Why Open, Green, And Wellness-Oriented Spaces Have Moved From 'Nice-to-Have' To 'Deal-Breaker'

By Mr. Mahendra Nagaraj, Managing Director, M5 Mahendra Group

There was a time when a landscaped garden, walking track, or wellness facility was viewed as a welcome addition to a residential project. These features helped distinguish one development from another, but they rarely determined the purchase decision. That equation is changing. Buyers today are evaluating not only the home they are purchasing, but the quality of life that comes with it.

The World Bank estimates that 600 million Indians will live in urban areas by 2036, representing 40% of the population. As cities become denser and urban infrastructure comes under greater pressure, access to open, green and thoughtfully designed spaces is becoming a defining part of what people expect from a home.

The home is no longer just four walls

For years, residential decisions were shaped largely by location, price, configuration, connectivity and specifications. These remain fundamental. However, the definition of value is broadening to include what lies immediately outside the home: the pathway residents walk through, the green space where children play, the shaded area where neighbours meet, the open space where someone can take an evening walk. As urban living becomes more compact, these spaces provide residents room to breathe, move and connect without leaving the community.

Wellness is becoming part of everyday living

Wellness in real estate is no longer limited to a gym or a clubhouse. It is increasingly about how an entire development encourages healthier routines, through natural light, ventilation, greenery, walkability and spaces for social interaction. The World Health Organization reports that 31% of adults globally, approximately 1.8 billion people, did not meet recommended levels of physical activity in 2022. Residential design cannot solve physical inactivity on its own, but it can make movement more convenient by bringing walking, recreation and outdoor activity closer to daily life.

Developers also need to distinguish between an amenity that looks impressive in a brochure and an environment genuinely designed around how people live. Buyers are becoming more discerning about whether open spaces are actually usable, whether greenery is meaningful, and whether wellness facilities are integrated into daily routines rather than added as a checklist.

India’s green-building ecosystem reflects how far this shift has moved into the mainstream. The Indian Green Building Council reports that over 20,000 green and net-zero building projects, covering more than 16.33 billion sq. ft., have now adopted its rating systems. For developers, the question needs to shift from “What amenities do we provide?” to “What quality of life does this development enable?”

Designing for long-term relevance

A residential development is an environment where people may spend decades of their lives. Greenery, openness, mobility, recreation and community are not aesthetic considerations, they are part of the infrastructure of everyday living. The next generation of residential development will need to be more human-centred. This does not mean every project requires the same set of amenities. It means understanding the people who will live there and designing spaces around their routines and needs.

Ultimately, the premium in residential real estate may increasingly be defined not by how much built-up space a buyer gets, but by the quality of the environment surrounding it. Open, green and wellness-oriented spaces are no longer features that simply make a project more attractive. They are becoming part of the fundamental proposition of a home, a place not only to live, but to live well.