Urban Design Studio III, Spring 2019
Faculty
Kate Orff (Coordinator), Dilip da Cunha, Geeta Mehta, Thaddeus Pawlowski, Julia Watson, Linh K. Pham
Description
Columbia’s Spring 2019 Urban Design Studio, in partnership with 100 Resilient Cities and the Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes, took a second look at the Mula-Mutha River Conservation and Riverfront Project, and proposed alternatives to the current proposal that attempt to address the systemic ecological and social challenges that Pune faces. The team visited Pune in January 2019 to meet with representatives of the PMC and collaborate with students and faculty from the Bharati Vidyapeeth Institute of Environment Education and Research (BVIEER) department of environmental management and the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) department of Urban Planning.
While in Pune, the Columbia studio developed 10 urban design principles, which guided student work throughout the duration of the semester. The projects presented here explore new paradigms for river revitalization, ecological conservation, and community empowerment. They attempt a more expansive long view of riverine health and urban development as interlocking systems best served by nature-based solutions, sustainable and equitable management practices, and programmatic stewardship. Taken as a whole, they promote a vision of Pune’s future as a city guided by principles of environmental responsibility, social equality and public safety—a model of responsible urban growth for cities throughout South Asia.
While in Pune, the Columbia studio developed 10 urban design principles, which guided student work throughout the duration of the semester. The projects presented here explore new paradigms for river revitalization, ecological conservation, and community empowerment. They attempt a more expansive long view of riverine health and urban development as interlocking systems best served by nature-based solutions, sustainable and equitable management practices, and programmatic stewardship. Taken as a whole, they promote a vision of Pune’s future as a city guided by principles of environmental responsibility, social equality and public safety—a model of responsible urban growth for cities throughout South Asia.