Sunday, 18 November 2012

Unveil the complexity


An informal space refers to the spontaneous, organic and self-organizing settlement. The informal city deals with the complex relationship between the formal and the informal.  The question of the informal goes to the very core of the meaning and tools of urban-ism itself, challenging many traditions and methodologies of planning and urban design. The informal city redirects the traditional thinking of architecture towards using skills to improve informal settlements for social benefit rather than focusing on the affluent. 

The informal city considers both disruption and order. It is a part of the city yet it stands out due to its informality. It is also important for designers and architects to accept the unaccepted and combine ethics and aesthetics. The most interesting part of a city is that where ever one starts (i.e. at ethics or aesthetics), one will end at the other (i.e. at aesthetics or ethics).

 “City is a complicated thing, but it is about people.”

According to the informal city, informal settlements are not a problem but the solution. Shivajinagar is also an informal settlement which has its own charm. The informal city has a problem-solving approach which is different from what we intend to do in Shivajinagar.  Shivajinagar is organised and planned in its own way (the shops on Jewellery Street or burkhagalli) but chaos is also a part of this space. I also feel that in Shivajinagar not an inch of space is wasted. 

Nandini Bhotika

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