ENTREPRENEURIAL URBANISM

Sunday, December 15, 2019

ENTREPRENEURIAL URBANISM

"Cities often manifest, distilled and condensed activities experienced in sudden jerks and revelation. Such phenomenon often remains incomprehensible at large, especially for the academic purpose. The formal and informal market streets across the city of Mumbai are examples of such phenomenon characterized by sudden splurge of activities juxtaposed in sharp contrast to its surrounding context. These sudden bursts of activity are what this study understands as “synchromesh” giving rise to synchromesh urbanism that could be read as a quintessential feature of an entrepreneurial city. Synchromesh is a characteristic of few elements in a given situation whereby each element is always in mesh and in propelling state or state of being free or independent. The constant meshed condition that evolves as a generator or armature, constantly corresponding or adjusting all the time to its surrounding context.

The sites representing such characteristics in various locations in Mumbai have been selected as cases for study as they symbolize this phenomenon an analogous to a working meshed condition, whose parts are networked and constantly adjusting to external pressures similar to the pressures a city exerts on its diverse geographies. This analogy is drawn in order to understand the networks of several activities and spatial forms so produced in the market streets of the selected sites in Mumbai, an entrepreneurial city in its own right."

SYNCHROMESHED URBANISM | Chinese University of Hon Kong | Entrepreneurial Urbanism

Authors: Prof. Manoj Parmar (Dean, Post Graduate Program, KRVIA Mumbai) | Dr. Binti Singh (Krvia Masters Faculty)

The history of urbanization in Indian context is the key response to the social, spiritual, religious and economic needs in cities. The economic needs and means are often overlaps with the community and identity of the precinct within the historic core of many Indian cities. This aspects of the city, in representation can depicts several layers of networked conditions. The inner city historic core of Mumbai also represent the similar attributes. The joint work studio attempts to identify the forces that underpin such historic networked conditions that are often being hidden. The study shall encompass the study of work places of precincts, which are typologically classifiable. It also attempts to study the nature of public realm, activity pattern along with history and heritage. The initial part of study tour focuses on the locating the bazaars or precincts with occupational identity with respect community or public realms.

The site study were based on: direct observation; interviews; historic narratives, historical maps; histories of specific urban public spaces or spatial types; and the relevant scholarly literature from architecture and urban planning. It was important to examine the existing body of work in the various disciplines and that can be reinterpreted to make it relevant to an understanding of the such precincts and public realm, this quintessential feature of historic core as city needs to be articulated through representation.

KEYWORDS:

Urbanization and History Public Realm | occupational territories | mixed use housing | heritage

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