect with their environment. They not only feel ownership over the space but understand that we must develop them for everyone, whether young or old, and notably, caregivers."

MEDIA CONTACT

Tanushree Venkatraman, WRI India | tanushree.venkatraman@wri.org

Arundhati Sen, WRI India | arundhati.sen@wri.org

 

About WRI India

WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being. Know more: https://wri-india.org/

About I-India

I-India is a non-profit, non-governmental organization established in 1993. I-India’s mission is to provide care, love and development for children living on the streets of Jaipur. They assist children with their immediate challenges, such as homelessness, malnutrition and illness, while also developing their attitudes and skills so they can make a better future for themselves. https://www.i-indiaonline.com/abt_ii_overview.htm