A high price for parks

Are public goods reserved for premium living areas? Scroll through to see what public commons you get depending on where you live in Bangalore


by Aishwarya Viswanthan



Bangalore is India's third most expensive city to buy property in. Rates per square foot range from Rs 4,000 ($48) to Rs 12,000 ($146). The ads for these properties are often so compelling, it can inspire even a millennial like me to consider spending money I don't have. Take a look at these ads - a climbing wall? a mini forest? - it's the 'added benefits' that call out to you.

However, there are a few benefits that governments provide for free - such as parks or lakes - which are considered public goods and can add to the appeal or price tag of a locality. Since I cannot afford to buy property, I have decided to conduct a visual thought experiment of the spread of public goods across the city.

Avg rate per sq ft (in Rs) Avg rate per sq ft (in Rs) Avg rate per sq ft (in Rs)

Avg rate per sq ft (in Rs)

Avg rate per sq ft (in Rs)

Avg rate per sq ft (in Rs)

$1= Rs 81.99

$1= Rs 81.99

$1= Rs 81.99

This is Bangalore.

Let's start with what's afforable. The highlighted areas are popular localities under Rs 6,000 ($73.29) per square foot. These are predictably found hugging the edges of the city, with a few exceptions.

The mid-segment localities are also further from the city centre but are closer to the city's landmark IT parks. The rates here are closer to Rs 9,000 ($109.93).

Finally, the popular premium localities are well above Rs 10,000 ($122.15) per square foot and are closest to the centre of the city.

Now on to some public goods.

If you choose to buy property in the city centre, you will not only find more parks, but also bigger parks.

Most parks in the city come with playgrounds for children, so unsuprisingly you will find more of these in the centre as well.

However, if you can't afford the city centre, you will find yourself surrounded by lakes...

...and streetlights, and government schools, and bus stops.

While a higher price tag grants you parks and playgrounds - the fringes of the city seem to have more public goods than the centre. With greater infrastructure for safety, transport and education - localities that are affordable actually offer greater benefits.

Sources

1. Property Market of Bangalore in Q3(2022), a report from Magic Bricks

2. BBMP's public goods dataset, from Opencity,an urban data portal

Link to Github repo