UD

Last week I was a spectator to an event. An event which can be termed as a ‘turning point’ for the growth of my profession in my city and recognition of the field in which I did my specialization in. I am referring to the field of ‘Urban Design’.

Urban design as a field has always been an ‘under kept’ secret which is slowly and steadily being relived to the people. What is urban design and what exactly urban designers do is a persistent question in the minds of people. What I define or simplify urban design as ‘design a part of the city considering the city as a whole’. There are many versions of the definition or explanations for the term – but in my purview anything that comes in the realm of city design comes in the blanket of urban designers.

Since this field is gaining recognition world wide – it is making attempts to reach Indian shores time and again with many architecture enthusiast taking an active interest in shaping the city. The profession started as an expression to fill up the void which was created by Urban Planning and Architecture. Planners dealt with the policies and strategies for the city while an architect kept his scope only to the building / plot he is assigned to work. These two extremities left a wide loophole in which city needed to be developed. A realization for a profession which can marry both these disciples together was felt, thus the birth of ‘Urban Design’. It is always considered as a grey area – where sometimes an urban design has to hone the cap of a large scale architect while manier times can be a useful pivot to guide the planning policies.

The urban designer thus aspire the key aspects of city – functional and aesthetic quality.  Visualizing a city in 3d, adhering / creating newer norms and creating avenues to make them function could be the broader aspects of urban design.

As we always read than more than 50 cities are required to house the additional population by 2050 in India alone, these need to be dealt in a very sensible and rational manner. I see this effort by IUDI, as a key gesture to give a new recognition to us urban designers and to the city at large.

In my opinion, an urban designer himself don many roles in the society to encourage and create a mindset in the people about the way they perceive cities. He needs to be an activist at times to demonstrate the wrong doings in the city, he can be a leading example in which he demonstrates the lifestyle needed in the society, he can generate the sensitivity and sensibility of historic and emotional values the city carries.

Whatever role he sets himself for, it is time for the society to encourage the role of an architect – urban designer amongst all in the city development process so that we are not exposed to questions like ‘who is an urban designer’ (UD)