Urbanism Portfolio

am architect and urbanist by qualification and practice with more than 4 years of experience working in India.

Resolving urban issues through a sustainable approach excites me and I wish to work on developing realistic and holistic plans of action to make lasting, impactful changes in our urban environments. A firm believer in the importance of a people-centric approach adhering to the fact that cities are for the people and a holistic impact can be achieved only with holistic participation. As well as starting with small changes for bigger impact.

This portfolio is a compilation of selected works from my journey so far, exploring the opportunities to make our cities sustainable and inclusive.

srivardhan.rajalingam@gmail.com

The cover is a representation of how our cities are turning grey day by day, straining the natural environment and resulting in irreversible changes. Such changes move people and break the connection. These lost connections have ruined the sense of belonging. Dialogue, protesting and small efforts to restore the balance are piecemeal approaches. believe in the need for a multidimensional framework leading towards action and impact on the ground. I seek an opportunity to be a part of the a journey to make our cities equitable and livable.

Note: All graphics/ Pictures are sole work of the author unless mentioned otherwise

Part A Urban Strategy & Urban Design

STRATEGY FOR COUNCIL HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT

London | Interdisciplinary team of 6 - Academic research (October 2022 to February 2023)

Church Street Ward

Church Street Ward (CSW) is a dynamic, multicultural, and complex neighborhood in North Westminster located between Edgware Road and Lisson Grove. The community of CSW, however, struggles with social and economic marginalization despite the strong feeling of community and the success of the Church Street Market.

The prevailing poor health, low education qualifications, the poor quality of built environment, high unemployment rates and inadequate access to public realm contribute to poor on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

Site characteristics

1. Affordability

Historically, CSW has been a site with high poverty levels, with Charles Booth’s map revealing inequalities since the 1880s. At least 20.76% of the population are benefit claimants compared to 4.40% in Westminster.

The need for affordability is currently catered by the existing businesses offering products at low costs.

Image: Market traders selling affordable products

CSW in larger context

Most deprived ward in Westminster and among the top 10% most deprived wards in the UK.

The most densely populated ward in London.

Most diverse with atleast 65% non white ethinic population

Project components/ Contribution Research, Mapping, Documentation, strategic planning, Conceptual design, public consultation strategy

Role: Researcher

Softwares used: GIS, AutoCAD, Sketchup, Revit, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign

The aim of this research work is to analyse Westminster City Council’s current redevelopment proposition to ameliorate the issues faced in Church Street Ward, especially that adequate housing is not fulfilling the community’s local needs. We have identified a conflict between the current proposal and the existing urban values including a possible destruction of the “village feeling” and the familiarity between local people and the site, and the unbalanced power play involved in such process. We propose an alternative strategy based on our analysis of the prevailing tensions using a mix-method approach including oral history, photography, interviews, mapping, data analysis and literature studies that advocate against concentrating primarily on largescale, high-risk solutions and increase in housing supply. The proposed startegy is routed in the prioritization of justice, gradual improvements of existing infrastructures, incremental changes and respecting the existing building environment.

2. Purality

The diversity manifests in form variety in

• Language

• Cuisines

• Products

Image: Council library name displayed in 3 languages

3. Familiarity

A strong feeling of sense of belonging that existed in the past continous to exist till date. This is reflected in the customer service provided the businesses and frequenting customers.

Doctors in church street remembered the whole family and asked how each of them were each time we visited the doctor

Church street was the highs of our childhood .A very friendly place to grow up where everyone seemed to know everyone else

Map of Westminster with CSW

4. Accessibility and convenience

CSW, despite being well connected with the other parts of London by public transport, is geographically bounded by Regents Canal on the North, Edgware Road on the West, Marylebone station on the East and Marylebone flyover on the south. These physical barriers along with the prevailing psychological barriers have led to a sense of disconnection from the immediate neighbourhoods (Architects et al., 2021). However, with multiple places of live, work, and “third place” located within an 8-minute walking radius (figure 2.5), it is accessible and allows everyday activity within a walkable distance. “Third spaces” a term coined by Ray Oldenburg, refers to the place where people spend most of their time

Map of CSW with everyday activity areas

outside the first (live) and second place (work) (Oldenburg, 1991). The main public-owned “third places” in CSW that attract high footfall are the market, library, and neighbourhood centre that serve as hubs for various everyday activities of the community. Apart from being accessible, it provides a barrier-free physical environment and opportunities to shop, eat, and play along the commute making it convenient even for those in need of assisted mobility. With a sense of slowness in mobility due to a higher elderly population and those in need of assisted mobility, the aspects of walkability and convenience complement the demographic needs.

Proposed redevelopments

CSW was first identified for housing redevelopment in 2010 and the first detailed plan for CSW was prepared as a part of the “Future Plans” made in 2012 followed by the “Church Street Neighbourhood Redevelopment Plan 2017” which is currently in progress. The master plan aims to address the existing issues with respect to housing, heating and ventilation, toilet and kitchen malfunction, lack of options for different types of units and improve the wellbeing by refurbishing existing

public realm and create new spaces . In the current context of ongoing housing crisis and WCC recognising the key role of housing, it aims to provide “more homes of all types are at the heart of our ambition to create a City for All” . CSW with several council estates provides the opportunities to address the housing crisis, because more than 70% of the area in Westminster is marked as conservation area. The architects involved in regeneration identify the rate of high deprivation,

unemployment and percentage of people with no qualification, poor wellbeing scores and the existing social and economic exclusion due to physical and physiological barriers as their case for change.

Map of proposed regeneration projects and current condition as of 2022

Ward boundary Housing estates proposed for redevelopment as per the proposed master plan 2017 Public spaces identified for redevelopment Currently considered for redevelopment (our focus area) Current condition Completed

Shortcomings of the current model:

Though the council aims to address the issues pertaining to the condition of the buildings, access to open spaces the proposed redevelopment with high rise buildings has been opposed by the community for abandoning the human scale, compromised daylight in public realm and reduction in floor area of the library. The community in an open letter to the WCC dated 27th August 2021 have expressed their concerns:

“We are deeply worried that your current proposals will result in the market being completely overwhelmed and that the existing village atmosphere that we all love so much, will be totally lost by overpoweringly tall buildings looming over the street. We strongly oppose the abandonment of the human scale to over tall buildings and do not believe a busy open-air public space and market can flourish if turned into an oppressively bordered corridor robbed of sunlight”.

We find that the oppositions raised by the community are not “not in my backyard” claims but are rooted in CSW’s context. The identified gaps are discussed here

1. Housing:

The current model proposes to increase the density of the densest ward using a complete demolition and rebuild approach. In our opinion this model could lead to the following consequences:

Conceptual illustration of the existing and proposed building heights

• The proposed high-rise units apart from altering the character of the neighbourhood represent an increase in the maintenance costs. With neither the longer-term maintenance costs disclosed nor the assurance of retaining the existing aspect of affordability post redevelopment, it could end up being unaffordable for residents and businesses to return despite the council offering the “Right to Return”. High rise buildings (more than 10 floors) have been problematic and not affordable to leaseholders and social housing tenants in various instances.

• While the diversity manifests in the site with variety in language, cuisines, products, and authenticity, it has also created an additional pressure on the healthcare systems due to the lifestyle, age, and language variations of the site. The increase in density could further strain the health care needs which is already scarce on site

• With the change of funding eligibility of Affordable Housing Program, where “funding will not be available for units that replace homes that have been, or will be, demolished” could mean no GLA funding for the current model resulting in increased dependency on a private developer

• Increased ultility costs due to reduced sunlight.

2. Community assets:

Community relations, public space and other resources based on shared values and trust, also known as community assets, effectively promote cooperation and connection among community members and it is also essentially the backbone of the community. In addition to providing reading spaces, the library also provides functions such as an IT centre, workshop on skills trainings and an information exchange centre. Reducing the floor area, as the proposal suggests, does not align with the community’s needs. The library being a multi-use space and an active part of the community’s everyday activities, could need further expansion, both spatially and functionally to cater to the current and future necessities.

The market acts as an artery of the community connecting the Library, Triangle Plaza, and resident housing. The existing market consists mainly of a main street with shops and stalls; however, the market traders seemed unaware of the redevelopment timeline or the proposed plans and their future remains uncertain.

3. The process:

The council faces high risk due to the uncertainty of the development of the project that has been going on for more than 12 years and is expected to be completed in 2035. This uncertainty has impacted the resident’s confidence in the council and in the redevelopment program. Though the current regeneration doesn’t directly displace the community and its diverse characteristics, we argue that prolonged

uncertainty, the unaffordability expected post redevelopment and the lack of addressing basic needs, could lead to potential displacement.

The proposed redevelopment directly addresses only two out of seven categories in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) - “Barriers to housing” and “Living environments”, while these are relatively higher than the London and Westminster average, CSW stands relatively low on Health, Crime, Income, Employment and Education (ONS, 2021) which in our opinion are also the pressing needs but have not been addressed.

The process of public consultation including the ballot system, setting up of a local regeneration base (office), involving external associates and various other methods to address the regeneration issues suggests a “Degree of Tokenism” on Arnstein’s “ladder of citizen participation” and reflects a weak democracy model.

For example, the opposition from the community regarding the survey bias was evident with members pointing out the consultation outcomes would have been different if the question was “do you have any objection for 12 storey buildings in CSW” instead of voting a “yes or no” for redevelopment. Apart from the possibility of bias the resident turnout for ballot has also been comparatively low suggesting multiple voices goes missing in the current process.

Proposed phasing and timeline (Originally proposed in 2017 was later revised in 2022)

Participation across ballots

Repair & Maintenance approach (Proposed model)

To value, maintain and repair the current systems and infrastructure rather than merely concentrating on developing brand-new, cutting-edge ones.

Improve housing without displacement

Repair and Maintenance as a Social, Political and Economic model to

The principles of the proposed approach

Starting from breakdown

By giving permission for things not to work immediately, we can learn to appreciate the value of negative spaces and the people who inhabit them.

People over profit

Our approach focuses on the needs and well-being of communities and individuals rather than solely on maximizing financial gain.

Prioritizing collective goods

This approach recognizes that the well-being of a community is dependent on the overall functioning of its infrastructure and resources, and aims to maintain and improve them in a sustainable and collaborative manner.

Phasing strategy

Reinforce collective assets

Foster active citizen participation

Incremental change

Spaces and infrastructure are continually being created and used in certain ways and sees habitation as a process that is constantly changing.

Low risk

Focus on small, gradual changes and improvements to existing systems, infrastructure, and structures, rather than attempting to completely overhaul or replace them.

Multiple, small but quick and meaningful solutions to incrementally address all the needs

1. Housing

The proposal addresses key issues such as overhauling the services (electrics, plumbing, heating, and ventilation) and refurbishing communal areas (stairs and other facilities). We propose adding new lifts and balcony circulation to make all flats accessible. External insulation and installing renewable energy resources will make buildings more energy efficient. Roof extensions to existing buildings accommodate more housing options with different layouts.

A community participation process is necessary to understand what types of units are required, but for proposal, we have considered one- to six-bedroom typologies (excluding 2-bedroom as the most common for existing units) per the London Housing Design Guide’s area requirements for dwelling space.

Key map showing opportunity areas

Demonstration

Existing

Manifestation of the proposed model LEGEND

Network of actors and funding opportunities GLA

Ward

Westminster City Council

Sale of 50% of new units (roof extension) at GLA market price

Central Government

Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (OFGEM)

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

Roof extensions to accommodate more housing options. Refurbishment of all existing homes and shops and the addition of lifts with balcony circulation. Community

Energy Efficiency funds

The community assets play an important role in enhancing the enhance local identity and promote social cohesion. However, majority of the spaces are unused or under utilised. The proposal aims to implement physical and socio-economic interventions for areas. Additionally even the most used places such as the market and the library require optimisation and refurbishment

3. Active citizen participation

To ensure there is respect, fairness, and transparency in identifying and addressing the needs we introduce the concept of “Local Champions” (LC) as the first step to ensure no voices are left behind and to establish collective needs with a balance between the market goods (wealth, income, property) and non-market goods (rights, opportunities, power, self-respect, culture and decision making). This idea is rooted in empowering and enabling the community to participate in the process of identifying and addressing their needs. It could be used across different sectors such as built environment, overall welfare, and health & wellbeing, employment, and education.

XWhat?

A paid engagement of a set of independent individuals who will help in identifying the community needs and formulate the requirements to the council.

XWho?

1. Individuals belonging to CSW (live and work) from all the different groups across ethnicity, age, gender.

2. Could be commissioned by Church Street Ward Neighbourhood Forum, Ward councillor or the council and in instances of major redevelopment even by research institutions.

Painting :To make the floor interactive and renew the interest in sporting & other activities

Cost: £

3. Trained by subject matter experts

4. Funding - National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement is one example that provides funding grants for research

institutions with public engagement. Such grants could provide the remuneration for the time spent by the local champions and those involved in training the LC.

Where?

The existing meeting spaces in the library or underused spaces like the courtyards (with minimum changes to its current condition) could provide the space for training the local champions and hosting larger engagements with the community.

When?

The LC could be commissioned at various stages to identify and address the needs of the community from conceptualisation to implementation and evaluation. It could be multiple short-term engagements or continued engagements based on the need and funding availability.

The above requirement of resources (human, finances, space, and time) suggests most of the input and activities are performed by the stakeholders with low influence, but high interests and we believe this could strengthen the community participation for various needs including preparation of neighbourhood plans. We recognise this might not result in a 100% participation or 100% consensus to start with but would improve the understanding of the diverse needs, facilitate an informed decision making and establish a partnership in addressing the needs.

Replacing the opaque roof with transparent roof to allow more daylight

Cost: £ £

Research Institutions / Think-tanks – For instance: LSE Cities and organisations such as ASH, and National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement. Could be facilitated by agencies such as Involve

Linking the basement 1 of the existing library and MUGA with a transparent roof would improve lighting as well as serve as an extention of the library with space for additional activities

Cost: £ £ £

The proposed model has placed local needs as a priority, using justice as an evaluation principle to identify the limitations in the current plan. This report has identified how repair and maintenance model of thinking helps to strengthen the notion of respecting the cultural politics of the site and the necessity to make incremental changes.

This alternative model for urban regeneration to stand against the current framework under neoliberalism, using the case of the Church Street Ward could also be replicated in other housing estates across London.

Demonstration using library & MUGA

“CAMBRIDGE PHENOMENON”

Cambridge, England | Individual - Academic (February - March 2023)

About Cambridge

The Greater Cambridge (GC) area consists of Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire District (SCD) which have a population of 124,000 and 150,000 approx. respectively and is part of Cambridgeshire County. The historic 13th-century university town is north of London and in the southern part of England. The global significance of Cambridge is powered by the knowledge economy which consists of the worldrenowned University of Cambridge, other institutions, and various companies leading research and innovation in life science and science & technology. The explosion of companies engaging with life science, and technology since the 1960s was termed the “Cambridge Phenomenon”

Increasing car-dependency in Cambridgeshire:

by Peta Levi in a Financial Times article in 1980. Apart from the significant achievements in both the university and the industry, the economic success of this growth has also gained global recognition. Cambridge also remains committed to growth despite the introduction of the localism act in 2010. Located 60 miles or a 45-minute ride away from London by train, it is also “one corner of an economic golden triangle from Oxford in the west to London in the south”. On the other side, it is also grappled with issues of raising inequalities, congestion, and lack of affordable housing

Project components/ Contribution Research, Mapping, strategic planning

Role: Researcher

Softwares used: GIS, Illustrator, Indesign

While multiple cities in developed countries, especially those driven by the knowledge economy are beginning to see a decline in automobile dependency and Cambridge stands as an anomaly.

The increased dependency on cars has led to congestion and this possess a threat to the future growth of the knowledge economy in Cambridge. Though private automobiles are often associated with freedom it has negative impacts on the environment, and “resource-hungry cars” also lead to patterns of inequality. The project aims to elucidate the potential factors that contribute towards an increasing automobile dependency in Greater Cambridge and to recommend a development strategy that could potentially discourage automobile dependence but also allow equal access spatially. .

Census 2011 vs 2021 Mode split of commuting; Source: Cambridgeshire County Council

Atleast two third of for commuters rely on private vehicles across Cambridgeshire except for Cambridge (41%) and there is also an increase of 3-4% throughout Cambridgeshire between 2011 and 2021, while similar economies around the world have been witnessing a decline Though private vehicle includes motorcycles and vans, the proportion of motorcycles to cars and vans was 1:37 in Cambridge and 1:61 in South Cambridge as per the 2011 census. Hence a significant share of private vehicles is cars and vans. Although the number of commuters traveling might have reduced, the proportion of private vehicles in most districts in Cambridgeshire is still higher national average (73%) and public transport use across districts is lower than the national average (12%) In the same period, the trip distance to work has also increased. Overall, there has been an increase in the number

of commuters traveling more than 5kms to work between 2011 & 2021. At least one-third of commuters in Cambridge and two third of the rest of Cambridgeshire County travel to work beyond 5kms. Despite 68% of the trips to work in Cambridge occurring within a 5 km distance, which is walkable as per an “average daily travel time budget of around one hour” and with the entire city within a radius of 3.5 – 4 km, within an hour ride by bus, 41% commute to work by private vehicle. Hence, with an increase in the number of trips by private vehicles and increased distance travelled to work, Cambridge differs from other cities that continue to be dominated by cars due to a lack of alternatives but showed at least “a decline in Vehicular Kilometres Travelled (VKT) and Total Automobile Travel (TAT)”.

Factors contributing towards car dependence in Greater Cambridge:

Apart from the low density and issues with public transport that are contributing to car dependence, mentioned below are two other significant factors in Cambridge’s case

1. Impact of the developments occurring through the “Cambridge Phenomenon”:

Cambridge was a good example of “regulative planning” showcasing the character of southern England with the significant developments restricted to the urban core without any major dispersions beyond the green belt for much of the post-war period. It was only in the 1970s, due to the pressure exerted by the universities for its interests to create employment opportunities by setting up high-tech businesses, and other businesses related to the university’s knowledge production, the growth of major employment areas started occurring in SCD, which was until then predominantly a rural district & small market town. There were tight restrictions on other economic and housing developments till the late 1990s and the green belt was largely untouched. Though the “Cambridge Phenomenon” has had positive benefits, it has also causally led to certain negative impacts such as Cambridge being the most unequal city in the UK (Donna Ferguson, 2018) unaffordable housing costs, housing supply not meeting the demand created due to increase in jobs and congestion issues. Though housing and inequalities are complex issues on their own there are implications for transportation as well.

“An increasing proportion of university staff live out of Cambridge, partly due to the lack of affordable housing close to their work, resulting in more journeys to work by car. In 2018, 56% of staff responding to the annual travel survey lived outside the city, and 51% of these travelled by single occupancy car to work, compared to only 6% of the staff who live in the city”.

This indicates that people working in the city might be forced to live outside due lack of affordable housing options and such commuters travel to work in a single occupancy car at least 8.5 times higher than those opting to travel by car living inside the city. This is also reflected in Car ownership, Cambridge has 0.9 per household while SCD has 1.55 per household. Data suggests that two third of the work trips to Cambridge are by people staying in SCD (23%), Huntingdonshire District (HD), and East Cambridgeshire District ECD, while only 40% of people are working in workplaces located within Cambridge stayed inside the city.

While many of the institutions are located within the city, the other major employment areas are distributed across the Greater Cambridge area and are not limited to the Central Business District or the city. This is a major deviation in planning since the businesses boom in the 1970s. Half of the people working in SCD commute from Cambridge, HD, and ECD.

Hence the increasing housing costs in the city and dispersed developments of major employment areas could be contributing to the heavy inflow-outflow patterns. Due to the lack of suitable alternate options, there is an increase in VKT, and this has resulted in congestion around the major employment areas

The planning for car dependency could be seen spatially through Right of Way configurations, grade separators, parking, etc. Catering to the existing demand for automobile infrastructure, Cambridge continues to make provision for parking lots at every individual site and neighbourhood/ city level through the provision of Park & Ride.

• City level

The 5 major Park & Ride facilities are located along the periphery near the major employment areas. Occupying a total area of 49 acres cumulatively it caters to 5653 cars. In addition to the existing facilities, Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) is also proposing to add another 10,000 parking spaces. This shows how with the increasing number of cars, the cities are shaped and reshaped for high automobile use, this continues to encourage automobile use further.

• Individual sites

The 152-acre Cambridge Science Park (CSP) employing 7250 people has a building footprint of approx. area of 30 acres and an equal parking footprint. While the cars take away almost one-fifth of the space, there is not a single residential unit within the site. To encourage the use of electric cars, provisions for charging were made in 2021. However, this doesn’t discourage the use of private cars. The proposed phase 2 of CSP expected to create 3000 jobs, also does not include provision for homes within the site. CSP demonstrates a case of how developments as a part of the Cambridge Phenomenon are dependent on cars and encourages car use by providing car-friendly infrastructure. A similar pattern can be observed in most of the major employment areas.

• Local Plan

The local plan for GC encourages shifting to alternate modes and other measures such as car clubs. But it also recognizes parking as a necessary amenity and mandates the provision of parking as part of business developments in new and existing sites.

Category SCD Cambridge

Inside controlled parking zone Outside controlled parking zone 1 space per Business < 2500 sq.m 100 sq. m Gross Floor Area plus disabled car parking

40 sq. m Gross Floor Area plus disabled car parking > 2500 sq.m

The variation could be due to public transport accessibility, or located at a walkable or bikeable distance from the city centre, etc. However, these indicative figures are permissible, and this is a provision that could encourage car use. High levels of parking encourage car usage and provisions in Central Business District (CBD) is one of the major factors that “determine the modal split for trips”. There has been a decline in parking supply across the world between 10-19% / 1000 jobs. This has resulted in encouraging public transport use to the CBD even during off-peak times. But for it to improve further there is a need for parking to be reduced in sub-centres as well. Thus, the provision of parking is another factor that encourages car dependency.

2. The provision of car-friendly infrastructure in developments occurring through the “Cambridge Phenomenon”

Map showing the major employment areas and congestion zones

Map showing the vehicular inflow & outflow patterns

Hence, unaffordable housing within the city pushing people out, indicating the lack of opportunities to live near work and infrastructural provisions for cars in suburbs also contribute to an increased car dependence apart from issues with public transport, lower density, culture, lack of provisions for active mobility and “hitting the traffic wall”

Proposed development strategy:

People centric Car centric

Infill & Roof extension

Phasing out parking

The idea is to discourage car use within the existing infrastructure and create opportunities to live, work, and other everyday needs within a distance that is comfortably accessible through active mobility (under 5 km) through re purposing the existing car-friendly infrastructure in individual sites.

Manifestation of the strategy in Science Park’s case

152 acre

30 acre

Total parking footprint

The area considered for homes is only parking lots and doesn’t include any green spaces. *This number is conceptual based on available area and what has been achieved in similar sites in other cities.

The proposed strategy could complement the current proposals of GCP and allow equitable spatial access by reducing the impacts of the proposed congestion pricing. Replicating this in all the possible site could increase the opportunities to live closer to work and ultimately reduce the need to commute. It could be guided with a vision of minimum of 1 home for every 2 jobs within site for large developments and within 400m radius for small developments

By permitting roof extension and infill with housing in all existing major employment sites without any mandates for car parking provisions except for essential use.

Phasing out existing parking in major employment areas except for essential uses such as blue badge holders and loading/ unloading activities by 2030 and restricting parking on new developments catering only to the essential users.

PThe GCP currently proposes to improve active mobility infrastructure, and public transportation systems, and introduce a policy fix in the form of congestion pricing. Though road pricing has been successful in reducing car dependency to a certain extent, it may “not be the first best instrument for tackling the congestion externality although it may be the first best standards more closely than any other instrument” It could further widen the gaps of inequality. The proposed strategy doesn’t dismiss the need for road pricing but aims to focus on how to reduce the impact arising from a utilitarian idea. Although the problem of car dependency is complex and interconnected at a city level, there is the opportunity for major employment areas to address this through a spatial fix at every site level.

Site plan of Cambridge Science Park

CITIES FOR PLAY

Chennai, India | Professional work (January 2020 - August 2022)

Client: Residents of Kannagi Nagar, Greater Chennai Corporation, Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board

Project components/ Contribution Research, Mapping, Documentation, Visioning, Master planning, Conceptual design, detailed design, Stakeholder Engagement Plan, Detailed Project Report (DPR), estimate

Role: Project Architect

Softwares used: AutoCAD, Sketchup, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, MS Excel

CITIES FOR PLAY is a vision rooted in the realization that very little has been done in the public realm to fulfill the needs of children in our cities.

Children typically spend 16 hours or more in a day in their homes and community settings. Effecting change in the public realm through play not only contributes positively to their cognitive and motor skills and eventually their overall holistic development but also encourages ownership and responsibility towards maintaining our public realm. CITIES FOR PLAY is an initiative that places children as catalysts for reimagining our urban commons. Investing in children today for a better tomorrow.

Play

The spaces & routes that are required to be safe and accessible for a child to be able to access them independently as a part of his/her daily routine

Pockets with garbage dump

Places under the flyover

Street

Unused parking spaces

Corridors in between buildings

Unprogrammed open spaces

is not a luxury, Play is a necessity.

- Kay Redfield Jaminon

Reimaging the child city’s in a transect

Scalability

Learning based play pockets filled with garbage

Active fitness corridors abandoned corridors

Foot ball practice underutilised open spaces

Fun based play street residue

Child friendly streets unsafe streets

Adventure based play abandoned spaces under flyover

Basket ball arena abandoned open spaces

Playground with fitness unprogrammed open spaces

Methodology

Neighbourhood context

Generalconsiderations

Design

Holistic development of a child

Fine motor skills

The ability to make movements using hands and wrists. Eg: Throwing & catching activities, Hand eye coordination

Gross motor skills

The ability to do tasks involving the whole body movement - large muscles, legs & arms. Eg: Walking activities, Balancing activities

The ability to do something difficult for a long time

Kannagi Nagar is one of Chennai’s earliest and largest resettlement colonies. It is actually comprised of 3 resettlement sites - Kannagi Nagar, Ezhil Nagar and Tsunami housingimplemented in a phased manner since the early 2000s. Most of the people living in the tenements are slum dwellers who were rehabilitated between 2000 and 2010 by the state government. Following the 2004 tsunami, fishermen who were living along the coast in different parts of the city were also moved here. As a result, Kannagi Nagar has come to house people who were previous inhabitants of several different parts of Chennai. Residents of the neighbourhood face several civic issues and social issues on a daily basis for nearly two decades now owing to deficits in the physical and social infrastructure. Growing up in such an environment, children of Kannagi Nagar end up becoming the most vulnerable demographic.

While several indicators of development are found lacking in Kannagi Nagar, the Cities for Play initiative seeks to address the aspect of child development as a way to bring about social sustainability to the neighbourhood and reimagines Kannagi Nagar as Chennai’s first Sports District

Site for intervention

Suitable sites for the pilot intervention were identified after a detailed mapping of all the open spaces in the neighbourhood. In addition to the two designated Children Play Space pockets, the chosen site also has a school, a park and a proposed sports ground suitable for the entire Cities for Play concept to be demonstrated here.

Kannagi Nagar

Map of Chennai with Kannagi Nagar and localities from where they were relocated

Religious places Amma Unavagam Shop

Ration shop Market

Nursery school Schools Parks

Map of Kannagi Nagar

Two

Site specific analysis

Football

Badminton Silambam Basket ball Karate

Proposed design intervention

STRENGTH PAIN TOLERANCE

Tennis Volleyball

Learning Silambam has helped me gain confidence in general and also improve my performance in school.

Kho - Kho

Marathon Kabaddi

Analysis on currently played sports and interests on a sports matrix

Swimming 100m sprint Cycling

5.7 m wide road A

Skating

Currently played in site

Currently played in Kannagi Nagar

Played in site and accommodated in design

Played in Kannagi Nagar and accommodated in design

Currently not played but accommodated in design

View of the Silambam / Karate / Kabaddi zone & outdoor gym*

+/- 0 mm +/- 0 mm

C

CPS 1 - Proposed Layout

D Key plan (Not to scale) SDAT ground

layout of CPS1

+100 mm

B Building number 11661 11714

3 5

CPS 2 CPS 1

Outdoor Gym Equipment (compacted red soil) A - Arm and Shoulder Wheel B - Double Cross Walker C Twister and Leg Trainer D - Arm and Leg Strengthener All dimensions as per GCC playfield SOR SDAT sports ground 5.7 m wide road

LUNG POWER TECHNIQUE Cricket Boxing CITIES FOR PLAY (Pilot project) Basket ball court - 30m X 17m (Cement flooring with paint finish)

Building number 12417 - 12470

+100

+100 mm +100 mm

TowardsPolicestation Legend: Existing

2 Proposed Fencing (chain link) 17m X 5m & 30m X 5m 6 Proposed Storm water drain 55m length X 0.69m wide Proposed Fencing (chain link) 17m length X 5m height 2 Proposed

5 Fitness Corridor - 46.20m X 1.2m (Cement flooring with paint finish) Fitness Corridor - 46.20 m X 1.2m (Cement flooring with paint finish) Silambam/ Karate/ Kabbadi Zone (compacted red soil) 15.70m X 19m

View of the basketball court & fitness corridor*

* Graphic made collaboratively

This place was only used by men for drinking but today it is beyond my imagination, with people of different ages using the space. We feel safe walking here.

Layout of the multipurpose baskectball court (30m X 17m)

The basketball court is painted with simple floor patterns that are supplementary to playing basket ball and other floor based fun activities that makes it vibrant and engages different user groups at different times. 14 activities have been incorporated as a part of the design

Painting concept

Drawing a parallel to the ground situation where people of Kannagi nagar need new opportunities to thrive, the painting is an abstraction of the ball coming out of the ring.

Proposed layout of CPS2

Major design components in CPS2

I had never even stepped into this pocket previously because of the mosquitoes and garbage, but now I skate here everyday with my younger brother.

<< Cube (16.2m X 11.6m)

A combination of play that facilitates activities such as calisthenics, parkour, climbing, swinging, jumping and caters to multiple age group. Can also be used for warm-up activities and is made in mild steel.

Mound (10m X 6m)>>

A heaped pile of debris with slope one side acting as a natural slide and integrating seating resembling a rock cut step. Primarily focused on kids as a fun element for climbing, sliding, crawling and seating for adults.

want to represent India in Olympics in badminton. I love watching Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu but my parents never let me play because there was no facility nearby. With this court & coaching I can play in front of their eyes. like playing with my friends here. The slide is my favorite one in which I play catching games with my friends.

<< Skating corridor ^ (2.5m X 50m)

Currently filed with over flowing sewage and dumped garbage has been programmed into a skating and fitness corridor using the existing levels of inspection chambers.

View of the badminton court & mound*

View of the cube & skating corridor *

* graphic designed collaboratively with an intern

LAKE RESTORATION PROJECT

Chennai, India | Professional work | January - June 2022

Zoning strategy

Existing site condition

Based on access & function

Two

Based on activity & noise

Client: State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT)

Project components/ Contribution Mapping, Review of the existing master plan, Revised Master plan, Conceptual design, detailed design, Detailed Project Report (DPR), estimate

Role: Project Architect Softwares used: AutoCAD, Sketchup, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, MS Excel

CITIES FOR PLAY is a vision rooted in the realization that very little has been done in the public realm to fulfill the needs of children in our cities.

Children typically spend 16 hours or more in a day in their homes and community settings. Effecting change in the public realm through play not only contributes positively to their cognitive and motor skills and eventually their overall holistic development but also encourages ownership and responsibility towards maintaining our public realm. CITIES FOR PLAY is an initiative that places children as catalysts for reimagining our urban commons. Investing in children today for a better tomorrow.

Sensory Zone

Detailed designs (sample)

Garden Cafe & Co working space

Large openings to facilate views of the lake and surrounding landscape

Conceptual idea

Proposed view of the outdoor seating

Proposed view of the co working space

Proposed view of the indoor seating

Jack Arches for roof

Bird watching & intrepretation centre

Ground floor plan

Proposed view of ground floor

Proposed view of first floor

Amphitheatre

Key Plan

Located along the water edge, the amphitheatre was designed to facilitate the function of storing water to delay the run off as well as serve as a semi private space for celebrations and parties.

View

View Aerial view towards the lake

Proposed view

IMPLEMENTATION OF NON MOTORISED TRANSPORT STRATEGY

CONSERVE

The strengths

CONNECT

The dots

CHANGE

What

CREATE if

Context

CELEBRATE

The

Short

Long

In the city context, Big Bazaar Road is located in the Town Hall Area. The Town Hall area forms the core city area and is geographically located in the southern end of the metropolitan area. The core city area of Coimbatore, an area that is characterized by its fine grain urban fabric with a highly permeable street network facilitating several alternate routes for movement in and out of the neighbourhood.

At the neighbourhood scale, Big Bazaar Road is located west of the Coimbatore railway station and east of the city’s commercial hub. In terms of its urban structure, it is a compact mixed use neighbourhood and this is also the reason why it has retained its importance despite the city growing outwards in the northern direction from

this core. It is also home to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation, Public Works Department, District Library and Town Hall. Big Bazaar Road serves as the shortest connecting spine between the Coimbatore Railway Station and the city’s commercial/ trade district and is hence a primary arterial road in the city’s street network. However, over the years some of the traffic volume crossing east-west through Big Bazaar Road has been dispersed onto the Ukkadam Sungam Bypass road which runs almost parallel to Big Bazaar Road in the southern side. This is especially the case for commuters who may not have a need to come to the core city areas but are moving towards Ukkadam or other neighbourhoods in the southwestern side of the city.

A 5c framework to catalyze change through tactical urbanism

Street Character

Big Bazaar Road has several prominent visual markers that lend themselves to the legibility of the street.

Bigbazaarroad

Shopping

~316 vehicles parked on Big Bazaar Road as recorded on 4th

8 am on 19th July 2019

2 pm on 19th July 2019

10 am on 19th July 2019

4 pm on 19th July 2019

Big Bazaar Road’s orientation is the reason there is very less shading from the buildings on the street; the street runs in the east west direction. As revealed by the shade analysis, 4 PM is the only time when the buildings cast a shadow on the footpath on the Clock tower side of the road. Also, since the building heights are also mostly ground or ground + 1 floors high, there is less chance of shading the entire right-ofway even at this time of the day. There is hence a higher need for trees on the street for providing shade to its users.

What do users want from Big Bazaar Road? What are the existing inconveniences ?

Existing street condition

Left: Existing ROW configuration in street section;

Aerial view of the existing condition

1. Inadequate pedestrian infrastructure

2. Lack of shading and seating

3. Irregular street parking

4. Varying carriageway widths along the street

Proposed interventions

Right: Proposed ROW configuration in street section; Down: Aerial view of the proposed condition

1. Reducing carriageway width

2. Intersection redesign

3. Adding pedestrian crossing points

4. Seating and shade structures

5. Games for children on the sidewalk

(A) Clock tower intersection (B) Bus stop (C) - Sidewalk

Down:

(A) Clock tower intersection (B) Bus stop (C) - Sidewalk

Clock tower intersection

Street - aerial view

Pedestrian crossing Games along the sidewalk

Reclaiming excess carriage way for pedestrians

Image credits: GIZ

Seating & shaded walkway

Sensitisation on NMT infrastructure

(left) City officials using the Pedestrian Environment Audit kit to observe and understand the needs & challenges faced by NMT users through a hands on exercise; (right) City officials playing the game designed to develop an understanding about the different modes of transportation and the pros and cons associated with each mode.

Capacity enhancement for implementation of NMT infrastructure

Innovative components (sample)

• Mapping user groups and their needs

Game play

A player has to select any one mode of transport in each turn.

They can move in continuous steps in any direction.However, every mode of transport has its own speed and pollution fee. The pollution fee has to be given to the bank every time a person chooses to move based on the chosen mode of transport for that round of play.

The player with all (6) or maximum destinations covered and with the most money at the end wins the game.

Game was designed and developed collaboratively with an intern

Game board as an abstract map of Coimbatore city

Role play exercise followed by mapping the different user groups as identified during the pedestrian environment audit to understand their needs and issues.

• Pedestrian environment audit - Technical

Providing an in depth understanding of the street through systematic data collection including detailed mapping of site condition.

• Redesigning the street ROW & intersection

The activity uses all the data collected from the on-site audits and verifications to design a reconfigured street section. Various street elements are provided in the form of cut outs which participants use to design a street section.

• Testing the designs on the ground

This activity introduces tactical urbanism* as a quick and effective approach to test designs before actually finalising them for construction.

ACCESSIBLE QUARTER

Chennai, India Professional work (2019 - 2022)

Project components

Accessible pathway

Access to the waters using Eco friendly materials

Exact contribution to the project: Research, DPR, Conceptual design , detailed design, tender drawings, estimate, stakeholder engagement, capcity enchancement, site supervision Timeline: May 2019 to November 2022

Status: Completed

Magizhchi Cafe

Museum of Possibilities

Demonstrating alternative living across the domains of Live work and play

Exact contribution to the project: Conceptual design, detailed designs, estimate and site supervision

Timeline: Dec 2019 to June 2022

Status: Completed

Graphic: Vidhya V

Vocational skills training centre cum rooftop cafeteria

Exact contribution to the project: Conceptual design, detailed designs, estimate

Timeline: February 2020 to June 2022

Status: Completed

Accessible quarter

Currently accessible

Currently inaccessible

Accessible office

Optimization of space and universally accessible

Exact contribution to the project: Conceptual planning & design

Timeline: February 2021 to Ongoing

Status: Awaiting funding approval

Graphic: Nawin S

State Commissionerate for the Differently-abled & Proposed Museum of possibilities & Roof top cafeteria

Plaza

Bus stops

Skating ring

Proposed beach access pathway Gandhi Statue plaza

Accessible public toilet

Right of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, mandated that all the government buildings and public spaces be made accessible for persons with disabilities to be able to navigate on any day. Marina beach being one of the most preferred recreational spaces in the city, the project aims to make a 400 metre stretch fully accessible as a pilot project. The pilot stretch also has various other amenities, both existing and proposed and hence making this quarter accessible will serve its fullest potential to persons with disabilities.

View of site with the proposed circuit and broken links

Provide the seamless and safe transition between the existing promenade and proposed pathway

Exact contribution to the project: Conceptual planning & design, detailed designs, tender drawings, Estimate

Timeline: March 2020 to November 2022

Status: Inprogress

Accessible pathway

Detailed

BEACH ACCESSIBILITY PROJECT, CHENNAI

Before implementation

Proposed

Photographs of PwD facing barriers in accessing the waters till 2022; Image source: Vaishnavi/ DRA

With no such projects existing in the entire country the proposed design was made taking into consideration several aspects such as requirements from global practices, local stakeholder needs, site

Post implementation

A conceptual representation of the proposed wooden pathway for PwDs to access the waters

specification considerations such as loose soil, olive ridley nesting, coastal zone regulations, and environmentally sustainable materials & construction techniques.

With the implementation completed in November 2022, Marina Beach in Chennai is now India’s first accessible beach.

One long pending dream of many made a reality

Image credit - Sarveshwaran Ganapathy

Accessible quarter

Existing issues

Access

Lack of accessible kerb drop ramp

Lack of accessible kerb drop ramp at intersections

Lack of Pedestrian refugee Islands

Lack of Ramp for access Over speeding of vehicles Existing

Barriers along the circuit

Obstruction caused by existing toe wall

Obstruction caused by existing bollards

Abundant provision for parking

ramp

View of site with the location and nature of issues

Recommendations (Sample)

Lack of accessible kerb drop ramp

Obstruction caused due to existing bollards

The key challenge was to restrict motorcycles but also allow wheelchair users. The proposed design was based on multiple iterations tested

Photograph

Table top Pedestrian crossing

Photograph of the issue on site

Proposed intervention

Table top Pedestrian crossing

Photograph

Credit - Nawin Saravanan

View of the proposed intervention

Udaeceatem. Ita sim ipientibust, serum liquati busaepr ehendignis ium, cum repudant aut aborem dignimet am ilis ero que sequam et, sume illes aliquas volum quos event, quo beatent liquiae labor aturero doluptaspita dolorem dolorumqui quam coreictatem eost lant fugia porestis expernam invenis dionsedit doluptis volorep eribusandae officid quam volupist, sandipitas ea dus, sum ipsant la pe cuptat volupta tiistion nam repre volore corias minctiumquo maxim et rerro bea di con nobis siment animus sum reratur re volorem vidundi tatqui sinis et vollest ionectiae. Nequibu scimus que sam ad mosam et verum aut endent, odis molorate moluptur, omnias nos doloritibus cum ut quia voloren dandige

The rapid urban growth

Towards Chennai Towards Bengaluru

Palar river

Palar river

1500s - Historic settlement

The original settlement was comprised of the market town, the casbah and the fort. Water needs were met from the bunded tanks and natural streams that carried water down the Sathuvachari Hills.

Towards Chennai

1700s

- Colonial era

The British colonial settlement added a cantonment area as well as several regiment areas to the existing fabric. To meet the additional water demand, they lined several nalas to carry the water to various parts of the city.

A

Palar river

Palar river

1872 - The Great floods

The Great floods of 1872 was the first instance of cloud burst that caused a breach in a series of tanks that resulted in the flooding of the settlement and severe loss to life and property.

2017 - Post Independence era

With the Sathuvachari Hills restricting development in the southern end, postindependence Vellore grew along the expressways that were built to connect Chennai and Bangalore as well as along the northern axis towards Katpadi station. Unregulated development patterns caused further depletion and degradation of water bodies and resulted in water imbalances for this growing city.

Spatial manifestation of water security issues in 2017

Water supply &

systems

Drinking water sources have either dried up or have been contaminated through solid and liquid waste dumping thereby rendering them unfit for use.

Acute water shortage and inadequate water supply infrastructure continually stress Vellore residents

Types of degradation of water bodies

The rapid urban growth has led to degradation of water bodies along the city and the graphic shows the impact of degradation along the city through a transect

ENCROACHED

DRIED UP

Sathuvachari hills

Urbanisation pressures have caused depletion of agricultural lands along the flood plains of the Palar river and compromised the urban ecology associated with the river system.

CONCRETED DUMPED

Increase in area of non-permeable surfaces increases runoff and further reduces groundwater percolation.

Inadequate green cover has aggravated the urban heat island effect. This in turn has contributed to the failure of monsoons. Since 2016, summer temperatures recorded have been consistently 5 to 6 degrees higher than the average for these months.

Despite official reports on groundwater conditions calling out the entire district of Vellore for over exploiting the water table, illegal extraction continues including along the flood plains of the Palar river

Palar r ver

Lake

Cana

What if aiming for a BLUE - GREEN surplus by 2047 could guide Vellore’s development trajectory?

Proposed strategy

Restore. Store. Reuse

Guiding principles (Marco level)

COMMUNITY-LED URBAN GREENING

The vision is to have water security for every individual plot, street and neighborhood through a decentralized multi-stakeholder approach covering design, planning, and policy-based solutions.

Neighbourhood Scale

SHIFTING TOWARDS DEWATS

Setting up of decentralized wastewater treatment system (DEWATS) units to curb and treat discharge at the neighbourhood level and to reuse the treated water to revive water bodies and their ecosystems.

CREATING BIOSWALES

Protecting existing green cover and planting native species like Peltophorum and Raintree to help combat rising temperatures and enable water percolation to enrich the water table.

MANDATING SLOPED ROOFS FOR ALL BUILDINGS

A sloped roof with clay tiles for all buildings helps to harvest more runoff even in shorter spells of rain. This must be mandated through a revision to the city’s development control regulations.

CREATING SPONGE PARKS

A water body restoration program must be prioritised to revive the city’s system of reservoirs. In addition, low lying areas across the city should be redeveloped to incorporate sponge parks to capture runoff and improve groundwater recharge. Wherever required development rights can be transferred along transit corridors.

Replacing the conventional concreted storm-water drain pipes with bio-swales to capture surface runoff and also recharge the groundwater. The planting of native vegetation along these swales can also reduce the heat island effect along the streets.

INCREASING PERMEABILITY

Mandating the maximum non-permeable surface for all properties through the city’s development control regulations to ensure maximum groundwater recharge.

RAIN WATER HARVESTING & GREY WATER RECYCLING

In 2005, the State government had mandated rainwater harvesting in every plot. A revised policy making it mandatory for all plots to harvest rainwater as well as recycle greywater will ensure optimum storage and reuse.

Testing Ground

One of the canals located on the foothills of Sathuvachari was chosen as a demonstration site for a water-secure Vellore. This 500 metre stretch of the canal runs through a low-density residential neighbourhood. On its northern end, the canal runs below the national highway and truncates beyond without any clear delineation of its edges. The approach for demonstrating the macro level strategies for a water secure Vellore at this site combines with a reading of the challenges and opportunities presented here at the micro level to derive water sensitive urban design proposal.

Site-specific challenges

Design principles (Mirco)

Streets for all

Prioritizing the most vulnerable users of the street by reducing the width of the carriage way to streamline the vehicular movement, calming traffic and reclaiming space for pedestrians, cyclists and related amenities.

The Urban courtyard

A courtyard is a multi-functional, multi-use space placed between rooms in a traditional house unit. The street is re imagined as a public space similar to the courtyard in a house. Allowing various activities for all age groups, encouraging eyes on the street, and creating opportunities to socialise and interact with water. All this is aimed at enabling a connect with water, the street and its inhabitants.

Nature based solutions

Retaining the existing trees and increasing the green cover by planting native species. Creating sponge parks, bio swales and recharge wells to improve the micro climate and facilitate ground water recharge. Also reviving the cemented canal by softening

its edges with vegetation and flushing treated water from the DEWATS unit into the canal. Setting up composting units, MRF, RRC to facilitate source segregation and reduce waste sent to dump-yards.

Vision for Demonstration area for 2047

The core vision for the demonstration site is to enable every user to develop a sense of belonging by accommodating all the user requirements and making it a completely self sufficient and sustainable neighbourhood. In a way, this vision is a path to absorb the traditional practice in a modern day.

Increased green cover

Constructed wetlands Improving biodiversity

Sidewalk Bioswale

Marathadi (seating space)

Streamlined carriage way

Street sectional view from the reclaimed carriage way

Pathway (Permeable paver) Micro level design principles Holistic solution

Other activity spaces Macro level guiding principles

Approach City’s vision based Demonstration area’s vision based outcomes N 0 50 100 200 Metres

Restored canal with constructed wet lands Streamlined carriage way

Households harvesting rain water and recycling greywater Seating under trees

Rain garden

Permeable paver

Part B

Other related projects

PARTICIPATORY PLANNING

Cities for Play, Ayodhya Kagar Chennai, India | Profession work

AREA: 2 Hectares

DENSITY: 1634/Hectare

LAND-USE: Residential

USER-GROUP: 1000 + children & other residents

STRENGTH: Strong sense of community & inhert skill set of fishing folks

Willingness to take up active play and sports

WEAKNESS: Limited opportunities for economic & personal growth

OPPORTUNITY: Plenty of unprogrammed open spaces

THREAT: Poor solid waste management coupled with lack of awareness

Ayodhya Nagar is a fishing colony located at the heart of Chennai right across from the Marina beach. In 2017, the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) undertook an in-situ resettlement project here and built 4-storey tenements in a gridded layout to house the 730 odd families who were native residents of this fishing village. Despite a fairly smooth resettlement effort, the design of the public realm here was left unaddressed; apart from the vacant parcels of land in the periphery and centre of the site, all corridors between the tenement blocks were also left unprogrammed. The Cities for Play project aims to reimagine these shared commons through the needs of the 1000+ children who live here but were not accounted for in the design of both the built and unbuilt spaces.

Adults playing Kids playing

Map showing potential spaces of intervention

Unprogrammed/ residual open spaces

Service alleyways

Access corridors

Inference: C2 & C3 are the unprogrammed/ residual spaces that majority want to be transformed.

With respect to service alleys and access corridors the kids want those immediately next to their individual houses activated with play.

Outcome

GAMIFICATION

SDG Game | Profession work (2021)

Game overview

120 minutes

Duration

Online Type 2-6 Players

22 projects

Target Audience

Designed keeping in mind holistic impact and across various sectors

10 rounds

10 years from 2021 to 2030

60 crore/ round/ player INR

Impact on SDG’s based on your choices at the end of the game

Objectives

1. Creating general awareness about SDGs and how they fall under various domains for developmental impact

2. Understanding linkages between SDGs

3. Encouraging a collaborative way of working for better developmental impact

4. Improved decision making guided by SDG performance indicators

5. Improve awareness on how projects at the ward and city level impact overall SDG performance indicators

Game UI - Impact on SDG

RESEARCH ASSESSMENTS

A roadmap for creating livable cities | Profession work (2022)

A comprehensive manual for designing testing safe street design concept through tactical urbanism tailored to Indian context was developed based and published under the Green Urban Mobility Partnership between German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ along with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Govt. of India. It caters to a wide range of audience who want wish to conduct a trail run of redistributing the street RoW and making streets safer for all users. Suitable for citizens, experts and urban local bodies to test the designs and accustomed to the change before permanent implementation.

Creating cities for walking and cycling | Profession work (2020)

A comprehensive manual for designing testing safe street design concept through tactical urbanism tailored to Indian context was developed based and published under the Green Urban Mobility Partnership between German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ along with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Govt. of India. It caters to a wide range of audience who want wish to conduct a trail run of redistributing the street RoW and making streets safer for all users. Suitable for citizens, experts and urban local bodies to test the designs and accustomed to the change before permanent implementation.

A tactical urbanism guidebook | Profession work (2020)

A comprehensive manual for designing testing safe street design concept through tactical urbanism tailored to Indian context was developed based and published under the Green Urban Mobility Partnership between German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ along with Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Govt. of India. It caters to a wide range of audience who want wish to conduct a trail run of redistributing the street RoW and making streets safer for all users. Suitable for citizens, experts and urban local bodies to test the designs and accustomed to the change before permanent implementation.

Participatory Planning in the Era of Physical Distancing | Profession work (2020)

Church Street Ward (CSW) is a dynamic, multicultural, and complex neighborhood in North Westminster, located between Edgware Road and Lisson Grove. The community of CSW, however, struggles with social and economic marginalization despite the strong feeling of community and the success of the Church Street Market. The prevailing poor health, low education qualifications, the poor quality of built environment, high unemployment rates and inadequate access to public realm contribute to poor on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

Church Street Ward (CSW) is a dynamic, multicultural, and complex neighborhood in North Westminster, located between Edgware Road and Lisson Grove. The community of CSW, however, struggles with social and economic marginalization despite the strong feeling of community and the success of the Church Street Market. The prevailing poor health, low education qualifications, the poor quality of built environment, high unemployment rates and inadequate access to public realm contribute to poor on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

Church Street Ward (CSW) is a dynamic, multicultural, and complex neighborhood in North Westminster, located between Edgware Road and Lisson Grove. The community of CSW, however, struggles with social and economic marginalization despite the strong feeling of community and the success of the Church Street Market. The prevailing poor health, low education qualifications, the poor quality of built environment, high unemployment rates and inadequate access to public realm contribute to poor on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

Church Street Ward (CSW) is a dynamic, multicultural, and complex neighborhood in North Westminster, located between Edgware Road and Lisson Grove. The community of CSW, however, struggles with social and economic marginalization despite the strong feeling of community and the success of the Church Street Market. The prevailing poor health, low education qualifications, the poor quality of built environment, high unemployment rates and inadequate access to public realm contribute to poor on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).