Conversation on India’s Small Cities




Curatorial Note When we started thinking about Nasik, our own city, by extension, we also started thinking about other cities of similar scale. These small cities have a unique character where they are neither comparable to the huge metros of Mumbai or Delhi, nor are they comparable to villages. Over the past few decades, India’s small cities have experienced remarkable growth, yet many often remain marginalized in discussions. They occupy an ambiguous position. A position of in-betweenness.

The symposium seeks to delve into the question of what constitutes a second-tier or small city beyond mere quantitative metrics like population, density, and economic indicators. It poses questions about the various dimensions of "smallness" in cities and explores factors such as historical, cultural, economic, and political influences that have shaped these urban landscapes.

The discussions have three themes.

  • Histories of small cities: The histories of small cities are often unknown or unheard, but they can highlight key aspects of how these cities have transformed in the past. Various factors have underpinned their development across time and their history informs and influences the making of the city. The histories of small cities can shed light on the agents of change, processes, and their impact on the city.

  • City as an entity: The second theme looks at cities as entities formed due to multiple factors. Cities have their identities that are an aggregate of aspects including culture, economy, architecture and planning. How are these identities formed and how do these factors shape the growth of cities? This theme also looks at present challenges and potentials of small cities.

  • Practicing in small cities: In the third theme, we have invited practitioners or the agents contributing to the making of the cities. This involves architecture, urban design, policy making, planning, among other disciplines. The active and conscious interventions in these cities contribute to their formation. We look at how these agents view the city from varied perspectives and what does such engagement with the city entail.



Partners







Advisors










CuratorsIndian Institute of Architects, Nashik Center

Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Nashik Chapter

ArchitectureLive! (Media Partner)


Sanjay Patil, Environ Planners

Bakir Zafar, NBZ Architects

Chandrakant Dhamne, Deore Dhamne Architects

Nitin Patel, STUPA

Ajay Sonar, a for architecture


Yakin Kinger

Swapnil Joshi

Krushna Rathi

Recording Links Day 1
Day 2