LA 61 | CITY & CULTURE
EDITORIAL

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has forced all of us to reimagine our present and future worlds. Countries across the globe are working on various strategies to fight this unprecedented global health emergency. In India, the distinctive informal form of urbanity is one of the main challenges in this war against COVID-19. Mriganka Saxena, urban strategist and policy writer presents a comprehensive framework of the Containment plan for our Indian cities and towns to combat this situation. This informal vocabulary finds a clear focus in the newly released book of Ranjit Sabikhi, an eminent urban designer and academician. He discusses issues and potentials of this unique vocabulary while calling designers to contribute and reimagine these areas.

With a slow economy in the last few years, there is a gradual increase in the number of designers who are now practicing in public domain. Some well established landscape practices across the country are designing public parks, participating in various design competitions for development of public realm and developing new research branches in their practices. Two projects in the city of Pune reimagine safe, inclusive, ecological and aesthetically pleasing streetscapes. The issue also features an interview with Bimal Patel—the selected design consultant for the Redevelopment of Central Vista, New Delhi—who shares his views on some of the key aspects of the project along with his professional journey, views on practice and related aspects.

In the research section, Rabindra Vasavada, an eminent conservation architect reviews the maps of historic Indian Cities, which try to understand their changing relationship with nature. The exhibition of Miki Desai, eminent academician and architect, about vernacular architecture demonstrates the repository of rich cultural heritage of the country across many geographical regions. In his conversation with the Editors, he calls to reinvent this rich tapestry to suit contemporary functions and use. The section also includes a review of the Yamuna River Project, an exhaustive study of the river in context of the city of Delhi, mentored by University of Virginia.

Due to the global health emergency, the next two issues of the Journal [including this one – LA-61] are being produced only in digital format. We thank all our contributors and companies from Landscape Industry for their support in these challenging times.

Wishing you good times ahead.

Stay safe.


CONSTRUCTED WETLAND AT RAJOKRI
Ankit Srivastava
 

FROM MY HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE
In conversation with Miki Desai


ART FOR ALL
St+Art India Foundation
 

A SENSE OF SPACE
In conversation with Ranjit Sabikhi


OUR CITIES CAN FIGHT COVID-19 PROACTIVELY
Mriganka Saxena and Puneet Khanna
 

STREETSCAPES IN PUNE
Prasanna Desai Architects | Oasis Designs Inc.
 


environment, ecology and biodiversity |
RESCUING THE URBAN POLLINATORS
MADHURA KHADE

WETLANDS AT WORK
UNDERSTANDING WETLANDS
With inputs from Dr. C. R. Babu

CONSTRUCTED WETLAND AT RAJOKRI, NEW DELHI
[Delhi Jal Board]
Ankit Srivastava

CONSTRUCTED WETLAND AT NEELA HAUZ, NEW DELHI
Landscape and Environment Planning Department,
Delhi Development Authority


CONSTRUCTED WETLAND AT HAUZ KHAS LAKE, NEW DELHI
Tarun Nanda, Evolve Engineering

RESTORATION AND REJUVENATION OF RIVER YAMUNA FLOODPLAINS, NEW DELHI
Landscape and Environment Planning Department,
Delhi Development Authority


REIMAGINING THE CITY
YAMUNA RIVER PROJECT:NEW DELHI URBAN ECOLOGY
[Authors Inaki Alday and Pankaj Vir Gupta]
Review by Geeta Wahi Dua

REJUVENATION AND RESTORATION OF URBAN PONDS, GURUGRAM
Future Institute

SPURRING ECONOMIC REVIVAL THROUGH ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, NANHU, CHINA
Uma Sekar

heritage, urban design, landscape architecture |
FROM MY HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE
In conversation with Miki Desai


CITY MAPS: MAPPING NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT
Review by Rabindra J. Vasavada


A SENSE OF SPACE
Anuraag Chowfla

IN CONVERSATION WITH RANJIT SABIKHI

DEMOCRACY, PARTICIPATION AND CONSULTATION
In conversation with Bimal Patel

city and culture |
OUR CITIES CAN FIGHT COVID-19 PROACTIVELY
Mriganka Saxena and Puneet Khanna


LOCALIZING FUTURES
Geeta Wahi Dua

BOURGEOIS ENVIRONMENTALISM AND THE VULNERABILITY OF THE POOR
UNCIVIL CITY: ECOLOGY, EQUITY AND THE COMMONS IN DELHI [Author: Amita Baviskar]
Review by Nikhil Dhar

STREETSCAPES IN PUNE
CREATING A HEALTHY AND WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD: AUNDH NEIGHBORHOOD UPGRADATION | PUNE
Prasanna Desai Architects

ABOUT RETAIL, TREES AND YOUNG VIBES:
JANGLI MAHARAJ ROAD | PUNE
Oasis Designs Inc.


EMERGENCE OF THE EPHEMERAL
Bijoy Ramachandran

seeing the unseen |
ART FOR ALL
St+Art India Foundation

























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