Fests & parks: City of condos plans ‘cultural image’ facelift

Noida: Noida Authority will soon partner with a knowledge consultant to transform the city into a "culturally vibrant destination" by developing landmarks and organising theme-based festivals.
The initiative aims to address the lack of community engagement among residents, which is seen as the primary reason for the lack of cultural spaces.
With Noida's 50th anniversary approaching, the Authority sees this as an opportunity to invest in cultural infrastructure such as more auditoriums and parks.
Unlike Lucknow, Varanasi, Pune or Bengaluru, which frequently host cultural events and festivals, Noida is mostly perceived as a city dominated by condominiums and commercial complexes, Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M said. "The project's primary objectives are to develop a unique cultural identity for Noida, create shared social, cultural, and recreational spaces, and foster civic engagement and community ownership. These efforts are part of a broader plan to reimagine Noida, enhance its identity as an industrial hub and a vibrant, self-sufficient and liveable city," he said.
To achieve this goal, the Authority will hire a consultant to create an annual cultural itinerary and identify the necessary infrastructure, such as auditoriums, parks, and amphitheatres, that are crucial for the city's cultural development.
The consultant will also advise the Authority on the development of public spaces to ensure they align with the city's evolving needs.
The Authority has issued a request for proposal (RFP) to shortlist a consultant. The agency will be selected through a quality cum cost-based selection (QCBS) process, with 80% weightage given to technical evaluation and 20% to financial evaluation.
It will be assessed based on their financial capability, project experience in public space design, cultural infrastructure, and public participation, as well as the experience of their team members in related domains. Their team will have experts in place-making, cultural infrastructure and project management, urban planning and participatory design, and a project coordinator on board.