Riddhi Patel

UP4002

The precinct for this study is located in Nava Vadaj, which is the northern part of Ahmedabad. This area has had a long journey from the establishment of Gandhi Ashram in 1919 to the foundation of important civic buildings, like Collector and District Magistrate’s Office in 2001, implementation of Janmarg (BRTS) in 2013 and currently undergoing the construction of proposed MEGA (Metro). The presence of Gandhi Ashram in the vicinity shaped the existence of this precinct; many institutes like of similar typology like Khadi Udhyog Samiti, Kalamkhush Handmade Paper Centre, Abhay Ghat (Samadhi of Morarji Desai), etc. were established due to the presence of the Ashram. This led to the development plan of 2021 proposed by AUDA, to demarcate this area under SPD (Special Planned Development) zone. While this part of the precinct focused on heritage and its values, the part near RTO Circle is moving towards development. This part falls under the former green belt which is now proposed as TOD (Transit Oriented Development) zone. A contrast can be seen, where one part is holding on to the heritage and its values and remains untouched, the other part is moving towards the future, and rapidly changing with time. This has created an urban paradox, where different worlds are existing in proximity, which has shaped the built-form, policies, and market of this area.