Bhopal 2012

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Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) hosted the sixth Global Studio which consisted of the conference ‘Re-imagining Inclusive Urbanization’ and hands-on participatory design studio and research projects. Global Studio 2012 was developed by convenors Anna Rubbo and Krishna K. Shrestha (University of Sydney), Krishna K. Dhote, Anupama Sharma and Preeti Singh (MANIT Bhopal). Bhopal provided an excellent setting for Global Studio 2012.

Re-imagining Inclusive Urbanization: People Building Better Cities featured speakers from India, Nepal, Australia, Thailand, South Africa, the UK, Scotland and the USA. For more information about the conference themes and what some of the speakers said, go to the International Conference 2012 page.

A primary aim of Global Studio 2012 has been to help emerging urban professionals learn to work more effectively with the urban poor and at the same time deliver outcomes that meet the needs of communities. Maintaining an inclusive urbanization focus, and adopting a participatory approach, over 70 participants made up of students and professionals from India, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda, Finland, Germany, UK and USA worked on six projects from January 13-23.

Bhopal Participants Jump

GLOBAL STUDIO TEAM

Convenors
Anna Rubbo | Associate Professor, University of Sydney, Australia
Krishna Shrestha | Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney, Australia
Krishna Kumar Dhote | Associate Professor, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, India
Anupama Sharma | Associate Professor, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, India

Project Development Coordinator
Preeti Onkar | Assistant Professor, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, India

Mentors
India: Abhijit Datey, G. Venkatesh, Sumit Gothi, Anuj Jaiswal, Rajarshi Sahai and associate Devangi Ramakrishnan
International: Rodney Harber, Hemant Ojha, Adriano Pupilli, Matthias Neumann, and advisors Chawanad Luansang, Paul Pholeros, Tee Boonmahathanakorn, Jennifer van den Bussche

Project Managers
Jennifer van den Bussche | Sticky Situations, South Africa
Sandra Plaza | Re-Build Global, USA

Film Maker
Simon Forbes, Enmore Design Centre, Australia

PROJECT TOPICS

Design and Planning
1. Housing: inclusive planning for and with the urban poor
2. Inclusive city centre: ‘knitting’ the old and new city together
3. School Plus: inclusivity (and education) through community engagement

Research
4. Urban Poverty and the Slum Free City
5. Communication and Union Carbide
6. Water access and the urban poor

Projects were presented to community, academic and government stakeholders on January 23. All projects actively engaged with Bhopal communities , and in the case of School Plus, a number of projects were implemented at the Prempura Government School. Design ideas for knitting the old and new city together have been presented to the Urban Administration and Development Department (UADD), as have research findings and design proposals on housing. Some of the research projects provide opportunities for the development of future collaborative research, and will be followed up.

Surrounding the tree

OUTCOMES

International Conference

Reimagining Inclusive Urbanization: People Building Better Cities
Conference Program
Film: Reimagining Inclusive Urbanization
Films: Interviews with conference speakers
Book: Shrestha, K, Ojha, H., McManus, P., Rubbo, A., Dhote, K. (Eds) Inclusive Urbanization: Rethinking Policy, Practice and Research in the Age of Climate Change, Routledge, 2014

Report


1. Introduction	2. Housing Affordability for the Urban Poor	3. Kabadkhana: The Makings of a Community	4. ‘Just’ communication: The perceptions of justice and the Bhopal Gas Tragedy

5. We are Bhopal: Inclusive City Center	6. What explains the urban poor’s access to water? Case Study: Kabadkhana	7. School Plus: Inclusivity (and education) through community engagement	8. Appendices