(Alex) After traveling together in a pack with 17 other planners and a tour guide in urban-centered India, I must confess to being ready to head off solo to the more kicked back coast. My destination, the state of Kerala, a tropical backwater known for India's highest literacy rate, Aryuvedic healing centers, diverse religious heritage, houseboats, and leftist governments. To keep it simple, I flew from Mumbai to Kochi and took a long taxi ride straight to Greenwoods Bethlehem, a small home stay (that I learned about from the Lonely Planet guidebook) in the low key, historic Fort Cochin area. My room was surrounded by vegetation and came with a ceiling fan, a cool invigorating shower, and only cost 800 rupees ( about $18) per night. My hosts, Ashley and Sheba couldn't have been nicer or more gracious. They immediately offered tea and steered me to an open air roof deck where several European and Canadian travelers were talking organic teas and exchanging travel tips. I decided to stay there all 4 of my remaining nights in India and just do day trips from there.
The street scene in Fort Cochin was definitely less chaotic and much easier to walk around. Nevertheless, western traffic rules such as respecting travel lanes remained optional. I don't recall ever being approached by any beggars in Kerala, although the sidewalk hawkers were equally if not more aggressive than other parts of India. After trying to politely say no thanks, I found myself telling a few of them them that they were not listening. There was plenty to do between the port, historic buildings (including an old synagogue), shops, museums, restaurants, an Aryuvedic massage, and going to Cherai beach - an engaging ferry and bus ride away. Along with every other tourist in town, one evening I saw a traditional Keralan mime-like Kathakali story play performance - characterized by vivid facial expressions, elaborate make-up and a gender bending male cross dresser. I also took a backwater boat tour and cruised by remote, coconut dominated shorelines and witnessed fisherman tugging at nets and woven baskets along shallow estuaries threatened by invasive water hyacinth. It was plenty interesting but next time I would head further south and check out the even more remote backwaters by overnight house boat excursion.
Upon my return and on the advice of our home stay hosts, I immediately hopped in an auto rickshaw with a delightful, young British couple and attended a Hindi celebration in nearby Ernakulam. Despite the long day, it was especially cool because there were a dozen elephants and only a handful of foreign tourists at the temple grounds. While I often shy away from organized religious events - the live, harmonic singing and drum beats quickly inspired and moved even a novice like me to a realm beyond feeling tired and hungry.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Dubai
(Elaine) We just watched a silly movie on the plane from Dubai to SF about a tour group in Greece called “MY LIFE IN RUINS". The comparisons to Sanjey and our group-the foibles on the bus, the funky hotels etc made me laugh. There was no real comparison, though. Our group was enthusiastically engaged in learning about India- unlike the movie tour group who preferred goofy tourist stuff.
After we left India, Bud and I spent a week in the United Arab Emirates with old friends who work there. The Emirates, especially Dubai, are populated with expatriates from all over the world (40% of the population is Indian) who appear to live harmoniously and comfortably with the local Muslim population. The peacefulness and lack of concern with security were striking, especially after Mumbai.
Most people live in very new, high rise apartment buildings. My friends were very critical of the basic apartment housing provided for people who work in construction. It looked pretty good to Bud and me after our India experience
The Emirates demonstrate that a small country with a massive infusion of oil money and autocratic sheiks who control the land and invest in infrastructure can house and serve a huge in-migration. That was a contrast to India. They face the tough issues of lack of democracy and the environmental issues of housing so many people in air – conditioned high rises in the desert. Overall, environmental issues get cursory attention. For example, they are building more shoreline in Dubai by “reclaiming“ the sea to create several palm shaped peninsulas in the gulf for hotels and luxury housing.
The Emirate economy has suffered during the downturn; so much of the new luxury housing is empty. We left the Emirates with concerns about its long term sustainability and impressed with the experience of seeing so many different cultures living together peacefully in the Middle East
We found our whole trip transformative- an amazing chance to learn about India and the Middle East, places that play such key roles in the global future. And we enjoyed traveling with everyone and trying together to understand India.
After we left India, Bud and I spent a week in the United Arab Emirates with old friends who work there. The Emirates, especially Dubai, are populated with expatriates from all over the world (40% of the population is Indian) who appear to live harmoniously and comfortably with the local Muslim population. The peacefulness and lack of concern with security were striking, especially after Mumbai.
Most people live in very new, high rise apartment buildings. My friends were very critical of the basic apartment housing provided for people who work in construction. It looked pretty good to Bud and me after our India experience
The Emirates demonstrate that a small country with a massive infusion of oil money and autocratic sheiks who control the land and invest in infrastructure can house and serve a huge in-migration. That was a contrast to India. They face the tough issues of lack of democracy and the environmental issues of housing so many people in air – conditioned high rises in the desert. Overall, environmental issues get cursory attention. For example, they are building more shoreline in Dubai by “reclaiming“ the sea to create several palm shaped peninsulas in the gulf for hotels and luxury housing.
The Emirate economy has suffered during the downturn; so much of the new luxury housing is empty. We left the Emirates with concerns about its long term sustainability and impressed with the experience of seeing so many different cultures living together peacefully in the Middle East
We found our whole trip transformative- an amazing chance to learn about India and the Middle East, places that play such key roles in the global future. And we enjoyed traveling with everyone and trying together to understand India.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Bombay Gymkhana Club
(Alice) Some of our group had been to dinner with slum redevelopment visionary/advisor Mukesh Mehta, and he'd graciously invited those of us who would still be in town on Saturday afternoon to lunch at his club. Pretty much everyone else was already on their way home, but Julie and I were happy to accept. I'd read about the importance of the old social clubs as a venue for the well-connected in Mumbai and was curious to experience it for myself.
Mukesh sent a message saying he'd "fetch us" at 12:30, and he and his driver picked us up at the Trident right on time. We were soon at the Bombay Gymkhana Club, the oldest of the distinguished social/ athletic clubs in town. The Gymkhana was founded by British residents in 1875, and in the earlier years of its existence, Indians could not become members. In fact, the story goes that Lord Willingdon could not even get through the door with an Indian maharajah as his guest. Lady Willingdon was indignant and felt that Indians should not be excluded from club society, and founded her own club in protest. Amazingly, women were only allowed to become members of the Gymkhana in 2000.
In the modern world the old club has remained exclusive in other ways. A membership application requires a recommendation by a member, interviews, and a demonstration of the prospect's athletic prowess in cricket, tennis or one of the other pursuits carried out on the vast green field framing the club, which has been home to some internationally-ranked championship cricket matches. Mukesh, who is an entertaining raconteur, told the story of making a rather dramatic botch of his cricket skills during his evaluation, yet somehow still gaining the member status that he continues to enjoy decades later.
Mukesh's driver pulls up to a long wood-canopied walkway that leads from the curb to a reception area opening to a wide marble-floored verandah overlooking the vast cricket green. We walk past many rows of substantial verandah furniture and go inside to the main clubhouse dining area that also commands a view of the very green green. The dark wood, brass, leather and glass furnishings exude the patina of many years of comfortable, distinguished service. As impressive as the late Victorian ambience is, this is not a place where members go to be stuffy, and the emphasis on this being a sportsmans' club bats away the possibility of pretension. There is, however, a modest display case housing autographed tennis and cricket memorabilia from international notables.
Mukesh asks what kind of food we'd like and we say Indian, hot is ok, and please do feel free to order for us. The waitstaff is attentive yet completely unobtrusive, as one might expect, and all the food is excellent. Toward the end of the meal, when Julie mentioned how great the kulfti (a kind of dense, reduced-milk ice cream) was at the Trishna restaurant the night before, Mukesh ventured that the Gymkhana chef probably does even better, and a minute later we're eating three varieties of wonderful kulfti.
But the real treat of this lunch was to have the opportunity for more conversation with our host. In the group's previous meetings with Mukesh, we'd heard much of his bold plans for rehabilitating and revitalizing the vast Dharavi squatter's area (Mumbai's largest) as well as the squatter areas by the airport and the depressed rural areas which the country poor abandon for the urban slums. We could have easily discussed these things further, but we also got to know more about Mukesh's life history, his family, his years living in Long Island and how his interest in the residents of Dharavi evolved from self-interest to a strong admiration for their resourcefulness and ambition. There is a reason why certain people are more than commonly successful in their life's pursuits: while Mukesh is self-deprecating and attributes many things in his life to "luck", the three-hour lunch allowed some insight into his willingness to go out on a limb and make some bold decisions at the right times for "luck" to occur. We also discovered that today was his birthday, and after being a gracious host to his American guests, he was going home to more feasting with his family. He explained that many Indians have domestic help to do the cooking, so it is a very special honor when his wife and his son decided to cook the birthday meal.
Full of our last Mumbai cuisine and good conversation, we are driven back to the Trident with just enough time to pack and check out. As the car gets the full security inspection before entering the hotel driveway, Mukesh says, "We lost our innocence on the 26th last year."
Even regarding our departure plans, Mukesh is full of good advice. He recommended a service named Mega Cab, which true to its name has cars slightly larger than the usual taxis. He told us: make the driver put the meter on, and take the Sea Link bridge. In spite of some traffic we arrive early and the fare is less than 400 rupees.
Our APA group has been treated very graciously and generously by all our hosts and contacts in India, and I will never forget how welcoming the culture has been to this crew of sometimes clueless but well-meaning Americans. It was fine indeed to have again experienced this kind of hospitality that I can only hope to some day reciprocate; our three-week welcome is fresh in my mind as we drive over the Sea Link with the sun going down on Mumbai.
Mukesh sent a message saying he'd "fetch us" at 12:30, and he and his driver picked us up at the Trident right on time. We were soon at the Bombay Gymkhana Club, the oldest of the distinguished social/ athletic clubs in town. The Gymkhana was founded by British residents in 1875, and in the earlier years of its existence, Indians could not become members. In fact, the story goes that Lord Willingdon could not even get through the door with an Indian maharajah as his guest. Lady Willingdon was indignant and felt that Indians should not be excluded from club society, and founded her own club in protest. Amazingly, women were only allowed to become members of the Gymkhana in 2000.
In the modern world the old club has remained exclusive in other ways. A membership application requires a recommendation by a member, interviews, and a demonstration of the prospect's athletic prowess in cricket, tennis or one of the other pursuits carried out on the vast green field framing the club, which has been home to some internationally-ranked championship cricket matches. Mukesh, who is an entertaining raconteur, told the story of making a rather dramatic botch of his cricket skills during his evaluation, yet somehow still gaining the member status that he continues to enjoy decades later.
Mukesh's driver pulls up to a long wood-canopied walkway that leads from the curb to a reception area opening to a wide marble-floored verandah overlooking the vast cricket green. We walk past many rows of substantial verandah furniture and go inside to the main clubhouse dining area that also commands a view of the very green green. The dark wood, brass, leather and glass furnishings exude the patina of many years of comfortable, distinguished service. As impressive as the late Victorian ambience is, this is not a place where members go to be stuffy, and the emphasis on this being a sportsmans' club bats away the possibility of pretension. There is, however, a modest display case housing autographed tennis and cricket memorabilia from international notables.
Mukesh asks what kind of food we'd like and we say Indian, hot is ok, and please do feel free to order for us. The waitstaff is attentive yet completely unobtrusive, as one might expect, and all the food is excellent. Toward the end of the meal, when Julie mentioned how great the kulfti (a kind of dense, reduced-milk ice cream) was at the Trishna restaurant the night before, Mukesh ventured that the Gymkhana chef probably does even better, and a minute later we're eating three varieties of wonderful kulfti.
But the real treat of this lunch was to have the opportunity for more conversation with our host. In the group's previous meetings with Mukesh, we'd heard much of his bold plans for rehabilitating and revitalizing the vast Dharavi squatter's area (Mumbai's largest) as well as the squatter areas by the airport and the depressed rural areas which the country poor abandon for the urban slums. We could have easily discussed these things further, but we also got to know more about Mukesh's life history, his family, his years living in Long Island and how his interest in the residents of Dharavi evolved from self-interest to a strong admiration for their resourcefulness and ambition. There is a reason why certain people are more than commonly successful in their life's pursuits: while Mukesh is self-deprecating and attributes many things in his life to "luck", the three-hour lunch allowed some insight into his willingness to go out on a limb and make some bold decisions at the right times for "luck" to occur. We also discovered that today was his birthday, and after being a gracious host to his American guests, he was going home to more feasting with his family. He explained that many Indians have domestic help to do the cooking, so it is a very special honor when his wife and his son decided to cook the birthday meal.
Full of our last Mumbai cuisine and good conversation, we are driven back to the Trident with just enough time to pack and check out. As the car gets the full security inspection before entering the hotel driveway, Mukesh says, "We lost our innocence on the 26th last year."
Even regarding our departure plans, Mukesh is full of good advice. He recommended a service named Mega Cab, which true to its name has cars slightly larger than the usual taxis. He told us: make the driver put the meter on, and take the Sea Link bridge. In spite of some traffic we arrive early and the fare is less than 400 rupees.
Our APA group has been treated very graciously and generously by all our hosts and contacts in India, and I will never forget how welcoming the culture has been to this crew of sometimes clueless but well-meaning Americans. It was fine indeed to have again experienced this kind of hospitality that I can only hope to some day reciprocate; our three-week welcome is fresh in my mind as we drive over the Sea Link with the sun going down on Mumbai.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Singapore Redux
On our way back to the States, Jim and Barbara Kautz and I spent a few hours in Singapore. We took the Metro into town (can you believe it, the Airport Metro stop ticket office doesn't open until 11, so we couldn't buy our tourist pass there), and started readjusting to the first world. Within moments of our arrival at the City Hall stop, we were eating crepes at a creperie Hing and I had discovered three weeks ago. We had so few concerns about the cleanliness of the food and water that we drank the tap water set on our table without even thinking about it, and later at a different cafe ordered iced coffees and italian sodas without making them pour the water out of a mineral water bottle at the table.
Exploring Singapore with an architect is a lot of fun. Singapore has a lot of modern buildings, and some preserved older ones too, and Jim was able to tell us the trials and challenges of each building, from materials to maintenance. We discussed the different things you can find on buildings in Singapore, including paint, ivy, eyebrows, and glass, but not mold, graffiti, or chewing gum.
None of us wanted to visit Little India, but we did walk through the district around Arab Street then out to a metro stop in the suburbs. We also saw a series of motorcades from the bigwigs attending the APEC meeting in Singapore, and we know one of those limos could have held our president. We cruised back to Changhi and without any single line or unnecessary security check, got on our plane to come home.
Exploring Singapore with an architect is a lot of fun. Singapore has a lot of modern buildings, and some preserved older ones too, and Jim was able to tell us the trials and challenges of each building, from materials to maintenance. We discussed the different things you can find on buildings in Singapore, including paint, ivy, eyebrows, and glass, but not mold, graffiti, or chewing gum.
None of us wanted to visit Little India, but we did walk through the district around Arab Street then out to a metro stop in the suburbs. We also saw a series of motorcades from the bigwigs attending the APEC meeting in Singapore, and we know one of those limos could have held our president. We cruised back to Changhi and without any single line or unnecessary security check, got on our plane to come home.
Escape From Bombay
(Snake Plisskin) On Friday evening seven of us piled into two taxis and tried to catch our flights out of Bombay's International Airport. Although many had told us to leave plenty of time in advance of our flights, none of us anticipated the magnitude of the obstacles before us.
Our adventure started when trying to fit seven people and their bags into two mini taxis. How many planners can you fit in a Bombay taxi? Four, with baggage. We were squeezed in like circus clowns. One of the taxis almost drove off with the trunk unlatched - that final bag ended up riding in someone's lap. In the other taxi, the three crammed in the back seat were almost riding on each other's lap. Every 15 minutes on the ride we would choreograph a shifting of positions, so uncomfortable were we.
The trip out started as expected. We were leaving the equivalent of Manhattan on a Friday evening, so the streets were full, horns were honking, and music was blaring. Our 430 air conditioner was struggling to keep us cool. The willingness to drive within lanes, a uniquely Bombay trait, started to break down. Still, we had been warned about this, and the experience seemed within reason. We figured it would clear out once we got out of downtown.
We cleared downtown after about 25 minutes of stoplighted boulevards, and once we passed a construction zone and entered a suburban thoroughfare, we thought we were on our way. Indeed, for about 10 minutes driving along the east shoreline of Mahim Bay, we moved for several minutes at about 35 km/h. But once we got to the area around the Dharavi squatter settlement, traffic slowed down again, and we realized that things had only looked good on that stretch of road because so many other travelers (including our second taxi) had paid the toll to use the SeaLink bridge on the west side of Mahim Bay. Now the two paths merged again, and traffic clogged up again. Creeping past Dharavi, we were tempted to strike up conversations with our neighbors, only 12 inches away.
The next stretch of road was an expressway that we had driven once before at midday earlier in the week, and we were thrilled to recognize landmarks that meant for us progress on the route. But progress was still slow, and instead of stoplights slowing traffic, here we had stalled vehicles causing lanes to merge. To save gas, many drivers turn their engines off when stopped. At stoplights we could understand it, but in the middle of an expressway traffic jam, we thought the risks of not being able to start the engine again were too high. It was at this point that we truly began to appreciate the genius of our driver. While we could hardly get him to turn the radio down, and while trying to explain to him that he should keep the engine running seemed a hopeless task, we appreciated the skill with which he anticipated stalled cars and switched lanes before others noticed, the way he would honk any time someone would encroach in our space, he would cut off other cars that were trying to scoot past us, and could squeeze through gaps like a cockroach. His taxi (and amazingly many others) had no dents. Despite driving for 30 minutes within handshake distance of our fellow travelers, there were no fender benders.
We started to see signs for the airport, thankfully in the direction we were headed. Eventually we left the expressway and got to the surface streets that would take us to the terminal. The streets were still jammed, and we could hardly believe that this many people were going to the airport. We speculated that this was the result of not having light rail to go to the airport, but when we finally got to the terminal roads, the traffic disappeared. As we alighted curbside, there was plenty of parking and no honking cars. I gave the taxi driver a 20% tip, and our only concern at this point was whether one of the stalled taxis we had passed on the way in was the other taxi of our group. Our bags were all split up between the two taxis, so nobody would have been able to travel without both taxis arriving at the airport. However, we quickly found our other group, and we compared notes about the ride in. They had saved 10 minutes by taking the SeaLink, but their driver wasn't as 'skilled' as ours, so they only arrived five minutes ahead of us.
We had covered 18 miles in two hours.
The next challenge was to get onto the plane. We had to show our (e)tickets before we could enter the airport, and we first had to stand in a line to xray screen our checkin luggage before we even approached the checkin counter. They treated Lee like a first class passenger and let him cut in line, and Hing followed and got through, but the rest of us got kicked back to the end of the economy passenger line. Once the checkin bag was screened, it was wrapped with security tape and we stood in line to check in. Check in went normal, so we graduated to the third line, which was to get to the gates. Here they xray screened our carry on luggage, and we got the most thorough patting down of the whole trip (high end hotels here also have xray screening and pat downs with the metal detector wands). They found my money belt that nobody else had found, and the ladies' line (yes, separate lines for Ladies and Gents) was so long that one thought it must be for the restroom. We all did eventually make it through to the gate, and we spent our last rupees on snacks.
After 30 minutes in the lobby at the gate, they began boarding, and we stood in the last lines of our trip. We showed boarding passes at the gate, then in the passage to the plane our carryon luggage was subjected to a hand-search. 10 meters later we had to show our boarding pass stub to the stewards before getting on the plane. I tried to get board without showing it, saying that I knew where my seat was, but they insisted, for 'security' reasons. We finally did make it on the plane and settled comfortably (compared to the taxi, economy class was comfortable) into our seats, dreaming of the drinkable tap water and queueless airport of Singapore.
Our adventure started when trying to fit seven people and their bags into two mini taxis. How many planners can you fit in a Bombay taxi? Four, with baggage. We were squeezed in like circus clowns. One of the taxis almost drove off with the trunk unlatched - that final bag ended up riding in someone's lap. In the other taxi, the three crammed in the back seat were almost riding on each other's lap. Every 15 minutes on the ride we would choreograph a shifting of positions, so uncomfortable were we.
The trip out started as expected. We were leaving the equivalent of Manhattan on a Friday evening, so the streets were full, horns were honking, and music was blaring. Our 430 air conditioner was struggling to keep us cool. The willingness to drive within lanes, a uniquely Bombay trait, started to break down. Still, we had been warned about this, and the experience seemed within reason. We figured it would clear out once we got out of downtown.
We cleared downtown after about 25 minutes of stoplighted boulevards, and once we passed a construction zone and entered a suburban thoroughfare, we thought we were on our way. Indeed, for about 10 minutes driving along the east shoreline of Mahim Bay, we moved for several minutes at about 35 km/h. But once we got to the area around the Dharavi squatter settlement, traffic slowed down again, and we realized that things had only looked good on that stretch of road because so many other travelers (including our second taxi) had paid the toll to use the SeaLink bridge on the west side of Mahim Bay. Now the two paths merged again, and traffic clogged up again. Creeping past Dharavi, we were tempted to strike up conversations with our neighbors, only 12 inches away.
The next stretch of road was an expressway that we had driven once before at midday earlier in the week, and we were thrilled to recognize landmarks that meant for us progress on the route. But progress was still slow, and instead of stoplights slowing traffic, here we had stalled vehicles causing lanes to merge. To save gas, many drivers turn their engines off when stopped. At stoplights we could understand it, but in the middle of an expressway traffic jam, we thought the risks of not being able to start the engine again were too high. It was at this point that we truly began to appreciate the genius of our driver. While we could hardly get him to turn the radio down, and while trying to explain to him that he should keep the engine running seemed a hopeless task, we appreciated the skill with which he anticipated stalled cars and switched lanes before others noticed, the way he would honk any time someone would encroach in our space, he would cut off other cars that were trying to scoot past us, and could squeeze through gaps like a cockroach. His taxi (and amazingly many others) had no dents. Despite driving for 30 minutes within handshake distance of our fellow travelers, there were no fender benders.
We started to see signs for the airport, thankfully in the direction we were headed. Eventually we left the expressway and got to the surface streets that would take us to the terminal. The streets were still jammed, and we could hardly believe that this many people were going to the airport. We speculated that this was the result of not having light rail to go to the airport, but when we finally got to the terminal roads, the traffic disappeared. As we alighted curbside, there was plenty of parking and no honking cars. I gave the taxi driver a 20% tip, and our only concern at this point was whether one of the stalled taxis we had passed on the way in was the other taxi of our group. Our bags were all split up between the two taxis, so nobody would have been able to travel without both taxis arriving at the airport. However, we quickly found our other group, and we compared notes about the ride in. They had saved 10 minutes by taking the SeaLink, but their driver wasn't as 'skilled' as ours, so they only arrived five minutes ahead of us.
We had covered 18 miles in two hours.
The next challenge was to get onto the plane. We had to show our (e)tickets before we could enter the airport, and we first had to stand in a line to xray screen our checkin luggage before we even approached the checkin counter. They treated Lee like a first class passenger and let him cut in line, and Hing followed and got through, but the rest of us got kicked back to the end of the economy passenger line. Once the checkin bag was screened, it was wrapped with security tape and we stood in line to check in. Check in went normal, so we graduated to the third line, which was to get to the gates. Here they xray screened our carry on luggage, and we got the most thorough patting down of the whole trip (high end hotels here also have xray screening and pat downs with the metal detector wands). They found my money belt that nobody else had found, and the ladies' line (yes, separate lines for Ladies and Gents) was so long that one thought it must be for the restroom. We all did eventually make it through to the gate, and we spent our last rupees on snacks.
After 30 minutes in the lobby at the gate, they began boarding, and we stood in the last lines of our trip. We showed boarding passes at the gate, then in the passage to the plane our carryon luggage was subjected to a hand-search. 10 meters later we had to show our boarding pass stub to the stewards before getting on the plane. I tried to get board without showing it, saying that I knew where my seat was, but they insisted, for 'security' reasons. We finally did make it on the plane and settled comfortably (compared to the taxi, economy class was comfortable) into our seats, dreaming of the drinkable tap water and queueless airport of Singapore.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Planning in Bombay
The Sir J. J. College of Architecture in Bombay is the oldest Architecture school in Asia, and they treated us to a three hour seminar on Planning in Bombay. We heard five speakers in the three hours, chosen to give us a good cross section of disciplines and perspectives. We heard from the head of the College, an urban designer, an activist, an architect, and a developer. Together, the speakers gave us an outline of the city history, its architecture, urban challenges, and the policies planned to address them.
Bombay used to be seven islands, and landfill has brought the town's landscape to its present form. Many of the town's grandest buildings were built in the 1800's by the Royal Engineers, so the architects are unknown (or uncredited: This was the second time a host noted the anonymity of the architects of some of India's historic buildings). There are also plenty of Miami-style Art Deco buildings from the 1930s. The 1970s saw Bombay's first regional plan, the airport, and a bridge between Bombay and New Bombay (a new district across the bay from the old Bombay). In 1997 the city changed it's name to Mumbai (though many still refer to it as Bombay). Historically the city's economy has been based on trade and textiles, and more recently film, finance, and some information technology are included in the mix. The city's growth may require the development of a New New Bombay, south of the original Bombay and the existing New Bombay on the east side of the bay.
One policy consideration has been whether or not to break the Mumbai Metropolitan Region into subregions, but so far planners think that the region's problems need more interregional cooperation than they do more local control (though in 2005 they have introduced the idea of Township Zones as an additional planning tool). Plus, there are not enough town planners for every district to have their own planning department. They are also including globalization as a force shaping the city and the needs of districts within the city, identifying different parts of the city as globalized, urban turning global, declining urban re-emerging as global, and unaffected by globalization.
They spoke like so many others on in-migration, noting that in-migration is caused not just by the pull of the city, but also by the push of bad prospects in the villages. In the city, at least there is food, and food is more important than shelter. In the squatter settlements there are more jobs than people, and 68% of employment is in the informal sector.
Another policy consideration is the reduced reliance on bulk land acquisition to manage development. Just as in many other cities we visited, their post-1990 master plan relies less on bulk land acquisition as a planning tool than pre-1990 plans. A contemporary shift to emphasis on creating ownership housing led to a lack of new rental housing, which combined with rent control laws that destroyed the ability of landlords to make a profit from their property, let to a lack of new rental housing being created. This is now changing again, Bombay has purposefully created renter housing, and they intend to change the settlements from horizontal development to vertical development.
There are many projects to redevelop squatter settlements and other housing. 55% of the Bombay population lives in squatter settlements. We heard some fantastic stories of existing conditions of housing, including one building with a tree growing on the 5th floor that cannot be removed because its roots are the only thing holding the building together. One redevelopment project we were told of will convert 70 acres of settlements into several seven-story buildings, with units as small as 225 sf. There are scores of other similar projects, including a pilot project which would provide 150 sf units for a family of 5. They have identified dozens of 40 acre clusters of unsafe buildings which could and should be redeveloped as a cluster (not on a building by building basis). Their goal is to be able to develop 300 sf units.
For the largest squatter settlement, Dharavi, there is an incremental development scheme in place. It involves addressing the settlement piece by piece in townships of 15-20 thousand residents. The developer of the plan took the trouble (inspired by Howard Hughes' tendency to immerse himself in projects) to locate his office in the settlement for several months while developing the plan. He found a bustling economy of diverse industries, and designed his redevelopment plans to preserve the mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial by having the new structures have the first few floors accomodate retail and light industry. He felt he would need 12-14 story towers to accomodate needs for light, air, foot traffic, retail activity, schools, and the desired multifunctionality of his redevelopment areas (though he purposely does not try to mix the rental housing portions of the redevelopment with wealthier ownership housing district. Part of the basis for his confidence in the redevelopment plan is his confidence in the aspirations and work ethic of the squatter settlement residents.
Bombay used to be seven islands, and landfill has brought the town's landscape to its present form. Many of the town's grandest buildings were built in the 1800's by the Royal Engineers, so the architects are unknown (or uncredited: This was the second time a host noted the anonymity of the architects of some of India's historic buildings). There are also plenty of Miami-style Art Deco buildings from the 1930s. The 1970s saw Bombay's first regional plan, the airport, and a bridge between Bombay and New Bombay (a new district across the bay from the old Bombay). In 1997 the city changed it's name to Mumbai (though many still refer to it as Bombay). Historically the city's economy has been based on trade and textiles, and more recently film, finance, and some information technology are included in the mix. The city's growth may require the development of a New New Bombay, south of the original Bombay and the existing New Bombay on the east side of the bay.
One policy consideration has been whether or not to break the Mumbai Metropolitan Region into subregions, but so far planners think that the region's problems need more interregional cooperation than they do more local control (though in 2005 they have introduced the idea of Township Zones as an additional planning tool). Plus, there are not enough town planners for every district to have their own planning department. They are also including globalization as a force shaping the city and the needs of districts within the city, identifying different parts of the city as globalized, urban turning global, declining urban re-emerging as global, and unaffected by globalization.
They spoke like so many others on in-migration, noting that in-migration is caused not just by the pull of the city, but also by the push of bad prospects in the villages. In the city, at least there is food, and food is more important than shelter. In the squatter settlements there are more jobs than people, and 68% of employment is in the informal sector.
Another policy consideration is the reduced reliance on bulk land acquisition to manage development. Just as in many other cities we visited, their post-1990 master plan relies less on bulk land acquisition as a planning tool than pre-1990 plans. A contemporary shift to emphasis on creating ownership housing led to a lack of new rental housing, which combined with rent control laws that destroyed the ability of landlords to make a profit from their property, let to a lack of new rental housing being created. This is now changing again, Bombay has purposefully created renter housing, and they intend to change the settlements from horizontal development to vertical development.
There are many projects to redevelop squatter settlements and other housing. 55% of the Bombay population lives in squatter settlements. We heard some fantastic stories of existing conditions of housing, including one building with a tree growing on the 5th floor that cannot be removed because its roots are the only thing holding the building together. One redevelopment project we were told of will convert 70 acres of settlements into several seven-story buildings, with units as small as 225 sf. There are scores of other similar projects, including a pilot project which would provide 150 sf units for a family of 5. They have identified dozens of 40 acre clusters of unsafe buildings which could and should be redeveloped as a cluster (not on a building by building basis). Their goal is to be able to develop 300 sf units.
For the largest squatter settlement, Dharavi, there is an incremental development scheme in place. It involves addressing the settlement piece by piece in townships of 15-20 thousand residents. The developer of the plan took the trouble (inspired by Howard Hughes' tendency to immerse himself in projects) to locate his office in the settlement for several months while developing the plan. He found a bustling economy of diverse industries, and designed his redevelopment plans to preserve the mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial by having the new structures have the first few floors accomodate retail and light industry. He felt he would need 12-14 story towers to accomodate needs for light, air, foot traffic, retail activity, schools, and the desired multifunctionality of his redevelopment areas (though he purposely does not try to mix the rental housing portions of the redevelopment with wealthier ownership housing district. Part of the basis for his confidence in the redevelopment plan is his confidence in the aspirations and work ethic of the squatter settlement residents.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Amazing Race
Lost Things: Cheryl & Brandon, the Jims, and Kate & Karen. C&B's bags did not make the connecting flight into Delhi, so they showed up in Delhi on Saturday morning without extra clothes. They get a point because the airline gave them cash to buy a few days worth of clothes, and on that Saturday morning they found the best clothes shop of any of us, and it was just a two minute walk from the hotel. Their bags showed were delivered to the hotel the next day. Karen left a hat on the Chandigahr bus. Its a keepsake hat, so Sanjay called the Chandigahr bus and asked if they had found the hat. They had, and will be shipping it to Mumbai to meet us there. Kate stepped on elevators twice in Delhi without knowing which floor to exit on, and had to call to get directions. Jim Kautz lost his camera before he even got to Delhi, in the security check in Seoul on the way to India. Jim Miller left his camera on a table in the lobby of the Trident hotel, but hotel security (very tight here) picked it up and had it in lost and found for him when he came looking for it an hour later.
Shenanigans: Bud, Cheryl, and Alex, Hing and Alice. Coming up the stairs from an underground bazaar, Bud got swarmed by a flock of gypsies, and within seconds they had their hands in his bag before he even noticed. Only one point for Bud, who apparently has been pickpocketed on every continent he has visited, and because the theft was not consumated. Also one point for Cheryl, who quickly shouted 'watch out! watch out!' and shooed the gypsies away to prevent the theft. Alex bought some batteries at a vendor at Fatepuhr Sikri even though we had been specifically warned that they might sell empties. He tested his new purchase and thought at first that he had been sold empties, but then realized he had just put them in backwards - One point for succeeding with the street vendors. Hing and Alice asked the hotel to arrange for massages, and they got amateurs, barbers, and twins. They got a partial refund.
Delhi Belly: Rob and Barbara. These are the only people that have managed to avoid colds and stomach aches. Several people have taken Cipro.
Assertiveness: Cheryl. She held back a flock of Flemish tourists while the laggards of our group got on to a crowded bus. She several times acted as a relay point when the group was getting spread out while walking from one place to another. She would follow up on the details of a day's schedule with Sanjay, making sure all the options were correctly understood. She also would warn everyone of potential pickpockets.
Gone Native: Alice & Julie. They bought Punjabi suits and have worn them more than once. Alice buys more trinkets than anyone else, and is approached by the locals a lot.
Engagement: Alice & Julie, Rachna, Lee, and Jim. Everybody wants to talk to Jim and get a picture with him, even French people. Same with Alice. Lee had a guy in stitches on the train back from Chandigarh. At the movie theatre, a couple put their baby in Jim's arms for a photo. Alice, Julie, and Rachna crashed a wedding.
Best Travel Arrangements: Kathleen, Lee, Bud & Elaine. Kathleen's travel time was 19 hours, and she had an entertaining seat partner and a view of the Himalayas on her way to Delhi. Lee has an around-the-world ticket. Bud & Elaine will spend a week in Dubai on the way home, making their trip the longest of anyone in the group.
Roadwork: Steve, Bud & Elaine, Alice & Julie, Rob: Steve, Bud and Elaine were in a rickshaw that had a fender bender with a car. Alice & Julie have ridden on the backs of scooters driven by locals (Julie's driver got into a scooter wreck the next day). Rob rented a motor scooter and took a tour of the countryside around Udaipur. Our bus almost got towed for parking in the wrong place in Ahmedabad, but since all of us would have been affected, no special points to anyone.
Shenanigans: Bud, Cheryl, and Alex, Hing and Alice. Coming up the stairs from an underground bazaar, Bud got swarmed by a flock of gypsies, and within seconds they had their hands in his bag before he even noticed. Only one point for Bud, who apparently has been pickpocketed on every continent he has visited, and because the theft was not consumated. Also one point for Cheryl, who quickly shouted 'watch out! watch out!' and shooed the gypsies away to prevent the theft. Alex bought some batteries at a vendor at Fatepuhr Sikri even though we had been specifically warned that they might sell empties. He tested his new purchase and thought at first that he had been sold empties, but then realized he had just put them in backwards - One point for succeeding with the street vendors. Hing and Alice asked the hotel to arrange for massages, and they got amateurs, barbers, and twins. They got a partial refund.
Delhi Belly: Rob and Barbara. These are the only people that have managed to avoid colds and stomach aches. Several people have taken Cipro.
Assertiveness: Cheryl. She held back a flock of Flemish tourists while the laggards of our group got on to a crowded bus. She several times acted as a relay point when the group was getting spread out while walking from one place to another. She would follow up on the details of a day's schedule with Sanjay, making sure all the options were correctly understood. She also would warn everyone of potential pickpockets.
Gone Native: Alice & Julie. They bought Punjabi suits and have worn them more than once. Alice buys more trinkets than anyone else, and is approached by the locals a lot.
Engagement: Alice & Julie, Rachna, Lee, and Jim. Everybody wants to talk to Jim and get a picture with him, even French people. Same with Alice. Lee had a guy in stitches on the train back from Chandigarh. At the movie theatre, a couple put their baby in Jim's arms for a photo. Alice, Julie, and Rachna crashed a wedding.
Best Travel Arrangements: Kathleen, Lee, Bud & Elaine. Kathleen's travel time was 19 hours, and she had an entertaining seat partner and a view of the Himalayas on her way to Delhi. Lee has an around-the-world ticket. Bud & Elaine will spend a week in Dubai on the way home, making their trip the longest of anyone in the group.
Roadwork: Steve, Bud & Elaine, Alice & Julie, Rob: Steve, Bud and Elaine were in a rickshaw that had a fender bender with a car. Alice & Julie have ridden on the backs of scooters driven by locals (Julie's driver got into a scooter wreck the next day). Rob rented a motor scooter and took a tour of the countryside around Udaipur. Our bus almost got towed for parking in the wrong place in Ahmedabad, but since all of us would have been affected, no special points to anyone.
The Trident Hotel
The Trident Hotel was one of the institutions attacked in the Bombay bombings of one year ago. There is no physical evidence anymore of the attack, but all of us were whispering about it, and security was present and very regular in their checks of bags and cars. Radha, who was with us on the trip until Bombay, worked for that hotel chain, and watched the action on the day of the attacks on the New Delhi branch's closed circuit TV. When the attacks occured a year ago, we talked about them during the subsequent trip planning meeting, and considered cancelling the trip or adjusting it to not go to Bombay. We would never imagined on that day that the hotel we would end up booking eight months later would be one that got attacked. I think they were offering good deals.
The hotel itself is nice looking, and is frequented by westerners, businessmen, and what must be Bollywood stars. There are sometimes weddings on the rooftop, and the guests dress fantastically for these events. Sometimes events or busy days make it difficult to catch an elevator. The morning elevator rush hour is 8:30 - to catch a ride down to the lobby you have to first ride an empty elevator up a floor or two, so that you can be the first on the car when it starts back down. Sometimes room service is a little slow too, but the front desk people were helpful and thoughtful. Jim left his camera in the lobby once, and they had it in lost and found for him, and there was a guy at the concierge who did all our early check-ins for the flights out. Their breakfast buffet is extensive as well - better than the Lalit's in Delhi. There was a little trouble checking us in the first day, because one of the floors had some painting or other work done recently and the fumes were still present, and also because they mixed up which of our group needed twins and which could use doubles. It took them two hours to get the last of us in a room. They gave us a room with one bed and a rollaway, and the next night they switched us to a regular twin bed set with a fantastic view of the bay and the Bombay skyline.
The hotel itself is nice looking, and is frequented by westerners, businessmen, and what must be Bollywood stars. There are sometimes weddings on the rooftop, and the guests dress fantastically for these events. Sometimes events or busy days make it difficult to catch an elevator. The morning elevator rush hour is 8:30 - to catch a ride down to the lobby you have to first ride an empty elevator up a floor or two, so that you can be the first on the car when it starts back down. Sometimes room service is a little slow too, but the front desk people were helpful and thoughtful. Jim left his camera in the lobby once, and they had it in lost and found for him, and there was a guy at the concierge who did all our early check-ins for the flights out. Their breakfast buffet is extensive as well - better than the Lalit's in Delhi. There was a little trouble checking us in the first day, because one of the floors had some painting or other work done recently and the fumes were still present, and also because they mixed up which of our group needed twins and which could use doubles. It took them two hours to get the last of us in a room. They gave us a room with one bed and a rollaway, and the next night they switched us to a regular twin bed set with a fantastic view of the bay and the Bombay skyline.
Bombay
Bombay is a young town, with its history as a trading port beginning when in the 1600s the British were looking for a new deep water port for large ships, and decided to develop Bombay. The center of Bombay is on a peninsula that forms protects the harbour. Here are many skyscrapers and important buildings facing west and overlooking the Arabian Sea. In its 400 years of contact with the west it has become India's most populated city, and is 8 times as densely populated as New York City.
It was raining as we got off the train in Bombay. The comparison to New York was easy and immediate. The streets are wider and there are no cows on them. The town was hopping with activity of all sorts even late at night. There were a lot more people wearing western dress. There were more taxis and fewer rickshaws. The buildings have a more classic colonial look to them, like I would expect in an older English town. The local black basalt stone is used in many of the buildings and as paving stones for streets and sidewalks (yes, Bombay has sidewalks). There are skyscrapers, and most importantly, a five-star hotel with a room reserved for me. We stayed in the downtown section of Bombay, where everything looks like Union Square in SF or what I imaging Manhattan looks like. There are lots of shops, every area is very walkable, and there are buildings of every style and age.
The other part of Bombay are the squatter settlements. These are areas where the land was either owned by the government or by absentee landlords, and the poor and in-migrants from rural areas built shops and homes on the land. Bombay hosts the biggest such settlement in Asia, called Dharavi. Dharavi was until recently Asia's largest slum, and with a population between 600,000 to 1,000,000 in approximately 450 acres, it could be the densest community in the world. I had expected a slum where there were a lot of poor, homeless, and unemployed people, but I found a self organizing community of people very busy earning a living. Their housing and retail shops were of poor quality, but they were functional. There are a lot of proposals of different ways to help the residents improve their quality of life, but I think that they could take care of a lot of the improvements themselves if they just got some help with water and sewer infrastructure, and if ownership issues got cleared up. We drove around the outside of it, but our guides would not take us inside, saying that it would take too long to go through it once in.
It was raining as we got off the train in Bombay. The comparison to New York was easy and immediate. The streets are wider and there are no cows on them. The town was hopping with activity of all sorts even late at night. There were a lot more people wearing western dress. There were more taxis and fewer rickshaws. The buildings have a more classic colonial look to them, like I would expect in an older English town. The local black basalt stone is used in many of the buildings and as paving stones for streets and sidewalks (yes, Bombay has sidewalks). There are skyscrapers, and most importantly, a five-star hotel with a room reserved for me. We stayed in the downtown section of Bombay, where everything looks like Union Square in SF or what I imaging Manhattan looks like. There are lots of shops, every area is very walkable, and there are buildings of every style and age.
The other part of Bombay are the squatter settlements. These are areas where the land was either owned by the government or by absentee landlords, and the poor and in-migrants from rural areas built shops and homes on the land. Bombay hosts the biggest such settlement in Asia, called Dharavi. Dharavi was until recently Asia's largest slum, and with a population between 600,000 to 1,000,000 in approximately 450 acres, it could be the densest community in the world. I had expected a slum where there were a lot of poor, homeless, and unemployed people, but I found a self organizing community of people very busy earning a living. Their housing and retail shops were of poor quality, but they were functional. There are a lot of proposals of different ways to help the residents improve their quality of life, but I think that they could take care of a lot of the improvements themselves if they just got some help with water and sewer infrastructure, and if ownership issues got cleared up. We drove around the outside of it, but our guides would not take us inside, saying that it would take too long to go through it once in.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Conservation Revelation
(Alice) I have seen the future of green building, and it is more holistic and less mechanical than the American approach. It is also a uniquley Indian adaptation that would be problematic in some regards if applied in the US.
The American shade of green advocates using locally-sourced materials. But the husband and wife team of Nimish Patel and Paral Zaveri take things up a notch in their unwavering inclusion of local human resources and cultural conservation as part of their scheme.
Patel and Zaveri founded their firm Abhikram (Sanskrit for "initiation") upon their return to India in 1979 after studying in the US at MIT and with Paulo Soleri at Arcosanti. Their design and consultancy empire now includes Paninka Crafts and Technologies for conservation project management, the Virasat Foundation for research into the use of traditional materials and technologies and the Kanineeka Foundation for the development of holistic education. Their attractive office/ studio is a rehabilitated and re-purposed old house in a leafy residential Ahmedabad neighborhood.
Patel wowed the APA visitors with a presentation that included high-end resort and commercial projects and low-cost restorations of heritage buildings using only materials found on the project site. They are deeply involved with sustainable contemporary architecture as well as craft-dominated interior design.
Patel and Zaveri will only work with clients who fully agree to their conditions of local labor, local materials and lime rather than concrete. Patel explains that lime continually breathes and begins its life at 70 years. Finishing an exterior with lime can be done for 1.5 cents per square foot.
They have an unwavering mission statement by which their enterprise has been guided "from day one", according to Mr. Patel. These principals include conservation of every kind, the necessity of innovation and creative input at all levels of project implementation, designs that reflect the continuity of Indian traditions and technologies with a holistic approach to context.
The Torrent Research Center in Ahmedabad is Asia's largest passively-cooled contemporary building. Patel declares that it is a myth to assume that buildings in a hot, arid climate require air-conditioning and large amounts of artificial lighting. They designed the Torrent Research Center to utilize passive downdraft evaporative cooling so effectively that a comfortable interior temperature is maintained with no AC in a climate where the daytime temperatures can top 110 degrees for months. Function informs the design with a roofline of soaring chimney-like structures; it is starkly modern yet evokes a sort of tribal feeling. Since construction a few years ago, the cooling, fresh air exchange and tenant satisfaction (which is high) has been closely monitored. The electrical energy savings will pay for all costs of construction within 13 years.
After 30 years in practice, Patel still has a playful gleam in his eyes. This might be due to to the firm's enthusiasm for exploration into unknown territories and their openess to innovation and possibility at every level. They are explicit about this with clients, who must buy into the notion that mistakes, lessons and unanticipated outcomes are potentially part of the process. One large house was built around multiple trees and tree limbs with nothing removed, and one gets the sense that it was the fun and challenge of doing so as much as concern for tree preservation that drove the project in that direction.
In America, the domains of green building and historic preservation are not mutually exclusive, but do not necessarily converge. But at Abhikram, even their projects of modern design incorporate elements of traditional craftsmanship as a material statement of committment toward the sustainability of the traditional "genetic" knowledge handed down through generations of artisans and builders. Preservation is not only about restoring heritage structures and sites, but also about enabling the continuity of traditional skills and methods "so as to conserve centuries of knowledge". To further quote from Patel and Zaveri's promotional brochure, "We also attempt to acheive a balance between a continuity with the past without fossilizing it, and a change for the future without making it incongruent with its contextual surroundings". In his presentation to our group, Patel made it clear that they were comfortable with allowing traditional craftsmen and builders to carry out most of the decisions for the construction phase of a project, relying on their specific knowledge. It appears that they view their own role as empowering and learning from the workers to an extent that may be rather unique within the ego-driven world of architects. As an example of what they value in this approach, Patel speaks of how when a truckload of stone is delivered to a site, a worker taps each slab with a hammer, puts his ear to the stone and listens to determine its suitability. He says "you can only learn this when it is passed from father to son."
Implementation by craftsmen doesn't just introduce the aesthetics of tradition into a new structure, but it is also Patel and Zaveri's belief that the traditional methodologies get the job done less expensively, are energy efficient and create structures that will last. So indeed it is an approach that is sustainable of heritage and site context along with the conservation of energy and materials.
While there are highly skilled traditional crafts workers and builders in the US, it is hard to imagine this approach working as well and acheiving the same level of quality as would happen in India. There are fewer long generational links to the same body of skills and aesthetics, more egos and more bureaucracy to get in the way. Would any client really let the construction workers make key decisions? Still, it is thrilling to see such a comprehensive view of conservation and sustainability, so creatively employed.
The American shade of green advocates using locally-sourced materials. But the husband and wife team of Nimish Patel and Paral Zaveri take things up a notch in their unwavering inclusion of local human resources and cultural conservation as part of their scheme.
Patel and Zaveri founded their firm Abhikram (Sanskrit for "initiation") upon their return to India in 1979 after studying in the US at MIT and with Paulo Soleri at Arcosanti. Their design and consultancy empire now includes Paninka Crafts and Technologies for conservation project management, the Virasat Foundation for research into the use of traditional materials and technologies and the Kanineeka Foundation for the development of holistic education. Their attractive office/ studio is a rehabilitated and re-purposed old house in a leafy residential Ahmedabad neighborhood.
Patel wowed the APA visitors with a presentation that included high-end resort and commercial projects and low-cost restorations of heritage buildings using only materials found on the project site. They are deeply involved with sustainable contemporary architecture as well as craft-dominated interior design.
Patel and Zaveri will only work with clients who fully agree to their conditions of local labor, local materials and lime rather than concrete. Patel explains that lime continually breathes and begins its life at 70 years. Finishing an exterior with lime can be done for 1.5 cents per square foot.
They have an unwavering mission statement by which their enterprise has been guided "from day one", according to Mr. Patel. These principals include conservation of every kind, the necessity of innovation and creative input at all levels of project implementation, designs that reflect the continuity of Indian traditions and technologies with a holistic approach to context.
The Torrent Research Center in Ahmedabad is Asia's largest passively-cooled contemporary building. Patel declares that it is a myth to assume that buildings in a hot, arid climate require air-conditioning and large amounts of artificial lighting. They designed the Torrent Research Center to utilize passive downdraft evaporative cooling so effectively that a comfortable interior temperature is maintained with no AC in a climate where the daytime temperatures can top 110 degrees for months. Function informs the design with a roofline of soaring chimney-like structures; it is starkly modern yet evokes a sort of tribal feeling. Since construction a few years ago, the cooling, fresh air exchange and tenant satisfaction (which is high) has been closely monitored. The electrical energy savings will pay for all costs of construction within 13 years.
After 30 years in practice, Patel still has a playful gleam in his eyes. This might be due to to the firm's enthusiasm for exploration into unknown territories and their openess to innovation and possibility at every level. They are explicit about this with clients, who must buy into the notion that mistakes, lessons and unanticipated outcomes are potentially part of the process. One large house was built around multiple trees and tree limbs with nothing removed, and one gets the sense that it was the fun and challenge of doing so as much as concern for tree preservation that drove the project in that direction.
In America, the domains of green building and historic preservation are not mutually exclusive, but do not necessarily converge. But at Abhikram, even their projects of modern design incorporate elements of traditional craftsmanship as a material statement of committment toward the sustainability of the traditional "genetic" knowledge handed down through generations of artisans and builders. Preservation is not only about restoring heritage structures and sites, but also about enabling the continuity of traditional skills and methods "so as to conserve centuries of knowledge". To further quote from Patel and Zaveri's promotional brochure, "We also attempt to acheive a balance between a continuity with the past without fossilizing it, and a change for the future without making it incongruent with its contextual surroundings". In his presentation to our group, Patel made it clear that they were comfortable with allowing traditional craftsmen and builders to carry out most of the decisions for the construction phase of a project, relying on their specific knowledge. It appears that they view their own role as empowering and learning from the workers to an extent that may be rather unique within the ego-driven world of architects. As an example of what they value in this approach, Patel speaks of how when a truckload of stone is delivered to a site, a worker taps each slab with a hammer, puts his ear to the stone and listens to determine its suitability. He says "you can only learn this when it is passed from father to son."
Implementation by craftsmen doesn't just introduce the aesthetics of tradition into a new structure, but it is also Patel and Zaveri's belief that the traditional methodologies get the job done less expensively, are energy efficient and create structures that will last. So indeed it is an approach that is sustainable of heritage and site context along with the conservation of energy and materials.
While there are highly skilled traditional crafts workers and builders in the US, it is hard to imagine this approach working as well and acheiving the same level of quality as would happen in India. There are fewer long generational links to the same body of skills and aesthetics, more egos and more bureaucracy to get in the way. Would any client really let the construction workers make key decisions? Still, it is thrilling to see such a comprehensive view of conservation and sustainability, so creatively employed.
The Wedding Crashers
(Alice) Many glamorous bejeweled beautiful people of Mumbai strutted through the hotel lobby before out group went out for the evening. Someone had heard that there was a pre-wedding party happening that night in the rooftop function room.
One of my goals for this trip was to crash an Indian wedding, and the night-before party seemed close enough. When we returned from dinner, I inquired whether anyone wanted to go up and at least gawk from the doorway, and Rachna was game. We got to the rooftop, and edged our way into a room filled with gorgeous people sweating into their most exquisite jeweled saris and sparkly long Nehru jackets to loud bhangra music. There were low satiny divans along one wall with a 40th-floor view of the Arabian sea and the city lights. A woman in a glistening ensemble semi-reclined on one divan with her arms oustretched to either side while two women applied henna art to both of her hands simultaneously. Other recently-hennaed hands waved to the music all across the room. Waiters circulated offering wine and finger food, but we just wanted to dance and take in the scene. At one end was a low stage, and the beautiful bride and her girlfriends, boy friends and family members writhed and snaked their wrists through the air under swooping colored lights and a barrage of photographers. The men as well as the women looked so perfect that I wondered whether-- this being Mumbai-- any of the group were Bollywood celebrities. Hadn't I seen some of these faces on movie posters or in commercials? Even if they were all private citizens, this was clearly the expensively-groomed upper crust of Mumbai society.
Though I happened to be wearing a long embroidered skirt, never have I felt so plain and under-dressed in my life. But the music and atmosphere were so festive that Rachna and I moved closer to the stage and danced. One by one, the photographers began snapping us. Will the bride and groom laugh and wonder who the hell are these people, or will they feel glad that some strangers wanted to join their celebration?
Rachna and I briefly debated going out to a dance club, or whether to return to our rooms, dress up a bit and come back for more pre-wedding. As we began walking out the door, a very old but dressed-to-the-nines woman (maybe the bride's grandmother?) urged us back into the party and even pushed us deeper into the room. This was our first explicit invitation to take part in the event we'd crashed, so we danced a bit more. We then decided to glam up as best we could and persuade a few more of our group to join us. Steve and Hing could not be budged, but Julie was willing to come out of her cozy bathrobed comfort to join us in the experience. The three of us returned and danced a bit more before the music got lower and the lights higher as things wound down. I hope the beautiful couple is very happy.
One of my goals for this trip was to crash an Indian wedding, and the night-before party seemed close enough. When we returned from dinner, I inquired whether anyone wanted to go up and at least gawk from the doorway, and Rachna was game. We got to the rooftop, and edged our way into a room filled with gorgeous people sweating into their most exquisite jeweled saris and sparkly long Nehru jackets to loud bhangra music. There were low satiny divans along one wall with a 40th-floor view of the Arabian sea and the city lights. A woman in a glistening ensemble semi-reclined on one divan with her arms oustretched to either side while two women applied henna art to both of her hands simultaneously. Other recently-hennaed hands waved to the music all across the room. Waiters circulated offering wine and finger food, but we just wanted to dance and take in the scene. At one end was a low stage, and the beautiful bride and her girlfriends, boy friends and family members writhed and snaked their wrists through the air under swooping colored lights and a barrage of photographers. The men as well as the women looked so perfect that I wondered whether-- this being Mumbai-- any of the group were Bollywood celebrities. Hadn't I seen some of these faces on movie posters or in commercials? Even if they were all private citizens, this was clearly the expensively-groomed upper crust of Mumbai society.
Though I happened to be wearing a long embroidered skirt, never have I felt so plain and under-dressed in my life. But the music and atmosphere were so festive that Rachna and I moved closer to the stage and danced. One by one, the photographers began snapping us. Will the bride and groom laugh and wonder who the hell are these people, or will they feel glad that some strangers wanted to join their celebration?
Rachna and I briefly debated going out to a dance club, or whether to return to our rooms, dress up a bit and come back for more pre-wedding. As we began walking out the door, a very old but dressed-to-the-nines woman (maybe the bride's grandmother?) urged us back into the party and even pushed us deeper into the room. This was our first explicit invitation to take part in the event we'd crashed, so we danced a bit more. We then decided to glam up as best we could and persuade a few more of our group to join us. Steve and Hing could not be budged, but Julie was willing to come out of her cozy bathrobed comfort to join us in the experience. The three of us returned and danced a bit more before the music got lower and the lights higher as things wound down. I hope the beautiful couple is very happy.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Octopussy
(Hing) Part of our group ventured out for movie night at one of the rooftop restaurants overlooking the lake that was showing James Bond's Octopussy. The premise has 007 uncovering an international jewel smuggling operation by using a fake Fabergé egg which led him to India. Udaipur is the main location where the 1983 movie was shot.
The female lead, Octopussy, is a resourceful woman (as most Bond women are) living with her stupendous sexy female acrobats on a floating palace while developing a talent for illegal activities. The floating palace is situated in the center of Lake Pichola and is now a five-star luxury hotel.
There were many funny and silly moments throughout the movie. One was when the bad guys are chasing Bond and Vijay (an Indian agent), and 007 said "Vijay, we've got company." Vijay's response was "No problem, this is a company car." Another scene had 007 looking at the tattoo on Magda's back and asked "What is that?" Magda said "That's my little octopussy", and hence the name for the movie.
After watching the movie, Elaine said that the scene in which Bond had to traverse through the streets of Udaipur was probably even too tame for what foreigners, like ourselves, have to experience in India -- meaning dodging traffic from vehicles (including auto rickshaws), bikes, vendors, and animals.
The movie brought personal memories as 007 used the same Seiko watch that I had purchased for myself six months prior to the release of the movie.
The female lead, Octopussy, is a resourceful woman (as most Bond women are) living with her stupendous sexy female acrobats on a floating palace while developing a talent for illegal activities. The floating palace is situated in the center of Lake Pichola and is now a five-star luxury hotel.
There were many funny and silly moments throughout the movie. One was when the bad guys are chasing Bond and Vijay (an Indian agent), and 007 said "Vijay, we've got company." Vijay's response was "No problem, this is a company car." Another scene had 007 looking at the tattoo on Magda's back and asked "What is that?" Magda said "That's my little octopussy", and hence the name for the movie.
After watching the movie, Elaine said that the scene in which Bond had to traverse through the streets of Udaipur was probably even too tame for what foreigners, like ourselves, have to experience in India -- meaning dodging traffic from vehicles (including auto rickshaws), bikes, vendors, and animals.
The movie brought personal memories as 007 used the same Seiko watch that I had purchased for myself six months prior to the release of the movie.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Lecture on Urban Management
A contact of Alex's, a former professor of Planning at Cal Poly, invited us to attend his first-of-the-semester planning class. It was a nice change of pace, to be able to just sit and watch the presentation being given to someone else, instead of giving or receiving the presentation ourselves. It was also nice to have an academic perspective to add to the government and private sector perspectives we have seen so far. This lecture outlined the main topics to be covered in the next 14 weeks of the course.
The main points to be covered are the challenges of small and medium sized cities (large city problems already get enough attention), rural-urban issues (including once again the issue of in-migration), and at the end of the semester, sustainability (which he says must include social justice as much as infrastructure planning). He had an interesting take on in-migration. We are used to hearing that in-migration is something that must be stopped or reversed, but he said it must be accomodated. Cities depend on in-migrants for growth, and countries depend on cities for the type of growth that is needed for developing countries in the 21st century. He also mentioned that mobility of economic inputs, including labor. The in-migrants are not jobless, they are just poor enough to not be able to afford transportation, so they must live near their jobs. He also showed some respect for the expanding informal sector that operates not just in slums.
At the end he listed some of the factors he felt would improve city planning in India. Those factors were decentralization (of land use decision-making power to the local governments), and transparency and the introduction of public hearing processes.
The main points to be covered are the challenges of small and medium sized cities (large city problems already get enough attention), rural-urban issues (including once again the issue of in-migration), and at the end of the semester, sustainability (which he says must include social justice as much as infrastructure planning). He had an interesting take on in-migration. We are used to hearing that in-migration is something that must be stopped or reversed, but he said it must be accomodated. Cities depend on in-migrants for growth, and countries depend on cities for the type of growth that is needed for developing countries in the 21st century. He also mentioned that mobility of economic inputs, including labor. The in-migrants are not jobless, they are just poor enough to not be able to afford transportation, so they must live near their jobs. He also showed some respect for the expanding informal sector that operates not just in slums.
At the end he listed some of the factors he felt would improve city planning in India. Those factors were decentralization (of land use decision-making power to the local governments), and transparency and the introduction of public hearing processes.
Center for Environmental Planning and Technology
We met with the planners of the Ahmedabad Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), and they told us of their strategies in planning and implementing the project. They concentrated on connecting busy places, rather than traveling along busy roads. They wanted networks, not corridors. They invested a lot of time and money in station design, to make the stations useful and easy to use. They decided on level-entry stations, with pay-in-advance cards. They chose BRT over fixed rail because the Bus is cheaper, more flexible, they could have more stations closer to each other, and have a higher frequency of buses.
They started planning for the project in 2005, and might be finished by 2011. They used Bogota and Curitiba as examples. They did not connect the airport to their system because the passenger numbers did not justify it (its a small airport, and those who can afford and use air travel do not afterwards use transit to get home).
They took us on a ride on the first line established, and there was an entire media setup there. We were photographed and interviewed our entire 15 minute test trip, and our photo was on page 2 of the Ahmedabad edition of the India Times.
They started planning for the project in 2005, and might be finished by 2011. They used Bogota and Curitiba as examples. They did not connect the airport to their system because the passenger numbers did not justify it (its a small airport, and those who can afford and use air travel do not afterwards use transit to get home).
They took us on a ride on the first line established, and there was an entire media setup there. We were photographed and interviewed our entire 15 minute test trip, and our photo was on page 2 of the Ahmedabad edition of the India Times.
Private Sector Planning in India
We visited two private sector offices while in Amhedabad. Bimal Patel focuses on planning and urban design projects, including the redevelopment of the Sabamarti riverfront. Nimish Patel and his partner are architects whose work focuses on green building and use of local materials and craftsmen. Both are very comprehensive in their approach to planning and architecture, just as the public sector is, including social and economic considerations into all their work. Both are also concerned that public sector planning system is too bureaucratic, despite the trend towards liberalism and free market mechanisms in the last 20 years.
Bimal Patel runs a private architecture firm, HCD Architects, and does both architecture and urban planning in Ahmedabad. He has a fairly international group, including a young German with experience in several countries, a Historian from Temple University, and himself having a degree from Berkeley. Our meeting with him was our first in Ahmedabad, and it began with a bit of historical context, including that the nationalist movement began here with Gandhi, that the Business of Ahmedabad is Business (sounds familiar), and that the city prides itself on progress. It was built by those who call it home, and its main industries have been textiles, soap, and jewelry. It is also famous for its NGOs, including SEWA, which is a program to develop textile-based entrepreneurship and cottage industries among women. The architects Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier both came here to do buildings, and the Indian Space industry started here in a garage.
As the city and country became more communist and isolationist, the city was less productive, but India liberalized in the '90s and central planning was abandoned. Before then plans and master plans were very directive (do this, do that), and the plans didn't work and were not followed. The considered Delhi a mess, and mentioned how many illegal structures there are. Now the national and state governments understand that economic growth will come from businesses that operate in cities. City infrastructure has become a target for government spending only in the last few years.
When we asked about in-migration, the HCD team compared India today to the West in the 1800s, and suggested that we only need to look at that history to understand what India is facing. In the West back then, city institutions could not keep up - social learning takes time. Problems are compounded by increased wealth - wealthy people demand more space. Should you concentrate on in-migrants in the slums, or on preventing in-migration in the first place?
They mentioned some priorities for Indian cities. They need growth management on the periphery with infrastructure (roads, water, and drainage), with sewer being the most important. Affordable housing had not been a priority but is now getting attention. Spread the costs and benefits of development around, and don't use eminent domain so much. To get past arguments that density favors some but not others, require those asking for density to pay for its infrastructure costs, as well as some 'infrastructure that benefits all'.
We finally talked about sustainability. We praised India for its low carbon footprint, but our hosts mentioned the downside of the low footprint, including the psychology of living in such conditions, and that all western models of successful city development require high energy consumption. Hong Kong is the only example of development with low energy use, and Bombay could dream of becoming a Hong Kong.
Nimish Patel is an Architect whose practice concentrates on Green Building and use of local materials and skills. Their flagship example of a modern building is the Torrent building, a laboratory that uses evaporative cooling instead of air conditioning. Their heritage work includes rehabilitation of dilapidated mansions using lime masonry instead of cement, and using the materials found near the ruins, all done without drawings, for $1 per s.f.. Their design philosophy is in part inspired by Christopher Alexander's books, including A Pattern Language.
One useful aspect of the use of lime or brick instead of cement is that lime and brick are easier to re-use should needs change or repairs need to be made. Natural and traditional building methods work and are sufficient. Their reliance on local skills and knowledge allows them to tap the example of the Amber fort, which was designed so sustainably that it could withstand a two year siege, and allows them to build a rural school for 250 kids for 66 cents / s.f., equal to the cost of 6 waterless toilets. One of their goals is to help the crafts survive because they can build sustainably.
They complain about codes getting in the way of effective building, and about not being able to get LEED compliance because LEED focuses on measures of intent rather than performance.
Regarding in-migration, they want the local people to be trained in place, so that they don't migrate. Regarding model cities for Bombay, they state that unless examples like Shanghai have solved their urban problems, they should not be used as examples of solutions for Shanghai.
Bimal Patel runs a private architecture firm, HCD Architects, and does both architecture and urban planning in Ahmedabad. He has a fairly international group, including a young German with experience in several countries, a Historian from Temple University, and himself having a degree from Berkeley. Our meeting with him was our first in Ahmedabad, and it began with a bit of historical context, including that the nationalist movement began here with Gandhi, that the Business of Ahmedabad is Business (sounds familiar), and that the city prides itself on progress. It was built by those who call it home, and its main industries have been textiles, soap, and jewelry. It is also famous for its NGOs, including SEWA, which is a program to develop textile-based entrepreneurship and cottage industries among women. The architects Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier both came here to do buildings, and the Indian Space industry started here in a garage.
As the city and country became more communist and isolationist, the city was less productive, but India liberalized in the '90s and central planning was abandoned. Before then plans and master plans were very directive (do this, do that), and the plans didn't work and were not followed. The considered Delhi a mess, and mentioned how many illegal structures there are. Now the national and state governments understand that economic growth will come from businesses that operate in cities. City infrastructure has become a target for government spending only in the last few years.
When we asked about in-migration, the HCD team compared India today to the West in the 1800s, and suggested that we only need to look at that history to understand what India is facing. In the West back then, city institutions could not keep up - social learning takes time. Problems are compounded by increased wealth - wealthy people demand more space. Should you concentrate on in-migrants in the slums, or on preventing in-migration in the first place?
They mentioned some priorities for Indian cities. They need growth management on the periphery with infrastructure (roads, water, and drainage), with sewer being the most important. Affordable housing had not been a priority but is now getting attention. Spread the costs and benefits of development around, and don't use eminent domain so much. To get past arguments that density favors some but not others, require those asking for density to pay for its infrastructure costs, as well as some 'infrastructure that benefits all'.
We finally talked about sustainability. We praised India for its low carbon footprint, but our hosts mentioned the downside of the low footprint, including the psychology of living in such conditions, and that all western models of successful city development require high energy consumption. Hong Kong is the only example of development with low energy use, and Bombay could dream of becoming a Hong Kong.
Nimish Patel is an Architect whose practice concentrates on Green Building and use of local materials and skills. Their flagship example of a modern building is the Torrent building, a laboratory that uses evaporative cooling instead of air conditioning. Their heritage work includes rehabilitation of dilapidated mansions using lime masonry instead of cement, and using the materials found near the ruins, all done without drawings, for $1 per s.f.. Their design philosophy is in part inspired by Christopher Alexander's books, including A Pattern Language.
One useful aspect of the use of lime or brick instead of cement is that lime and brick are easier to re-use should needs change or repairs need to be made. Natural and traditional building methods work and are sufficient. Their reliance on local skills and knowledge allows them to tap the example of the Amber fort, which was designed so sustainably that it could withstand a two year siege, and allows them to build a rural school for 250 kids for 66 cents / s.f., equal to the cost of 6 waterless toilets. One of their goals is to help the crafts survive because they can build sustainably.
They complain about codes getting in the way of effective building, and about not being able to get LEED compliance because LEED focuses on measures of intent rather than performance.
Regarding in-migration, they want the local people to be trained in place, so that they don't migrate. Regarding model cities for Bombay, they state that unless examples like Shanghai have solved their urban problems, they should not be used as examples of solutions for Shanghai.
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