Urban foodscapes: a means to strengthening identity conviviality and urban experience in Imphal

Abstract

Food is one of the most basic necessities for human survival. It is a very important yet often overlooked commodity. To consume it is an intrinsic trait evident since the beginning of mankind. One of the very first steps toward urbanity was the consumption of cooked food. And urbanization occurred when humans settled, began agriculture and domestication, and expanded these further. Despite being absent from today’s urban planning, food systems had a key role in building cities and defining foodscapes in the past. Food systems have been major urban shapers for centuries, dictating internal land uses, routes, the location of public spaces, and building usages, as well as underlying the city's location, organization, and scale. Food systems have the potential of creating environmentally, socially, and economically productive spaces. Today’s urban form in terms of infrastructures and practices has been widely influenced by food culture. How food relates to the organization of a city and how it becomes infrastructure that transforms the urban experience. Therefore, food becomes an important factor in placemaking (for development and regeneration in urban areas). It plays a very crucial role in bringing vitality to spaces. The physical design around food or the foodscape thus becomes an important factor in either building or ruining urban spaces. Food is also an important aspect of cultural exchange and identity. It gives us the perception of places and helps in understanding people and communities. It is a means of knowing the image of a city. India has a wide and diverse palate and cooking customs- food is an integral component of our diverse cultural systems and is a major factor in cultural exchange. In this context, food has been a mainstay in the creation of heritage and its urban spaces in most Indian cities. Food streets are the living heritage and identity of many Indian cities. Examples: Khau Gallis of Gujarat, particularly that of Manek Chowk, Majnu ka Tila, Chandni Chowk in Delhi, etc. The city in the study is Imphal, which is also the capital of Manipur, a tiny state tucked in the North-Easternmost corner of India. It is a land of vibrant culture, arts, and nature and is a powerhouse of sports. It is home to 33 different tribes native to the place and each with its unique traditions and platters to offer. The thesis aims to understand the behavior and pattern of habits of people around food places, and food anchors to create inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable places. Its goal is to stimulate socio-cultural interchange by promoting various cuisines, with a focus on local food and boosting spatial sociability through inclusive foodscapes. It will attempt to use conviviality and placemaking factors of food to introduce and create new public spaces within the city. The thesis addresses enhancing urban aesthetics and experience by revitalizing existing food anchors. In this context, all of this will determine the city's gastro tourism potential. The thesis also attempts to create small food ecosystems by improving connectivity and increasing urban vitality through communal activities in production, distribution, and consumption spaces.