Socio-Spatial structuring of an industrial neighborhood- A case of Ludhiana

Abstract

The city of Ludhiana is an important industrial and economic centre of northern India. In the proposed Master Plan Ludhiana-2021, there are certain pockets in the city that have been designated under “Industrial Mix” type of land use where in the Government allows co-existence of the industrial, residential and commercial activities, with the pre-dominance of the former two, considering their economic vibrancy. However, primary observations of these locales and their surroundings that are Industrial Neighbourhoods, which consist of residential, industrial and semi-industrial units, show that the built environment of these areas are not very conducive to the needs of the inhabitants who are majorly engaged in industrial work, either inside their houses, or within close vicinity, thus suggesting a strong relationship between live and work activities. Furthermore, the pre-dominance of the residential and industrial activities is such that they supersede the social aspects and tend to encroach upon areas that can be utilized for public uses, which further affects their quality of life. This exhibits lack of holistic approach towards the design and layout of their built environment, with no consideration of their socio-spatial requirements that would be specific to their live and work relationship. Thus, this designation of the specific land use is barely a case of accommodation of these areas in the master plan in the same way as they currently exist, and there seems to be absence of any stringent policy for a more planned development or improvement of built environment of these areas. In context to this, this thesis attempts to upgrade the spatial quality of the occupation based built environment by provision of spaces that are socially responsive and appropriate to their function, and demonstrating how the built form of an industrial neighbourhood can be designed, so as to enhance the inhabitants‟ living and working conditions.