Vulnerability in a Pandemic City

Post-covid public space governance has suddenly, unforeseeably, and disproportionately impacted populations already vulnerable as a result of occupation, class, migration status, religion, gender, and other factors, that rely on urban public spaces for their basic needs. These instances are likely to influence perception of and meanings attached to public space and its use. They raise critical questions for urban scholars and new challenges for urban designers and planners. How might hard mandates on physical distancing and hygiene influence the design and use of public space in urban India? How might we imagine inclusive public spaces in post-covid Indian cities? This studio is premised in the belief that inclusive public spaces in a post-covid context might be possible if : -Urban design takes into account the many ways in which vulnerable groups depend on public spaces for their basic needs, -Design processes have a sufficiently grounded understanding of the myriad ways in which public space is used, governed, experienced, and desired. The studio will develop mapping, analysis, and design strategies for imagining inclusive streets in the post-covid context.