Civic

In an effort to study Photography, I recently learnt that if you are putting a story together about a Public Space, you would need to observe it over a long period of time, understand what happens there at different times of the day, what individuals or groups come there, for how long and so on. When you have a substantial understanding of the subject that you intend to photograph and have a story to tell, it is only then that you would be able to “represent” what you know through a series of photographs. In architecture, to design any built…

A few months ago when I started writing this blog, I wanted to call it Everyday City and had tried to put down as simple a blog description as I could. I had said it was about ‘observing how the everyday life of the city influences its urban spaces’. Today, I want to go a bit further on this. To begin with, what is meant by ‘everyday life’? In a workshop on Urban Studies that I attended last week, we were told that to think deeper about a research question, one could explore it in terms of ‘contrast’. So, if…

Like every other year, 2013 has been eventful. When one thinks of the big things that took place in Bengaluru this year, citizen-led initiatives such as the lake rejuvenation movement, Whitefield Rising and everyday heroes who shone, stand apart. They are indeed a reason for celebration. Then there are those which we may very well want to brush under the carpet, but cannot as a result of their impact they have on our lives - the state of roads, the multiple pothole related deaths, women’s safety, the lack of accountability on the part of our government etc. Let’s take a…

This article begins with understanding the new mall culture in India. It then explores from the past the bazaar culture that has always been a part of life in India. Thereafter, it turns to the world of form and design, arguing that a clearer understanding of and deliberate choice of certain designs and patterns can more suitably engage the Indian consumer, offering both social anchor and a lively consumer experience. A Mall Culture In India, as elsewhere in the developing  world, malls are being constructed in small and big cities, and retail shopping is taking on a whole new direction.…

Students of Inventure Academy, Sarjapura Road participated in the Namma Bengaluru Awards 2013 by nominating their heroes recently. What does BBMP stand for? Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike - Pat came the reply! What’s so unusual in this revelation? Well - nothing except that this came from a bunch of well meaning students in the prestigious Inventure Academy. If you thought today’s youngsters don’t care enough for their city, think again! They are aware of their surroundings and have kept their eyes, ears, heart and soul open in either contributing towards their city’s development or joining hands with those who are…

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, B S Satyanarayana, Raghavendra Auradkar and other launching the BCLIP. Pic courtesy: BPACEven as the wannabe corporators were waiting for their incubation programme to begin, the main function hall at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on Race Course Road, Bengaluru was filled with excitement. Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC, set up by like-minded people interested in better governance for Bengaluru, was all set to launch its ambitious programme Bangalore Civic Leadership Incubation Programme (BCLIP). The programme aims to train potential candidates for local government elections. Mayor B S Satyanarayana, Mayor, Deputy Mayor Indiramma and Raghavendra Auradkar, Police Commissioner, Bangalore…

SURVEY - If you are involved with Bangalore lakes, either as an experienced activist or a more recently engaged citizen, you are requested to answer the short survey here. Responses appreciated by 18th December 2013. For more details, read on... Bangalore lakes have grabbed unprecedented attention over the recent years, both in the media and academia. And this has not been limited by geographic location. Researchers from the Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC), Stockholm University, Sweden have been studying Bangalore lakes for a while now. Recently a film on Kaikondrahalli Lake was released by one of the project teams. More infomation…

A city which was known for its gardens is now just a city of dust.  I have a few issues to raise and want to know the thoughts around it from my fellow Bengalurians. I'm also looking for the platforms where such isuues could be raised. 1. Road Tax: Karnataka is a state which charges high road tax for any vehicle compared to another states. However, in past six years, I have not seen proper maintenance of roads in Bangalore, specifically south Bangalore. Where is this money going, is there any account? 2. No demarcation of stop lines or zebra…

The Government of Karnataka has issued the notification outlining the formation of Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC). The long-awaited step has been taken very secretively, with no publicity to this anywhere. Not even the Urban Development Department website has displayed it; nowhere has it been kept for public discussion. The draft notification has been gazetted and published on November 7, 2013, with 15 days for public feedback on the issue - that is on or before November 22, 2013. Problems MPC is supposed to solve Right now Bangalore has too many planning authorities that sanction approvals and plan the land use.…

A student felicitates a Poura Karmika. Pic courtesy: CMCA Thousands of children from the member schools of Children’s Movement for Civic Awareness will be thanking Pourakarmikas across the city this month. The flag-off event for the Pourakarmika thanksgiving day was celebrated for the seventh consecutive year at the Rajkumar Gajinamane Hall, BBMP Head office, Bangalore. Narayan, the president of the Pourakarmika Union, was present on the occasion. In his speech Narayan said, ”People look down upon Pourakarmikas in the society but an organization like CMCA recognizes the Pourakarmika’s work including health and hygiene. I am really happy about this”. Children…