REINVENTING THE URBAN SPIRIT AND UPLIFTMENT OF DISPLACED COMMUNITIES AT PURANA LOHA PUL, NEW DELHI

Abstract

“India is one of the fastest growing developing nations, however, the country still faces many challenges. Unemployment, lack of proper infrastructure, access to livable conditions and services are one of the few major concerns that need to be addressed as they sow the seeds for various other unwanted social problems. Slum rehabilitation/redevelopment programmes in India are underperforming. Moreover, multi-story housing schemes of the government are typically less acceptable and drive many of the urban poor to choose slums over the homes supplied because of the lack of consideration of the social structure, occupation and lifestyle of the residents. Dissatisfaction between residents is common because of various reasons - insufficient floor spaces for the expansion of families, lack of domestic economic opportunities, deficit of community spaces, long workplace commutes, safety problems, construction deficiency, and so on. The daily existence of these citizens is affected by such issues. In conjunction with the increasing socio-economic strain, the population is in despair and the initiatives of such significance fail at several levels.” “It is imperative that social architecture and design be accessible to all. There exist many underserved communities, which often do not have access to basic services and infrastructure, which with the right program and the right environment can be uplifted with architecture acting as a social agency. The performance of an architectural entity is an outcome of several analyses held through a multi-disciplinary approach considering the needs,aspirations, lifestyle, social structure and livability of the community.” “Architects, as designers, can be integral in improving the liveability of such projects involving the community itself and following a participatory approach involving varied community members at all stages of implementation,design and decision making to increase the acceptability of such projects. Moreover, Architecture and economy grow together when the intervention is treated as an urban insert as well as a platform for community to reach out to a varied consumers along with the provision of infrastructural needs, thus bringing about a socio economic change and development within the community and thus, boosting local economies in a sustainable manner. “ “The proposal would dwell on provision of housing for the displaced Dhobis and the slum dwellers living under the Bridge, also providing them with formalised workspaces - dhobi ghat and sabji mandi, as well as the revitalization of the current site ( near bridge, owned by railway) as a space promoting public interaction and connections of the public with Yamuna, providing local employment opportunities and creating a seamless link between the Purana Pul and the proposed site, thus architecture in a way, acting as a social agency, uplifting these underserved communities and boosting the local economies while providing them sustainable conditions and socio cultural integrity, through consensus.” “Keywords: Slum redevelopment, consensus ,local economies, multi disciplinary,sustainable approach, socio-cultural integrity”