Tiêu đề Divar-an island of commonings.pdf ✅

LA4012_COMMONING THE LANDSCAPE | SPRING 2023 DIVAR an island of commonings Reeyaa Shah PLA21278 Studio Tutors: Rahul Paul and Rushika Khanna Teaching Associate: Revati Desai
3 I. Recognising commons II. Tracing commons • Estuarine islands • Divar - an island of commonings • Chorography of Divar III. Narrating commons • Formation of Divar • Present day flux • Intertwining commons IV. Commoning commons • Point of inquiry • Transect of interdependence • Anticipated flux • Vision IV. Reclaiming commons • Equilibrium strategies • Interventions Conclusion References 6 - 7 9 10 -13 14 - 15 16 - 17 19 20 - 21 22 - 23 24 - 31 33 34 - 35 36 - 37 38 - 39 40 - 41 54 - 55 56 43 44 - 45 46 - 53 Studio Brief The erasure of Urban Commons is probably the most recurring phenomenon in post Independent India. That can be traced through environmental history as well urban policies. Resulting in de-commoning through processes of land transfer and conversion into ‘public projects.’ It is here that a distinction needs to be made between ‘public spaces’ (a formalized anti-thesis to private property) and ‘commons’ – wealth of valuable assets shared by everyone. Building upon the voices of associated disciplines, calling for ‘recognition of commons’, the intent of the studio is an enquiry into the role of Landscape Architecture to both strengthen the ongoing argument as well as position its contribution. The methodology of this enquiry will stem primarily from delving into the concepts of commons, through qualitative documentation across a geography. The process is to foreground the occurrence, and the fundamentals of the space, enabling one to sieve their distinct relational attributes. Thereby not only disseminating knowledge of commons but its possible reconfiguration and strengthening in contemporary society that represents imbalance, both social and ecological. More importantly, is to enable the discipline to exercise a new ‘vocabulary’ of expression by ‘commoning the landscape’.
5 I Recognising commons This section talks about a broad understanding on the concept of urban commons, which was initially developed with the help of introductory readings and literature studies. The synopsis is communicated through a graphic supported by keywords and an article on the common with a focus on it’s relevance, potentials and constraints.
7 Alienating the aliens transmuting commons through time followed local religious traditions that helped sustain the commons for so long. The groves also sheltered ponds which the people used for daily activities. The solid mythological connection of the people also played an essential role in defining these commons. With rapid urbanization, communities that owned and nurtured the sacred groves started shifting, alienating these commons. In addition to the already diminishing sacred groves, property developers and land disputes on ownership rights is a significant threat. Earlier, community’s lives, economy, livelihood, and socio-cultural expanded depending on the sacred groves. Today, all the minor communities have shifted away from the name of tourism development and beautification of the rarely existing mythological proofs. Developers have started defining edges, marking territories of expanse to the sacred groves, and proposing redevelopment schemes. The sacred groves are no longer a symbol of community dependency on ecology but a mere tourist spot. Capitalism, in this case, like every other, is taking over all the conservation campaigns to protect sacred groves from being alienated. The capitalist approach to development is hence alienating the commons. The place identity associated with the commons by the community has been transmuting significantly through time. The commons that once served as a purpose of livelihood and tied the socio-cultural thread are now turning into a redevelopment, or a leisure spot for the community developed based on beautification and recreation. These alienating encroachments need an urgent discard before they dwell on the very few existing commons. Development is essential for a city’s growth, but when it is considered only from a capitalist lens is a problem. When commons are considered along with the communities around it, it will frame a larger picture of commoning, which is widely applicable in this capitalist world. Keywords Alienation - communities - capitalism - time - socio cultural ties - urban visions - identity Theoretically, commons are usually open spaces for all. The community surrounding it usually decides on the users and the usage of those commons; socially, culturally, ecologically and economically. Commons are neither private nor public. It includes all the most apparent public services like parks, transportation, sanitation systems, schools and waterfronts. It also accumulates the most distinct part of the urban city as commons, such as riverbeds sustaining communities, farmlands sustaining urban cultivators, streets sustaining the cultural and social livelihood of communities around and so on. These are perhaps some of the most generative urban common spaces. The commons have been within us since the beginning. Community dependency on the commons as a pronounced response has somehow led to less significance. The development of greed and privatization alienates the already alienated commons into little public spaces for the community. The commons treat communities as productive sources for their social, cultural, ecological and economic welfare. For example, a park in a community serves as a platform for social gatherings and cultural events, adds to its environmental domain, and generates revenue from the same. Commoning - a practice that links the community to these commons is now perceived through the lenses of capital and urbanization. With the alienating of the communal settings based on infrastructure development, the communities that expressed or claimed their ownership of commons is no longer in the frame. The most affected core by the alienating commons is the degrading ecology. Since commons mainly cater to the raw spaces in nature or the middle of densely packed city blocks, the death of commons directly leads to the death of ecology. It affects all the layers of ecology, from micro to macro, directly or indirectly. The commons now rightly serve as aliens to the addressed communities around them through increased alienation of development. As users or developers, we have forgotten that the commons serve as ecological hotspots within a city. Smart city plans and restoration projects are alienating the commons by alienating the communities that depend most on them. For instance, where land prices are valued more based on development rather than its connection with the communities, the sacred groves of Vrindavan, Mathura, are also not spared. Despite having cultural and mythological references in the past, with the communities dwelling around it, the revival corridor has alienated the existing commons. Sacred forests and groves of Vrindavan have always been the space identification character and ecological importance. The people around the holy groves Shrugged off before, to the community privileged - an alien term; capitalized world, alienated them more! Urban visions expanding, the socio cultural ties losing - with time; fragmented commons, alienated under growth! Commons transmuted, the identity associated - transformed; development flourished, alienating the aliens!