Comparative urban form

Comparative Urban Form: Indian Cities

Zoya Khan | Gaurav Banerjee | Loïc de Bethune

Hulvi the poet,

piercing hundreds of pearls with one word, sang one day:

The Shah, while on a gracious walk,

Stopped at the bank of the river Sabarmati

The ground was clean and charming,

The water pleasant, the air pure.

On seeing these attractions, by the grace of Allah,

He dreamt of a wondrous city

The month of Zilqad of the Hijri year 813

Was chosen for the foundation of the city,

And when the masons had raised the buildings

The sky rang out in praise, ‘Well done!’

Hulvi Shirazi

Tarikh-i-Ahmedshahi

Why Ahmedabad?

“Of all India’s major cities today, Ahmedabad is in terms of

antiquity, second only to Delhi. The other metropolitan cities,

Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, are younger,

though bigger and more populous.

There are numerous places in India which are older but unlike most

of them which are today small, insignificant towns, Ahmedabad

holds the distinction of having remained prosperous and prominent

through the centuries.”

Source: Yagnik, Achyut and Suchitra Sheth. Ahmedabad From Royal City to

Megacity. New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2011.

First historic references ( before 2000 BC)

Late stone age tools found in various parts including Vatva to the

south east.

Expanding city has destroyed a good part of the prehistoric

landscape.

Shallow lakes at the base of the sand dunes at Thaltej on the west

bank of Sabarmati suggest that it was a prehistoric pastoral camp

site.

The problems of the disappearance of the culture are still not fully

understood.

Prehistoric references 2000 BC

Source: Mitchell, George and Snehal Shah. Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad: Marg

Publications, 1988.

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Asawal, Ashapalli and Karnavati (800 to 1100 AD)

While the Arabic and Persian sources refer to this ancient town as

Asawal, Sanskrit and Prakrit sources call it Ashapalli.

Earliest reference to the town was made by the great scholar

Alberuni 500 years before the founding of Ahmedabad. 900 AD. All references indicate the importance of Asawal or Ashapalli as a

town during the 11th and 12th century when the Chalukya or Solanki kings Bhimdev I, Karnadev and Siddharaj were expanding

their kingdom in Gujarat.

The prolific literary output of Jain acharyas suggest that they must

have been supported by a sizeable Jain community residing in the

town.

Asawal, Ashapalli and Karnavati 800 to 1100 AD

Speculative form of Asawal in 10th century AD



Documenting Ahmedabad : Nineteenth century to Independence by

Soumitro Ghosh

Jain literary sources from the 13th and 14th century refer to

Karnavati town on the bank of the Sabarmati River.

It is not clear whether Karnavati was another name for Ashapalli or a

neighbouring town or just a military outpost.

In 1305 the Jain Acharya Merutunga wrote the

Prabanddhchintamani in which he mentions the establishment of

Karnavati by the Chalukyan King Karnadev in 1094 following his

victory over Asha Bhil, the ruler of Ashapalli

In 1300 Brahmin pandit Jayanta Bhatt in his Sanskrit work indicated

that Ashapalli was perhaps more than a trading center, it was home

to men of letters and it was also a military campsite.

In sum it can be assumed that Karnadev may have established a

military station in the late eleventh century, which developed as a

suburb or town near Ashapalli in the next two or three hundred

years and eventually merged with that ancient town. Ashapalli in turn

was absorbed into the expanding city of Ahmedabad.

0 100 200 500 m

Asawal, Ashapalli and Karnavati 800 to 1100 AD

Asawal settlement extent with respect to the walled city




Soumitro Ghosh

Asawal Under Delhi Sultanate

•During Chalukyan rule (942- 1304), Gujarat then known as

Gujardesh, was an important center of trade and commerce.

•With the Delhi sultanate conquering Gujarat momentous change

was brought about for the people of Patan, Cambay, Bharuch and Asawal.

•Alauddin Khilji appointed his brother in law Alp Khan, as the first

governor of Gujarat, who ruled the province from Patan.

•During his ten year rule from 1305 to 1315, he gave permission to

a Jain merchant of Patan to rebuild Shatrunjay Temple in

Saurashtra, considered the most sacred shrine by the Jains of

western India.

•Towards the end of Muhammad Tughluq's rule (1325-1351), local

commanders in Western India known as Amiran i sada, rose in

revolt and captured Asawal after a 20 day long siege. This indicated

a protective wall around Asawal.

•Tughluq himself arrived in Gujarat and inflicted the heavy defeated

upon them.

Asawal under Delhi Sultanate



Rise of Gujarat Sultanate

•In 1391 the Delhi Sultan Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III appointed Zafar Khan governor of Gujarat.

•Zafar Khan's son Tatar Khan then ruler of Delhi had a son Ahmed Khan in November of 1391 who later came to be known as Ahmed Shah.

•In December 1398 Mongol army of Timur sacked Delhi. The

Tughluq empire disintegrated and a number of independent

kingdoms Multan, Jaunpur, Malwa and later Gujarat, came into

existence.

•Tatar Khan who had fled to Gujarat, proclaimed himself sultan at

Asawal in 1404, becoming the first Sultan of Gujarat. with the title

Muhammad Shah.

•He died two months later in a military campaign.

•Asawal remained the headquarters of the district which extended up

to Harsol in the North and Kapadvanj in the south east.

Timur defeats the sultan of Delhi Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarat_Sultanate

Muzaffar Shah to Ahmed Shah

In Mirat- i- Sikandari, the Persian historian Sikandar says Zafar Khan

taking the title of Muzaffar Shah became the sultan of Gujarat in

the last quarter of 1407. It was he who laid the foundation of the

kingdom.

According to a legend Ahmed Khan poisoned his grandfather to take

his place as Sultan in Patan in early 1411.

His uncles Firuz Khan and two others , who held Vadodara challenged him by captured Cambay and Bharuch.

Ahmed Shah rushed to Patan with his army and after his conciliatory

approach, managed to pursue his uncles into a peaceful agreement.

The Sultans of Gujarat

Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gujarat_Sultanate

Foundation of a New Capital

Returning from Bharuch campaign, Ahmed Shah laid the foundation

of a new capital in February of 1411 in the vicinity of Asawal.

Sensing future rebellion from his uncles in Vododara and Patan,

Rajput Kingdoms of Kutch, Jhalawad and Sorath, and Rajput kings of Mewar and Malwa, he strategically chose a central location for

his new capital.

This position gave an advantage to Ahmed Shah to defend his

kingdom and also expand his sphere of authority.

Compared to Patan, Asawal had many advantages. It was well

connected through shorter routes to two vital port cities, Cambay and Bharuch, and also with Saurashtra in the west and Champaner in the east.

There existed tactical advantage as Muzaffar Shah had already built

nearby forts at Harsol and Kapadvanj.

The river Sabarmati was also a more promising source of water

compared to river Saraswati which had sustained Patan for the

preceding six centuries.

Gujarat in 15th century- the external and internal borders corresponds to

those of present day Gujarat.

Image Source: Ahmedabad From Royal City to Megacity

Foundation of a new capital

Foundation Myths

One popular myth says that Ahmed Shah went hunting one day on

the banks of Sabarmati and saw a hare chasing a dog.

Amazed by the unusual role reversal and interpreting it as an

auspicious omen Ahmed Shah decided to establish a city at that

spot.

Foundation Sanctified-

Most Persian historians mention that the foundation of Ahmedabad

was sanctified by the eminent Sufi saint Sheikh Ahmed Khattu. He

had established his hospice in Sarkhej a town close to Asawal

around 1400.

He suggested that the foundation be laid by four Ahmeds two were

Sheikh Ahmed Khattu and Sultan Ahmed Shah and the other two

were Kazi Ahmed Jud of Patan and Malik Ahmed.

Ahmed Shah and the new city named after him, looked forward to

be prosperous forever being blessed by Sufi saints of three orders- Maghribi, Suhrawafy and Chisti.

Image Source: http://heritageahmedabadamc.blogspot.in/

Foundation of a new capital


Publications, 1988.

Image Source: http://w

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The Citadel: Bhadra Fort

The construction of the citadel or royal campus was taken up in the

first phase of the foundation ceremony.

The fort complex was almost 16 hectares with four gates around

the present Bhadra towers and Ahmed Shah's Mosque.

The original Royal palace might have been located in the river front.

Foundation of a new capital- The Citadel

Image Reference: Conceptual and the real : understanding an experience of

the city : Ahmedabad. Thesis by Riyaz Tayyibji

The Citadel: Bhadra Fort

•The construction of the citadel or royal campus was taken up in the

first phase of the foundation ceremony.

•The citadel of Patan built by ancient Hindu Rajas has the same form

and similar turrets and contained a temple dedicated to Bhadra Kali.

•Ahmed Shah's mosque was completed in December 1414.

•Most materials used for construction of the mosque came from

demolished Hindu or Jain Temples.

Sabarmati River The Citadel Existing settlements Maidan Shah

Image Source: Conceptual and the real : understanding an experience of the

city : Ahmedabad. Thesis by Riyaz Tayyibji

Foundation of a new capital- The Citadel

Evolution of the city center

Jami Mosque and Teen Darwaza

• The Jami Mosque was completed in 1424 on the eastside of the

royal complex.

• Halfway between the Jami mosque and Bhadra Towers, Ahmed

Shah built the triple gateway or the Teen Darwaza.

• "The Maidan Shah or the King's market was at least 1600 feet

long and half as many broad and beset all around with rows of palm

trees and date trees intermixed with citron trees and orange trees."

- J. Albert de Mandelslo, 1638.

• Badshah ka Hazira built by Ahmed Shah.

• Shortly after his death the Queen's tomb was built.

•The main market sprang up around these imposing buildings.

•Sayyid Alam mosque and Haibat khan's mosque were also built in

the formative years of the city.

Sabarmati River The Citadel Maidan Shah Jami mosque and the tombs

Foundation of a new capital- The Mosque, gate and tombs




Image Source: http://w

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Image Source: http://www.allposters.co.uk/-st/Captain-Robert-M-Grindlay-

Posters

An early interpretation of Ahmedabad Jami Masjid: the Shaking Minarets in a coloured lithograph after a

drawing by Captian Grindlay dated 1809.

Jami Mosque King’s Tomb Gates Queen’s Tomb

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Foundation of a new capital- The Mosque, gate and tombs

Image Source: Mitchell, George and Snehal Shah. Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad:

Marg Publications, 1988; Redrawn 2013

Fortification

Historians differ in their opinions as to who built the fort walls,

Ahmed Shah in 1413 or Mahmud Begada, his grandson in 1487.

If we look at the map of the city walls, its irregular and asymmetrical from is clear.

By the mid 17th century the city walls had 12 gates and surrounded

by a moat 29.2 meters wide.

A hundred years later the perimeter of the city walls was nearly 10 kilometers and contained twelve gates, 139 towers, nine corners and 6000 battlements.

In the west- Khanpur, Raikhad and Khanjahan Gates,

In the north- Shahpur, Delhi, and Dariapur Gates,

In the east- Kalupur, Sarangpur, and Raipur Gates,

in the south- Astodia, Jamalpur and Dhadia Gates.

The British added the Premabhai gate in 1864 and Panchkuva gate in 1871.

SHAHPUR

DARWAZA HALIM

DARWAZA

Fort Walls



Tanks and Water bodies

•The sultans and nobles developed water resources near their

buildings and suburbs.

•Sultan Quitbuddin built Hauz-i- Qutb known as Kankariya Lake in 1451.

•Shah Alam constructed a tank near his seminary and called it

Mustufasar.

•In 1499 An elegant stepped well was built by Bai Harir in Harirpura

near Asarwa.

•In the same year the Adalaj stepped well was built by Ruda Devi.

•These wells were located along the trade routes leading to the city.

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Tanks and Water bodies 1450 - 1500

Puras and Suburbs

•Sultan Begada encouraged his nobles to establish 'pura' or

suburbs. Ruling elite established new areas in the vicinity of the

royal fortress.

•Shah Alam- Rasulabad •Saiyyad Uthman- Usmanpura •Malik Isan- Isanpur. etc.

•Sufi Saints played an important role in shaping the periphery like -

Sarkhej and Vatva.

•Their mausoleums became large complexes consisting of a

seminary, mosque and assembly hall, attracting a large number of

devotees.

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Mahmud Begada-1458- 1511

Puras and Suburbs

•Sultan Begada encouraged his nobles to establish 'pura' or

suburbs. Ruling elite established new areas in the vicinity of the

royal fortress.

•Shah Alam- Rasulabad •Saiyyad Uthman- Usmanpura •Malik Isan- Isanpur. etc.

•Sufi Saints played an important role in shaping the periphery like -

Sarkhej and Vatva.

•Their mausoleums became large complexes consisting of a

seminary, mosque and assembly hall, attracting a large number of

devotees.


In 1486 Mahmud Begada transferred the capital of Gujarat from

Ahmedabad to Champaner and called it Muhammadabad.

For seventy five years it remained the capital but it failed to prosper

while Ahmedabad continued to develop as a commercial and industrial city.

The city attracted a large influx of immigrants from lands far and

near.

During the later half of Begada's 50 year rule and after his death,

which coincided with the centenary year of the city- the city

witnessed sectarian strife among Muslim and Jain communities

as well as the emergence of of a new Vaishnav sect overshadowing

earlier Shaiva and Vaishnava tradition.

Ahmedabad to Muhammadabad- 1486

Image Source: Ahmedabad From Royal City to Megacity

The Growth of the city center

•Trade and commerce flourished and the Manek Chowk and the street between the Teen Darwaza the Mosque became the

commercial spine.

•Dealers in arms and manufacturers of luxury goods settled around

these places.

•Dhalgarwada, Salapasa Road, Patwasheri and Dananpith, which

are still common in this area, was another zone of markets around

the mosque.



& Manek Chowk




Coming of the Mughals

•The last fifty years of the Gujarat Sultanate were turbulent.

•Akbar conquered Gujarat following a revolt by Mirzas and some

disgruntled Afghan and Abyssinian nobles.

•Akbar introduced a revenue system of paying taxes in cash and

abolished transit dues, which led to the expansion of trade.

•Being an important center linking the Silk Route and the Spice Route, the city emerged as an illustrious city of the Mughal era.

The Silk Road and related trade routes

Image Source: http://www.silkroadproject.org/Education

/TheSilkRoad/SilkRoadMaps/tabid/177/Default.aspx

Mughal Era 1570- 1757

The Growth of the city center

•During this period of relative political stability, this fortified town

experienced a growth in prosperity

•Bhadra was extensively repaired, and fortifications were

renovated.

•The modern gate and the alignments on the south, east and north were altered, and that on the south side was repaired.

•Gardens and Hamams were laid out, while new buildings were

erected elsewhere in the city.



& Manek Chowk




Mughal Empire

•During the rule of Shah Jahan, discord between the Murtipujak and

Sthanakvasi Jain sects became sharper.

•Shah Jahan spent the prime of his life in the city, sponsoring the

construction of the Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaug.

•During the governorship of Prince Aurangzeb in Gujarat a fresh

wave of prosecution of 'heretics' started.

•He exhibited religious intolerance at multiple levels, many temples were converted into mosques.

•The mainstay of the city's economy became textiles, indigo production and refining saltpeter.

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Publications, 1988.

Mughal era:

The English East India Company opened its trading center or

Factory in 1615, and the Dutch East India Company set up its

factory in 1618.

In the Mughal era, particularly from Jahangir's rule, the mahajans of

Ahmedabad and their Sheths enjoyed great power and prestige.

In 1630-33 a terrible famine created turmoil for a long turmoil.

The last two decades of the seventeenth century witnessed a series

of natural calamities, famine, flood and epidemic.

Natural Calamities (1681-97)

Year Nature Impact

1681-82 Famine First roti riot (food riot)

in the city.

1684 Heavy rain, flood in

Sabarmati

Walls of the city and

Bhadra enclave

breached at many

places.

1685-86 Famine Rise in prices of food

grain.

1690- 91 Famine and epidemic Heavy mortality

throughout Gujarat.

1694- 95 Drought Rise in prices of food

grain.

1696- 97 Famine Water and grass

shortage in north

Gujarat and Rajasthan.




Publications, 1988.

End of Mughal rule:

In June of 1707, the Maratha army under the leadership of Balaji

Viswanath entered Gujarat from Malwa and reached

Mahemadabad.

The Mughal governor Ibrahim Khan realising the loss of confidence

of the people of the city, decided to negotiate with Balaji Viswanath.

This was the beginning of the end of Mughal rule in Ahmedabad and

in Gujarat.

Maratha Rule

In 1711, Maratha general Dabhade marched up to Bharuch and

established control over the main trading route between Surat and

Burhanpur resulting in the further decline of both trading centers.

In 1714 during the Holi festival violence erupted in the main market

place due to Hindu- Muslim discord.

In 1733, a large Maratha army invaded the province under the

leadership of Umabai, a powerful leader who was in a vicious

conflict with Peshwa Baji Rao.

However, the Maratha army depended strongly on cavalry which

made it impossible to penetrate the fortified city.

They continued their siege outside the city gates for nine months,

plundering the area it so completely that the suburb Rasulabad

where they were based disappeared from the map.



& Manek Chowk




In February 1758 the victorious Marathas entered the city after

Momin Khan surrendered and left for Cambay.

For the next sixty years the remained under Maratha rule. The

Peshwas enjoyed control over eleven gates and only one gate,

Jamalpur, remained under the direct control of the Gaekwad.

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Maratha Rule 1758- 1817

1780: Gaekwad enter into treaty with East India Company to evict

the Peshwas

1817: Lease of the Gaekwads was terminated leaving the city in

British hands.

The city was in bad shape because of the high taxation and bad government of the Marathas.

British restored the economy by stimulating trade and business.






& Manek Chowk

A typical dense fabric of a pol


Source: Documenting Ahmedabad : Nineteenth century to Independence by

Soumitro Ghosh

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British Rule 1817- 1947

British Rule

•With the coming of the British, new rules were also framed to

define and penalize 'nuisances‘, expressing a new concept of urban living and etiquette.

•People were prohibited from carrying on their profession on public thoroughfares, from damaging or altering roads and from

throwing rubbish, dung or filth on the road.

•Ahmedabad cantonments were established in 1830.

•Kalupur Railways Station was built in 1871.

•Ellis Bridge was constructed in 1889 and opened in 1892.

A distinct difference in the structure of the city came into being

between the west walled city and the eastern part of Ahmedabad.

Inequality between West-Ahmedabad and East-Ahmedabad drew a

lot of criticism, provision of services and amenities was heavily

skewed.


Soumitro Ghosh

British Rule 1817- 1947

Influence of Gandhi on city Ahmedabad:

Changed image of Ahmedabad from small provincial town to major city.

Heavily influenced a small group of elite leaders to develop the city

in a socially responsible way:

Ambalal Sarabhai, owner of a.o. Calico mills. Anasuyaben Sarabhai, founder of the Textile Labour Association Kasturbhai Lalbhai, owner of a.o. Raipur mill. Vallabhbhai Patel, to become mayor of Ahmedabad

The city in that time was governed by a small cluster of enlightened leaders that made it possible to develop the city with

vision.

Gandhi’s influence on Ahmedabad city

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Power structure between the British and Gandhian leaders can

be seen from the introduction of Town Planning Schemes by the

1915 Bombay Town Planning Act.

Vallabhbhai Patel was mayor of Ahmedabad at the time.

Five schemes were made for Ahmedabad (by the British

administration):

Two schemes were easily passed:

• Kankaria Scheme

• Jamalpur Scheme

One scheme met with public opposition but was passed by Patel

because of his vision for the West bank.

• Ellisbridge Scheme was passed by Sardar Patel after protest

Two schemes met with public opposition and were blocked by

Patel, they could only be executed after he left office and in a

different form.

• Relief Road Scheme was highly compromised but built in 1933

• City Walls Scheme was delayed but walls were destroyed in

1930's

On the other hand, in the 1920's Patel himself drew up and

implemented plans for proper drainage and water for the walled city

in a very swift and efficient way.

Gandhi’s influence on Ahmedabad city

Temple

Mosque

Graveyards

Relief Road 1933


Soumitro Ghosh

Pols demolished to create new roads in the walled city

Tissue of transformation of pols


Soumitro Ghosh

1947: Independence.

May 1960: Gujarat and Maharastra become separate states.

Creation of State Capital Gandhinagar in the 70's, based on

Chandigarh and Ghandi's principles.

Gandhinagar – capital of Gujarat

Source: Pandya, Y. (2002). The Ahmedabad Chronicle, Imprints of a

Millenium. Ahmedabad: Vastu Shilpa Foundation.

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1976: Urban Land Ceiling Act placed a ceiling on the acquisition of

available land to curb speculation in urban areas. A lot of property

transactions became semi-legal or illegal, a black market came up.

Leadership started dwindling which led to corruption,

mismanagment and carelessness, resulting in the overall haphazard

and self-interested growth of the city.

At the same time developers started circumventing regulations: for

example: CG road and Ashram Road. Until then no markets had been

established in the Western city, the connection to the old city started

evaporating.

Ahmedabad- Post Indepence

East Side: Mills:

1861: Establishment of first mill

1911: mill workers 30000

1921: mill workers 43500 (51 mills)

1940: 74000 workers, 880 chawls

1965: 133000 workers, 1500+ chawls

1981: 155000 workers in 63 mills

Jobs were allocated mostly on caste-basis, leading to different

communities living in close proximity in the chawls (as opposed to

caste-groups each being assigned a mill).

Conditions in the mill were poor:

Shifts could run up to 15 hours a day, supervision was done by

'jobbers' who beat the mill workers and were responsible for hiring

new workers.

A 1917 study showed that the mill owners salary was insufficient to

pay for daily expenses, let alone unexpected costs. Housing

conditions were thus very poor, in most cases too little toilets and

lack of access to water.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1891 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1985 1997

Number of Mills

Number of

workers x 1000

Number of

Spindles x

10000

Ahmedabad- Post Indepence

Source: Ahmedabad City Development Plan 2006- 2012

Ahmedabad Closed Textile Mill Land 1980's mills started closing down due to subsidized shift towards

smaller production units.

Huge tracts of land in East-Ahmedabad were abandoned.

Drop in textile labor: 1981: 155000 workers in 63 mills 1987: 72000 workers 1989: 62126 workers 1995: 35000 workers

Diversification into diamond polishing, chemicals and denim. The total land area occupied by the closed mills is 3.34 sq. kms. Due to complex use change procedures and because of claims of

Banks and workers the land is lying vacant since 1985/86.

Ahmedabad Closed Textile Mill Land

Source: Ahmedabad City Development Plan 2006- 2012

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Institutes of Ahmedabad



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Religious institutions of Ahmedabad



Textile mills of Ahmedabad

Textile Mills:

Ahmedabad has a long history of self generating prosperity through

its trade, commerce and textile.

It posses a powerful mercantile and artisan cooperatives and guilds.



Expansion towards the west

West Side: Institutions

Ellisbridge developed into posh neighborhood, caused by

Cooperative housing ventures which provided an important legal

mechanism to make residential expansion possible for middle classes. The growth was then characterized by a total reversal of the fabric due to the introduction of British planning norms.

It is now fragmented owing to the buildings set in their individual

compounds.



Institutions of Ahmedabad

The industrial development confined itself essentially in the eastern side taking the form of ribbon development along the major routes in the north-east and south-east. 1935: establishment of Ahmedabad Educational with considerable help from Mill Owners, leading to establishment of

institutes of national importance such as Gujarat University, NID, IIM-A, CEPT University

Up until the '40s a number of modern institutions were created (hospital, library, museum, town hall etc) all of them around

Ellisbridge on the western side of town.



Outskirts of Ahmedabad

The residential development in the west took a new form- that of the

high rise development due to increasing pressure on land.

The major changes brought about in this phase areby the elite who

have opted for the town house typology within the city where the

land is expensive and the built farm houses as a second home in the agricultural zones.



Present Walled City



Historic city center- present fabric



January 26, 2001 Earthquake

745 died, mostly in the high-rises in the western part of

Ahmedabad.

Exposed the negligence and corruption of AMC and AUDA when it

came to violations of construction standards and building bylaws.

Up to 90 percent of buildings constructed between 1980 and 2001 would not have a building use certificate that is usually issued at

succesful completion of the building.

After the earthquake, there was a shift towards more low-rise

building.

Reference : http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl1805/18051160.htm

2001 Earthquake

Communal riots:

Towards the end of the century, communal tensions were exploited

for personal gain by the triggering of riots by politicians as well as

gangsters. This led to the ghettoization of the city along communal lines.

1941: 65 killed First major communal riots, an event widely blamed

on the British and the Muslim League. The social geography of the

city started sharpening: Muslims could not go to Khadia and Raipur, Hindus could not go to Jamalpur and Kalupur

1946: 32 killed 1969: 560 - 2000 killed 1985: riots about Solanki-reservation scandal derailed into communal violence 1992: destruction of Babri Masjid 2002: 1000 killed, Ghodra riots

2002 Communal Riots

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City Form of Ahmedabad 2002

1931-41 population growth has been the highest.

From the beginning of the 20th century the rate of immigration rose.

Population growth in the peripheral areas is more rapid than the

areas within the city limits.

The contrasting spatial patterns observed in the eastern and western

areas of AMC have extended into the peripheral areas in the same manner which has been absorbing most of the growth in the recent

years.

Rapid growth in the form of ribbon development along the Sarkhej - Gandhinagar highway was witnessed during the 1990’s

Ahmedabad growth pattern

Image Source:AUDA CDP

In Ahmedabad a decline is occurring in the population share of the

walled city (city core) because of immigration of population to other

parts of the city as well as increasing commercialization.

This tendency has been particularly marked since the seventies

(growth rates of -0.14 per cent and -1.73 per cent in 1971-81 and

1981- 91 respectively).

Population density



Direction of Future Growth

The greater Ahmedabad area roadway system is approximately

3478 Kms.

Major roads:

Ahmedabad road network


Land market has a tendency to place a higher

premium on parcels that are in close proximity

to the transit corridors due to the travel time saving and hence the land use transformation along the transit corridors is evident.

Ahmedabad BRTS

Image Source: Nitika Bhakuni - Land Use Transformation Along BRTS in

Ahmedabad

Image Source: Nitika Bhakuni - Land Use Transformation Along BRTS in

Ahmedabad

Building Height – 2006 & 2010

There are eight bridges, which make it possible to traverse east-west

across the river Sabarmati.

There are three additional bridges proposed of which one is between

Subhash Bridge and Gandhi Bridge.

Ahmedabad Bridges


Sabarmati riverfront development project

Make the riverfront accessible to the public.

Stop the flow of sewage, keep the river clean and pollution-free. Provide permanent housing for riverbed slum dwellers. Reduce risk of erosion and flooding in flood prone neighborhoods.

Create riverfront parks, promenades and ghats to enjoy the water

Provide Ahmedabad with new cultural, trade and social amenities. Revitalize riverfront neighborhoods, rejuvenate Ahmedabad.

Generate resources to pay for all of the foregoing.

Stitch together East and West Ahmedabad.

Create a memorable identity for Ahmedabad

Image Source: HCP Design & Project Management Pvt. Ltd, Ahmedabad


River Training and Land Reclamation

Defined Waterway – 275 m wide

Total Reclamation area - 202 Hectares


Total number of households within project area : 5723 (as per 2002

survey)

Total number of relocated households : 1387 (as of 17th, December

2010)

Average number of households relocated daily : 25 - 40

R & R


Planning precincts


Planning precincts- Ashram road


Matrix of Evolution of Ahmedabad

Bibliography

Pandya, Y. (2002). The Ahmedabad Chronicle, Imprints of a


Spodek, H. (2011). Ahmedabad, Shock City of Twentieth-Century India. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswan Private Limited. Yagnik, Achyut and Suchitra Sheth. Ahmedabad From Royal City to Megacity. New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2011.

Conceptual and the real : understanding an experience of the city :

Ahmedabad. Thesis by Riyaz Tayyibji.

Mitchell, George and Snehal Shah. Ahmedabad. Ahmedabad: Marg

Publications, 1988.


Soumitro Ghosh

Comparative urban form

Documents

Transcript of Comparative urban form