introduction
Disrupted and disconnected urban ecosystems (water, agriculture, flora and fauna) resulting from rapid urbanization have detrimental impacts on the health and wellbeing of urban citizens; particularly disadvantaged social groups. This studio developed an appreciation for design skills in landscape architecture within the city-scale context of Bangalore, one of the most rapidly urbanizing cities in India. Greater Bangalore is the administrative, cultural, commercial, industrial, and knowledge capital of the state of Karnataka. It is currently the fifth largest metropolis in India with a population of about 7 million, with a population density that increased from 10,732 to 13,392 persons per sq. km between 2001 and 2011. Rapid urbanization pushes urban infrastructure to its limits and often causes increased social inequity, but there is also increasing pressure on rural landscapes to supply the city with resources and food. This studio focused on designing productive urban landscapes—multifunctional landscapes that grow food in the city. Bangalore is increasingly food insecure. Despite the history as a “Garden City”, few crops are grown within the urban boundary— most are grown in the surrounding hinterlands of Karnataka or imported from long distances. Historically, Karnataka has been a productive agricultural state, but changing climate patterns are
causing longer and more severe drought conditions. Students will design food producing landscapes in north Bangalore. The key issues are: food accessibility and quality; associated environmental issues (e.g. water quality, waste recycling, environmental pollution); consumption patterns and food culture; participatory design and landscape stewardship. The site selected for the design intervention was a typical, unplanned formal settlement in Yelahanka district. A residential and mixed-use neighborhood, Yelahanka supports a diverse population in terms of income, education, and religion. The physical environment lacks adequate waste treatment, is severly water-scarce but is in the process of upgrading to a piped water system, and has little tree cover. Students travelled to the site 26 January to 4 February 2019 to conduct fieldwork. Through a community-engaged process, new design strategies were The Resource Centres on Urban developed that integrate productive landscapes into the built, ecological Agriculture & Food Security (RUAF) and social urban systems with the aim of envisioning better work, live, and play environments. The students considered interdisciplinary requirements from planning guidelines, architecture design, engineering limitations; and developed an understanding of existing natural land and urban systems. Through the project site, they faced complex urban design issues in order to derive innovative design solutions using principles of ecology and sustainability.
Productive Landscapes:
“the growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities; it includes producing food for personal and/or commercial consumption.”
timeline Preliminary research Data collection Field booklet
Team building Onsite measurement Onsite mapping Community survey Sharing session
Week 1 Introduction
Week 3 Site visits
Lecture 01 | Blue-Green Infrastructure Lecture 02 | Food landscapes Lecture 03 | Site measurement & tools Lecture 04 | Community participation Community-Engagement Workshop
Site modelling Data analysis & Mapping Techniques & Case studies Project narrative
Week 4-7 Issue & vision Lecture 05 | BGI in Bangalore Lecture 06 | Urban farming in Bangalore Jakkur Lake Walk IIS Campus forest walk Organic Terrace Garden Tour
Innovation & systems research
Week 8 Mid review
Visioning Workshop SWOT Analysis
Week 9-13 Design development
Individual Consultation Peer Review
Week 14 Final review
