Michelle Thomas Zacharias_ Academic Work

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CONTENTS


01 PROJECT TYPE : Masters Thesis DURATION : February - November 2019

The sex industry has always been a part of the city, said to be the oldest profession in the world (The World’s Oldest Profession: Evolutionary Insights into Prostitution, Catherine Salmon). However, the urban areas that cater for prostitution are often considered illegitimate parts of the city. In countries like India, where sex itself is a taboo, the stigma associated with this profession is prolific. The negative effects of stigmatization not only extend to the lives of the people associated with the sex industry but also affect the place they occupy. As the main city turns its back on locations of sex work-also known as Red Light Districts, both the place and the people lack a sense of place, identity, community and value in the city fabric. Currently, there are non-government organisations (NGO) and community help groups working with and within these communities in red light districts to help promote a sense of belonging and place among them. Therefore , partnering with the NGO who organise activities in the red light districts for the upliftment of the community of sex workers there, landscape architecture may have the potential to build on an existing positive system, developing it further through the provision of a public realm which empowers the community of sex workers that could potentially lead to their social upliftment.

Recognising the Landscape of Prostitution in India A design strategy to uplift the social living conditions of the people living in the Red Light Districts

This will be done by exploring and pitching the convivial tools of Landscape Architecture like mapping, Urban Acupuncture, resource building and community participation through the Theory of Urban Weave. Considering G.B.Road-the RLD of New Delhi-India as the site of study and partnering with an existing NGO there (with a complete understanding of their activities), these tools will be implemented in 4 different phases of interventions across the site .At the end of each phase, the potential conclusion projected as a result of these tools will be assessed which will enable anticipating the further moves. The outcome of this project will be a design process for social upliftment of the sex workers, where the role of the landscape architect lies in acting as the facilitator of social innovation in the distribution of design skills and thinking. This also challenges the current practice of gentrification on such areas. In doing so , this will enable a wider and more significant platform to the NGO , enabling a possibility to create a public realm with an empowered community of sex workers by giving them a sense of recognition, identity, place and community with opportunities to explore themselves.


UNDERSTANDING THE POSITIVE SYSTEM THAT EXISTS

L.A.


PHASE 1

PHASE 2

IDENTIFY AND MARK ACTIONS INVOLVED - MAPPING

GATHER AND ACTIVATE ACTIONS INVOLVED - URBAN ACUPUNCTURE

PURPOSE : To give an address to the sex workers and to identify the existing site services with respect to the same.

PURPOSE : To gather the community of sex workers and activate points on site for their use

MAP 1

Phase 2 includes 2 interventions : 1.Mobile Carts 2.Temporary open space for NGO activities that involves kids of the sex workers .

GUIDELINES

A. MOBILE CARTS

B. TEMPORARY SPACE AROUND THE NGO CLOCK POSITION OF CARTS DENSITY OF DIDIS

WHEN USED AS A STUDY GROUND NATURAL SHADE OF THE TREES PAINT BUCKETS USED AS DESKS POTTED PLANTS TO MARK BOUNDARY

INSPIRING GRAFFITTI WALL 3 KIDS PER MAT

HOW TO MAP?

THIS SPACE CAN ALSO BE USED AS A POP UP PLAYGORUND FOR KIDS

POTTED PLANTS TO MARK BOUNDARY

STEP 1 Identify the shop addresses

STEP 2 - Mark clusters of addresses and divide the floors into A,B,C,D. - Colour code them for a quick visual understanding

MAP 2

STEP 3 Take photographs of the clusters and mark the addresses and floors on the same for layman understanding

GUIDELINES

SECTION -INTERACTION OF THE SPACE WITH THE SURROUNDINGS

Graffiti on wall done by NGO

Temporary workshop Area/Study Ground-Playground for Didis Kids-9:30AM-3:30PM

Vehicular Traffic on G.B.Road

Parking

1 Floor: Hardware Stores 2 & 3 Floor: Brothels

Carts on Fasil Road

THROUGH BANO'S STORY

Looking down at G.B.Road , Bano has been living in this area practicing her profession for the past 10 years.She hardly ever steps out.She neither has an address nor does she know the area/people she has been living in/with.

L.A.

The NGO in the area in collaboration with L.A. worked on mapping addresses and services for the Didis of the area

NGO

Later , the NGO went from brothel to brothel , explaining the Didis how to read the map , their address- (which they now call home) , making them understand the power and knowledge they now hold.

Bano heard and understood the maps carefully...

Bano now knows that she lives in 54 A which is an address she now uses for various purposes... Remembering the various activities she saw on the map , she looks out the window and seems to recognise and relate with her surroundings more

In the backdrop of a boundary wall that says "Wish" , she sees kids being taught by the NGO in a nice green space used to park the carts.

A usual lookout the W an unusu She sees an orange -b ki Gaadi Carts for Did G.B.Road by an NGO is acquainted with.S colleagues kid She immediately recognises the location of the place because with the maps prepared by the NGO, presented and understood by her ,she recognises the area well.


PHASE 3

RESOURCE AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT ACTIONS INVOLVED - URBAN ACUPUNCTURE - COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION PURPOSE : To inculcate the sense of community through exchange and development of social of skills Phase 3 includes 2 interventions : 1. Adding spaces to points on site activated in Phase 2 and using them to enhance the NGO activities 2. Including elements that enhances the Landscape of the area and encourages community participation

PHASE 4

TOWARDS LEARNING AND EXPLORING ACTIONS INVOLVED - COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION - PITCHING TO SECONDARY STAKEHOLDERS PURPOSE : To enhance resources that could facilitate learning and education - the ultimate resource to ensure social upliftment Phase 4 includes 2 interventions/actions : 1. Maintaining the system established through Phases 1 , 2 and 3 and making it visible and prominent. 2.Channelising the positive results obtained from the booming interventions of Phases 1 , 2 and 3 into developing an opportunity to learn for the Didis

EDUCATION

COMMUNITY HOME-KIDS

A. FOOD CARTS SOCIAL SPACE INTERACTIVE ELEMENTS LIKE SWINGS COULD BE USED TO MOTIVATE KIDS AND THE DIDIS ALIKE TO USE THE SPACE

FOOD CARTS RUN BY DIDIS AS PART OF MAITRI MEALS THE POTTED PLANTS AND THE GARDENS PLANTS GROWN COULD BE SOLD AND CAN ACT AS AN ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF INCOME

Didis NGO

FRUIT CRATES COULD BE USED TO CHAIR BOMB THE AREA AND BE USED AS SEATING

TYRES COULD BE USED AS TABLES AND SEATING ELEMENTS 5M WIDE GULLY CONNECTING GB ROAD AND FASIL ROAD POTTED PLANTS COULD BE ELEMENTS THAT COULD BE MAINTAINED BY THE DIDIS

SECTION -INTERACTION OF THE SPACES WITH THE SURROUNDINGS

Graffitti on wall done by NGO and Didis

Temporary workshop Area/ Study Ground-Playground for Kids+Didis9:30AM-3:30PM

Vehicular Traffic on G.B.Road

B. TEMPORARY SPACE -

Dining Seats

Dining Seats

Food Carts+ Pyar kI ga@I

Hangout Zone for Didis on Fasil Road

PROTOTYPE A: WHEN USED AS A STUDY GROUND

MULTIPLICATION IN NUMBERS AND USE

Window , Bano notices ual sight. blue coloured "Pyaar dis" being moved on O member whom she She also notices her ds on the road.

PROTOTYPE B :WHEN USED AS A PLAY GROUND

PROTOTYPE C :WHEN USED AS GALLERY

3 types of spatial designs

Later , 2 of her friends who went downstairs via Fasil Road to buy Chips and cola ,told her that the cart sold paan , chips and cola specially for all the Didis.

POLES WITH HOOKS TO INCORPORATE ROOFING OR LIGHTING AS PER REQUIREMENT STEPPED SPACE FOR LEARNING AND UNDERSTANDING PAVED AREA FOR GATHERING AND ASSEMBLY WITHOUT DIRECTLY STEPPING ONTO THE ROAD

"On Fasil Road were these signages called 'Direction to Pyaar ki Gaadi'",they said which lead them to it...it was parked in one of the gullies.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR THE DIDIS ?

WALL PAINTING CAN BE INCLUDED AS AN ACTIVITY FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT PAVED AREA FOR GATHERING AND ASSEMBLY WITHOUT DIRECTLY STEPPING ONTO THE ROAD

Bano is now very acquainted with Fasil Road.She has some everyday faces she meets. She now meets her friends running Maitri Meals and also their regular customers

Things are changing at G.B.Road for Bano.Bano now often comes out to G.B.Road not only to participate at NGO activities but for other purposes as well.For eg: to enjoy some chaat from her favourite vendor.Even the vendor recognises her by name now.

She has enrolled into one of the few learning centres that have opened in the area and always visits the mobile library when they park in the area with her friends.

Now for Bano , G.B.Road not only provides opportunity to hone her gardening or business skills , but also provides her an opportunity to be educated.


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