What might Delhi be in 2050?

17 04 2013

 

As a resident of Delhi, what are the biggest problems one faces? Is it lack of safe drinking water? Inadequate affordable housing? Lack of safe and vibrant public spaces? Unsafe and unreliable  public transport? Can the city overcome these problems? We will survive; will the city be able to?

These are some of the questions that “Delhi 2050”, a brainchild of arch i, a Delhi based architecture and research platform, will explore in Phase 3 with the support of Outokumpu and Ambuja Cements Ltd. DELHi2050 is an open, public platform that will constructively put forward alternative sustainable solutions for the long term rather than complain about existing problems and myopic development plans.

The launch of DELHi 2050 website will mark the beginning of this phase. The website will be an open online platform for both the Indian and international audiences, to share information, maps, and facts and figures about the city of Delhi. Through polls, interactive maps, simple graphics and discussion forums, the website will raise pertinent questions to stimulate the thinking process as well gather data and public opinion, particularly involving the young generation.

DELHi 2050 is an open process to fundamentally rethink the long term future of Delhi by combining relevant disciplines, conducting exhaustive research and gathering public opinion. Following public consultations, international workshops and research, conceptual models and scenarios of Delhi in 2050 were developed in 2011-12.

Now the work will be carried forward on two of the models – Urban Harvest (creating sustainable communities by reusing water, urban farming and harvesting energy) and Life Street (creating accessible, safer and livelier public spaces). Two test sites have been identified to demonstrate the findings. In the forthcoming phases the proposals for the test sites and alternative scenarios for Delhi in 2050 will be developed through public debate and expert consultations.

Following the website launch a Knowledge Tour will commence in top academic institutions of Delhi to bring together multiple disciplines to brainstorm a sustainable future for Delhi through workshops and debates. The material collected from the website and knowledge tour will be consolidated and presented at a public event in June, where representatives from private companies, knowledge institutes and government bodies will be invited.

DELHi2050 was the only Indian project to be selected for the prestigious 5^th International Architecture Biennale 2012 in Rotterdam (Netherlands) that showcased interesting projects dealing with the ‘making’ of a city.

The Delhi 2050 press conference will be held on 18 April 2013, 1500 Hrs at Indian Women’s Press Corps. Eminent Architects Ashok B.Lall, principal ABL Architects,  Romi Khosla, principal Romi Khosla Studios, Yatinder Suri, Country Head, Outokumpu India Pvt. Ltd,  Rahul Mathur, Zonal Head, Ambuja Cement Ltd and Anne Feenstra, principal arch i , will be addressing the press.

For further queries please contact:

Mariyam Zakiah
arch i, 150, Second Floor, Kailash Hills
New Delhi-110065
Ph: +91-11-41060083, 9718224396

Email: arch.iplatform@gmail.com