An interview with Dharavi slum stars

In January 2009, some children from Dharavi, Mumbai, created music with Bappi Lahiri and DJ Paul Devro of Mad Decent. One of the songs produced was named ‘Slum Stars’, supposedly in reply to Danny Boyle’s acclaimed movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. This is an interview of the friends and family of the children taken during a party organized by Dharavi.org. This video was made by the students of CEMA (Center of Experimental Media Arts, Srishti, Bangalore) in association with Dharavi.org.

Villages hidden in Mumbai

Once an indelible part of Mumbai’s landscape, many gaothans are now struggling to exist in a city that is aiming for the skies. We do a realty check at four prominent gaothans.

Khotachiwadi: The cosmopolitan gaothan
Located in the commercial heart of Girgaum is the charming little village of Khotachiwadi, which has so far managed to resist invasion by Mumbai’s mind-boggling traffic. Declared a Grade III heritage precinct in 1995, Khotachiwadi is a web of narrow alleys lined by century-old bungalows with trellised balconies, open porches, curling staircases, and sloping tiled roofs.

Andheri Gaothan: Dying a slow death
Just a few feet from Andheri railway station is a narrow, dingy lane that leads to the Andheri gaothan. But those hoping to find ancient cottages and Portuguese-style bungalows here are in for a rude shock. Pale yellow Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) buildings dot the area. If you look harder, you will find a few decrepit cottages made of stone and wood with thatched bamboo roofs. The area once boasted of as many as 50 magnificent cottages, but the number has come down to a mere 15, all thanks to rampant illegal construction.

Chuim Village: Where life comes to a standstill
Nestled cosily in Bandra’s belly is the quaint Chuim village with its matrix of wooden cottages and two-storey structures. The old bungalows still look robust and unique with their wooden frameworks, circular staircases, iron-grilled windows, and attics. Pot-bellied senior citizens relax in their verandahs watching life move by while the womenfolk break into small discussions with verve in the narrow by-lanes. People here continue to live their laidback lives, completely oblivious to the hustle and bustle of Mumbai.

Chembur Gaothan: Away from the bustle
Situated a short distance away from the railway station is Chembur gaothan. Another laidback gaothan within the maximum city, the place has a peculiar history of its own. At present, there are 150 structures, mainly old Portuguese-style cottages, in the gaothan. While most of the cottages are well-maintained, some appear to be just getting by. Lush green tress surround most of the bungalows. Big wooden windows, thatched roofs, and open verandahs add to the beauty of this gaothan.

(View slideshow via DNA)

Sir JJ Architecture students design Pedestrian Ways for the City

Since 2006, the faculty of Sir JJ College of Architecture and Snowcem Paints have collaborated to improve the civic life in the city of Mumbai by instituting the Snowcem Faculty Medal .This competition is for participation by all the students, from the first to the final year. Snowcem

Paints are associated with the faculty medal for the last three years and have kindly sponsored the medals and prizes. The theme given each year are intended to address pressing urban, social and civic issues faced by the city of Mumbai. Each entry is intended to generate alternatives that can transform the city through design excellence. The best entries of the competition are put on display for the city at large.

The theme for the third Snowcem Faculty Medal Competition (2008) was:

Pedestrian Ways in the City

The aim of the competition is to search for solutions that return the city to its primary users, people on the street, by creating of inclusive and barrier-free urban environment that can be rich and fulfilling.

Pedestrian Ways should make opposite parts of the city accessible, overcome barriers of fast moving traffic by pedestrian walkways and peoples places and create urban environment that's rich with the creations by its own inhabitants.

The meeting of Jury for the Snowcem Faculty Medal 2008 took place in the college premises on 22^nd December 2008. The Jury members for the Snowcem Faculty Medal 2008 were Jal Aria, Architect and Academician, Nayana Kathpalia, Convener Cityspace and S. Shankar Menon, former bureaucrat and pedestrian activist. From over 180 design sited all over Mumbai, 30 were short-listed.

After intense deliberations, the Jury awarded the Snowcem Faculty Medal for the Year 2008 to Darshan Maru. The Jury appreciated his design for giving primacy to pedestrians, being simple, doable and cost-effective. The design solution was sensitive to its surroundings and did not disrupt the existing visual landscape. The Jury also appreciated Maru's use of public art in creating a humane environment for the pedestrians.

The Second Prize was awarded to Shraddha Sawant, whose design was appreciated for creating a new public space while finding a solution to the existing traffic problem. The judicious use of levels in the design made both vehicles and pedestrians negotiate easily. The public-private partnership was obvious in the design.

Two Commendations were given by the Jury. The first to Sachin Porkute whose design the jury felt was an interesting response to a complex junction. They appreciated that the design did not disturb the surrounding heritage structures and their current views. The use of travellators for senior citizens was innovative.

The second Commendation was given to Pooja Ugrani. The Jury appreciated the design's primacy for the pedestrian, as it proposed for vehicles (as large as buses) to go underground. The use of the ground plane for cultural activities was lauded.

The Snowcem Faculty medal is to be awarded on 17^th February 2008 at 2.00 pm in the C. M. Master Hall of the Sir JJ College of Architecture. Col A.K Pahel, Additional Chief Engineer, of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has kindly consented to grace the occasion and give away the prizes.

The city is not a problem. It is a solution.

An interesting talk by Jaime Lerner who reinvented urban space in his native city, Curitiba, Brazil leading to a new worldview for urban planners to see what’s possible in the metropolitan landscape.

British colonial architecture

While British supremacy did not change the fact that India was becoming rapidly urbanised, it did lead to new alignments and priorities, since the controlling power was now different. A number of new towns and new suburbs were built to house the British, and the pattern of new town planning changed. India was still divided into administrative districts as under the Mughals, and the towns which functioned as district headquarters were the ones where most of the new architecture was built.

The planning and urban design policies of the British followed certain principles – a. their perceptions of the nature of the Indian city, b. the fear of further revolts along the lines of the Mutiny of 1857, c. Haussmann’s plan for Paris which had become so popular in Europe and which advocated cutting through and demolishing old city centres to make space for new construction and boulevards, and d. planning techniques already in use for Britain’s industrial cities.

In the main the effort was to physically and socially separate the Europeans from the indigenous populace – the so-called ‘White’ and ‘Black’ towns of Madras being an example. This being done an effort, though sometimes belated, was also made to enforce sanitary and developmental guidelines on the old towns, though these had little effect as in the main they failed to take into account traditional ways of community life. In some cases new urban design smacked of retribution – Delhi and Lucknow in particular, being the centres of the Mutiny of 1857, lost large parts of their historic areas to new British planning and city-core demolitions.

The economic boom of the later half of the 19^th century translated into frenetic building activity in British India. The application of urban design guidelines resulted in the unified character that old British settlements in India still possess. These urban design projects could not fail to be influenced by precedents in Britain: the Royal Crescent at Bath by John Wood, and the Quadrant in Regent’s Park, London by John Nash were particularly influential, translating into Elphinstone Circle (now Horniman Circle >>>) in Bombay. As pressure on space grew, British architecture progressed from single buildings set in open surrounding to more densely packed urban schemes, as in the cities of Calcutta and Bombay.

In addition to major urban design schemes, it was the civil lines and the cantonments which remain today a major evidence of 19^th century British presence, and which in turn have influenced much middle-class housing development in modern India. This stems from their perception as the colonies of the elite. The cantonments and civil lines both were generally laid out as gridiron planned communities with central thoroughfares (the famous ‘Mall Roads’), with tree-lined streets, regularly divided building plots and bungalows as the main housing type. Churches and cemeteries, clubs, race and golf courses, and other trappings of an easy civil life were soon to follow.

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What is New Urbanism?

New Urbanism is an approach to designing cities, towns, and neighborhoods. Although the term New Urbanism emerged during the late 1980s and early 1990s, the principles of New Urbanism are actually quite old. New Urbanist town planners, developers, architects, and designers try to reduce traffic and eliminate sprawl.

A New Urbanist neighborhood resembles an old European village with homes and businesses clustered together. Instead of driving on highways, residents of New Urbanist neighborhoods can walk to shops, businesses, theaters, schools, parks, and other important services. Buildings and recreational areas are arranged to foster a sense of community closeness. New Urbanist designers also place importance on earth-friendly architecture, energy conservation, historic preservation, and accessibility.

The Congress for the New Urbanism is a loosely formed group of architects, builders, developers, landscape architects, engineers, planners, real estate professions, and other people who are committed to New Urbanist ideals. Founded by Peter Katz in 1993, the group outlined their beliefs in an important document known as the Charter of the New Urbanism.

Although New Urbanism has become popular, it has many critics. Some people say that New Urbanist towns are too carefully planned and feel artificial. Other critics say that New Urbanist towns take away personal freedom because residents must follow strict zoning rules before they build or remodel.

Also Known As: Neo-traditional Planning or Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND).

Examples: The first New Urbanist town was Seaside, Florida, built in the early 1980s. The most famous New Urbanist town is perhaps Celebration, Florida, which was built by the Walt Disney Company. There are now at least 600 New Urbanist neighborhoods in the United States, including:

• Harbor Town, Tennessee
• Kentlands, Maryland
• King Farm, Maryland
• Addison Circle, Texas
• Orenco Station, Oregon
• Mashpee Commons, Massachusetts
• The Cotton District, Mississippi
• Cherry Hill Village, Michigan

25 examples of good urban design

It's not necessarily the billion-euro development, star-architect-designed gallery or shiny new ferris wheel that makes locals feel good about their town. Monocle believes that the measure of a city is more about everyday wonders - pavements, well-designed schools, punctual transport - rather than one-off, grand projects. Here's our list of the top 25 urban elements that make the city.

It's not necessarily the billion-euro development, star-architect-designed gallery or shiny new ferris wheel that makes locals feel good about their town. Monocle believes that the measure of a city is more about everyday wonders - pavements, well-designed schools, punctual transport - rather than one-off, grand projets. Here's our list of the top 25 urban elements that make the city.

1) Airport road Singapore

It's remarkable how many cities pay so little attention to the key arteries leading to and from their major transport hubs.

As first impressions count for everything, getting this right goes a long way towards making residents feel happy they're home and potential investors pull out their checkbooks. Singapore understands the business of first impressions better than any other city. Its ultra-lush landscaping from Changi is testimony to this.

2) Street clocks Prague, Czech Republic

Sometimes you don't have a piece of Swiss watchmaking strapped to your wrist. On these occasions, time-keeping is made so much easier if there are well-maintained street clocks.

In Prague there is no excuse for running late. The streets are filled with elegant clocks fixed on top of tall, slender poles. Some clock faces are back-lit, allowing them to double as street lamps, while others have route-finding features attached.

3) Bike lockers, Chicago, USA

For many Chicago commuters the landmark of the $500 milliom (371 million) Millennium Park is the bicycle station quietly tucked away in a corner. The two-level McDonald's Cycle Center provides indoor storage for 300 bicycles, lockers and private showers with towel service. Built with federal funds, the park sold the naming rights to McDonald's last year, which will cover the station's operating costs for the next 50 years.

4) Outdoor cinemas Athens, Greece

The Athenians know how to do cinema, but eschew velvet seats, popcorn and surround sound for the simple sophistication of gravel under foot, the scent of honeysuckle and jasmine, cold Mythos, sunflower seeds and moonlight. On sweltering summer nights, book your canvas director's chairs in one of Athens's 60 or so Therini Kinematografi and join the cicadas experiencing the stars beneath the stars.

5) Trams Various cities, Europe

There's something quite magical about watching trams in Barcelona, Strasbourg or Frankfurt glide silently along beds of grass as they do their city circuit. Where possible, this attractive combination of efficient public transport and inspired landscaping should be standard as part of the urban fabric.

6) Well-designed apartments Steinhausen, Switzerland

The high-rise gets the Swiss treatment. In Steinhausen, Switzerland, architectural firm Scheitlin-Syfrig + Partner has designed minimalist apartment blocks constructed from red cedar wood. While other cities continue to build Identikit 1970s-inspired blocks, these point to an alternative and more satisfying direction for apartment living.

7) Urban landscaping Melbourne, Australia

Whether it's for skating, cycling, jogging or simply taking a stroll at dusk we always hunt out a bustling riverfront. Melbourne brings the focus back towards its waters with the new Birrarung Marr park located on the north bank of the Yarra river, adjacent to Federation Square. With landscaping by Taylor Cullity Lethlean and Paul Thompson, heritage-listed elms and native flora are brought right back into the city something Monocle thinks can only be a good thing.

8) Child's play Tokyo, Japan

Japanese convenience-store Lawson is diversifying with new brands Natural Lawson, Lawson 100 and Lawson Plus. The latest is Happy Lawson in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district, which is aimed at parents of small children. This child-friendly conbini sells food, toys and books and offers up to two hours of childcare.

9) Summer houses Copenhagen, Denmark

The rise of all-inclusive package tours in the 1970s almost killed off the garden allotments that are a fixture in cities across Europe. With three weeks in the Canaries affordable to the masses, a patch of vegetables surrounded by a few apple trees and a tiny house no longer looked so attractive. Today, the concept of grow-your-own and holidaying closer to home has made garden allotments the height of modernity and Copenhagen's sturdy little colony houses a benchmark for sustainable community planning.

10) Green space projects New York, US

Until recently, few people thought of the High Line, an abandoned subway track snaking through the West Side of Manhattan 9 meters above the ground, as anything other than ruins. Now the 2.4km of track is set to become an elevated park, spanning Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. Developers are already starting to move into the area expect more apartments, restaurants and offices to appear shortly.

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The world's most famous architects are turning to planning

Famous architects are no longer just in the business of designing signature buildings. They are also increasingly functioning as megascale planners, hand in glove with the biggest developers in the world and with local municipalities, usually with both.

Frank Gehry's controversial $4 billion, 22-acre project for Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, N.Y., for Bruce Ratner of Forest City Ratner Cos. with the Empire State Development Corp., is only the tip of the iceberg. In downtown Los Angeles, Gehry is working on the first phase of a $1.8 billion development plan by the Related Cos. to turn the nine acres around his Walt Disney Concert Hall, which opened in 2003, into an “arts district” including a hotel, residences, retail establishments, restaurants, and public amenities. Another potential Gehry project, for Lehi, Utah, will be located on 85 acres, with housing, hotels, an amphitheater, and a sports arena; the scheme, for the owner of the Utah Flash basketball team, is worth $2 billion and won city council approval last August.

Elsewhere in the world, Daniel Libeskind is at work on a 4.5-million-square-foot, “skyline-creating” waterfront development in Busan, South Korea; a master plan with office towers, condominiums, a hotel, and a cultural institute for a three-mile development corridor south of the historic center of Copenhagen, Denmark; and a huge shopping and entertainment center on the west side of Bern, Switzerland, scheduled for completion this year and boasting a hyperactive menu of amenities such as a theme-park swimming pool, a movieplex, and a senior citizens' residence. In Morocco, Jean Nouvel is projecting a 345-acre low-rise, high-density suburb of Rabat, as well as a new port complex in Tangier.

Norman Foster has been retained as master planner for the historic center of Duisburg, a deindustrialized city in Germany's Ruhr Valley where he previously completed a renewal project for the inner harbor. He is also working on the first of a series of five hill towns for 15,000 residents on the Black Sea in Bulgaria and a car-free, waste-free, carbon-neutral “green utopia” for 50,000 in Abu Dhabi. This last—a collaboration between a government-owned oil company and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—is slated to cost $22 billion and be home to “international businesses and top minds in the field of sustainable and alternative energy.”

If some of these matches between private developers and public entities have entailed enormously complex financial and political handshakes, not to mention some strange bedfellows, the luster of big-name architecture is increasingly—and, when coupled with the rhetoric of sustainability, literally—providing a green light. Historically at odds, architecture and urban planning have found a rapprochement today on the terrain of high-profile, large-scale real estate development.

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