Characteristic: Exotic

An informal city is a city that has sprouted all by itself, and is self-organized.

It is radically different from a planned, carefully constructed city. And although first regarded with a bit of unease, perhaps there is much to be borrowed from informal cities – made so by creatively evolving due to circumstances.

I would think of an informal city as an exotic achievement, both with regard to its functioning as well as its character, its aesthetics. It’s vastly different from the prevailing systems of beige, parallel blocks of buildings, and maintains its own cultural identity, simply by virtue of its differences from other cities.

Shivaji Nagar would be a fitting example of an informal city, being within a city itself, but also in a pocket of its own – so drastically different from the city around it. It is conglomeration of different spheres of planning, brought together both gradually and spontaneously. Shivaji Nagar hosts a large range of flourishing economic ventures. Much inspiration is drawn from Shivaji Nagar by people fascinated by the versatile nature of the area, especially artists. The blend of different strata of society, though they stem from religion or affluence or interests, as opposed to a uniform population, is not something that is permitted in planned sectors. 

This mix is what makes Shivaji Nagar interesting.


Sharanya Soundararajan