Covid left streets relatively clear of traffic, emboldening Calcutta's cyclists who have been banned since 2014 from the 64 arterial roads by the West Bengal government and Kolkata Police. A keen proponent of cycle-safe infrastructure in the City of Joy is Sukrit Sen, Placemaking India's Bengal Hub leader, who takes us on a whirlwind tour of his favourite spots in Kolkata on his bicycle.
A foursome of 20-something architects struggled against the odds to give rights to the city to a neglected community in an affluent neighbourhood of the nation's Capital.
Placemaking in South Asia shares a common history, culture and ecology. In collaboration with Peacemakers Pakistani, Placemaking India kicked off a year-long series of online conversations beginning and concluding on Independence Day under Urban Jam, an initiative for collective learning with the Indic diaspora. The objective of the series was to find common ground on urban issues and engage in mutual discovery of the opportunities and challenges of the public realm in pairs of cities across the border.
Cycling as a way of escaping domestic confinement during the first lockdown fortuitously translated for Placemaking India's Chennai-based Cycling Ambassador, Venugopal AV, into supporting a mission to make the non-motorised two-wheeler a more visible and substantial fixture in the modal mix on India's thoroughfares.
Tactical urbanism faces its share of challenges. Kovai's super-busy Cross Cut Road got an exuberant makeover, when Placemaking India's Tamilnadu Hub Leader, Pavithra Sriram of Design Co:Lab implemented a design brief by IBI Group to create room for shoppers and cyclists to use the road safely.
Even during tensed and politically charged times, Lucknow is one of the few cities to have not faced any major communal riots. The secret lies in the intangible heritage it has inherited, says Placemaking India Lucknow leader Ananya Asthana.
Conserving heritage to bring communities together and stimulate economic regeneration is an important consideration in the post-pandemic scenario in India. In conservation, the past should interact with people's daily lives.
The Urban95 initiative asks, “If you could experience the city from 95cm – the height of a 3-year-old – what would you change?” Devshri Shah, the Gujarat Hub Leader shares the child-friendly initiatives of Bhubaneshwar city in Odisha.
Chennai Children have their day! Read how Dhanya Rajagopal from PLUS worked with the community of Ayodhya Nagar in Chennai to revamp the neighbourhood by optimising children’s mobility and creative learning through play.
Placemaking India Regional Leader, Phaeba Thomas shares her experience about teaming up with Caring For India(CFI) to support the residents of low-income settlements to access public spaces and ensure proper hygiene in Bhopal.
