Abstract:
Due to rapid growth in the cities, the geographical features are getting impacted
by the newer and unplanned developments of the cities. Many urbanized cities
like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, etc lose their ecological
character due to unplanned developments which is also hampering the public
life.
One of the challenges is the emergence of urban voids, which refers to
underdeveloped or abandoned areas within the city that lack basic
infrastructure. These voids are often a consequence of haphazard planning and
can give rise to slums and informal settlements. Moreover, urban voids have a
detrimental impact on the social and economic fabric of a city, hindering its
overall development and functionality. These can also be sources of
environmental degradation, particularly if they are neglected or abandoned. For
example, they can become dumping grounds for waste, creating health hazards
and polluting the environment, and contributing to social isolation and a lack of
communal cohesion. It can also be viewed as unsafe and unwelcoming, which
makes residents feel disconnected and alone.
The current study aims to look at the urban voids and re-imagine those open
spaces through the lens of ecology, culture, and community. Hyderabad, one
of the fastest-growing cities in Telangana, is chosen for the study. Khajaguda
is one such locality in Hyderabad, which has experienced a drastic change in
the past 20 years. Until the mid-nineties, this area was just covered with ageold
unique heritage rock formations, forests, and small village settlements. As
the IT sector came in the late 19th century, newer development typologies –
high-rise and enclaves - started to grow along the lakes and hillocks. Due to
these newer typologies, density has increased in certain areas which led to the
formation of inactive edges and voids. The voids in this context are formed due
to planning regulations and geographical features which is hampering the public
life. The process of the thesis starts with categorizing these voids and stitch
these voids to enlarge the experience of the public visually and physically. The
thesis intends to reinvigorate these voids and enhance the visual experience
as selected context is highly contoured which has a unique scenic potential.
The thesis also intends to integrate these voids into existing development by
creating public spaces and regulating built form through form-based codes.
Thus, the study ensures that future developments in khajaguda area are
ecologically, socially, and culturally sensitive.
