Urban Transformation Studio

This studio focused on the design aspects of urban transformations within the existing urban areas as Indian cities are growing rapidly. Increasing urban population and the growing urban incomes fuel demand for more built-floor space accompanied by higher demand for infrastructure. Urban areas are dealing with stress on infrastructure, resources and public services. To address these concerns, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoUHA) has initiated various schemes such as AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation), SMART CITIES MISSION and HRIDAY (Heritage City Development and Augmentation). These schemes enable planning for developing infrastructure in the brownfield areas through mechanisms such as Local Area Plans (LAP) and Town Planning schemes (TPS). Students worked on the projects emerging out of these initiatives defined by studio tutors. The projects had a strong design focus on the physical setting, however issues of private ownership and social equity, land economics, planning models, project finance, and implementation strategies were also addressed.