UEP 2018 Bhopal executive summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fieldwork in Bhopal, India - Fall 2018 URBAN ECOLOGICAL PLANNING AAR4525 - Urban Informality Project Department of Architecture and Planning Faculty of Architecture and Design

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PREFACE This executive summary summarizes the outcome of a one-semester fieldwork in Bhopal, India, conducted by students at the Faculty of Architecture and Design at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in collaboration with the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) Bhopal and SPA Delhi. The fieldwork was part of a research project “Smart Sustainable City Regions in India” (SSCRI) financed by the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU). The one-semester fieldwork is an integral part of the 2-year International Master of Science Program in Urban Ecological Planning (UEP) at NTNU. Previous fieldtrips have been undertaken in Nepal, Uganda and India.

The 21 NTNU students of the 2018 fieldwork have been divided into six smaller groups to address the given task to investigate different areas in Bhopal. In In their project work, they practiced what we call the “Urban Ecological Planning” approach, which focuses on integrated area-based (as opposed to sectorial) situation analysis and

proposal making using participatory and design thinking methods. By spending two months in the assigned areas and engaging with local communities as well as relevant stakeholders, students became acquainted with the community and discovered the complex realities of these areas, with their specific assets and challenges. By using a design thinking and participatory methods, this exercise gives the community a voice by making them active participants.

The main topic studied was informality in all its forms, and particular attention has been given to public space, gender, heritage, land and urban transformation. Students were also asked to put their areas and proposals in the perspective of the Smart Cities Mission, which is the largest urban development fund and initiative currently implemented by the Government of India.

The outcome of the student projects has been described in more details in four reports (each corresponding to a given study area). Hard copies of these reports are available at the Faculty of Architecture and Design at NTNU, while digital files can be downloaded form the Urban Ecological Planning page on the NTNU website.

We would like to give our special thanks to our project partners: the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (SIU), faculty and students at SPA Bhopal as we as SPA Delhi and the Smart City Development Authority of Bhopal.

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SHARED INTRODUTION

INDIA: MADHYA PRADESH

India is the “world’s largest democracy” with a population of 1.3 billion and growing (BBC News, 2018). It is the seventh largest country by area, and is comprised of 29 states and 7 Union territories.

Although the major languages of India are Hindi and English, there and over 20 other official languages (BBC News, 2018).

BHOPAL

Bhopal is centrally located in Madhya Pradesh, about 600 kilometres south of Delhi. Bhopal is the 17th largest city in India, and is a hub for various educational and research institutions of national importance. The city is well connected by roads, rail, and air to other parts of India. According to the 2011 census data, Bhopal has a population of 1,798,218 with an area of 285.88 square kilometers (Census of India, 26). It is one of the greenest cities in India, and is called the “City of Lakes” as it is situated around two large artificially created lakes.

India is rich in history, with some of the oldest surviving civilizations. It has the fastest growing major economy in the world, and holds the position as the third largest startup base in the world (India Brand Equity Foundation, 2018). At the same time, India is dealing with significant social, economic and environmental problems.

Madhya Pradesh means “central state” and is located in the heart of India. Madhya Pradesh is the sixth largest state of India by population and second largest state by area (GlobalSecurity, 2018). The major industries of Madhya Pradesh are largely driven by natural resources, and many people live below the poverty line (GlobalSecurity, 2018). The capital of the state is Bhopal.

Figure 1 - India: Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh

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Economically, Bhopal is dependent on agriculture, followed by the service sector and civil service. The literacy rate in Bhopal, 73.4%, is lower than the district, 80.4%, and only 35.1% of the population is working. Of those employed, only 16.3% of the female population are employed, compared to 19.6% female employment in the district (Census of India, 15 and 28). While Bhopal falls behind in the district in terms of literacy and female employment, Hindu and Mughal influences and subsequent waves of migrants make the city a historically and culturally rich melting pot of traditions and multiculturalism.

Like many cities in India, Bhopal has witnessed significant transformation due to increasing urbanization and globalization. With 463 square kilometers of planned area, Bhopal stands as one of the top largest cities in India (BMC, 2018). The city’s transition has been further augmented by participating in nationwide initiatives such as the Smart Cities Mission driven by the Indian Ministry of Housing and Public Affairs.

Most notable about Bhopal is its more than one hundred years history of women rulers. The “Century of Women’s Rule” began in 1819 by Qudisa Begum, and lasted until 1926 when Sultan Jahan abdicated in favor of her son. During the century, the begums improved Bhopal’s infrastructure, created an efficient administration, set up a judicial system, and supported women’s education (Ibid., 34-35).

India gained Independence in 1947, and Bhopal was one of the last princely states to join the Union Government, signing the agreement in 1949 (Census of India, 2011, 13). The city became a center for migration, welcoming Hindu refugees from Pakistan and later Muslims from across India, who migrated to Bhopal in large numbers seeking security in the largest Muslim state after Hyderabad. As a result, in 1961, half of the residents of Bhopal were immigrants (Fortun, 2001, 160).

HISTORY

Despite a rich history, today Bhopal is most well known for the Union Carbide Gas Tragedy. On the night of December 2–3 in 1984, methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide plant in the north of the city. The death toll in the first few days after the disaster ranges from two to fifteen thousand. The disaster have been deemed one of the worst industrial chemical disasters ever witnessed, and though this event received international attention, it is rarely openly discussed as it remains a sensitive topic.

The city of Bhopal lies atop the eleventh-century city Bhojapal, founded by Raja Bhoj. Legend has it that Raja Bhoj suffered from an incurable disease, and a sage advised him to bathe daily in a lake fed by 365 springs. Thus, Raja Bhoj’s engineers built two large dams, creating the Upper Lake of Bhopal (Fortun, 2001, 159). Later, the smaller, Lower Lake, was built, giving Bhopal the name the “City of Lakes”.

The modern city of Bhopal was established in 1709 by the Afghan chief Dost Mohammed Khan, carving out a Muslim kingdom that would continue until Independence (Ibid., 160).

Gas Tragedy

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The 100 Smart Cities Mission

In 2015, the Government of India launched the Smart Cities Mission. Over the next five years, a total of 100 cities would be chosen, and Bhopal became one of the first 20 “lighthouse” cities (Chakrabarty, 2018, 2). While the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) offers no clear definition of what a “smart city” is, the objective of the Smart Cities Mission is “to promote cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘smart solutions’ (MoUD, 2015, 5). The strategy for achieving this is through retrofitting, redevelopment, and greenfield development. As such, each city chosen develops an Area Based Development (ABD) plan and a Pan-City Development plan (Ibid., 8).

Source : Smart city Bhopal

Bhopal’s Smart City development is being implemented by the Bhopal Smart City Development Corporation Limited (BSCDCL), a semi-public company jointly owned by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and incorporated solely for the implementation of the Smart City Project in Bhopal.

The ABD development plan has identified a site in Tatya Tope (TT) Nagar on 342 acres of government land. The Pan-City Development plan incorporates the city-wide improvements related to infrastructure, citizen engagement, transit, and citizen well-being.

Projects include a Bhopal Smart App, smart poles, a Control and Command Centre and Incubator Centre, smart streets, heritage conservation, designated bike lanes and bike sharing, smart transit, Housing for All, and the Bhopal Metro Rail Project (Ibid.)

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Figure 2 - Smart City Project

SHARED METHODS To conduct a situation analysis of Vishwakarma Nagar, MP Nagar, Roshanpura and the Old City of Bhopal, groups adopted a participatory approach, placing people at the centre of the planning process.

The groups used a variety of methods to engage with different stakeholders. The goal was to gain an understanding of the community, context and elements of informality in these study areas.

With the help of students from SPA Bhopal, SPA Delhi and KRVIA Mumbai, our groups engaged with local residents, business owners, shop workers, street vendors, government officials, religious leaders, teachers, women, children and many other stakeholders in our areas. This participatory approach allowed us to build relationships with the community, and give people a voice by making them active participants.

Figure 3 - Interactive Survey on Location

Common methods included site observations, interviews, photographs, mapping, transect walks and community workshops. To begin, groups walked around their area and simply observed. We made an effort not to take photographs during our first visit to the site. Instead, we immersed ourselves in the context to see what was happening and introduce ourselves to the community.

Interviews emerged as a useful method to capture stories from people in our area. Informal interviews provided a comfortable way to meet people and begin to understand what the community cared about. Later on, groups developed more structured interviews or a set of guiding questions to learn about specific opportunities and challenges.

Transect walks, photographs and mapping were tools used to gain a visual understanding of our sites. As we developed our proposals for strategic change, community workshops were one way to share our ideas with people and receive feedback.

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Nakkar Khana

Chowk Bazar

Roshanpura

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Work Areas

MP Nagar

Vishwakarma Nagar

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VISHWAKARMA NAGAR

STUDENTS Group 1 Ningning Xie Gunika Rishi Solrun Skiple Fjær

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INTRODUCTION TO VISHWAKARMA NAGAR Vishwakarma Nagar is an organically growing informal settlement functioning amidst a planned urban fabric in the city of Bhopal. Situated in Habibganj area, this settlement finds itself in the midst of great risks of eviction due to the redevelopment project happening right opposite the street. Three generations of family lineage have been brought up in this neighborhood and for the residents of Vishwakarma Nagar, their basti, as they like to call their informal settlement, is the home they’ve always known. The residents have been living with unsurety for the past 20 years and today they face insecurity more than before. However, the strength and the resilience of this community lies in its verve and vitality.

CONTEXT: Our focus was on studying the complexity of Vishwakarma Nagar, a notified slum, which has found itself in the heart of an upcoming commercial area of Bhopal. The length of our study covered the participatory methods we used to involve the community in our process of data collection, our analysis of the current situation based on the collected data and livelihood framework, which lead to our findings that would help draw us our focus. With these aforementioned understanding we based our subsequent proposals that would act as strategic interventions resulting in both short and long term benefits 10

FINDINGS: Land and tenure

Politics of land: To learn more about the tenure status of our site, it required us to visit the offices of the government stakeholders who held information regarding eviction. It’s essential to emphasize on the complexity of decision-making processes that occur in this policy web network. This not only made the process complicated, but also, was the cause of confusion if one of the stakeholders changes power of position.

Urgency of tenure issue: Residents of Vishwakarma Nagar don’t own a Patta, which means that a secure future or resettlement may or may not be possible. During our interviews we learnt that the resident either rent or lease out land as per their convenience. Informality takes place when they sell their houses, as they fill a form of ‘donation’ to transfer the ownership of land to the buyer for free, but take money for the built structure that they’ve erected. This system of land and ownership transfer is not a proof enough for the legal bindings of the country. Considering the current situation of the redevelopment project and the legal weakness of the residents, the tenure security of the residents remains very high.

Informal services as a supplement:

We took reference from the article Conceptualising Informality by Uwe Altrock (2012) to examine the nature of services present and available to residents

in Vishwakarma Nagar. For residents of Vishwakarma Nagar, access to services and utilities is a fight against the formal system of energy distribution that excludes them from acquiring even the essential commodities.

In the absence of formal provision of services, they have found out ways to get these resources, illegally.

These resources include negotiations with the authorities and, very often, bribery. The struggle to run a household with bare minimum necessities reflects in their day-to-day hustle for chores.

Social division

Our perception of a homogenous community was broken by the truth that the community is segregated, not geographically, but both hierarchically and economically. Moreover, there was an unsaid disparity and hierarchy even within each community. This division is either based on the caste system or the financial situation of each family.

To understand this hierarchy within Vishwakarma Nagar, it’s also essential to understand the prevalent caste system, which is engrained in the Indian society.

This dogma doesn’t allow people from the bottom of the system to avail equal and fair opportunities, hence, hindering their growth.

Information Inaccuracy & Insufficiency:

The two-way transmission of information between the dwellers and the local government is miniscule.

The accuracy of information depends on ones’ caste and societal privilege, hence, leading to high levels of insecurity amongst the marginalized The information inaccuracy and insufficiency is mainly comprised of two parts. One is residents’ 11 Figure 4 - Around the community well

misconception about their land’s future, as their belief that the Railway authority was the rightful owner of their land and the eviction was anytime this year contradicted with the information from the powerful stakeholders that there was no planed eviction or relocation for the settlement now. It thus shifted our focus from tenure security to deficient information exchange.

Another is the unawareness of their own rights. Daily conversations and interviews suggested that the residents of Vishwakarma Nagar weren’t aware of their basic rights or the government laws/ schemes, like the ones that ensured housing as a basic right for every citizen, crippling their ability to fight for their better life.

This insufficiency and inaccuracy of information contributed to higher tenure insecurity, which deteriorated the living condition of residents as it results in lower investment willingness.

PROBLEM STATEMENT: Through the analysis of various methods that we carried out along with the feedback we got from the residents, we concluded that the social division within and between communities has torn apart individuals and groups in this settlement, overshadowing the well-built religious bonds, and along with the deficient information exchange, undermining residents’ capacity to unite and to negotiate as an integrated alliance.

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This brings us to our two focus statements: (1) How the social capitals could be built in Vishwakarma Nagar to relieve social division?

(2) How could social capital building contribute to improvement of information exchange?

PROPOSALS The basis of our proposals is based to deal with different types of vulnerability including labor and social capital, accordingly, the goals of the proposals are: (1) To build community competence to empower residents; (2) To facilitate information exchange within the communities as well as between the communities and the formal planning; (3) To promote safe public space in the night.

Integrated Community on Facebook (Technological Catalyst)

- The main goal of a Facebook group for Vishwakarma Nagar is to increase social capital and reduce vulnerability so as to improve the preparedness of people to respond to the future redevelopment plan in this area through building an online community without spatial barriers.

- The objectives of the proposal include: (1) to create a platform where the information accuracy and sufficiency could be improved with the presence of ward councillor or other private or governmental

stakeholders of this area; (2) to facilitate the establishment of an online community that strengthens the bond among people from physically segregated communities through informal or formal information sharing and discussion.

Smart pole in Vishwakarma Nagar (Technological Catalyst)

The goal of installing a smart pole in Vishwakarma Nagar is to promote public safety in the night, to act as a makeshift for the toilet issue, and to facilitate community cohesion in cooperation with the proposal of Facebook group.

Objectives of this proposal are: (1) to provide intelligent and constant lightning in the dark; (2) to provide CCTV surveillance around the public toilet and open space to deter potential misdemeanours; (3) to provide free Internet access to facilitate communication and naturally bring about gathering for interaction.

Children Dancing Group (Socio-Economic Catalyst)

- Schedule of class: As children usually go to school at 11:00 and come back home at 16:00, it is feasible to run the classes at the morning before children go to their school and in the afternoon when they return.

- The time can be adjusted according to the time availability of dancing trainers. The Facebook group or an additional WhatsApp group can serve to provide class attendants updated course information timely.

During the weekends, either regular dancing class or dancing festivals that involve as many as residents could be held.

- Content of class. Bollywood dance as well as popping and locking dance could be the major two options.

Online sources of instructions such as dancing videos can be used as teaching materials.

Women Skill Development Programme (Socio-Economic Catalyst)

- The goal of the women skills training program and children dancing class is to empower the women and children through equipping them with skills, and simultaneously to promote interaction among different communities in Vishwakarma Nagar.

-NGOs such as Aarambh directly give small-scale interventions about women empowerment and to mobilize the women who possess sewing or other skills to share their knowledge and skills with others in skill development sessions organized by NGO. - Women who give trainings can also get paid with the funding coming from NGOs. At the same time, NGO could also assist with the promotion and marketing of the products made by the women attending the training sessions.

- With the operation of women skill development scheme, the level of empowerment among women in Vishwakarma Nagar is expected to increase, which could contribute to the potential excavation in leadership.

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MP NAGAR ZONE 1

STUDENTS Group 2 Ingeborg Stavdal Ruta Slavinskaitė Diana Morales Mélina Baranger

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INTRODUCTION TO MP NAGAR As one of the largest planned commercial areas in the city of Bhopal, Maharana Pratap Nagar (MP Nagar) zone I is of particular importance to the city at large.

Other commercial areas of the city are places like the New Market, which is another major economic hub of the city, however, it lacks the size of MP Nagar.

MP Nagar zone I was strategically planned for commercial development by the Bhopal Municipal Authority (BMA) in the hopes of decongesting the historic center of Chowk Bazar located in the Old City of Bhopal in 1990 (Gupta, 2018). The BMA planned the area in such a way that there would be easy mobility of goods and people between transportation hubs of the city like Habibganj Railway and MP Nagar.

This attracted different businesses such as banks, retail stores, and print shops. Study institutions such as coaching centers also started to pop up in the area which raised the need for affordable student accommodation.

Although it consists primarily of commercial space, it also includes shops of informal vendors, green spaces, and apartment buildings. The residents of the area include pavement dwellers, small slums, and those living in apartment buildings. Thus, a number of stakeholders occupy the area and create a mosaic of different users.

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CONTEXT:

The heterogeneity of both space and stakeholders creates a complex situation. Over the course of three months, our group has attempted to reach a deep and holistic level of understanding of the area through ethnographic and participatory methods to begin an appropriate analysis of the current situation in MP Nagar zone I.

FINDINGS

Informal vendors

Street vendors were the focus group at the very beginning, because of easy approachability. Semistructured interviews were used to learn more about the different levels of informality and hierarchal structures between the vendors. During a joint workshop with the SPA Bhopal students, a visual method was developed due to the need of more inviting approach. A postit game was designed to distinguish strengths and needs of street vendor stalls. Five vendor shops were visited and joined the method. The only woman street vendor did not participate in the game, although she showed interest. It was disheartening for the group that she was unable to participate because her input was greatly desired for the fieldwork. From the results we gathered it became obvious that in order to reach more stakeholders, more area based issues should be addressed and even more importantly, to identify such issues more input from women was needed. To gather women’s point of view, ethnographic research was conducted by living in a girls hostel in the area.

Women’s point of view

After our experience at the girl’s hostel we had a great deal of data and information to analyze. Some of the things we gathered from the methods turned out to be very important to the project. We learned that it is not common for women to roam around the city.

One reason is their lack of free time. When they do go out it’s usually for shopping, going to the movies.

When the women do use public space they tend to just use them as transit zones to get from hostel to the coaching centers.

When asked about particular spaces in MP Nagar zone I they like or do not like they responded that likable places are ones that are populated but not crowded.

Empty spaces were perceived as unsafe unless surveilled. Green areas are appreciated but underutilized because they are polluted and surrounded with traffic which also contributes to the pollution.

Through our interactions with hostel residents we learned how important family was to the girls and how devoted they are to being obedient and loyal to the family values. Even though they are far from their parents and could deviate from their wishes if they wanted to.

After obtaining the results from the participatory methods we utilized we summed up the identified issues into 4 categories: - Underutilized/unused public spaces - Fragmented sense of community - Governing of women by the society - Women’s safety

Figure 5 - MP Nagar

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After we interpreted the results and placed them in the context, we sought to verify our conclusions with the girls as to whether they thought these were relevant issues. We received confirmation through various means such as anonymous surveys, interviews with women and through talking with some girls of different hostels in Bhopal. They verified our ideas by saying that there is no place for girls in this city. Our focus issue then became appropriating public space for women. This was followed by extensive theory analysis as well as examples of interventions for the problem.

Figure 6 - Intersection in MP Nagar

PROPOSAL: Action Proposal

For the proposal, two ideas were developed. The core intention of both proposals is for women to become more active and conscious users of public spaces. In order to make an impact on the design and governance of public space in a long term perspective, women need to participate in the democratic process of parttaking in public

I-Clean Bhopal

First proposal – a placemaking workshop involving local women and I-Clean Bhopal which is a non-profit organization doing beautification tasks throughout the city. Their projects consist of cleaning areas and decorating walls the around them. By joining I-Clean Bhopal in their endeavors, women of MP Nagar zone I could become more aware of the places in their city and neighborhood. Together they could make changes to the city which would hopefully lead to creating a sense of ownership of such spaces and appropriating public space made by locals for locals.

This workshop could be continued in various places for a longer period of time and spread throughout the city with I-Clean Bhopal. This could address not only cleanliness but also perceptions of public spaces and advocate with the messages on their murals.

Vernisitor Map «Be a Vernacular visitor»

For the second proposal a co-creation of interactive map app of MP Nagar zone I is suggested. Places of interest in MP Nagar zone I could be mapped in collaboration with the local women adding tips and 18

tricks of getting around. We observed that the majority of the women used their smartphone repeatedly, but do not seem to use any map application for their daily navigation in the city. With creation of easy to understand and navigate vernacular visitor map – “Vernisitor”, women could start exchanging knowledge, and showing each other recreational potential of MP Nagar zone I and later on the city at large. Such projects could be funded by Smart City Bhopal.

Reflection

The first proposal was delivered as a workshop in collaboration with I-Clean Bhopal. A wall for a mural was suggested by the members from I-Clean Bhopal and the location happened to be close both to the vendor market as well as the mentioned girls hostel.

More than 30 women, who we were in contact with, were invited to the event, despite this only one came. From our understanding, the reasoning for this might be socio-cultural norms creating a negative perception of cleaning an area or the lack of trust to join other strangers in outdoor activities. Nevertheless, the design for the mural was done in an improvised collaborative manner with the community. The event lacked local women’s input, but unexpectedly, the vendors became fond of the idea and were happy about such initiative. The painted mural became attractive spot for picture taking, which hopefully will lead to attracting more attention to the theme of the mural – women empowerment. Expectedly, this will spark interest to the topic and continue the discussion on all-inclusive spaces around the city of Bhopal and maybe even beyond.

Figure 7 - Girls’ hostel

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ROSHANPURA

STUDENTS Group 3 Aratrika Debnath Diana Hernández Aguilar Hugo Fernando Martínez Arrazola Group 4 Mouna Bourakkadi Indrit Gradeci Rachel Joy Snyder

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INTRODUCTION TO ROSHANPURA Roshanpura is an informal settlement of approximately 80,000 m², located adjacent to the Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s house, the Jansampark Bhavan, public library, and across from the New Market, one of the biggest commercial districts of Bhopal. With no official statistics, the population is estimated to be between ten to twelve thousand with approximately 1,600 households, and its 5,038 registered voters represent a sizable vote bank.

Muslims and Hindus live peacefully side by side, intermixed throughout the community, and residents boast of their family connections in other parts of Madhya Pradesh and other states in India. While there are a range of socioeconomic and education levels in Roshanpura, what connects them all is their pride in their home and sense of community.

CONTEXT: The researchers sought to conceptualize Roshanpura, taking into account its history, and the history of Bhopal as a whole, developing a framework through which to study the area and its dynamics. Over the two months of fieldwork, the students devised and tested different research methods, attempted to geographically learn the area, and develop relationships with the residents.

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SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS: The researchers have structured the context analysis of Roshanpura through the livelihoods framework, which consists of five capitals: physical, social, financial, human, and natural. This allowed them to better understand the multidimensional aspects of the study area, and it takes a positive approach by focusing on what the community has rather than what it lacks.

The study area was divided between two research teams. . Group three focused their attention on the southern end of the site towards Roshanpura road where the ground is higher, while Group four focused on the northern end where the ground is lower.

Figure 8 - Livelihood Framework for Roshanpura

Human Capital

Natural Capital

Social Capital

Financal Capital

Physical Capital

GROUP 3 (SOUTHERN END) FINDINGS This section represents in a sequential form, the development of the analysis of the different layers of the community. It details the different topics covered by the researchers, and the process by which they shifted focus from one topic to another.

- Irregularities in access to basic utilities - Tenure status and quality of structures - Relocation and redevelopment - Streets are of high value for social dynamics and livelihoods - Sense of cultural identity - Perception of marginalized group - Visibility and disconnection with representatives

STAKEHOLDERS The stakeholders have been listed according to the situational analysis, describing the opportunities and potential of each one. They were grouped into three main categories: People, Public institutions, Private institutions and Media, concluding with a stakeholder map analysis to identify their potential role in the proposals.

Figure 9 - Puppeteer Show

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PROPOSAL: Action Proposal

The development of the proposal is framed within the challenges of visibility and underrepresentation of a marginalized pocket in Roshanpura, but with a strong focus on three elements recognized as their strongest assets: their cultural Identity, adaptive use of streets and their craftsmanship skills. These along with the identified challenges, define the proposals intent: To mobilize art, culture and spaces as a means to self-representation, visibility, and improvement of disadvantaged communities.

To break down the different elements in which the assets have their manifestation and identify opportunities for action, the proposal has been divided into three dimensions with short, medium and long term interventions: Spatial - Visibility and representation - Promotion and conservation Figure 10 - Element of the entrance (Intervention)

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Action 1- Rethinking the entrance (short term) The Kathputli (puppets) art and rajasthani culture are of high contextual value for the study area.

The researchers propose the set-up of an urban furniture to frame a focal point at the entrance of the puppeteer’s community. The goal is to have the entrance serve as a visual marker that draws attention to an underrepresented group of people, using their visual language. The entrance will reflect the folk practices that are carried out in the area, consisting of three elements: the protruding portion of an existing wall, a bench, and a shade. Complimentary to this, the walls are a potential canvas that can depict stories of the puppeteers expressed in the style of Rajasthani folk art.

These components are bound together to act as a strategic intervention to emphasize the entrance in contrast with the introverted character of Roshanpura, and project it towards the city context in a different way than what has been known so far.

Figure 11 - Rajasthani Wall Art (Intervention)

Figure 12 - Community Event : Street Market (Intervention)

Figure 13- Community Event : Street Market (Intervention)

Action 2- Spaces to build community: Street Market (medium- long term)

Action 3- Promotion and conservation (medium- long term)

This proposal aims to address the topics of visibility and representation in the medium and long term, seeking to collectively develop organizational skills, networks, and sense of community through local interactions, an important part of the social capital we found in Roshanpura.

This action can be implemented by the use of the legal framework in the local context. Some public institutions have a common interest of the conservation of traditional folk heritage by granting funds to artists and organizations that practice and promote differents forms of arts.

In Roshanpura, as discussed earlier, the streets represent an important asset for their social dynamics, due to the diversity of activities carried out in them. For that reason, it’s a valuable resource to be considered in a collective context. Considering this, we propose the organization of community events in the form of a street market. These, by nature, represent diversity of groups and activities that can reach a variety of stakeholders in the area.

The group is already registered but hasn’t submitted an application to any government schemes that would strengthen their organization’s skills and attract other people into their Performers Society.

The process can also strengthen the people’s capacity to organize, discuss, and mobilize efforts and resources for common goals, such as addressing local issues.

This can also open channels of communication with representatives, by the weight of their collective voice.

The researchers suggest the use of social media, in the form of a Facebook page, as a first and more manageable source of promotion, documenting their skills and performances around Bhopal and inside their neighborhood.

Lastly, an intangible cultural heritage can only sustain when it is practiced. Hence this performing art form should be spread to people through different medium.

Several sources of funding can also lead to skill expansion in the form of school or training workshops.

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GROUP 4 ROSHANPURA NORTH FINDINGS: Our findings are the reoccurring themes that create a holistic picture of the community’s interrelated strengths and weaknesses. They can be organized into four themes:

Location

- The majority of the residents’ assets within all five capitals are linked to Roshanpura’s location - Their location is their biggest strength and greatest weakness

Community dynamics

- A self-help mentality leads to the residents taking infrastructure improvements, health, and children’s education into their own hands - The community claims to be cohesive, but, while still harmonious, it is fragmented into clusters, creating a lack of communication between residents

Political situation

- Infrastructure improvements only happen during elections, fostering a general mistrust of the municipality - People open to redevelopment, but not relocation - Spectrum of perceptions of tenure security, which is reflective in their housing conditions and location along Roshanpura’s natural slope

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Unemployment

- Women have the desire and need to work as well as marketable skills, but they believe they lack the opportunity due to a perceived lack of skills, funds, and cultural prohibitions - Gender Inequality

STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS: In considering possible proposals, the researchers conducted a stakeholder analysis to better understand the complex systems of interaction within Roshanpura.

The results are as follows: • Local employers, who the researchers previously believed to be an important stakeholder, were unimportant in terms of the considered proposal.

• The most important stakeholders are the local NGO and the women of Roshanpura, but they only have medium power.

• Family members, banks, and the informal councilor have the highest power but low willingness • Government agencies, like the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Culture theoretically have moderately high expertise and willingness, but this may not be the case in reality The stakeholder analysis also indicated that in order for the proposed inventions to be successful, there needs to be built in mechanisms that will shift those with high power but low willingness to high willingness. Finally, the researchers identified providing assets untied to the location in the areas of social, human, and financial capital as the necessary areas of intervention.

ACTIONS PROPOSAL: For the proposal, the researchers chose to focus on women’s unemployment. In Roshanpura, the researchers recognized the root of the problem of unemployment lay in communication and, more specifically, miscommunication through the following findings: • Due to the fragmented nature of the community, women are unable to connect with other women • The New Market is an unrealized opportunity.

Currently it is valued for its services and a source of employment for male relatives but not as a source of women’s employment • Finally, collectively, the women have the intention, skills, information, and assets to work together The task of the researchers’ is to facilitate the women in bringing themselves and their shared assets together to realize better employment opportunities for themselves. The researchers’ interventions can be visually represented as a funnel: collecting together the women and their resources from disparate parts to facilitate and empower the women to engage with each other and these resources.

With that aim in mind, the researchers developed a short term, medium term, and long term strategic intervention to overcome both real and perceived barriers between the women and better employment opportunities.

Figure 14 - Sari made by a woman in Roshanpura

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Short term: Public Information and Community Space In the short term, the researchers propose the implementation of community information boards to promote community interaction. The designs for the information board take into account current use of spaces, flows of pedestrians and motorbikes in and out of the area, and elements that encourage mingling.

The community information board will consist of the following elements: Figure 15 - Information Board (Intervention)

• A simple board with a protective overhang • A seating area that does not obstruct the board • The use of reusable materials and local labor to minimize costs of construction • Placement of multiple boards in already identified spaces where people gather • Accessibility to all residents to use, acquire, or post information • Creation of a community space around the boards for festivals, holidays, and recreation.

To encourage residents to use the boards, the researchers will ask the informal councilor to use the board as apart of his current system of community communication. Additionally, the informal counselor or members of his family can help maintain the boards, removing any old information and performing any necessary repairs.

Medium term: Women’s Employment Cooperative To more directly tackle women’s unemployment, in the medium term the researchers propose the formation of a women’s cooperative. The structure of the women’s cooperative in Roshanpura will be dependent on the women themselves. The structure must fit with their lifestyles, needs, goals, and the economic and market situation. In Roshanpura, the desired outcome is for the cooperative to provide a source of steady and higher income for the women in a socially acceptable way. The researchers recognize that the ultimate end result will be of the women’s own choosing, with the results of this intervention ranging from an informal 28

evening work circle where the women can socialize to a formalized working cooperative. Thus, the proposal is meant to put the women in the position of the designer. The following are basic steps to achieving the best-case scenario: 1. Identification of women with the skills, desire, and need to work together collectively as well as a few core women willing and able to put in the time to organize and possibly train the women.

2. Creation of a business plan that includes what will be produced, costs and sources of inputs, marketing strategy, and member obligations.

3. Acquisition of funding from government scheme, an NGO, private bank, or SHG (i.e. the members and their family members) 4. Establish a market and grow membership.

5. Formalization through registration with the Madhya Pradesh Department of Co-operatives (must have 20 members, who are not related, fill out an application) 6. Apply for credit with the Department of Cooperatives and use to expand production through the construction of a community women’s center and employ office staff to handle accounts and paperwork associated with formalization At any point, the women can breakoff from these steps, either stopping the process or branching off in a different direction.

Long Term: Women’s Community Center

In the long term, the hope is that the short term and medium term interventions will evolve into a women’s community center. The community women’s center will have two functions:

Figure 16 - Women’s Community Center ( Intervention)

1) Serve as a base for the women’s cooperative to store materials and finished product, house the administrative activities, and offer training to members and their children 2) Double as a community center to share information and celebrate holidays, festivals, and family events like engagements, marriages, and births.

Ultimately the community center will strengthen the social, financial, and human capital of the community, building social networks, strengthening cultural traditions, providing income generating activities, and building skills to maximize labor resources.

There is no certainty that a cooperative started in Roshanpura will be successful. However, even in the worst case scenario, it will benefit the women by increasing their human, social, and financial capital to the extent that they can pursue a profitable livelihood on their own.

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30

CHOWK BAZAAR

STUDENTS Group 5 Mafruha Rezwana Guro Blikås Cole Grabinsky Zeineb Mhiri

31

CONTEXT: We started our study with observations and interviews in various places throughout the Chowk Bazaar. After these initial insights, we narrowed our focus to a specific area to study. The area within Tabba Miyan Mahal Rd, New Itwara Rd, Fish Market Rd and the Jama Mosque was selected because many of the opportunities and challenges we observed in this area were representative of the Chowk Bazaar as a whole.

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Chowk Bazaar Rd Sarafa Chowk

New Itwara Rd

Jama Mosque

Fish Market Rd

Tabba Miyan Mahal Rd

Ibrahimpura Rd

Situated on the north-east corner of Upper Lake, the Chowk Bazaar is a centre of history, culture, and commerce. The area is roughly 40 hectares in size, and is known for the Jama Mosque and the diversity of different markets. Many people live in this area, which along with its heritage, make it a unique mixed use space.

Completed in the 19th century, the Chowk Bazaar was built as a walled city (SPA Bhopal Masters of Planning Studio, 2018). The narrow streets were designed using a grid pattern with four cardinal roads leading toward the Jama Mosque. Over time, this area has grown as a commercial centre with a variety of different markets with specialty goods.

Azad Market Rd

Chowki Imam Bara Rd

INTRODUCTION TO THE CHOWK BAZAAR:

Sultania Rd

N Figure 17 - Chowk Bazaar and our selected site

FINDINGS: People and Place

Although this area was known for its commercial significance, we found it had many other values and uses. Residents and shop owners we talked to were very proud of this area. Many had lived here for generations, and did not want to leave because of their strong connection to this place.

The building typology of our study area was low-rise commercial mixed use. Many buildings were built of brick with cement plaster and housed commercial on the ground floor with residential spaces above.

Studying the history of housing in the Chowk Bazaar, we learned that blocks were designed with inner courtyards. Residents explained how many courtyards have been lost or fragmented, as families grew and extended their houses. This informal encroachment has led to space issues and overcrowding. Many of the courtyards that were previously used for open space, are now used for private parking, workshops or storage.

Traffic and Parking

Traffic congestion was one of the major issues of the Chowk Bazaar. With the narrow streets and densely built area, traffic problems were increasing with the expanding population. In multiple interviews, community members mentioned that traffic congestion, lack of parking, and noise pollution have forced many residents to move out of this area.

Markets and Vendors

We talked with many different shop owners in the Chowk Bazaar. The majority of owners we interviewed had inherited their shops from their family. Usually, owners lived above their shops, however this was not always the case. We also met with people who had bought their shops or were renting.

Many shops in this area expanded beyond their property onto the street. This informal encroachment Figure 18 - Card game with a street vendor

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was problematic for parking and traffic, as it reduced the width of the street even further.

Informal vendors were part of the character of the Chowk Bazaar. Many informal vendors we talked to said they had been doing the same work in the same area for generations. These long-term vendors, were in a way semi-formal, because of the length of time they had worked in the area and partnerships they had formed with the community.

Community spaces

At first, people were only concerned about traffic and parking issues in their area. As we used different participatory methods, we learned that people were also concerned about community spaces. In the card game activities, open space, gathering space, and places for children to play were often selected as things missing in this area.

SYNTHESIS: Our interviews, card games, community activities and other methods revealed a lack of open space was at the core of many challenges this area was facing. The narrow streets, encroachment from shops and two wheeler parking, and increased commercial significance of this area have caused severe traffic congestion and parking problems. These issues, along with noise pollution, have prompted many families to move out of the Chowk Bazaar.

Residents, shop owners, and other community 34

members identified open space, seating and gathering space, and places for children to play as the things that were missing in this area. Almost everyone we talked to, wanted to have access to these amenities for a more liveable Chowk Bazaar.

PROPOSAL: Action Proposal

The theme that emerged for our action proposal was “Re-envisioning Public Space for a Liveable Chowk Bazaar”. The basis for our proposal was that people wanted to see reductions in traffic congestion and parking issues, and increased access to gathering areas, seating space, and children’s play space. The area we selected to implement this proposal was Najja Dada Park and the adjacent alley.

The components of our action proposal are to: - Realize the potential of Najja Dada Park - Designate community seating space in and around the park; and - Shift perspectives of public space by creating street art in the alley across from the park

NAJJA DADA PARK

In the short-term, we propose to conduct a community park clean-up. This could change the perception many residents have about this area being dirty and unsafe.

Long-term action: Improve access and visibility of the park Our long term action proposal is to improve access

and visibility by constructing an entrance at the northwest corner of the park. Stairs in the entrance could provide additional informal seating, and would allow people to see what is happening inside the park.

COMMUNITY SEATING SPACE

For this short-term action, we propose painting existing benches, ledges, and stairs with a colour to define them as community seating space. We noticed these types of informal areas were already being used for seating, however they were often blocked by parked two wheelers, street vendors, and encroachment from surrounding businesses.

Figure 19 - Selected prototype area for action proposal

If this intervention is successful, our long-term action is to select other areas of the Chowk Bazaar in need of seating, and replicate this process.

STREET ART

In consultation with key stakeholders in this area, we developed a short-term action for a community led street art activity. This proposal for street art could challenge ideas that streets are primarily for cars, parking, and transportation of goods. The benefits of this activity could include greater public ownership over the street, increased play space and gathering space, and create a tourist attraction that could benefit local businesses.

Figure 20 - Illustration of designated seating spaces Figure 21 - Illustration of Street art in Chowk Bazaar

Through the methods we collected, we realized street art could be a first step in a traffic calming initiative for the Chowk Bazaar.

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36

NAKKAR KHANA

STUDENTS Group 6

Azziza Robinson Bruna Rohling Ingvild Stokke

37

NAKKAR KHANA

The block is introverted, with a number of different communities hiding behind the thick, historic walls.

Within the block, 14 different sections have been

The Nakkar Khana area is situated in the old city centre

identified. Among these, are no less 8 old palaces,

of Bhopal. The focused area of study is a dense block

4 mosques, 5 schools, 4 commercial pockets, and

consisting of a handful of iconic palaces of heritage

more than 7 residential areas. The residental areas are

value by Iqbal Maidan, built more than 200 years ago

centred around palace courtyards, high rise apartment

by the kings and queens. It is a place of identity for the

buildings, as well as low-rise houses built next to

whole city, and is currently of special relevancy due to

and on top of old ruins. There are no internal roads

the ongoing renovation project of the Sadar Manzil,

connecting the sections.

by the 100 Smart City Mission in Bhopal.

Ashifa Masjid

Fatheali Complex

Shifa Manzil Musahan Masjid Nakkar Khana Colony

Hamidia Girls School

Zari Centre

Zafri Masjid Humazun Manzil

Sadar Manzil

Sheesh Mahal Hamid Manzil Shaukat Mahal

Figure 22 - Map of the different sections

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Hera Masjid

Zeenat Mahal

N

proposal 1: pedestrian safety Goal: To make it easier and safer for pedestrians, both locals and tourists, to navigate the Sultania Road-area through a short-term intervention.

Findings: The Sultania Road on the north side of Iqbal Maidan is highly trafficked. This causes trouble of navigating, both for pedestrians and vehicle drivers.

Locals are concerned with the safety of pedestrians as it is hard to cross and no safe space to walk on the side of the road.

By Iqbal Maidan there are street vendors selling fruits and vegetables. They are dependent on shade to keep their goods fresh. No such shade is provided naturally, so the vendors have extended the roof over

Figure 23 - Existing footpath

their carts and fastened it with strings in the bushes.

Figure 24 - Proposal 1

The installation blocks the footpath entirely.

Proposal: Our proposal is to provide the street vendors

Sultania Road

footpath

Sultania Road

footpath

Sultania Road

footpath

with the shade needed in a new way, so that the sidewalk can be free and available for pedestrians. We heard from the vendors that people walking are more likely to purchase their goods, and this could therefore prove to be beneficial for their business.

By drilling holes on the raised step dividing the road and the sidewalk, and providing the vendors with bamboo sticks to fix in the holes, the strings could be fastened to this new instalation, instead of the bushes.

39 Sultania Road

footpath

HERITAGE CELL FOR PEOPLE

Proposal 2: wall mural Goal: Increase people’s sense of ownership of the

Figure 26 Proposal 3

at SADAR MANZIL

heritage buildings and awareness of the poor condition of the walls through a short-term intervention.

Findings: Many of the palace walls are in poor condition

GOVERNMENT

run by HERITAGE FOR PEOPLE

LOCALS

and have the potential to fall, ruining both the heritage value and the livelihoods of the people living there.

On the western wall there is written a warning stating that cars should not park there because the wall might fall. The sign has been there for many years but no measures have been taken to repair it.

Proposal: We are proposing a mural to the wall in order to raise awareness of the rich culture and history of the area, as well as addressing the issue of the poor condition of the walls. By seeking local participation in the creation of the mural, we hope to foster a sense of ownership and connection among the local community, and showcase the diversity of the people living behind the walls.

Proposal 3: heritage cell for people Goal: To better the communication between the

government and the local people as well as promote considerate maintenance of the condition of the heritage buildings with a long-term intervention.

Findings: Heritage plays an important role in this area, however there is a lack of initiative to take responsibility for the buildings repair and maintenance. This is largely due to lack of transparency in terms of heritage legislation and insufficient communication between the government and the locals in the area.

Figure 25 - Western wall

Proposal: According to the responsible architect for the project, not every spot of the renovated Sadar Manzil has been given a specific use. Therefore, we propose a space at Sadar Manzil to serve as a meeting point for local stakeholders and the government, to meet and discuss the future of the area. The space would be run by the existing Bhopal-based NGO Heritage for People, with the hope of creating a sustainable management of the heritage in the area.

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Figure 2 6- Nakkar Khana Colony

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SHARED CONCLUSION

SHARED REFLECTION

During our three months in Bhopal, we conducted a comprehensive study of the declared slums Vishwakarma Nagar and Roshanpura, the commercial areas of MP Nagar Zone 2 and the Chowk Bazar as well as the historic settlement in the Old City. We analysed and tried to understand various aspects of daily life, communities, infrastructure, politics and governance.

For most of the participants in the fieldwork, Bhopal represented our first impression of India. We discovered a city that moves forward between a dichotomy of rhythms: its history, festivals, lakes, and its position as the state capital, a commercial hub, and one of the chosen cities in the Smart Cities Mission. Amidst this push and pull of tradition and modernity, Bhopal tries to preserve its identity while also becoming a city of progress.

The complexity of our sites demanded a reduction on the work scales, compared to traditional planning.

The smaller scale at which we worked, allowed us to understand areas on a neighbourhood level and establish trust and build relationships with the community.

Another valuable resource for this fieldwork was the teamwork skills developed by each group. It became almost intuitive at some point to delegate the tasks once we were familiar with the strengths of each member. In this way, we learned from each other and had a much more fruitful experience through everyone’s input.

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The fieldwork was a time of experiential learning.

Language barriers, cultural differences, informal economies and uses of space were all part of this experiential learning. We had the privilege of engaging with many different stakeholders, and developed an understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our areas. People welcomed us into their homes and businesses, and shared their culture, stories and celebrations.

Our time in Bhopal was both challenging and extremely rewarding. The context was different from what most of us were familiar with.

Many times we felt overwhelmed that nothing we could propose would be able to help the community.

Situations were often complex, and involved multiple stakeholder, bureaucracy and processes we did not understand.

The community shared their knowledge, issues, opportunities and vulnerabilities with us. We learned that people have their own strategies for dealing with informality, and focusing on the community’s strengths, rather than their weaknesses, is a good place to start.

Coming from different backgrounds and contexts, it was imperative to adapt and be flexible in unplanned situations and outcomes, learn from them and understand that an unexpected outcome does not denote failure.

By taking a different approach to planning and viewing marginalized communities, we challenged ourselves on a professional and personal level. Ultimately the skills, knowledge, and friendships made during the fieldwork have enriched our lives and given us a new perspective of our urban surroundings.

We realized there are many different ways in which communities function. People have different lives, livelihoods and roles in their community. In the Old City it was sometimes difficult to understand at first glance what was going on.

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TEAM PROFILE

Mélina Baranger Background: Architecture Country: France

Indrit Gradeci

Guro Blikås Background: Architecture Country: Norway

Diana Hernández Aguilar

Background: Architecture and Urban Planning Country: Albania

Background: Landscape Architecture Country: México

Mouna Bourakkadi

Hugo Fernando Martínez

Background: Architecture

Arrazola

Country: Morocco

Background: Architecture Country: Honduras

Aratrika Debnath

Zeineb Mhiri

Background: Architecture

Background: Architecture and

Country: India

Urban Planning Country: Tunisia

Cole Grabinsky Background: Environmental Planning Country: Canada

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Diana Morales Background: Sustainability Country: United States

Mafruha Rezwana

Rūta Slavinskaitė

Background: Architecture

Background: Architecture

Country:Bangladesh

Country: Lithuania

Gunika Rishi

Rachel Joy Snyder

Background: Architecture

Background: Food Studies

Country: India

Country: United States

Azziza Robinson

Ingeborg Stavdal

Background: Food Studies

Background: Architecture

Country: United States

Country: Norway

Bruna Rohling

Ingvild Stokke

Background: Urban Planning

Background: Architecture

Country: Germany

Country: Norway

Solrun Skiple Fjær Background: Architecture Country: Norway

Ningning Xie Background: Social Studies Country: China

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REFERENCES

BBC News. (2018) India country profile. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south- asia12557384 (accessed 23 Nov. 2018).

Census of India. (2011). Madhya Pradesh: District Census Handbook- Bhopal. New Delhi: Government of India.

Chakrabarty, A. (2018). ‘Smart Mischief: An Attempt to Demystify the Smart Cities Craze in India.’ International Institute for Environment and Development. DOI: 10.1177/0956247818769234.

Fortun, K. (2001). Advocacy after Bhopal: Environmentalism, Disaster, New Global Orders.

Chicago: Chicago University Press.

Global Security. (2018) Madhya Pradesh - Background.

Available at: https://www.globalsecurity. org/military/ world/india/madhya-pradeshbackground.htm (accessed 23 Nov. 2018).

Gupta, N. (2018) “Reclaiming Gendered Urban Spaces: Enabling inclusiveness by advocating spatial mediation for mobilizing women”. School of planning and Architecture Bhopal

IDEO.org. (2015) The field guide to human-centered design. San Francisco: Design Kit. India Brand Equity Foundation. (2018) About Indian economy growth rate & statistics. Available at: https:// 46

www.ibef.org/economy/indian-economyoverview (accessed 23 Nov. 2018).

Ministry of Urban Development ( MoUD). (2015).

Mission Statement and Guidelines. New Delhi: Government of India.

Smart Cities Mission (2016): What is Smart City.

Available at: http://smartcities.gov.in/upload/ uploadfiles/files/What%20is%20Smart%20City.pdfi , (accessed 28 Nov. 2018) Smart City Bhopal (2018): About us. https:// smartbhopal.city/about-us, (accessed 28 Nov. 2018) SPA Bhopal Masters of Planning Studio. (2018) Bhopal area appreciation report. Bhopal: School of Planning and Architecture, pp. 5–29.

LIST OF FIGURES All of the photographs and figures listed below are taken or drawn by the students themselves.

Figure 1 - India: Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh Figure 2 - Smart City Project Figure 3 - Interactive Survey on Location Figure 4 - Around the community well Figure 5 - MP Nagar Figure 6 - Intersection in MP Nagar Figure 7 - Girls’ hostel Figure 8 - Livelihood Framework for Roshanpura Figure 9 - Puppeteer Show Figure 10- Element of the entrance (Intervention) Figure 11 - Rajasthani Wall Art (Intervention) Figure 12 - Community Event : Street Market (Intervention) Figure 13- Community Event : Street Market (Intervention) Figure 14 - Sari made by a woman in Roshanpura Figure 15 - Information Board (Intervention) Figure 16 - Women’s Community Center ( Intervention) Figure 17 - Chowk Bazaar and our selected site Figure 18 - Card game with a street vendor Figure 19 - Selected prototype area for action proposal Figure 20 - Illustration of designated seating spaces Figure 21 - Illustration of Street art in Chowk Bazaar Figure 22 - Map of the different sections Figure 23 - Existing footpath Figure 24 - Proposal 1 Figure 25 - Western wall Figure 26 - Proposal 3 Figure 27 - Nakkar Khana Colony

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