Lavasa Corporation Limited wants to create a large-scale lifestyle development in India.

The HOK Planning Group's master plan strikes a balance between cosmopolitan architecture and environmentally friendly surroundings.

The plan calls for a modern hill town that's in harmony with nature. It won both the Award for Excellence 2005 given by the Congress for New Urbanism and the American Society of Landscape Architects Award—2005.

The concept of a hill town (or hill station) dates from British colonial times and describes locations where British administrators fled to escape the worst tropical humidity and heat.

Lavasa will include diverse neighborhoods of upper middle class and affluent families and business parks. Transportation methods will include personal cars, ferry transport, ropeway, and, possibly, electric public buses.

Source: "Kick-Starting Enterprise GIS," ARC News, July-September 2006.