Design and Urbanism

design and

research media urbanism academia architecture

Priya Pinjani Perwani Design Portfolio

URBAN MOBILITIES

Within the greater New York City region, the Rockaways is somewhat of an anomaly; separated by water but connected by (irregular) trains and bridges. The peninsula is both a beach destination and home for many New Yorkers. This, together with the geographical shape of the peninsula creates a distinct sociological and spatial reality. Due to poor public transportation connectivity, the remote location of the peninsula disproportionately a ects residents with no access to a car; a majority of whom are people of color and low-income, living in the eastern section of the peninsula.

In spite of the physical infrastructure amplifying existing social and economical di erences, our research has shown that the Rockaways is home to a robust social infrastructure. When Superstorm Sandy hit the Rockaways in 2012, aid from the city and state did not respond adequately, leaving parts of the Rockaways in dilapidated conditions and without access to basic sources of food, water and electricity, in some cases for months. Social groups were a ected di erently by this disaster and socio-spatial inequalities were ampli ed. However, in this state of emergency, and in the face of slow and insu cient

government response, the existing informal and formal social networks were e ectively mobilized and repurposed for recovery and relief e orts. Fostering a strong sense of comradeship and community when residents helped one another rebuild houses, neighborhoods and their surroundings. Furthermore, local actors and organizations not only organized self-help but provided the infrastructure and knowledge upon which other organizations (governmental and supro-local non-pro ts) grounded their help e orts.

To conclude, by looking at urban mobilities both in terms of physical and social infrastructure it has become apparent that living in the Rockaways is a choice for some, and a forced reality for others. More recently the Rockaways has been characterized by uneven urban development through the construction of semi-gated residential communities; a separated landscape between the beach and bay is emerging, reinforcing the already existing disparity between various socio-economic groups. Yet, the robust social infrastructure and the emergence of a strong civic society are both indicators of the possibilities for a better and more just future.

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REBUILDING THE ROCK AWAYS AFTER SANDY

Social ties among residents, as well as the networks of local community, faith-based, and cultural organizations were aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Doctors of the World USA organization launched the Treat, Connect, Restore Initiative, assessing residents in the area, connecting thDose with unmet health needs to volunteer doctors and other ser vices and suppor ting a locally driven response to restore community health and well-being. In October 2013, the Doctors of the Rockaway Free Clinic opened providing free care to uninsured and undocumented residents (NOW CLOSED)

RYTF

- Rockaway Youth Task Force

Created in 2011 in order to engage young founder Milan Taylor star ted a distribution center at a local co- op, using his social networks to mobilize resources and volunteers to help residents in need (delivering care packages, supplies, donations). RY TF also formed a liaison for the Red Cross to shared local knowledge

GSS - Gowanus Studio Space

and co-working space in Gowanus turned into a collection point for donations and clearinghouse for the many relief throughout the city

596 Acres

The community-based land acces needs assessment, “Current needs for the Rockaways” , for individual organizers and groups working in the Rockaways and provided legal assistance for residents

UnLocal legal assistance, advocacy, and direct help for immigrants

organized a “ridesharing” system in which volunteers from throughout the city could sign up and give rides to ocal residents in need of food, etc. and bringing donations and food into the Rockaways

YANA - You Are Never Alone

Community resource center which emerged as relief hub during Sandy. YANA helped bring employment oppor tunities to and rebuild a sustainable Rockaways in the aftermath of the storm (NOW CLOSED)

Community activist organization that grew out of relationships formed through immediate resident relief work after Sandy. It aims to strengthen the community, create alternatives, and engage in political action and the redevelopment of the Rockaways

La Mies Bakery

Worker- owned baker y, created with the help of W.O.R.C.s

Peninsula Custom Prints

Worker- owned apparel printing company, created with the help of W.O.R.C.s

Roca Mia Construction

Worker- owned construction company, created with the help of W.O.R.C.s

Together these two organizations coordinated assistance betwen local and citywide groups and mediated between volunteers from throughout the city and local needs

Lava Girl Sur f / Beach 87th Sur f Club

Creation of emergeny relief hub, coordinating the cleaning and clearing of damaged houses, distribution of food water, clothes and other supplies to residents, as well as collection and distribution of donations

OCCUPY SANDY RECOVERY

A grassroots disaster relief network that emerged to provide mutual aid to

Rockaway Food Relief Group

Local residents and volunteers organized and coordinated the preperation and distribution of prepared food as well as groceries

CAAAV - Organizing Asian Communities Grassroots community-based organization

resources to local organizers and relief groups

RWA - Rockaway Water front Alliance Community-based organization working towards advancing the physical, economic and social sustainability in the Rockaways, organized based clean ups of the beach among residents and volunteers

Through trainings and no-interest, minimal-risk loans, W O.R.C.s enables residents to launch small, cooperatively owned businesses that

Worker Owned Rockaway Cooperatives ( W.O.R.C.s)

Launched in spring 2013, this program by the The Working World helps rebuild the Rockaways in a way that addresses both the storm s impact and the long-term systemic issues in the neighborhood

Rockaway Relief

A group of local New Yorkers working in enter tainment and hospitality industries (including Saturdays Sur f, The Smile, Gin Lane) worked with Lava Girl Sur f to help clean out buildings repair homes, and deliver food

ser vice for volunteers from SoHo, Manhattan to the Rockaways

LEGEND

Local actors

Supra-local actors

Self-help groups

Community organizations

Private organizations

*

PHYSIC AL MOBILITY

Inter- city Connec tions

LIRR New York Beach Ferr y Planned Ferr y (2017) Buses Subway Penn Station Union Square Long Island City Atlantic Terminal Brooklyn Army Termianl Pier 11 Far Rockaway Arverne Breezy Point Beach 108 St Far Rockaway Riis Landing

55 min 2 x daily (May - Jun) 3 x daily (Jul - Sep) $ 20 (one way); $30 round trip Planned by City to open 2017 MTA single ride (currently $2.75) Far Rockaway 30 mn 20 mn 12 mn 45 mn 30 mn 30 mn Neponsit Arverne 1 hr 2.15 hr 3 hr Breezy Point Penn Station Long Island City Atlantic Terminal 40 - 55 min 55 - 110 min (peak) 35 - 50 min 45 - 85 min (peak) 40 - 55 min 55 - 110 min (peak) 40 - 55 min 55 - 110 min (peak) 70 min 40 - 55 min 50 - 100 min (peak) 75 min (inlc. 1 transfer) 35 - 60 45 - 90 min (peak) 60 min (inlc 0-1 transfer) 60 min 40 - 60 min 75 -140 min (peak) 80 min 70 - 100 min (incl 1 transfer) 35 - 45 min 60 -120 min (peak) 80 min (incl 1 transfer) 60 min 35 min 55 - 115 min (peak) 75 min

DEMOGRAPHICS 1800 - 2013 CITY VS QUEENS VS ROCK AWAYS

Between 2000 and 2010 the combined population of Hammels, Ar verne and Edgmere rose from 28,007 to 32,443, a staggering increase of 16%, mak ing it into the 7th fastes growing Neighborhood TA in New York City.

Even after Sandy (2012), the TA is still showing the a large amount of growth (12%) vs. a stark decrease of 7,4% in Far Rock away. However between 2010 and 2013 the neighborhood agglomeration of Breez y Point to Broad Channel is has increased a staggering 22%

New York City

Queens

Far Rock away & Baywater

Hammels - Ar verne - Edgmere

Breez y Point - Belle Harbor - Rock away Park - Broad Channel

sources: Census 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010. Census Finder 2013, Wik ipedia, New York City Market Analysis 1943

POPU L A TION CHANGE

Study Area (C T 964)

The Rockaway peninsula Bus line Subway line Line station LIRR

of

New York Sandy

Consilidation

Greater

10,000,000 1800 1900 1940 1850 7,5000,000 5,000,000 2,500,000 1950 1965 1980 1995 2010 2000 2013 60,000 45,0000 30,000 15,000

Residents bought half the land for $11million and turned into cooperative

SOCIAL DEMOG R APHICS

The Rockaway peninsula

Study Area (C T 964)

Bus line

Subway line

Line station LIRR

MEDIAN

1980- The notion of housing affordability became widespread in Europe and North America

1938- Beach Ownership shifts from borough presidents to NYC Par ks

Proposal to build an incenerator in Jamaica bay Large amounts of public housing

Residents lobbied for improved transpor tation, schools and other facilities

Loss of schools, institutions, hospital and cour t house

2014 Census Block Group Data

1951-1961 Growth of low income and middle income housing NYCHA

100.000 - 120.000

120.000 - 140.000

1956: NYC Subway exteneded to Rockaways

1939- Robert Moses plans to build 102-108th seaside

As per NYC housing developments take place in Hammels and sea side casuing displacement of 165 families

RACIAL DOTMAP

1 dot = 1 person

2010 Census Block Data

1939 -Marine parkaway bridge opens

1904- The area is subdivided into 6000 building lots, most of which are single family housing.

Hammels, sea section and Holland were combined to form Rockaway beach

Establishement of School, hospital and other physical infrastr ucture.

Only Municipal ferry operated in Jamaica Bay

First section of housing came up in Ar ver ne

Ferry from carnarsie line ended

Acquired by the city of NewY

1832- Cholera epidemic in NY

1832- Huge investments in Marine pavilion hotel in Rockaways from rockaways association

Extension of Piers to Jamaica bay from Manhattan and brooklyn

Community began as summer beach bungalows sold to Atlantic improvement state co-operation for $17million

Asian Hispanic Black White

O ther / Native American / Muli-racial

1990-Housing boom in uptown communities

79-82 came to be known as Hammels

108th street iconic pier construction 1300 ft into atlantic ocean

1980-1989- housing sale prices increased by 152%. prices in 18 neighborhoods increased by more than 200%.

better access to beach by Ferry

Rapid development on Beach 102nd street deeveloped in 1880 as a stretch of hotels

1880-LIRR opens a 5 mile link

1883- Brooklyn bridge is constructed to connect Brooklyn to Manhattan

Train line access from far Rockaways to Rockaway beach

1921- LIRR and Beach branch Merged

Developed more than the West Rockaways

1917- Naval air station for world war 1

Communities star ted rebuilding after Sandy stor m

1902: Beach amusement par k

1908-200 bath houses in ocean beach were constructed to sustain the tourist population

1968- Arverne was designated as an urban renewal by NYC

1962- Rejuvination focussed on water front development

1950- LIRR was removed due to fire accident, the loss crippled the community for 6 years

1950- Large scale investments in highways along LIRR

2001: HPD issues proposal for development of the western end of urban renewal project

2006: HPD designates developers for Arverne East

2014 Census Block Group Data

1936- Jacob Riis Par k, on the site of the naval station, built by Rober t Moses

1923- Boardwalk opened in coney island($3million beach improvement project)

1929- Jonas beach state park was built by robert moses as development of parkways on LI

Temporary ferry from beach 108th street to the brooklyn army terminal, 34th street manhattan

2013- 5.5 miles Beach board walk restoration

Peninsula was a narrow wide strip of land covered by sand dunes,marshes, streams and wetlands.Rockaways started developing rapidly, with major investments into transport an public infrastructure

Rockaways thrived with vvistors and tourists, the ownership shifted from borough presidents to the NewYorkCity Rise in Public Housing, decline in public facilities. The LIRR nerged with the rockawayd beach branch, and there was a decline in transport facilities by Water and Rail.

Sandystorm, hit the rockaways and the communities started re buiilding their neighborhoods. There was a strong

1800’s

1900’s

2000’s

40.000 40.000

60.000 60.000

80.000 80.000 - 100.000

INCOME 0 - 20.000 20.000 -

-

140.000 - 160.000

160.000 - 180.000 > 180.000

HOMEOWNERSHIP

%

< 10 10 - 20 20 -30 30 - 40 40 -50 50 - 60 60 - 70 70 - 80 80 - 90 > 90

In Census Trac t 964

The median Income lies between 40.000 and 80.000,

The area is racially diverse (mainly blacks & hispanics)

There is a relative high percentage of homeonwership (50-70%) compared to other neighborhoods in the city the city.

SOCIAL DEMOG R APHICS

The Rockaway peninsula

Study Area (C T 964)

2014 Census Block Group Data MEDIAN INCOME 0 - 20.000 20.000 - 40.000 40.000 - 60.000 60.000 - 80.000 80.000 - 100.000 100.000 - 120.000 120.000 - 140.000 140.000 - 160.000 160.000 - 180.000 > 180.000 1 dot = 1 person 2010 Census Block Data Asian Hispanic Black White O ther / Native American / Muli-racial

DOTMAP % HOMEOWNERSHIP 2014 Census Block Group Data < 10 10 - 20 20 -30 30 - 40 40 -50 50 - 60 60 - 70 70 - 80 80 - 90 > 90

RACIAL

Bus line Subway line Line station LIRR

ROCKTALKS

PRIYA PINJANI | RUCHIKA LODHA | SRUTI PENUMETSA

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RockTalks responds to the existing socio-spatial and ecological inequalities in Rockaway by creating equal access and reinforcing a common sense of belonging. It penetrates through physical and psychological barriers and encourages collective processes of reimagining, reclaiming and re-appropriating the Rockaways.

The Rockaway peninsula is rift with social, economical and ecological inequalities, as uncovered through the research conducted. The elevated A train delineates the peninsula along the East-West axis. While it connects the Rockaways to the rest of the city on a regional level, it splits and separates local communities creating socio-spatial fragmentation.

RockTalks addresses the current dynamics of intangible) within Rockaway by creating awareness, capability and accountability among Rockaway scales of existing infrastructures, organizations, resources and skills. It builds new relationships and meshworks transforming the grids and boundaries RockTalks is as an intermediary approach rather than an organization or a system embedded within an existing organization- RockSoup that micro-funds creative and constructive projects in Rockaway. RockTalks is implemented within a theoretical framework that has three embedded principles- Infrastructuring, Capability Building and Commoning. RockTalks adopts year-round Mentorship and Facilitation processes guided by a sequence of ﬂexible and generative pilot design initiatives within this theoretical framework.

The Mentorship Program is conducted each summer (May through October) under a speciﬁc theme relevant to Rockaway and the Jamaica Bay region as a whole. The theme addresses prevalent or suspected issues/problems in the region. The theme contextualises the summer activities and is achieved through three frameworks that will address speciﬁc domains of economy (Local Entrepreneurship), education (Pedagogy) and envisioning (Designing).

In addition to the current Rock Soup model of presentations and voting during soup events, the winter Facilitation Program (November through April) provides support to proposal winners by identifying partners for collaboration, giving guidance regarding additional funding/grants and providing resource sharing and networking opportunities.

RockTalks utilizes existing platforms and infrastructures in order to spread the word, promote collaborative events and encourage wider participation.

RockTalks is an approach embedded within an existing organization and through collective processes re-claims, re-appropriates and re-inforces existing resources to encourage social cohesion, build awareness of the environment and empower residents with the capability to shape their own environments.

Infrastructuring

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The following three principles form the theoretical framework for RockTalks:

Capability Building

Commoning

Infrastructuring as a method of recognizing available resources and strengthening those ties by continuously building and expanding relational networks amongst diverse actors.

Capability building is envisioned to harness social infrastructure, local skills and resources by creating a consciousness, a sense of responsibility and passion among Rockaway residents in order to co-produce ideas with their shared knowledge and expertise.

Commoning as a collective spacephysical or intangible that encourages and empowers the community to collaboratively participate, engage and take initiatives towards making the community they wish to see. We deﬁne commoning as a process that helps ﬁll the gap from ideas to design.

A sequence of ﬂexible and generative pilot design initiatives within this theoretical framework guides the process

ROC K T AL K S

PROCESSES

Rock Soup, established in October 2015, is an organization that micro-funds creative projects with a goal of beneﬁtting Rockaway. They partner with several local organisations for outreach and resourcesRockaway Wildﬁre contributes volunteer hours and supplies for the monthly events. Rockaway Summer is a part-directory, part-guide, part-art project which is a live website showcasing a calendar of events and activities in Rockaways.

Rock Soup welcomes ideas, initiatives, plans and proposals ranging from art, urban agriculture, social justice, technology through an application process and selects four proposals for their monthly events. For a voluntary donation, t he community is invited to dine together, discuss and vote on the shortlisted proposals. The winning proposal receives funds collected from donations at the events by Rock Soup.

The RockTalks approach extends the mission of Rock Soup by reframing the role of Rockaway residents by seeing the community as a socially sensitive subject. Through the process of Mentorship and Facilitation. RockTalks fosters the desire and ability of the residents to participate and generate ideas, that will eventually be implemented to beneﬁt their community.

Ideas/ Initiatives

Application Community Mentorship

Facilitation Rock Soup Vote

Micro-funds Winning Proposal Rockaway ROCKTALK APPROACH ROCK SOUP EVENTS

WINTER 2015

Proposals

/Rock Soup

SUMMER 2016

GENERATING IDEAS

Local Entrepreneurship

/Fairs

- exchange of skills

- acknowledging local talents

- local economic development

PEDAGOGY

/Symposia

- building awareness

- developing interest and passion

- educating residents about environment

BUILDING CAPABILITIES

DESIGNING

/Studios

- hands-on experience

- volunteering opportunities

- activity based workshop with experts

- facilitating individuals to build capabilty

WINTER 2016

PROPOSALS

- Creative proposals evolved through the summer program

RESOURCE SHARING

- Facilitating networking with potential partner organizations

SETTING UP MEETINGS

- Identifying and Collaborating with the partner organizations and volunteers

GRANT RECOMMENDATIONS

- Facilitating with a tool kit for preparing candidates for grant proposals

learning exchanging

promoting and supporting local skills

giving back

community contribution

engaging celebrating local produce

LOCAL ENTREPRENUERSHIP

A farmers market hosted by Rock Soup in collaboration with Edgemere farm provides a dynamic and informative platform for interaction and exchange between local farmers, gardeners and residents. over two weekends at the beginning and end of the summer Mentorship program.

Edgemere farm is a self-sustaining enterprise that has transformed a vacant underutilised lot into a lush and productive urban farm that produces fresh and organic vegetable, ﬂowers and herbs. It is an incubator space for aspiring food producers and market gardeners keen on learning about sustainable methods for local food production.

The farmers market promotes and celebrates local farm helps local farmers and gardeners exhibit their produce, generate revenue and advertise their practice among local residents and beyond. The activity centre engages residents to learn from local experts about home gardening, bee-keeping. The live food counter celebrates the local produce. The farmers market also suggests ways to simple ways to recycle waste through compost.

This is a small step through which the community can collaborate, co-learn and contribute to sustainable processes of growing produce.

ROC K T AL K S FARMERS MARKET 2016

PEDAGOGY

Symposiums held under the chosen theme of ecologies over two weekends in the summer, provides a platform for exchange of knowledge and co-learning for the residents of Rockaways. The symposiums are facilitated by American Littoral Society, YMCA and Rock Soup as partner organizations. The symposium is held in two formats; Talks and Conversations and Film Screening.

Rock soup co-ordinates the symposium with American Littoral Society an established organization in the Rockaways, empowering people to care about their environment through advocay, education and conservation. The talk is presented by a panel of scientists, naturalists and volunteers who were brought together earlier for the Bioblitz 2015, during which the residents had an oppurtunity to interact with the experts.

The second part of the symposium raises awarness among residents towards global concerns impacting their immediate environment through documentary ﬁlm screening.

TALKS AND CONVERSATIONS 2016 DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING 2016

DESIGNING

With this design studio, 596 acres collaborates with American Littoral Society to bring forward questions of land authorship, public space and community with the participating residents. The four day studio is designed to engage with the participants through planned indoor and outdoor activities to celebrate and consolidate opportunities of potential interventions on the peninsula. 596 Acres conducts this studio on two weekends. They are advertised via posters and online media and have a $10 participation fee.

A neighborhood bike tour is planned to acquaint the participants with 3 parks over the ﬁrst weekend. The aim is to identify strengths, weaknesses, and processes in an outdoor environment. Paula, of 596 acres, shares information about her own work, and thus, to the process of designing. These sessions are casual and geared to encourage conversation; residents are encouraged to share personal anecdotes and stories that they have with the sites.

For the second part of studio, at RWA premises, participants identify and bring out the problems of the neighborhood and initiate a discussion. Working in groups, they learn to collectively problematize these thoughts into insights and propose potential solutions and recommendations. The collaboative discussions and feedback help develop insights and concepts into more tangible products and/or results.

ROC K T AL K S ORAL HISTORY 2016 BIKE TOUR 2016

OUTREACH AND FACILITATION

The strategies adopted to implement RockTalks comprise of outreach, participation and location.

Outreach is carried out through the website of Rockaway summer which is the current organizational directory of Rock Soup. The summer mentorship program is inserted into the existing calendar of Rockaway Summer which will be the platform of communication for the residents of Rockaways, volunteers and partnering organizations.

The partner organizations comprise of an array of local and city based orgaizations such as 596 acres, American Littoral Society, Edgmere farm, YMCA and RWA.

Through the winter session, RockTalks s e d i v o r p d n a g n i r a h s s e c r u o s e r s e t a t i l i c a f grant recommendations for potential projects initiated by residents that beneﬁts the Rockaway community. The Citizens Committe for New York City, LISC NYC, Volunteer Genration Fund and RSF Social Feed Finance are grants that have been recognized and identiﬁed as potential grant systems which will facilitate local community projects.

Pedagogy Design El Space RWA Fire house

Local Entreprenuership

El Space YMCA RWA Fire House YMCA OUTREACH-

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS LOCATION

Rockaway summer website

https://issuu.com/ne wschool/docs/toward s_a_right_to_housin g

A thorough analysis of a gentrifying neighborhood, Bushwick, Brooklyn as part of Studio at Parsons, followed by design proposals for affordable housing. The resulting publication can be found here. Parsons

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DUE Studio I | Fall 2015

WINTER ‘19 DESIGN RESEARC H

Venice Arc hitecture Biennale 2020 //

mapping f est i vity

Dates : 20t h December - 27t h December 2019

Time : 10:00am - 4:00pm

Location: Playground, Habib University

CONCEPT

The 17t h International Arc hitecture Exhibition will take place from May 23rd to November 29t h, 2020. The concept proposed for t he National Pavilion of Pakistan is “Mapping Festivity”. Arc hitecture engages a cultureʼs deepest social values and expresses t hem in material, aest hetic form. Responding to t he t heme set f or t h by t he ar tistic director, ʻMappi n g F e stivity ʼ e xplo r e s t h e ma n y dimensions of weddings in Pakist an, as festive events t hat are bot h, a saturated expression of our cultural traditions and institutions driving impact at a social and urban scales.

MAPPING THEMES

(1) Cultural Practices

(2) Supply Chain Network

(3) Urban Transformations

This researc h work is for t he ofﬁcial catalogue for Pavilion of Pakistan: Mapping Festivity.

Link to Apply https://forms.gle/2TC7DH72fFYbaxba8

Application Deadline: 18t h December 2019

The Mapping Festivity project focuses on highlighting the history, complexity, diversity and evolution of the wedding halls in Karachi, and explores their evolution over time, to understand how the different religious and ethnic communities living in the city celebrate festivities like weddings. The team hopes to present the different wedding practices and rituals as microcosms of Pakistan, and understand the social, cultural, and urban forces that have influenced and transformed the weddings over time.

I co facilitated this workshop with 18 students, and edited the report produced. The work produced included were in four catgories:

1, Communities and Rituals

2, Tarrot Cards

3, Supply-Chain Networks

4, Urban Transformations

https://www.e- ux.com/announcements/330040/mapping-festivities/

More on the Pakistan Pavilion at La Biennale di Venezia - 17th International Architecture Exhibition of 2021 can be found here.

Playground

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Worshipping Hindu Dieties

Hindus

Mun Dekhai

Music and dance performances

Reception Ceremony

Bengali

Phul Sojja

Khana Khilai

Reception Ceremony

Gujrati

Aeki beki

Recception Ceremony

Punjab

Pug Phiray

Description

Newly weds worship Hindu deities to bless them. The bride along with the bridegroom takes seven steps together around the ﬁre, vowing love and devotion to each other besides agreeing to take good care of each other under all circumstances

The bride introduced to the numerous relatives and friends of the groom's family who give gifts, blessings to the bride. A lavish spread of delectable dishes is on oﬀer for the invitees who come to give their blessings to the newly wed couple.

Music and dance performances are orgnazied by family members to entertain the guests at the Reception Ceremonies.

That evening the groom’s family invites their relatives for a reception where they get to meet the new bride and oﬀer their best wishes to the couple.

The couple’s bedroom is decorated with colourful ﬂowers and the couple spend their ﬁrst night together.

Lavish amount of food is cooked for the guests which is later dsitributed among the needy people

The reception is thrown in the honor of the newlyweds, where the relatives gather together for a feast. They come and greet the couple each oﬀering a gift.

Where several coins and a ring are placed in a tray of water covered by milk and vermilion. The couple has to find the ring from the vessel. It is believed that whoever finds the ring four times first, will be in control of the family.

A lavish reception party is thrown by the groom’s family in honor of the newlyweds. A Punjabi reception is an occasion of immense joy with scrumptious meals and high-spirited music.

The bride returns to her parent ’s home with her husband. The parents welcome their daughter and son-in-law with a grand lunch. The couple has to spend the night at her parent ’s place. The next day she returns to her husband’s home with a lot of gifts for her in-laws. This marks the end of the wedding celebrations.

Recception Ceremony

Christian

There is usually a wedding feast and the guests propose toast to the couple’s well-being. There may or may not be speeches from the best man and maid of honor, but there is always cutting of the wedding cake by the bride and groom who feed each other the ﬁrst two pieces before it is distributed among the guests.

Music & Dance There is a live band or DJ present to encourage the guests to dance.

Parsi

Reception Ceremony with Parsi food cooked

A grand reception with delectable Parsi food is held right after the wedding ceremony is over. Some of the all-time festive Parsi food items are alima-murgh or sali-na-gosht (chicken or mutton and potato straws), pulao-dal (rice and lentils), and patra-nimachhi (ﬁsh wrapped in gourd leaves).Before and after the meal the guest are provided the opportunity to have fun by dancing and sing.

Event Community Ritual

R ece p tion

The Fool // Dulhan (new beginning/ending, v. powerful)

The Chariot // Baraat (moving forward in a positive direction)

Mapping Festivity // Supply Chain Network

Ar tifacts Professionals Industr y events Communities Spaces

Weddings in Pakistan take place everywhere. Many different spaces in the city become hosts to this 30 to 3000 person event, including, homes, streets, religious buildings, amenity plots, reclaimed land, hotels, clubs, schools, parks, museums, offices, and also, the designated Shaadi Halls.

These spaces range in their locations, square footages, quality and type of enclosures, fees, permits etc. However, of the 700+ spaces marked below, only around 300 are officially registered with the State to host these events, rendering the rest to be somewhere in between the unofficial and the illegal spectrum.

Women in Conflict Focus: Middle East

Our group’s Practicum side of the UN Study Program was aimed at developing an evaluation of the refugee crisis ongoing in the Middle East in partnership with UN Women. We focused primarily on the burdens, responsibilities as well as the vulnerability and security risks faced by women and young girls.

UN Women/ Empower Women 2016

Indigo Olivier, Priya Pinjani, Priya

Singh, Tasnia Mir

The crisis has proven to create a severe economic, social and psychological vacuum particularly for women and children as they struggle with limited opportunities, restricted living conditions and the stress of having to deal with becoming the primary bread-winners. Barriers that have limited women and young girls from access to economic opportunities are fear of violence from armed groups, other non state and state actors, causing severe restrictions in their freedom of movement as well as access to aid. As refugees or displaced persons living in camps with inadequate facilities, or in most cases being unofficially employed has led to extremely limited opportunities for this vulnerable group. In many cases reports of impoverished women and extremely young girls subjected to situations leading to sexual exploitation and illicit marriages have been recognized.

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MAPPING SA CR ED G A M E S

// Religion & Urban

// Minoritization in Urban Karachi

// Existing archive: Three Karachi temples

// Counter-archive: What if?

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3. Mapping Violence; Anusha Rayani, 2019. HU Maps as Media

June 2021

R e s trictions o f Minority R eligious P opul a tions

T he G o v ernment R e s trictions Ind e x is based on 20 indic a t ors of w a y s th a t n a tional and local g o v ernments r e s trict r eligion, including c oe r cion and f o r c e .

T he Social Ho s tilities Ind e x is based on 13 indic a t ors of w a y s in which pri v a t e individuals and social g r oups infringe on r eligious beliefs and p r acti c es, including r eligiously biased crimes, mob violen c e and ef f orts t o s t op r eligious g r oups f r om g r o wing or ope r a ting.