Chandigarh a true balance between nature & modernity

Since childhood, I’ve lived between two different worlds, the serene green and planned Chandigarh and the dense concrete jungle of Delhi & Gurgaon. I would go to school wearing a mask, in Gurgaon’s dystopian atmosphere, sticking only to rooms with air purifiers, terrified to go outside into the grey, smoke-filled outdoors. Vacations in Chandigarh were an escape to nature, as we could walk through open, green parks.

One of my earliest memories is visiting the Rock Garden. As a child, I was enchanted by this strange, whimsical world, which seemed like a playground built from imagination. Looking back, I realise how visionary it truly was; a creation ahead of its time, turning waste into wonder long before recycling or sustainability became mainstream. In a way, the Rock Garden captures the real spirit of Chandigarh: creative, thoughtful and committed to conscious impact.

For me, Chandigarh’s green spaces also hold a personal meaning — my grandfather served as the city’s head of horticulture. Some of my fondest memories are of visiting the parks and gardens he helped design and nurture. Even after he passed away, visiting these spaces felt like revisiting his living legacy rooted in the soil and the city he loved. It was also in one of these parks that my grandmother taught me how to ride a bike.

These gardens became more than just beautiful spaces — they became the foundation for my understanding that environmental stewardship is both deeply personal and enduringly meaningful. Chandigarh is a model of environmental sustainability in India, with multiple progressive policies, and infrastructure that embed sustainability into the city’s very design, from solar rooftops to green belts.

What always struck me most was the sense of balance the city seemed to hold, between nature and modernity, structure and spontaneity. Every sector had its own rhythm, its own ecosystem of trees, parks, and open spaces. Cycling tracks lined with flowering trees, roundabouts blooming in spring, and streets that never felt too crowded, Chandigarh offered room to breathe, think, and exist at a pace that felt innately human. Over time, I began to understand that Chandigarh isn’t just well-planned, it’s intentional. It takes effort, from both the administration and its citizens, to keep the city true to its vision.

For instance, the Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has been driving the city toward cleaner energy through initiatives like the solar panel mandate. The transition is not without challenges; solar installations can be expensive, and retrofitting old buildings takes time. Yet, the persistence of both the people and policymakers shows a shared commitment to sustainability that few cities can match. Chandigarh stands as proof that when governance and community work hand in hand, sustainability can move from aspiration to reality. It’s a reminder that urban life doesn’t have to mean suffocation or chaos, that cities can coexist with nature rather than compete with it. Every visit here is a reminder of what cities could be if we chose to design them with care. Chandigarh, to me, will always be more than a hometown, it’s a living vision of the future that understood the right balance from the very beginning.

Meher Gill Sandhu, Chandigarh