Talk Brief
This talk traced the city’s chronological history to contextualize its current urban form and complexities. We then took a deeper dive into the history of the Kumbh Mela that the city hosts every twelve years to understand the transformations it entails for the residents. When we say “Sponge City,” we imply how the changes in the city, especially originating in the planning for the Kumbh Mela in the recent past, have been responded to by its residents and the city. However, the city, like a sponge, has a threshold of adaptation and resilience, which once exceeded, leads to adverse consequences for its residents and ecology. In this context, we explored alternative ways of rooted approaches towards development. The Kumbh is a part of the city, and the city a part of the Kumbh. How can the Kumbh become a cause to rethink and help alleviate some of the concerns of the citizens? How can we think of the city as a bearer of change and action through the lens of the Kumbh?
This talk was delivered at the Faculty of Planning, CEPT University, Ahmedabad, on 20th September 2024.
Speakers
Swapnil Joshi
Yakin Kinger