Ahmedabad: City of Bits. Projects and strategies to transform Kocharab village

Abstract

This essay studies the effects of urban and architectural transformation on the neighbourhood of Kocharab in the city of Ahmedabad (Gujarat, India), laying open social and spatial discrepancies by contrasting the century- old traditions with recent large-scale interventions. It considers the imbalances both on a dimensional and infrastructural level and explores how architecture could serve as a social and spatial mediator as well as a strategic tool to address the issue of access to social housing and basic services. The article further questions what findings can be deduced from locally and flexible adequate architectural responses towards future urban formations amidst the challenges for an Indian city that is expected to double its current population size within the next decade.