Reinvigorating the Geographical Voids : a Case of Rapidly Urbanizing Khajaguda Area, Hyderabad

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.