Vikramāditya Prakāsh: Is Chandigarh a perfectly planned city?

Is Chandigarh a perfectly planned city?

In 1947, India achieved independence from British rule — but this freedom came at a tremendous cost. Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, was eager to usher his country towards a brighter, united future. And one of the projects that would prove most essential to realizing this vision was the construction of Chandigarh. Vikramāditya Prakāsh details the creation of the futurist city. [Directed by Jeff Le Bars, Jet Propulsion, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Stephen LaRosa].

Emerging from the turmoil of independence and partition, Chandigarh was conceived as a bold symbol of India’s future. Built on a modest budget—just enough for two skyscrapers today—the city prioritized green spaces, efficient roads, and passive cooling. Its design, inspired by the metaphor of a human body, organized neighborhoods, gardens, and government buildings into a seamless whole. While not without flaws such as social segregation, Chandigarh remains an international model for sustainable, thoughtfully planned urban development.