Children form an integral component of the city’s population, yet are the most vulnerable in urban environments. Addressing the topics of spatial justice and spatial inclusion is apposite to manifesting the voices of children in the process of building and navigating cities.
The aim of the studio is to incorporate the knowledge of Placemaking for investigating the design of Child-Friendly Cities. Examining the key principles of Placemaking — Design from Context, Design for Communities, and Design for Transformation — the students will propose urban interventions for a neighbourhood in Ahmedabad city. Investigating the public realm in the neighbourhood through the lens of children, the studio focuses on the integrated triad of ‘LIVE, LEARN, PLAY’-home, school, playscape. The degree of complexities during the study include i)examining the existing built environments like buildings, streets, public places, etc., ii)exploring child-centred design solutions, and iii)proposing built interventions that address factors of safety, mobility, public infrastructure, etc. Documentation and analysis of the neighbourhood will be supported by workshops with children for co-designing and symbiotic learning engagements. The discourses on ''Spatial Triad of Spaces''(Lefebvre), ‘Senses and Scale’(Gehl), ‘Eyes on the Street’(Jacobs), and ‘Bottom-up Place Design’(Whyte) would be key departure points for the studio.
