Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development

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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
Pune Matters
Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
“Why is it that what we believe to be necessary has proved impossible?”
                                                            -Gilbert Rist

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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
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

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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
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

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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
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

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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
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Pune Matters Grand Adjustments Beyond Development
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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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
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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

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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

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