A Swiss city re-imagines public space and experiments with direct democracy in the process (The Hindu 16.03.2019)

 Social distancing in a participatory process

This text explores some reflections Andreas Ruby started to develop when participating in the workshop "Limites x Limites", organised by Aidec and ConstructLab, which questioned the uses and design of a future park in Geneva's iconic neighbourhood "Jonction".

Koliwada's are fishing hamlets in Mumbai city and unlike most settlements, they extend beyond terrestrial boundaries. The waters of rivers, creeks and seas, all form part of an amphibious habitat that is integral and deeply familiar to the Kolis.  

Our project with the Koli community of Dharavi - Sacred Waters/ Águas Sagradas - made it all the way from Mumbai to São Paulo, for the @14th International Architecture Biennale at the Oca, Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo!

The Breaking Ground Workshop in Geneva involved some interesting comparisons with density levels in Mumbai. Learnings from one space were strong inputs in discussions at another.

Drooging around the informal economy, exploring the city’s streets that are dedicated to the production of goods and objects

How the metro line is affecting a neighbourhood in Mumbai

"I was fortunate enough to be a part of the urbz network through my internship with them in Mumbai. I then travelled to Bogotá, Colombia as part of their network. Having lived in Mumbai, combined with my experience of life in Bogotá, naturally led me to compare the two cities; their multiple similarities and not so many differences". 

The homegrown neighbourhood is an expression of local organizational skills and maximum optimization of resources in the creation of built environments. In this series we attempt to understand its chief personnel, their tools and the processes involved in the making of such settlements.