Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Beyond Development Development is perceived as a positive thing for most While experiencing urban India, one marvels. In many of us. The western concept of modernism is based on respects urban India is the dream of a sustainable the idea that development is not merely preferred, but society by western criteria. It has street life full of mixed indeed the natural state for the human condition. use, social heterogeneity, efficiency in time and space, a recycling culture of grand scale and despite first The term development has expanded to include many impression, as of yet has very few cars in relation to its spheres, but we have retained the fundamental notion that number of inhabitants. On the other hand, the pressure development for a nation is judged in terms of its GDP, of the many wanting more is huge. Whether it is a proper which is a measure of its consumption. So in economical home instead of a cardboard shelter on the street or a terms, development stands for rising consumption, car rather than a motorcycle for family transportation, putting more material goods on the market, more CO2 in these changes are spurred-on by the omnipresent dream the air and more stress on the environment and resources, of western goods for a western look-a-like lifestyle. The both globally and nationally. Here enters the concept emerging Indian middle class is asking for its middle of sustainable development, which is yet to be defined. class rights, but what defines this group? Who is the Sustainable development as a demonstrable concept is the middle class? Is it the lawyer living in the slum? Or is it Promised Land – economic growth without stress on the the Brahmin rickshaw driver, with a wife and one child, environment or on common resources. How can we reach deciding to keep the family small for economic reasons? it? As the Indian ecologist Debal Deb has stated, “It is a And what do we really know about their dreams and common understanding among natural scientists that if desires? A glimpse of a future scenario, now visible in any development means unlimited growth in production and global city, is the city where the upper and middle class consumption of materials, sustainable development is an have escaped the public realm, organizing their needs oxymoron. That’s because unending growth of anything and desires according to their economic possibilities. in the universe is impossible – except perhaps the universe They spend their free time shopping in secluded malls itself.” If development has become synonymous with and abandon the public space for those still fighting for growth in consumption, we surely have to go beyond the their daily survival. If development should address all concept itself to make it sustainable. classes and all castes, the public realm needs to satisfy them all, making sure that those who can will not The last few years the post-graduate course Resources disappear into their private havens. The development of has been investigating cities that represent a particular public space thereby becomes one of the most important mindset on development. Using energy as a starting point, future urban issues and a means to resist exponentially we have studied Shanghai – epitomizing an expanding increasing consumption patterns. Addressing public China at the peak of its capacity and a city with high space and creating sustainable desires for the middle class environmental ambitions – and Los Angeles, the failed is thereby a strategy to address sustainable development motopia, struggling to rise through a reformulation of an in an Indian context. inclusive, environmental awareness. Now the turn has come to India, taking its place as one of the biggest players Historically, the image of evolution is often represented in the global energy consumption market. We have chosen by a tree. Evolution is implied to progress from a lower Pune because it both confirms and refutes preconceived to a higher stage toward the top of the tree. However, notions about it. In a global context, Pune can be read as the biological logic behind evolution does not speak of a bellwether for issues that effect us all. The city of Pune values or directions, but merely of a more appropriate was unknown to most of us until the terror attack hit in adjustment to the given context. In urban India, February and the German Bakery suddenly became a locus adjustment is a fine art. Everyone makes the best out on the global map. But Pune is more than a scene for this of the context and adjusts quickly when that context violent act. It is India’s eighth largest city, among its fastest changes. Can we see development as the method growing, and good at anything that we associate with of adjustment? Is there a final stage of contented Indian fast-forwardness, such as IT, car production and adjustment, or a moment of, as the Indian writer high education. The growth is not only fast but seemingly Rohinton Mistry would have put it, a fine balance? uncontrolled with all of the characteristic problems: an organic city structure expanding with suburban What will be the notion of development tomorrow? postmodern housing enclaves, biking lifestyles turning Classical development theory has long been criticized. into car-bound ones, slums exploding and greenery Last year’s global financial crisis puts more fuel on the disappearing. Change is manifest and rapid, but the raging debate. It seems certain that we need to find direction it will take is not yet fixed. In the environmental alternatives to the present paradigm of infinite growth. debate one speaks of incremental versus transformative As the Swiss development theorist Gilbert Rist writes, change. Small steps versus big leaps. Is there time left “Development, as it occurs today, is nothing less than for the small steps? Is there capacity and freedom on a the general commodification of nature and social planning level for the big leaps? Does one have to choose relations.” In the shifting Indian context, we might find or can we learn from the Indian way of using multiple other threads with which to weave the new story of solutions on many scales to create a resilient society? development. Henrietta Palmer, Professor in Architecture Michael Dudley, Teacher in Architecture Stockholm, May 2010 4
Lost in Transformation Middle Class You can judge the economic growth and standard of living emigrates from Mumbai to San Francisco. On one level, in a country by the size and stability of its middle class. In the film is about one man’s effort to overcome the India the middle class is growing explosively. It might not discrimination that Muslims face in the US. Khan travels look or act like its western counterpart, but in a country America in order to tell the President that ‘My name is constantly fighting severe poverty the desire to buy your Khan and I am not a terrorist.’ But there is another subtext own fridge or put your kids in a good school makes you worth mentioning. Once in America, Khan falls in love a part of this rapidly evolving group of consumers and with an Indian single mother named Mandira. After decision-makers. they marry, they choose to move into a bland American suburban house with the stereotypical white picket fence. My Name is Khan and I am Middle Class Their dream, simply put, is to disappear into the plainness of middle class America. They can’t wish their difference Arundhati Roy explains India’s recent history like this: away though and become ostracized in their community “What happened was that the whole separated into a after the 9/11 attacks. thin layer of thick cream, and the rest of it is water. The cream is India’s market, which consists of many millions India’s middle class is dreaming and the world is taking of people who buy cellphones and televisions, cars and note. India’s economic boom is underwritten by the Valentine’s Day cards. The water is superfluous people who exponential growth of its middle class. It’s estimated that are non-consumers and just pawns who need to be drained over the next twenty years, the population of India’s away.” middle class will go from 5% to 40% of its population. India has chosen growth and it will be the middle class In the middle, of course, is the middle class. This evolving driving this growth. Towards what, we can’t really say. group can push India in the direction of a more open democracy, more sustainable environmental policy and It was interesting to be in New Delhi on Budget Day. greater social equality. Or they continue this lurch towards There was little debate about creating a more equal consumption as its own reward. Whichever road it takes, it India. The talking heads were mostly concerned with the is clear that the future will be India’s. ability of Indians to build their own wealth. In Europe and North America, the middle classes are driven by Of course, India had a middle class before it had a call consumption and live far beyond their means. India has centre, even if the India of Gandhi and Nehru was socialist more millionaires than anywhere in the world, but it ranks in name if not in spirit. The revolution that Gandhi alongside many sub-Saharan African countries on the delivered to India was not a top-down reversal of the development index. inequalities of British rule, and their agricultural utopia was shelved as India pursued the open market. “The broad Studying India demands a mind for paradox and globalization strategy that India opted for in the early contradiction. But here’s a relatively straightforward 1990’s has succeeded in unlocking the country’s incredible fact: the Maoist uprising in eastern India, the exorbitant brainpower and stimulating sustained growth, which is suicide rates of Indian farmers working failed lands, the best antipoverty program,” wrote Tom Friedman in the and the unstoppable migration to India’s megacities are New York Times in 2004. Here we see the idealistic western all by-products of India’s warm embrace of free-market mind, trying to shape India into its own image. Sustained capitalism. growth is an oxymoron if there ever was one. India’s growth has been fast, frenetic and at times, frightening. In Pune, I remember seeing an ad in a magazine of woman in a sari holding a cigarette in one hand and a glass of My last night in Mumbai, I went to the beautiful champagne in the other. I’m not sure what product was Regal Cinema in Colaba to see ‘My Name Is Khan’, the being promoted, but I clearly understood the lifestyle that Bollywood film of the moment. In the film, Shahrukh was offered. Here was the costume of tradition and the Khan’s character, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome, indulgences of modernity, hand in hand. The middle-class Indian will find that out, though, that you can’t have it both ways. Emma Houlihan Artist 6
Lost in Transformation Public Space The history of public space is long and culturally here. The Indian history of public space is different. The coded. Public space that performs as truly shared space earliest experiment in democracy is called the Chaupal. should be viewed as a crucial priority in the pursuit A Chaupal is a common place, usually constructed as a of democratic and interactive governance. In India, stage around a Banyan tree. It was generated in villages, public spaces are constantly threatened by the need to where it is used as a platform to discuss problems, exploit every possible surface. What might look like a celebrate pleasures and retain the communal harmony by heterogeneous, shared environment is actually a strict maintaining the norms of village life. But this function economic division of space. There are many needs that is almost completely lost in the rapidly urbanizing cities, could be addressed in this contested realm. Shared something which has created an imbalance between space, if allowed, can be anything from a speaker’s democracy and commerce. corner to a place for collecting water, a retreat or a playground. The tension between democracy and commerce becomes most apparent in the newly introduced shopping malls. Up For Grabs – Reflections on Public Space in The obvious desire to shop is effectively facilitated by the India mall and forces the question: Is the mall the new Chaupal? It provides an air-conditioned place to meet, gossip and “In the west, urban life has been reduced to four sectors: exchange information. The problem is that the mall is film screening, music, shopping and fashion” -Rem not open for everyone. Security at the entrance prevents Koolhaas certain people from entering. Those without ID cards or money have to go somewhere else. In urban India this The first encounter with public life in the urban Indian means polluted riverbanks or other left-over spaces. context is an intense mix of crowds, hoardings, commerce, colours, food and more crowds. At first glance it is the There are many good examples of shared public space. The public space that urban planners dream of: a bustling numerous religious structures and temples throughout street life with constant movement and exotic smells and India are such examples. They are remains of a traditional sounds. At the same time it is shockingly different from India, frequently used and not exclusively for religious western cities: dirty, noisy, smelly and poorly managed. purposes. These temples are cool, ventilated spaces that There is a constant struggle to cross the street – motorized offer rest and respite from the busy street life. People vehicles of all shapes and sizes have taken over the linger and gather inside and around the temples. Ghats, streetscape. or stairs leading to a body of water, also offer breaks from commerce and stress. Indian cities also suffer from the undeniable presence of poverty. Public space is not structured or planned the way The numerous festivals demonstrate the use of public we are used to; instead, public space is growing organically space at its best. Festivals in India are an integral part of out of the basic and most urgent needs of the people peoples’ lives. During some festivals the Indian society occupying it. This naturally leads to a highly contested truly take over the urban space in a unified manifestation space. that dissolves divisions of race, religion, cast or gender. What we see is how all parts of everyday life are spilling The temporal and fluctuating use of public space in out into the open. The Indian sidewalk is reclaimed by India is a unique quality. However, the cities of India are the citizens who have made it their own. Behind this evolving and an emerging middle class with new demands seemingly public space there are many forces at work. on public space is growing. How will the city adapt? To There is a price for every available piece of land in the city, avoid a complete segregation of rich and poor the equity even spaces that appear to be public. The municipality of public space has to be measured by parameters beyond does not necessarily set the price tag. Homeless people merely economic ones. The resilient Indian city will have have to pay someone for sleeping on the street and the to offer a wider range of overlapping large and small scale rent is comparable to a train ticket to the suburbs. So who spaces. It will view public space in terms of its ability is actually controlling the public space? to create equitable, common space which encourages democratic processes. The idea of public space in Europe stems from the concept of the Agora or “place of assembly” first formed in ancient Magnus Schön Greece. It was a place for information exchange and later Architect for trade. The main square in almost every European city can be traced back to the concept of the Agora. The democratic right to protest in public space (against democratically elected state leaders) is usually performed 8
Pune Matters Why the World Should Care While perhaps unknown to most of us, Pune matters Today, India is heavily dependent on fossil fuels. Even for the world. With a population of 4.6 million, it is if the average Indian citizen is responsible for just 1/28 the 8th largest city in India and the 33rd largest in the of the CO2 emissions compared with his American world. One of the fastest growing in the nation, its counterpart, the shear scale of the Indian population population is set to double in the next 15 years. means its continued growth will have consequences on the global environment and India itself. Unless the middle The economic liberalization of 1991 moved the Indian class manages to choose another consumption pattern economy towards a market-based system. The financial and shift towards alternative energy sources, Pune and its growth that has resulted is particularly evident in Pune. Indian sibling-cities will greatly contribute to the planet’s Suddenly, the city’s rapidly expanding populace has a changing climate. On the other hand, since it is not yet pocketbook to match. The effect this will have on the trapped in the deadlock of the mega-city pattern, it has global stage depends entirely upon how Pune’s emerging a huge potential to set a new agenda for development. middle class wields this new economic and political Pune has a well-educated population with a high level of capital. technical know-how and, just as any Indian city, a street- wise inventiveness. Out of this amalgam of generative possibilities the solutions to get beyond the crunch could emerge – making the city you might not have heard about really matter. The Crunch WORLD POPULATION WATER DEMAND The world’s population is expected to exceed 9 An estimated 1 billion people worldwide lack billion by 2050. Nearly all of that growth will access to safe drinking water. Water demand is occur outside the western world, and a huge part tightly connected to food consumption patterns. in Asia. Producing a ton of beef requires 125 times more water than a ton of potatoes. PEAK OIL Peak-oil worldwide was reached in the summer of 2008. It’s been estimated that the world’s oil supply will be totally depleted between 2062 and 2094. Less than 9% of the world’s energy produc- tion currently comes from renewable sources. +6 +4 +2 FOOD DEMAND ENERGY DEMAND CLIMATE CHANGE Between now and 2050, demand for agricultural A rising world population and improved The brutal reality of climate change resulting from goods will rise by 70% and demand for meat will standards of living are resulting in an increased the world’s CO2 emissions is rapidly progressing. double. A diet high in grain-fed meat requires 2-4 global energy demand that is expected to rise As of 2005 global temperatures have risen 0.76° times more agricultural land than a vegetarian 40% by 2030. The inevitable result is higher C and are estimated to rise between 4° and 6.4° C diet. energy prices and heavy competition over avail- within this century unless drastic action is taken. able resources. The effect this will have is already being felt. Instable weather patterns are arising, along with severe inequities in food and water supplies. Ani- mal species face extinction and human conflicts over land and water ownership is growing. 10
11
Pune Matters The Structure of the City The university city of Pune is located 2.5 hours south- POPULATION DENSITY - A COMPARISON east of Mumbai in the country’s largest state- Maha- rashtra. For centuries Pune has been considered the cultural capital of Maharashtra, and its urban region of 4.5 million inhabitants is growing more quickly than Bombay. Pune has become a viable alternative for Bombay’s Mumbai Pune Stockholm expanding middle class and The Oxford of the East 21,880 persons / km2 7,214 persons / km2 3,318 persons / km2 attracts students from all over Asia. Its IT-sector and car 1 person / 45.7 m2 1 person / 138.6 m2 1 person / 301.4 m2 industry, including Tata Motors and the $2,000 Nano, are flourishing. However, Pune still struggles with many of its INDIA / MAHARASHTRA / PUNE basic needs. The city’s slums continue to grow, and many of the city’s migrants from the countryside live under unbearable conditions. It is estimated that around 90% of India’s working population is employed in the informal sector, and around 30% of the population in Pune lives in informal settlements. Meanwhile, the traffic is becoming ever more chaotic; car ownership is estimated to be 141 cars / 1000 citizens in 2031 compared to 42 cars / 1000 citizens in 2001. Heavy electrical demands necessitate planned blackouts of the city’s power. Pune potentials: young well educated population / rickshaws / the river / not so many cars (yet) / livable climate / strong sense of community (local pride) / topography / dogs / waste-culture / unexploited heritage / freedom in typology / fast moving / space MORPHOLOGY: BUNGALOW AREA MORPHOLOGY: JM ROAD AREA Characteristic Bungalow JM Road streetscape 12
Bungalow Area JM Road Mutha River Narayan Peth MAP OF CENTRAL PUNE MORPHOLOGY: MUTHA RIVER MORPHOLOGY: NARAYAN PETH The Mutha River Wada structure in Narayan Peth 13
Towards Equity Four Futures Inclusiveness is a primary goal for development beyond We have chosen two parameters that are difficult to mere economic growth. In it’s present state of rapid predict. From these we created four different, but equally transformation, Pune could miss this goal, leaving be- plausible, futures that could enable Pune to leapfrog hind the have-nots to left-over goods and spaces. Pres- the crunch. Combining the parameters of scale and sures from the influx of new urban dwellers and the consumption gives us the opportunity to explore both shift towards new lifestyles and consumption patterns large and small-scale solutions, as well as what possibilities could combine with increasingly limited resources and lie in both material and non-material based societies. climate change to create the familiar pattern found in other major cities. Pune is not yet there. Could Pune The resultant scenarios: UniverCity, Village City, CapaCity choose another direction to leapfrog for resilience and and iTown provide us with clear archetypes. Instead of equality? choosing one direction, we see a layering of all four as a resilient strategy for Pune’s future development. IMMATERIAL RGET FARMS TA ag r iculture ITY ge MUN COM MING led FAR now k UniverCity Village City + Leading Eastern think-tank + Celebration of the local; Self-sufficient communities + Production of ideas, values and intellectual wealth + Social networks; Bottom-up management + Logic of exchange, flows and functionality + Common education + Strong integration between different parts of society + Shared resources; Energy awareness + Reliance on both expected and unexpected synergies + Global information trade INFINITE INFINITESIMAL CapaCity iTown + A society oriented towards large national systems + A breeding ground for entrepreneurs + New awareness creating more accurate assessments + Society based on Do-It-Yourself principles + Control of flows and waste minimized + Individualistic, high-tech lifestyles + Reuse of materials to avoid loss of resources + Knowledge integrated with creativity + Gadget-driven economy GLOBAL SEASONAL FARMING MATERIAL 14
Grand Adjustments A Strategy Towards Equity »The city here is not about grand design but about The grand adjustments revealed in our four scenarios: grand adjustments.« Rahul Mehortra, architect, Mum- bai. Adjustments in scale: +The power of the many: Small solutions x large A strategy for development based on adjustments relates numbers to the concept of evolution. In nature, when the context +The urban shift: Large solutions backed up by changes, actions, structures or social behaviors adjust in medium sized solutions that are in turn backed order to maximize benefits. By reversing the sequence, the up by small solutions adjustment itself could possibly generate new contexts and +The city as a tree: Large solutions connected to environments. Our adjustments could then lead towards a medium solutions that are in turn connected to resilient environment. small solutions Adjustments in materiality: +The value of the ephemeral: Temporality in usage of space and goods. +The new leisure time: Providing alternatives to material consumption +Re-waste: Up-grading the work of and the materials of recycling Equity Our Four Fields of Action Materials: Build upon the existing and see it as a The goal for development should be equity. Equity means resource. Preserve valuable spaces while embracing new not merely equal. It even includes the notions of the technologies and methods. monetary value of an entity after accounting for all debts owed and the right to share in future profits. Production: Maximize efficiency by seeing waste as a resource. Don’t just REcycle, UPcycle. Utilize established Towards equity is: skills and customs. -Promoting equality through the creation of accessible public space beyond the economic realm. -Maximizing value by reducing the debt caused by waste Mobility: Overlap multiple modes of transport to -Ensuring engagement and change by agreeing to share promote equality. Solve nodes and transitions. Work in all future profits scales simultaneously and add flexibility to rigid structures. Leisure: Create allowances for the temporal use of space. Intertwine social and ecological values and activities. Prioritize environmental justice. 15
My pigeon My pigeon is no longer in its cage Maybe it got lost in the sheets drying on a line by the riverbed Seeking the one white spot in the dusty air thinking it was a cloud How I will be laughed at by my friends and lose the bet 16
17
Material Matters The Equity of Built Space + It’s all about stuff; it’s everywhere + The market for housing and commercial space is + Invested and bound within material is energy that growing should be utilized + 40% of Pune’s urban population is living in informal + Access to resources is a matter of equity- what for settlements whom? + Urban space is under stress; transport owns the streets + The use of materials and energy in India is rapidly + Despite rag pickers and heavy recycling, garbage in increasing Pune is adding to sub-standard landfills Materials are an indication of invested energy. Production Traditional built forms and urban life are challenged is intimately connected to the use of resources. Our by traffic thoroughfares and a changing notion of relationship to produced material directly affects the accessibility. Shopping malls are becoming the new public continual use of energy and raw material. space, but are they really public? Built spaces provide the canvas for urban life. From the Migration from the hinterland, combined with Pune obvious- buildings- to the parks and roads that are always becoming an IT capital and educational hub, is putting the around us. Even non-planned space is built, either by housing stock under pressure. The city is expanding, and neglect, random events, or the action of not taking action. more resources are bound in the material. Urban centers are the biggest structures created by man. The informal is expanding, covering all aspects of the They are built with few plans regulating their precise material. The informal economy is everywhere: from the outcomes and are a giant storage space of materials: building sector to craftsmen, street hawkers and rickshaw usable, reusable and recyclable- a potential mine of the drivers. future. Unbuilt areas- the river banks and hills- are continually Material things become obsolete, but in built urban spaces under pressure from informal encroachments, but the situation is reversed. The roads are ancient, living in planners and developers look towards the hills for an old house is desirable, and the oldest tree in the park is potential areas for urban development . The debate over considered the best. this unclaimed space is heating up. INVESTMENTS IN MATERIAL- A DOWNPAYMENT FOR THE FUTURE? Energy, raw material Effort and money Patches of green and hills in Pune, unbuilt areas under pressure from urban development 18
MATERIALIZATIONS Brick 63% Concrete 14% Mud/Adobe 13% Metal/sheets 4% Grass/Bamboo 2% WADA THE BUILT Stone 2% 10.9 m2 Wood 2% Plastic 1% Mean housing area per Building materials urban Indian citizen Other
20
21
Beneficial Back Harvesting Urbanity Vehicles have taken over the streets of Pune, dilut- ing the quality of urban life and leaving the shopping malls as the only alternative to real public space. Hid- Present transformation den within the Bungalow typology of the Deccan area, however, are countless unclaimed spaces. They hold the potential to stimulate urban life Typical throughout India, the Pune bungalow blocks are remnants from the colonial era. The ideals of a green Present walled urbanity were prevalent, and a large bungalow surrounded structure by a garden was the chosen tool to attract European settlers to the city. Over time, and in response to new needs, the original bungalows transformed to multifamily houses, then large, glass-clad office blocks and mini malls. De-wall The potential for new urban space is housed in the backyard voids of these bungalow blocks, the forgotten space used today only for parking. The neighborhood streets attract a high volume of vehicles, which in turn brings visitors and potential business. But the constant Creating porousness increase of traffic is also stressing the former web of public space that used to claim the roads- the bazaars and their descendants. The Beneficial Back transfers public life onto the former bungalow plots. Private land is lent to the public by creating incentives for the plot owner. By opening the land to the city, the landowner becomes a part of the new Potentials, varying typologies space and can create opportunities for himself by offering a small-scale flexible base for urban life. What is currently a one-sided entrance is transformed into a carpet of access around the individual house. This makes the building more accessible and new businesses can open up in the back. The back is the new front. The owner receives legal benefits from the city in exchange for securing ecological Permeable surfaces services like permeability, water collection, and shaded greenery. The perks include lowered fees on sewage and water, as well as other services that can be taken care of locally within the program. As long as vehicles own the street, people will use the back. Sharing systems Urban production New businesses Water harvesting Solar harvesting Possible additions 22
Localized production Existing qualities are the Ensuring ecological services Event space, a place for in the Back basis of the scheme with permeable grounds gatherings Space for temporality within New business possibilities the system created through access No access: Restricted space Access: New space 23
Walk of Fame A New Image of a Commercial Street + + The Walk of Fame is the transformation of a commer- cial street and its built stock in order to provide greater employment opportunities, better housing for newcom- ers, and a more efficient use of resources. It creates a new, sustainable identity for Jangli Maharaj Road by taking advantage of local skills, a DIY economy and the potential for urban mining in Pune. The Jangli Maharaj Road is a busy, central street on the north side of the River. In many ways it represents the Skilled craftsmen Do-It-Yourself economy ongoing Pune transformation, turning old bungalows plots into a stretch of flagship stores. The Walk of Fame remakes this road into a hallmark of sustainability. To begin, the Municipality of Pune, real estate owners, and enterprises situated along the JM Road would agree to + = sign a letter of intent declaring the street be defined as the first sustainable street in Pune. Today, the built stock has a constant need for renewal. Through specifically agreed upon methods of upgrading, the street would simultaneously solve this problem by becoming a ^ƵƐƚĂŝŶĂďůĞ :DZĚ showcase for sustainable building solutions. Through Urban mining Walk of fame! its high visibility, the street’s transformation would raise awareness about smart consumption and attract enterprises with ethical and environmental agendas. India’s do-it-yourself tradition of repairing anything means nothing ever goes to waste. The Walk of Fame celebrates this culture of fixing by utilizing the local skilled craftsmen and creating a school for teaching the knowledge of the local craft. By offering housing along with employment, newcomers to the city find not only an education and job, but a community as well. The built stock in Pune can be seen as a giant storage place of materials, reusable and recyclable. By using existing materials from the close surroundings, the local economy is supported and the negative environmental impact from transportation is reduced. Physical and virtual markets can serve as “urban mines” creating possibilities for unique Rooftop gardening architecture and design. Before for restaurants Multifunctional hoardings can change the image of the city! After Smart use of resources Energy production Rainwater harvesting Rainwater harvesting Rooftop gardening Recyclable exterior Energy producing Water management hoarding Natural ventilation Vegetables + Recyclable interior hot water for eateries 24
+ + = Existing hoarding on building Learning from the Creatgin additional space by adding Multifunctional hoardings with high-tech Morpho Butterfly new ”pull out” bamboo hoarding screens can produce images with electricity, structure produce energy, cool air, water plants and brand a green city This is a great spot for a lighthouse project! How about a center for recycling and reuse? Dormitories for Multifunctional newcomers Possibility to add hoardings! A new vertical greenery structure for the to multifunctional hoarding can provide hoardings extra space The walk of Plants behind the Fame! multifunctional hoarding cool the air and reduce heat on the facade Network of material markets provide for the possibility to reuse materials The backside of hoardings can provide space for rooftop cinemas and lectures ...or the Aalto way? Recycling architecture! Why not try the Gehry 25
At the Tailor We’d been looking for a tailor to make my sari top. After several failed attempts, we were directed to a huge warehouse building. At stall # 96, at the end of the corridor on the 3rd floor, was a tiny old lady. Sharp as a nail and with bony knuckles, she told us the story of her life while her assistant tended to the sari. From the Pakistani border where she grew up to sunny California. Maybe she was just humoring herself while she waited for her son to pick her up on his way back from the temple. The hours blurred. In retrospect, I remember the taste of sweet chai tea and how she felt like a small bird under my arm during our parting embrace. A whole empire emerged from that store hidden in the faceless warehouse that we could just as easily have passed by. The SIM Card Getting a SIM card in India is a hassle. If I recall correctly, first I had to fill in a form, then show my ID, then hand in a passport photo of myself. Finally, as I was about to pay the shop vendor, he told me that a document with my energy bill was also required. Alright. So I went back to the hotel, talked to the receptionist and asked if he could please put my share of the energy costs on a bill and give me a copy. Back at the store, the sales person proceeded to tell me that my hotel receipt was not valid and that he needed a traditional electricity bill with my Indian home address. Where should a tourist get hold of such? I asked myself. I still do, actually. I left the store without a SIM card, of course, and was a little bit sweatier and less pleased then when I arrived. Walking back along the lively street- the kind of typical, photogenic Indian street with thousands of street vendors, activities, sounds and smells- I came to a sharp realization: I didn’t really need a phone to connect to the world. What I needed was to open my senses and let the Indian world connect to me. 26
27
Production Matters The Equity of Cultivated Space + Cultivated space matters because we are what we + Pune is a major hub for higher education, IT and consume, be it material or immaterial products manufacturing of goods + An item purchased on one side of the globe might + A large percentage of the population is young and add to the landfill on the other side there is a flow of migrants from nearby regions + Lifestyles and consumption patterns of the few + Pune has a strong local and regional production determine the livelihood of the many sector attracting investors Besides voting, purchasing power is the strongest tool to In Pune there is a functioning system of locally produced affect society. How do you use this power? Consumption food. Since the city has a good climate, there is a great patterns govern the availability of resources but also have opportunity to develop urban agriculture into a more direct impact on innovation and education. resilient food production system in the future. Through the economy of recycling, waste is linked The city’s growth puts strain on waste management. The to production and becomes a generator for informal majority of waste products are managed by the Pune economies. But the notion of waste itself is a modern Municipal Corporation (PMC) and taken to landfill concept. What if there was a waste power equivalent to sites. The recycling business in turn is a decentralized the concept of purchase power and even new currencies waste and recycling system based on the usage of waste- connected to the waste? Maybe the ones wasting the pickers, mostly women belonging to the lowest caste. least would benefit the most from an ecological footprint In order to have a more efficient long-term system of trading system. recycling, there is a need for better facilities for waste management and increased awareness among the citizens. The processes need to be easy and attractive to establish an understanding of the economical, environmental and social benefits. WET SPOT WATER PURIFICATION AND HARVESTING TRANS- DO REMAKE SANITATION ACTION SPOT PLAY AND ENERGY SPOT LEARNING PRODUCTION RE-MALL EXPO AND ENTERTAINMENT ENERGY AND FOOD LIGHT PRODUCTION PRODUCTION TOOL BRIGHT GOLD SPOT SPOT SYSTEM DIAGRAM Strategy of how education and entertainment can be combined with production and consumption to obtain a sustainable method for resource management at different scales in society. 28
CHANGING SECTORAL COMPOSITION ENERGY CAPACITY INSTALLED IN THE MAHARAHSTRA STATE (2008-2009) OF STATE INCOME Share (%) 0 20 40 60 80 100 1960-61 46 1970-71 49 1980-81 46 Thermal: Nuclear: Hydro: Captive: Natural gas: Renewable: 51.1% 2.3% 16.1% 5.3% 10.3% 14.9% 1990-91 47 1999-00 2000-01 56 58 2007-08 57 2008-09 WHAT IS BEING PRODUCED IN PUNE? 59 2009-10 In India 422 million workers out of the total workforce of 457 million belong to the informal sector. Year These workers contribute more than 60 % to India´s GDP . Agriculture Industry Services PUNE`S FOOD CONSUMPTION/ DAY: 2500 TONNES food grains milk fruits and vegetables WHERE IS IT MADE? home cooked hotels ready made LITERACY RATE 88% 72% Workers and students represented from the young population of Pune. LEVEL OF EDUCATION 10% Graduate and above 28% Matric/ Higher secondary/ Diploma 15 % Middle 25 % Primary 20 % Below primary 2 % No education Different surveys show that at least 65% of the waste produced in Pune that goes to landfills consists of organic waste. WASTE PRODUCTION WASTE DISPOSED AT LANDFILL OUTSIDE PUNE (TONNES) SOURCE GENERATED SEWAGE IN PMC 2008 (MLD) 451 Sewage not included in PMC sewage treatment plants 340,000 305 40% Domestic Sewage treatment capacity 320,000 122 300,000 32 25% Commercial 280,000 Installation year 1928 1981 1997 2005 5% Market areas 260,000 25% Hotels and restaurants 240,000 5% Vegetable wastemarkets 146 MLD sewage is going directly into Mula-Mutha river 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 29
30
31
Re-Mall A Lifestyle Forum The Re-Mall is a public awareness spot for resource thinking and action. It aims to change mindsets, politi- cal processes and policies on resource issues. Through a combination of entertainment, education and public RE-MALL participation, it highlights the positive aspects of recy- cling and inspires to new ways of consuming and liv- ing. The middle class is the biggest growing consumer group. By heightening their awareness on sustainability issues other social groups will benefit as well. A new landmark located on JM road, the Re-Mall transforms a former car park into a public place where one can enjoy, discover and learn about energy and resource Expo and Entertainment matters. The Re-mall becomes an alternative to shopping malls, by providing consumption of experiences and 1 knowledge as well as entertainment and shopping. It is also an expo space and showcase for innovative products. The building displays the energy and recycling processes, such as the transforming of organic waste to methane gas, and production of kinetic energy. Storm water is collected and treated through a filtering process contained within a series of terraces and pools. These are an integrated part of the building’s aesthetic expression as well as being productive components in their own right. The Playothéque includes an interactive playground where KINETIC ENTERTAINMENT visitors can learn about water, energy and materials Get energized! The floor absorbs the movement and transform it into energy. through play integrated with the latest technology. It also hosts workshops, courses and a platform showing 2 innovative designs solutions by students from partner universities. The kinetic entertainment floors have a variety of activities where movement is transformed into energy. There is a disco, a dance studio and rentable facilities for events. The combination of restaurants and display areas for urban agriculture take place on the terraces and floors of the Greenhouse eatery. The Sky bar has a lighting system, EXPO POOL See the latest technologies at the expofloor, or lounge by the pool which fuelled by biogas produced in the building, that changes is part of the building’s stormwater cleaning process. colours depending on the city´s mood. Passive wind cooling Skylight bar Stormwater filtering Greenhouse eatery Kinetic entertainment Playotheque Expo Pool Entrance CH4 Production and PROGRAM SECTION harvesting 32
4 1 3 2 RE-MALL A former parking house on the JM-Road has been transformed into Pune’s new landmark. 3 4 PLAYOTHÉQUE GREENHOUSE EATERY On this floor one can learn about physics and science through play. While your The new eatery and expo in Pune on urban farming; learn, eat and go shopping... kid is playing, why not sign up for a workshop? Add on volumes to.... ...existing (under-used) parking tower ... creates Re-Mall Mutha River JM Road Bungalow Area LONGITUDINAL SECTION 33
Dirty Sweet Spots Collaborative Recycling Units Dirty Sweets Spots are decentralized recycling units that integrate the current waste system management with additional functions to promote local participa- tion. Together, they form a network of waste-and-recy- cle related production, as well as information nodes. Each Dirty Sweet Spot contains an additional func- tion that supports the local community, for example a meeting place or workshop space. By placing the units where existing functions and needs in Pune already ex- ist, the DSP make the waste process more accessible and integrated in daily life. The Dirty Sweet Spots: The Do-Spot combines a recycling unit with a school or a day-care centre. It functions as a shed for sorting, recycling FLOWS OF PRODUCTION AND SERVICES: Input and ouput and re-selling waste. Through workshops, the city- employed waste picker teaches the children how to sort and construct new things made from scrap materials. The Wet-Spot is in close proximity to a temple. It is a cool, Housing community Public toilet Restaurants public resting place that combines information on water harvesting with a water storage tank. The tank stores the monsoon water and redistributes it to the surrounding neighbourhood during the dry season. At the Bright- Spots, organic waste from nearby restaurants is collected and turned into biogas, which in turn is used as fuel in the restaurants’ stoves. The biogas can also be used to generate light at nearby bus stops. This system is maintained by a biogas expert - a former waste-picker. Organic waste/ Organic waste Organic waste The Transaction-Spot connects a biogas station and fuel recyclables shop to the public toilets. The Gold-Spot is a cooperative organic resource unit managed by waste-pickers and fruit salesmen in the neighbourhood. Biogas is produced from the compost material and then sold. These units also provide information on recycling and composting. The DSP could be financed by the city which would pay for the establishment of the recycling units and then subsidize the construction of additional, related programs. Recycle workshop DO SPOT These added functions could be initiated and sponsored by Biogas spot private investors as well. TRANSACTION SPOT BRIGHT SPOT WET SPOT Monsoon water WASTE PICKER´S NEW harvesting ASSIGNMENTS: -biogas/composting producer -recycle workshop leader -recycling nformant LEGEND Social interactions MEETING SPOTS Continuous line= untreated products Dotted line= treated products 34
SHOP WORK LIC PUB LET TOI OOL SCH NFO BIOG AS G OP/I O IN SH /INF RCE YCL SHOP DO SPOT TRANSACTION SPOT Recycle workshop Biogas production combined with a combined with public school or daycare center. toilet. Get paid for using Fun through learning it- or buy biogas here. from recycling. BRIGHT SPOT The local restaurants and the fruit salesmen leave their organic trash at the Bright Spot station where it’s processed into biogas. The gas fuels the lighting at the bus stand, and is also sold to the nearby restaurants and the salesmen. G MONSOON WATER HARVESTIN HADE INFO/S AS WATER DISTRI BIOG BUTION O /INF SHOP BOX NE PIPELI T LIGH NWATER MONSOO WET SPOT BRIGHT SPOT Monsoon water harvesting gives an Biogas production from organic additional social cool spot in the city. waste. Fuel for light at the bus Water distribution during dry season. stand. / SOIL WASTE AS NIC ON FO BIOG ORGA TRIBUTIAGE SHOP/IN GOLD SPOT DIS STOR Co-operative between waste pickers and fruit salesmen. Biogas, composting and fruit shop for neighbourhood. 35
Organize Organic Exchange In the future, rising energy and food prices will open up a new market for nutritious soil and organic waste. Savings from household gardening, biogas production and organic resource trading would also increase. In such a scenario, urban farming would become more profitable and attractive. On a larger scale, organic resource production and recycling could generate significantly more profit than today. People involved in everything from waste-picking to urban farming could thereby increase their living standards. Gold Spots are close-at-hand neighbourhood trade, distribution and information centres for organic resources. Here, households, biogas producers and urban farmers can profit by trading with organic waste, nutritious soil, Housing community Biogas producer vegetables and biogas. Other enterprises include biogas production from stored organic waste and the sale of composting equipment and gardening tools. The Gold Spots are managed through neighbourhood cooperative companies and are driven by local waste- Biogas Organic Biogas Nutritious waste soil pickers and fruit salespersons. Through such organizations, they broaden their markets, increase profits, improve their work conditions, and offer better service to their customers. This affordable, robust and low-profile solution links in with existing small-scale urban food production. This enhances awareness about local recycling processes on a grass-roots level, which could have significant long-term WASTEPICKERS AND FRUIT Gold Spot SALESMEN NEW ASSIGNMENTS: effects. -full organic resource trade -full organic resource distribution -biogas producer at distribution storage -recycling informant Biogas Food Meeting spot Legend continuous line= untreated dotted line= treated product Urban Farm 3. 1. 5. 2. 4. INVENTIVE PORTABLE ALL-IN-ONE ORGANIC WASTE BAG, COMPOST, BIOGAS PRODUCER AND VERTICAL GARDEN 1. Double layered slowly degradable organic waste/ biogas bag with integrated seeds 2. Seed envelopes for easier vertical planting 3. Stackable basket in recyclable plastic 4. Device for easier placing of seed envelops 5. Lid for protection against heavy rain 36
THE GOLD SPOT A neighborhood trade, distribution and information centre for organic resources URBAN FARMING JM road and surroundings SMALL-SCALE COMPOSTING, ENERGY PRODUCTION AND GARDENING AT HOME 37
Saleem I’m still not sure about the details of Saleem’s story. He was anxious to tell it, even though he spoke no English. We played a strange game of charades. At first, he started talking about Dubai. When he mentioned Dubai, he would often slap himself in the face. “Dubai’s bad?” we asked, and he slapped himself again. At one point, he pulled out a photocopy of his passport and his ID card. His name was right there: Saleem. Saleem then made a gesture with his hand of going up and down a hill. It took us awhile to figure this out. It was a plane taking off and landing. He began saying “London, London, London” and made the gesture of scissors cutting the air. I pointed at his pants and made the same scissors gesture. He nodded. I showed him a 500 rupee note with Gandhi at the spinning wheel on the back. He nodded once more. My guess is he was a tailor who wanted to move to London for work, any work. We shared water, and when he felt confident that his story was fully told, he stopped and didn’t say anything else for the rest of the journey. The Dosa Hut For seven days I passed by that tiny food stand on Shahu On the short walk home to the hotel I deliberated over Colony Lane quickly so I wouldn’t be too tempted. I the business card like a pirate analysing a treasure map. didn’t trust the resilience of my western stomach. The look “PMsolutions- Where intelligence meets hard work” read of apprehension in each of my classmates’ eyes on that last the fading blue text. The short description that followed night told me that they had all been thinking the same was somehow both trite and earnest. The only thing that thing. was clear about ‘PMsolutions’ was that it was founded by two people who were intent to do more with their lives I decided to take a picture of all of us standing in the street than run a food stall in the evenings. savoring each bite. We smiled cautiously and raised our sodas to toast to a great week in Pune. I regretted not inquiring further when I had the chance. After spending a week discussing urban design proposals “Do you think you could e-mail me those photos?” for the city, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had misjudged the intended target all along. How many other The question came so unexpectedly that I embarrassed business cards were floating around the city waiting for myself with a lack of manners. “Really?” I responded nothing more than an opportunity? to the unassuming young man who had prepared our dosas ten minutes prior. He handed me a business card My head is still spinning as I think about the contradiction and explained that the pictures would be good for his I encountered during my meal that night. Ironically, my website. The Dosa Hut has a website? I thought to myself stomach handled the dosa just fine. in disbelief. I properly adjusted my smile, shook Polash Banarjee’s hand, and assured him I’d deliver the photos as soon as I could. 38
39
Mobility Matters The Equity of Transit Space + Mobility shapes spaces + Public transport is expensive in Pune relative to aver- + The cost of transit determines who can move and age income when, creating inequity + Pune is choking from air pollution + Rural-urban shifts are dramatically affecting Indian + The public transport system is poorly structured and cities under-utilized + People move to change their lifestyle. For some, mov- + Dedicated bus lanes, bike paths, and pedestrian walk- ing is a lifestyle ways are lacking New desires and demands are changing transport patterns. Transportation is highly congested and politicized in Pune. The lifestyles of an emerging middle class are the drivers Within the urban environment, bikes, rickshaws, animals for this change. Can traditional patterns, skills and and pedestrians all compete for space. The existing traditions be developed and transformed into economic Bus Rapid Transport System consists of only one route. and social assets in the urban environment? Although there are plans to expand it, public sentiment towards expansion is subdued by poor experiences with Cities are the economic engine of India’s economy. This the limited existing system. attracts people from the countryside to the urban centers. Can rural heritage and urban experience be merged to As an alternative, the city has proposed an elevated metro create a new platform for empowerment and social justice? system. However, this would have severe consequences on the present cityscape and future development since it will In the economic north, the car is placed at the center of be funded by a dramatic increase in building exploitation the city. Roads are constantly widened to increase speed rights along these routes. in the city. They act as barriers, dividing public and social space. Can the pedestrian be re-prioritized? Rural residents from India’s agricultural hinterland are increasingly migrating into the city. Pune’s rapidly increasing population and density will demand new ways of dealing with the growing need for flexible transport, housing and employment. A B RURAL TO URBAN SHIFT HOW CAN I MOVE AROUND? CAN I BE A RESOURCE? Traditional Pattern Pattern pattern 2010 2030 CAN THE PRIORITIES BE REVERSED? 40
USE OF ROAD SPACE MIGRATION TO PUNE APPROX. VEHICLE COST International arrivals RS. 800000 (17700 USD) From another state in India 19% 1% 80% RS. 100000 (2200 USD) From another district in Maharastra RS. 75000 (1700 USD) PER CAPITA INCOME 2007 RS. 46,000 (1017 USD) RS. 10000 (200 USD) MIGRATION TO MAHARASTRA STATE RS. 4000 (100 USD) Urban to rural RS. 23,000 (508 USD) Urban to urban Rural to rural Rural to urban Pune India AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN PER FAMILY IN INDIA NUMBER OF COMMUTERS USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT 1960 1985 2010 25% 85% Mumbai Pune 51% COMMUTERS USING PUBLIC TRANSPORT 470844 427955 385475 355557 343273 COMMUTER COST FOR PUBLIC 12% TRANSPORT PER MONTH RS.850 (19USD) RS.700 (15USD) 37% RS.450 (10USD) 1996-1997 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2001 2001-2002 RS.350 (8USD) AVERAGE NUMBER OF PERSONS TRAVELING BY VEHICLE TYPE Suburban Limit Suburban Limit City Limit City Limit Mumbai Pune TRAVEL DISTANCE BY INCOME LEVEL IN KM High income 11,2 8,1 10,5 4,2 3,3 VEHICLES AND INHABITANTS 0,9 PUNE 7,1 All modes Mid income 8,0 8,0 9,5 3,9 2.3 milion 3.33 million 5,1 1,3 7,2 All modes MUMBAI Low income 3,5 6,9 7,9 4,3 4,0 1.5 million 13.9 million 2,0 5,4 All modes 41
42
43
Wada Story Infusing the Rural Cities today are created more by the thoughts and desires of the people living within their territories than by specific physical patterns. Still, the city’s identity is shaped by physical locations, and it’s these places that create the “image”of the city. These images don’t always offer the citizens a multitude of possibilities. Immersed environments, where physical and mental needs are fulfilled and people create their own con- texts, are the key to an exciting and challenging urban experience. In community life, interdependence pro- TYPICAL WADA PLAN vides a sense of unity, and social networks play a large role. 1 Verandah 8 Middle room 15 Bath/toilet 2 Guard room 9 Grain store 16 Kitchen The wada was the traditional residence in Maharashtra and 3 Formal verandah 10 Prayer room 17 Store 4 Office 11 Treasury 18 Fountain the construction of wadas reached its peak in the second 5 Negotiation room 12 Manuscript room 19 Shrine half of the eighteenth century. It was typically a large 6 Reception 13 Cow shed 20 Rear entry building of two or more stories. Groups of rooms were 7 Living room 14 Delivery room arranged around open courtyards, with a water fountain to provide a comfortable climate. The design of a wada was heavily influenced by social and cultural factors. The Public most significant feature was the way the zoning of public, private and semi-private spaces was done. Half-private The new riverfront in Narayan Peth is being built up in the form of housing quarters inspired by the wada structure. Private The courtyards are social arenas for the neighbours, and the buzz from ongoing small-production attracts strollers enjoying the new waterfront. Infrastructure and amenities “I woke up on the first morning to for the plot are partly financed by the PMC and partly by the tap-tapping of the tambats. I had never heard this new variety of sound developers. before, and this special sound cannot be heard anywhere else in the world. What today is an underused riverside road, becomes I felt I had come to a novel place...” a livable waterfront as the road is buried below in a tunnel. Profits from new accessible land are being used for re-development of the old Narayan Peth area. The new migrants get involved in the building process. Local materials and traditional building methods are used. ANCIENT CRAFTS ENDURE IN THE CORE OF PUNE ON-DEMAND PRODUCTION BY MASSES INSTEAD OF INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION; NEW CONSUMER CULTURE EMERGES TRADITIONAL JOINT FAMILY STRUCTURES ARE KEPT ALIVE... ... AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD AS AN “EXTENDED FAMILY” PROVIDES NEW SOCIAL NETWORKS AND SOCIAL SECURITY 44
You can also read