Some will argue that the city built on the pride and power of Solanki kings was over-thrown and looted by Mughals who built a new capital on the ruins of an Ancient Gujarati civilisation. History however, has another story tell. The grandson of Sultan Ahmed Shah (not a Mughal) laid the foundations of this city on the banks of the Sabarmati near a forest close to the older city of Karnavati. The city he built was named after his grandfather and is therefore called Ahmedabad.
A clear case needs to be made on how the name of the city of 'Ahmedabad' has been bastardised in to 'Amdavad ' before we forget the roots of a city founded by Islamic rule on the banks of seasonal river. It is only a matter of time before 'Amdavad ' becomes the official name of a city which is seen to be the seat of Gujarati culture.
The city is being paraded on a world stage as a symbol of development not only for the stae but for the country as well. The city has been a canvas for radical change over the last decade. The case of 'Amdavad' requires particular attention. The city is a short drive away from Gandhinagar which is the State capital and the seat of Government for Gujarat. One would imagine that the state capital would be the site of development programs and growth, but, instead, it is a sleepy city where nothing has changed since the time it was planned. Ahmedabad on the other had. is the cultural seat of the Gujarati community and the site for massive institutional growth and urban development project in recent times.
Ahmedabad is witnessing a change that is large scale, it is a rapid production and consumption of images that is largely misunderstood. We have here a case where urban development has become a tool for cleansing. The city is slowly burying its past under promenades, ring roads and flyovers. This phenomenon can be studied using three case studies: the riverfront development & CBD proposal, Kankaria lake precinct & the BRTS implementation mechanism.
The riverfront has been a subject of hate for every architect who has visited the city in recent times. The problems with this kind of a development are obvious, but it is important to be able to step back from the obvious faults with the design. The Sabarmati was a stream which would swell during the monsoon. In the summer, the river bed would transform into a thriving public space. It was the site for any cricket matches, evening strolls and weekly markets and fairs. The river was in many ways the 'front' for the old city as it provided a relief from the density of the city that grew within fort walls. The new city which grew on the opposite bank has the Sabarmati Ashram built by Gandhiji, with steps which descended into the river bed. It is also the site of the Gandhi Ashram built by Charles Correa and the famous MIll Owner's building or ATMA built by Le Corbusier. The promenade today cuts off these spaces from the river to which they are connected. The rover bed has been flooded by building dams at either end of the city. The river is now a long lake that perennially holds water. The public space has been substituted by creating concrete walking paths against a two storey retaining wall. The remaining part of the reclaimed land will be converted into a CBD over the coming decade. This project has also developed communities who were residing on the river edge. These communities were affected by the annual flooding of the river. These communities have been displaced (maybe rightly) to make way for the riverfront development.
Similarly, Kankaria lake has been re-developed into a park of sorts complete with a toy train, a circular walking track & ducks in a cylindrical water tank. The issues with this exclusive development are best seen in the film, 'Progress Chaalu che.'
The BRTS planning system is designed around an ease of implementation. It probably is the best way to execute a rapid transport corridor as it makes land acquisition for the state fairly simple. The routes that cut through the old city are mostly planned through areas that were most affected communities in the Godhra riots. Some of these routes become dividers on the basis of ethnicity, and this is a fact acknowledged by many a proud 'Amdavadi.' The method of implementation will throw some light on how big these dividers are. The development authority is very efficient, their working leaves very little time lags between route demands and implementation. Once the route has been decided, the first infrastructure to be built is the bus stop. These pop-up in the middle of narrow and busy streets. Bollards/ railings usually follow the bus stop. These cordon off a lane on each side of the street. These lanes are meant exclusively for the buses. This then follows by demolitions for the purpose of road-widening, sometimes 2-3 lanes wide on each side.
I have been travelling to the city regularly for the last 15 months. Each time leaves me slightly more disturbed about how the city is growing. As a Gujarati myself, I find the investment in Ahmedabad to be quite disturbing. My fear is that eventually a generation of people will forget the histories that this city were built on.
A clear case needs to be made on how the name of the city of 'Ahmedabad' has been bastardised in to 'Amdavad ' before we forget the roots of a city founded by Islamic rule on the banks of seasonal river. It is only a matter of time before 'Amdavad ' becomes the official name of a city which is seen to be the seat of Gujarati culture.
The city is being paraded on a world stage as a symbol of development not only for the stae but for the country as well. The city has been a canvas for radical change over the last decade. The case of 'Amdavad' requires particular attention. The city is a short drive away from Gandhinagar which is the State capital and the seat of Government for Gujarat. One would imagine that the state capital would be the site of development programs and growth, but, instead, it is a sleepy city where nothing has changed since the time it was planned. Ahmedabad on the other had. is the cultural seat of the Gujarati community and the site for massive institutional growth and urban development project in recent times.
Ahmedabad is witnessing a change that is large scale, it is a rapid production and consumption of images that is largely misunderstood. We have here a case where urban development has become a tool for cleansing. The city is slowly burying its past under promenades, ring roads and flyovers. This phenomenon can be studied using three case studies: the riverfront development & CBD proposal, Kankaria lake precinct & the BRTS implementation mechanism.
The riverfront has been a subject of hate for every architect who has visited the city in recent times. The problems with this kind of a development are obvious, but it is important to be able to step back from the obvious faults with the design. The Sabarmati was a stream which would swell during the monsoon. In the summer, the river bed would transform into a thriving public space. It was the site for any cricket matches, evening strolls and weekly markets and fairs. The river was in many ways the 'front' for the old city as it provided a relief from the density of the city that grew within fort walls. The new city which grew on the opposite bank has the Sabarmati Ashram built by Gandhiji, with steps which descended into the river bed. It is also the site of the Gandhi Ashram built by Charles Correa and the famous MIll Owner's building or ATMA built by Le Corbusier. The promenade today cuts off these spaces from the river to which they are connected. The rover bed has been flooded by building dams at either end of the city. The river is now a long lake that perennially holds water. The public space has been substituted by creating concrete walking paths against a two storey retaining wall. The remaining part of the reclaimed land will be converted into a CBD over the coming decade. This project has also developed communities who were residing on the river edge. These communities were affected by the annual flooding of the river. These communities have been displaced (maybe rightly) to make way for the riverfront development.
Similarly, Kankaria lake has been re-developed into a park of sorts complete with a toy train, a circular walking track & ducks in a cylindrical water tank. The issues with this exclusive development are best seen in the film, 'Progress Chaalu che.'
The BRTS planning system is designed around an ease of implementation. It probably is the best way to execute a rapid transport corridor as it makes land acquisition for the state fairly simple. The routes that cut through the old city are mostly planned through areas that were most affected communities in the Godhra riots. Some of these routes become dividers on the basis of ethnicity, and this is a fact acknowledged by many a proud 'Amdavadi.' The method of implementation will throw some light on how big these dividers are. The development authority is very efficient, their working leaves very little time lags between route demands and implementation. Once the route has been decided, the first infrastructure to be built is the bus stop. These pop-up in the middle of narrow and busy streets. Bollards/ railings usually follow the bus stop. These cordon off a lane on each side of the street. These lanes are meant exclusively for the buses. This then follows by demolitions for the purpose of road-widening, sometimes 2-3 lanes wide on each side.
I have been travelling to the city regularly for the last 15 months. Each time leaves me slightly more disturbed about how the city is growing. As a Gujarati myself, I find the investment in Ahmedabad to be quite disturbing. My fear is that eventually a generation of people will forget the histories that this city were built on.
