Public places of the city aren''t merely open spaces between buildings they are the setting for all the diversity of urbanstreet life. In India, many million street vendors play a particularly important civic role in this ‘theatre of the street’ as suppliers of food, drinks, merchandise and all manner of services at an affordable cost. Their role is, however, precarious, and their rights are contested. The conflict between high-speed traffic and mobile traders and slow moving pedestrians is particularly acute spilling over into political conflict and legal contests of rights.
This studio explores these issues in two parts. In the first, students will critically analyse a selected Ahmedabad street to understand the contested needs users and all others through of pedestrians, vendors, vehicl observation, drawing, measurement and statistical analysis. The second design proposals will be developed based on the critical understanding gained in part one. The designs will envisage the street as an urban stage that consciously shifts the priority from vehicles to pedestrian, vendors and their experience of the street as a public place.
Studio provides insights into the role of urban design in creating places for all in the contested theatre of urban space.
