Design and the city

In his book, released recently, Darlie Koshy, director of the National Institute of Design, argues that the glass ceiling of perceptions and mindsets need to change if Indian design has to evolve along its natural trajectory. In this extract, Koshy looks at how cities tackle design and creative issues while managing basic infrastructure.

Twentieth century was the age of nations and twenty-first century is seen as the age of cities. Competition has intensified between specific cities of different countries. Richard Florida, in Rise of Creative Class has attributed the emergence of creative cities to a combination of talent, tolerance and technology. Many a city in India can lay claim to being a creative city but surprisingly even Bengaluru despite its best chance has not done much to position itself in this respect. India is slated to have 55 per cent of its population living in urban centres by 2050 against 30 per cent as of now.

The Mega Cities Association in collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, Government of India has published a very important document Mega Cities: Poised for Change which summarizes the leading practices of 2007 indicating that several Indian cities are aspiring to change for the better. However, the projects listed are infrastructure or process oriented rather than of a leapfrogging vision to integrate design and innovation to emerge as a global city.

The leading practices from mega cities in India for instance, lists projects such as development of Sabarmati river front in Ahmedabad, automated parking system in Bengaluru, and solid waste management in Delhi.The Indian cities, even at the current pace of urbanization, are becoming unliveable because of spread of urban slums, traffic jams, serious water/power shortages, pollution, increasing crime, crumbling urban infrastructure et al.

Protection of rivers, lakes and water bodies in cities, sanitation and availability of water have become pressing issues in many Indian cities. Several cities have no convention centres, sports, culture or arts hubs which enable ‘good’ sensitive life in the long run. Our cities are struggling with basic survival issues and developing a larger vision like positioning as a creative or design city has received scant attention. Design is about ‘creating a difference that creates a difference’ and cities need to do that to achieve a distinct mind space! Time has come for urban planners, architects, artists, designers and conscious [sic] citizens to take up leadership role to positively influence an exciting vision for the future. Let us look at some of the internationally inspiring stories how cities are shaping up in the Innovation Economy of the twenty-first century.

The city of Montreal in Canada had put up a tough fight to win the bid for the headquarters of world bodies of industrial and communication design, five years ago, so that design can influence the positioning of the city in the world arena. Today the headquarters of the three world design organizations, ICSID, Icograda and IFI are in Montreal being supported by the city for ten years. Singapore won the bid for holding Design Congress in 2009 and is in the midst of a major makeover with over a dozen iconic architectural projects.

Taiwan’s bid to hold the Industrial Design Alliance (IDA) Congress in 2010 has succeeded against neck to neck competition with Melbourne. Seoul won the battle for 2010 World Design Capital title against twenty other competing cities. Many Western and even Southeast Asian countries have understood the role of design for shaping and positioning their cities. Torino, the ICSID designated World Design Capital in Italy for 2008-10 is launching its rollout through a series of events from November 2008.

The World Design Capital (WDC) team in Torino has raised over 13 million euros in a short span of time and has planned a series of high profile events and activities. A city like Torino, which was dying after the industrial era signalled its end, has embraced design to turn around its fortunes.

The World Body of Design, ICSID, has selected Seoul as the next design capital after Torino for 2010-12. Recently, in Seoul, the ground-breaking ceremony for the Dongdaemoon World Design Plaza being designed by Zaha Hadid took place.... Under the leadership of the current president who was then the mayor of Seoul took a major step in 2003 to rejuvenate a natural stream which was dead and covered up to be used as a housing site, rail and highways during the early 1910s and 20s. The rivulet called, Cheong-gye-cheon, in the heart of Seoul stretching over four kilometers, was opened after restoration to public in 2005.Today it has become the heart and soul of Seoul, being projected as the soul of Asia!

In several other countries many urban development or city projects are changing the faces of cities through major design interventions. Berlin for the last few years, has been rejigging its position by creating new city squares, setting up museums like Judisches Museum (designed by Daniel Libeskind), and has succeeded in attracting artists, designers and other creative people in droves.

The striking example of how Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank 0. Gehry has changed Bilbao, a decadent industrial city in Spain, indicate how cities can be transformed by major design-driven projects. The DOT (Design of the Times).77 project in north-east England now in progress, overseen by the UK Design Council, is yet another futuristic example of participatory design. St Etienne, a city in France, has an interesting ‘Quality of Life’ project as envisioned by Le Corbusier in Firminy thirty years ago brought to life again in recent times by a determined city government. A massive plan is underway for setting up a design centre designed by architect Finn Giepel.The industrial sheds of the erstwhile steel city are being transformed as major galleries....

In India, Ahmedabad the host city of NID, IIM, and CEPT which has been mentioned by Charles Landry as a Creative City; Pune and Bengaluru which are emerging as R&D capitals along with Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai have the potential in different ways of leveraging design to improve the quality of life of its people.The way the Rajiv Chowk gardens have been restored by Delhi Metro and the manner in which the whole project is being implemented is definitely a good example in India.

After being inspired by a visit sometime around 2005 to Beijing and the way the students of Beijing Institute of Technology and several design firms have been involved in preparing for the 2008 Olympics, NID had made presentations to the powers that be in Delhi offering people-friendly design interventions for Commonwealth Games 2010. Because of the multitude of agencies involved in decision making, the proposal fell on deaf years. Bengaluru is yet another example of a city which can truly be transformed to become a Creative or Design city but has chosen to remain static without any long term vision and purposive collective action.

Development of cities are most often left to multitudes of committees and commissions and it is well said ‘a donkey is a horse designed by a committee’. Several projects around us which have become eyesores or visual clutter are speaking examples. Our cities have to wake up to seize the opportunity of using design and innovation to improve quality of life of its people. Unified action is the need of the hour. The earlier; the better. The Indian cities need to ‘take people seriously’ and stand out as memorable and aesthetically satisfying experiences to find a place in the hall of fame of vibrant cities of the emerging creative economy.

 

INDIAN DESIGN EDGE
Author: Darlie Koshy
Publisher: Lotus/Roli
Pages: 176
Price: Rs 695