EDITORIAL
B.V. Doshi’s luminous life will remain a constant source of inspiration and pride for generations of designers. With his passing away, an era has ended. We will always remember him as an erudite visionary. Aniket Bhagwat pays tribute to the Master.
Although we have been featuring various perspectives, discussions and projects based on the subject of Urban Design, this issue – Designing Urban – brings to forefront the discourse in a formal way. We welcome urban designers Rajat Ray and Biley Menon, who have curated this special issue as guest editors.
In his introductory article, Rajat explores the genesis of the discipline in the US, noting its inception at home. He charts its journey in academics and practice, while marking important deliberations, creations, inspirations and contribution of eminent personalities. Biley notes the discipline’s many characteristics in regard of its engagement with design, planning, art and people. Ranjit Sabikhi, who mentored the the country’s first Urban Design program [at School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi] and K. T. Ravindran, who remained associated with it for many decades discuss the underlying academic directions, thrust and its future course.
Glimpses of selected projects, from archives and present times belonging to different vocabularies and scales demonstrate some of its core values of being contextual, multidisciplinary and a people centric discipline.
Edited by Vinayak Bharne and Shyam Khandekar, the book, Streets For All: 50 Ideas for Shaping Resilient Cities, extends the urban discourse by exploring various design and planning, cultural and environmental aspects of streetscape projects around the world. Shahana G. Dastidar reviews the book. Another book, Bombay Imagined, An Illustrated History of the Unbuilt City by Robert Stephens, reviewed by Partho Datta is an ode to the metropolis, sharing interesting set of Urban Design and planning imaginations, in a chronological order, that remained unrealized in the city’s urban history.
With the cities now occupying a centre stage in the development narrative, the discipline of Urban Design attains a special significance. In regard to urban development’s unprecedented scale and pace, the integral values of people centric discipline can guide contextual development for sustainable and equitable urban environments.
We hope you enjoy the issue.
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