[Urbanstudy] 29th CSH-CPR Workshop, Tuesday, June 26 3:45 pm

[Manka Bajaj]

 [image: cpr logo]

*theindiancity.net*

* *

*  **[image: logo-2009-05]*



*Urban Workshop Series *

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*Twists and Turns in Urban Planning, Ahmedabad, 1991-Present

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*Howard Spodek*

Department of Geography and Urban Studies, Temple University, Philadelphia**

*3:45 pm       Tuesday, 26 June, 2012 *

Conference Hall, Centre for Policy Research, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

Styles of urban planning differ from city to city and time to time.
Ahmedabad’s double heritage of rigorous Gandhian organization and heavy
involvement of its business community in development decisions has
continued to influence its planning even till today, although, of course,
the devastating pogrom of 2002 revealed the limits of Gandhism and raised
questions about the city’s directions.  This presentation will look at the
effects of several turning points:  (a) 1991: the national liberalization
that freed up the city’s imagination and horizons;  (b) 1993-98: the
serendipitous, separate arrival of several leaders who collectively gave
concrete reality to the city’s new imagination, opening the city to far
greater influences from outside, and initiating new styles of road
building, financial restructuring, development and town planning schemes,
and greater clarity of thinking about the role of the formal planning
agencies; (c) 2001: an earthquake that frightened the city into rewriting
and enforcing its building codes;  (d) 2002: a pogrom that reinforced
already-growing wedges of segregation; (e) 2005: a chief minister who,
following a visit to Shanghai, declared this the year of urban development,
and pushed forward, especially, the Sabarmati Riverfront Development
program, the BRTS, and the end of octroi taxation, among other initiatives,
with all their mixed results; (f) 2006: the inflow of money from JNNURM,
that provided the city more money than ever, but challenged city planners
to use it wisely and finally, (g) 2007: the restructuring of the old mill
complexes and revitalization of eastern Ahmedabad.  It will also consider
various points of view now prevalent in evaluating these changes.

*Professor Howard Spodek* is currently Professor of History and of
Geography and Urban Studies at Temple University, Philadelphia, USA. His
current research and writing is focused on the history of urbanization in
India, and especially on the city of Ahmedabad in recent times. He has also
pioneered in finding new ways of researching and teaching world history at
the college and high school levels. His publications include *Ahmedabad:
Shock City of Twentieth Century India* (Indiana University Press, 2011;
Orient Blackswan, 2012) and *The World’s History* (Prentice Hall, 4th ed.,
2010). Prof. Spodek received his MA and PhD in History from University of
Chicago and his AB from Columbia University.



*This is the twenty ninth in a series of Urban Workshops by the Centre de
Sciences Humaines (CSH) and Centre for Policy Research (CPR). These
workshops seek to provoke public discussion on issues relating to the
development of the city and try to address all its facets including its
administration, culture, economy, society, and politics. For information,
please contact: Marie-Hélène Zerah at marie-helene.zerah at ird.fr or Partha
Mukhopadhyay at partha at cprindia.org <Partha at cprindia.org>***
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