Research Seminar Reading the City

Semester 3, M.Arch(Urban Design)

Department of Urban Design
SPA Delhi
Faculty: Thomas Oommen, Manas Murthy
Tuesdays 9 A.M 12 Noon
Outline

This research seminar is situated within the theme of community, identity and space.
Conventional delineations of community assume a static and retrospective position which limits
discourse to aspects of familial kinship, that is religion, caste, class etc. This is what is commonly
referred to in urban sociology as mechanical solidarity or gemeinschaft. Traditionally in urban
theory this concept occurs as a binary pair with what is called Gesselschaft or organic
community - an urban form of community centered around consent/choice/individual agency
be it employment, similarity of interest, politics etc. Communities in Indian cities, especially
those which are working class are popularly understood to conform to the previous category of
community, with communities formed through individual agency and consent as a more
upper/middle income characteristic. The intention of this seminar is to explore within such
transitional traditional communities, the possibility of emergent and contemporary forms of
community. Our broad questions include: What makes community? On the basis of what
aspects/linkages are they formed? How are they manifested in space? Importantly the question
is also about how different kinds of community manifest themselves differently in space? We
intend to combine correlational research methods of mapping with the qualitative research
method which will relies on in situ exploration of individuals, groups and institutions through
techniques like interviews and surveys.
These questions are also placed in the context of a previous research project in Delhi by the
Centre for Policy Research named Differentiated Citizenship, which culminated in the form of a
conference called Urban Transformations in India (Spotlight: Cities of Delhi). The objective of
the project and indeed the conference was to highlight and disseminate knowledge about the
various forms of informal settlements in Delhi comprising about 73% of the capitals unplanned
neighborhoods. The project identified a number of such settlements with differing access to
basic services, tenure of residence, ownership to land, access to mobility, access to political
mobilization, etc. However the social / political characterization and categorization of
settlements and community groups was done at the scale of Delhi, with each settlement being

predominantly characterized as representative of a particular community as we traditionally

understand it Dalit, Muslim etc. This meant that the project left much scope for further
investigations about the nature of each settlement, their intra-relationships, sub-groups, spatial
hierarchies and consequent impact on the definitions of community itself. In short the question
of what social and spatial definitions community took at the scale of the individual settlement.
DATE Description
JANUARY
Introduction to Seminar and Research:
12th

Format

Reading
Lecture + Class

Distinction between normative theory and Discussion

scientific / social research. Juxtaposition of Lynch
and Koolhaas. Scale between Objective Reality and
Subjective Notions from Morse & Joroff.

19th

Introduction to Seminar Theme, Khirki:

Differentiating Communities: Base data
available on Khirki / Ward No. 162. Background of
Aapki Sadak. Identifying vs. Mobilising community;
which comes first. Use for Urban Design in
identifying agency in communities

Lecture + Class
Discussion

Junkspace by S M, L
XL (2001),
Image of the
City,Kevin Lynch,
MIT Press (1960)
N/A

26th
-------------------------------------OUT FOR STUDIO TRIP--------------------------------------------FEBRUARY
02nd -------------------------------------OUT FOR STUDIO TRIP--------------------------------------------Site visit to Khoj and Khirki Extension:
09th
Lecture + Site
What is
Introduction to ongoing Khoj community and
Visit
Architectural
outreach projects such as Somali Refugees,
Research? By
Women in Public Space, Public Art / Murals.
RIBA(2004)
Walkthrough Khirki Extension discovering
Experimental
employment centres, visible ethnicity, multiResearch Cultures
national nature.
by David Salomon,
Journal of
Architectural
Education (2011)
Identifying Points of Contact / Resource persons: Class Exercise
16th
Basic Research
Initial impressions from site visit, hypotheses on
Methods by
which community to follow, where (spatially) to
Gerhard Guthrie
begin. Develop interview format, format of non(2010)
participant / hidden observation techniques
Analysing Talk: An
Entry to Social
Science Research
by Bischoping &
Gazso (2016)
rd
Site
work
1:
In-depth
interviews,
observations,
23
Site work
Qualitiative
preliminary mapping, confirmation of hypotheses
Research Method

in Architectural
Research Methods
by Linda Groat and
David Wang (2002)
MARCH
ASSESSMENT 1: Scope, parameters of mapping,
01st
08th

15th
22nd

research methods + techniques to be used

culminating in research plan
Site work 2: further data collection through
broader surveys, observations, draft delineation

Identification and alignment with Thematic

Literature / Case Studies from precedents of social
mapping projects / texts
Site work 3: refine delineation of identified
communities with respect to thematic texts,
develop methods of representation

29th
APRIL
ASSESSMENT 2: Desktop review of draft mapping
05th

ASSESSMENT 1

N/A

Site work

Class Exercise

Architectural
Research Methods
by Groat & Wang
(2002)
TBD

Site Work

TBD

ASSESSMENT 2

N/A

Class Exercise

N/A

from site with hypotheses on definition of

Communities in Khirki / Differentiating
Communities. Contribution of employed research
methods

12th

Mock Panels for Exhibition designed in

collaboration / consultation with Khoj

19th

FINAL EXHIBITION AT KHOJ / POTENTIAL LOCAL

VENUE

N/A