Reinvigoration Of A Creative Community As A Brand Through Urban Design – A Case Of Sualkuchi Silk Weaving Community, Guwahati

Abstract

Amidst a dominant phenomenon of globalization that fosters transnational connections, a multitude of localizations in the form of groups of people or communities that accord to globalization gets diminished. Countless workers, their living spaces, their working spaces are often turned a blind eye to and as a consequence of this; such marginalized groups of people are no less than suffering exploitation in the corporate global economy. The consciousness of the role of people, places or cities as an impetus for innovation and regional economic growth has slowly resurfaced and a willingness to develop strategies for urban renewal and revitalization is observable. The idea of branding has thus emerged. Designing spaces and environments for such communities and branding them can give them new energy or strength. While a comprehensive community design can act as a healing process, branding would involve the creation of a recognizable place identity and the subsequent use of that identity to further other processes, like changes in the user behaviour, financial investment, or generating political capital.