Data visualization or data visualisation is the creation and study of the visual representation of data, meaning “information that has been abstracted in some schematic form, including attributes or variables for the units of information”.

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends. The process of creating infographics can be referred to as data visualization, information design, or information architecture.

01/ Ursus Wehrli shares his vision for a cleaner, more organized, tidier form of art – by deconstructing the paintings of modern masters into their component pieces, sorted by color and size.

02/ Have you played with Google Labs’ NGram...

Peoples participation in the development plan has brought in several voices from varying agencies stating their opinions on the what “people” need or what the municipality should be planning for according to their personal research and views on how the city should be envisioned. Pankaj and Aravind are two of them. Both, architects, are engaged in planning activism as part of their respective NGOs. Listed below under their respective name heads are their views collected by reporters on the city and status of its plan its projects by governing bodies and the municipality. The quotes are researched from standard Google search and name link should direct one to the information pool from where the articles and thus the statements are sourced from. The material has been compiled over a period of a day to retain consistency in the direct search method. To note would be is that they could be...

A compilation of visions, programs of the four fronting institutions and agencies that are instrumental in framing as presented a citizen’s agenda for the Mumbai Development Plan 2014-‘34.

To locate them geographically at the southernmost end of the city is UDRI, with YUVA Urban organising themselves in Dadar, TISS campus is on the eastern edge of the city in Deonar while KRVIA houses itself in Juhu. All to a degree have or are doing projects in their respective neighbourhoods and around city limits. There is mutual engagement in terms of projects and joint exercises but resulting to domain expertise KRVIA/ UDRI and TISS/ YUVA Urban collaborative projects are the norm of submitting for city ideas or proposals. Combining design and planning with social policy the collective to stage out the city plan seems to have covered most aspects of what an ideal planning exercise could contain...

an open letter for collaboration …

hi.

to anyone interested,

The project begans with the premise to address the needs and accessibility of data on Mumbai, especially while conducting research on the urban area. Kinds of information types/ formats available, where it exists and therefore as a result what possibilities in terms of ideas we have of the city. In-accessibility to resources and raw data for analysis have hindered many a request in intellectual engagement for the city. Momentarily in the present clime this stature could be changing. Theoretically the task is purely a study of content about and produced in the city. Aim thus is to collate or compile them in form or as references on to a singular location and platform. This isn’t an encyclopedia like Wikipedia. It aims to be an archive. A virtual record room for city information. Catalogue or for that matter library could be...

Compiled from the MCGM/ Group SCE Preparatory Studies (PS) for the Greater Mumbai DP 2014 the content extracts (pg nos, 41-57) looks at the progress of colors introduced in the latest plans in city making. Modifying the DP 1991 by applying the design standards as specified in the National Urban Information System Scheme 2006, the city (its drawings) as we have seen up till now will be updated. To be are significant changes since the DP 1991 in both, the categories as well as the nature of classification. To capture the current existing land uses accurately, some new categories have been created (for e.g. Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Urban Villages and Offices) and in addition each land use has also subdivided into several new sub categories so as to capture the full range of land use types in Greater Mumbai. The PS suggests the updates in two varying structural edits that are both...

Development Control Regulations are accompanying guidelines to an area plan published and ready for enforcement. The rules project within limits set on what it expects of the place to grow into as a result of several interventions positioned. The contents are a transcription to the first city guidelines of ‘67. A prequel to the more elaborate present guidelines in force of '91 (UDRI/ KRVIA project component) these exercises of exrapolating contents for these documents are notes towards a simplification process that envisions guidelines of use and development for a place. Some working questions are on how these city guidelines tally when compared with the national standards as given in the Model Building Bye Laws? and what differences are or for that matter customisation are to be performed based on site and plan specific implications? The issues that bring about discussions in land...

a synopsis of sorts …

The city is a space in need of a planning trajectory. Over the period of last 10 years several agencies, starting with the McKinsey Report, have tried to publish a vision for the city in various capacities. Aspirations have looked at other cities as sources of inspiration but somewhere there has to be an indigenously prescribed solution to the stated condition that is Mumbai. The planning exercise now in its third edition is in the process of laying out a variation of ideas towards a new and improved development of the city. Mandated by law this vision calls for a Competitive, Inclusive and Sustainable City. Between the two points of the formal reports an influx of independent exercises have clamored for either individually or in collective collaboration to critique the various plans advertised. This is therefore an observation and a review of several voices that...

The preparatory studies document has been an instrument of the MCGM towards presenting an interface to the city at large in what their vision of the development of the city is. Posted after a group of citizens consultation exercises, that was held after publication of the report, this blog post by YUVA highlights the several disparities of the document and thus the factors to be considered by the corporation when they make the next phase of the plan public. Though not a direct critique, the text tries to highlight some critical issues as deemed necessary by YUVA and its partners in the campaign Hamara Shehar, Hamara Vikas, Hamara Niyojan, Abhiyan Mumbai. The post is a iteration to the Peoples Vision and is hence seen as two different entities. To these documents several other citizens charters could be drawn in to establish a larger People vs Municipality view on what directives for...

advanced diwali greetings to you sir

taking off from our conversation, parts of which we have touched on earlier too research collaboration is a tricky space. somewhere i think you are still coming off from the pica listing exercise ideas on research projects. this i must say is a genre and promoted by mmrhcs. but generally when one gives funding they look at research experience of all individuals submitting the proposal and not whether who provides what services. largely a takeoff on how neera and gang conducts business.

research is a new trend much popularized by you know who. and if you were to note some of the newer firms such as rotor, research is part of their work flow. our chums new website — [http://rmaarchitects.com/]( http://rmaarchitects.com/). you guys http://www.aedage.com/, http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ruta-sinhasane/12/75a/906 come off as very cut and dry. its very...

sup dude

i spend some time looking at the text in detail today. the first thing that hits across is that there is no people/ individuals mentioned whatsoever on the document. if every section has to be or has been looked at by specific ngo’s their respective association has to be listed. who from all these ngo’s are responsible for the statements has to be evident.

secondly the text in itself. it needs to be proofed. things like consistency of bmc or mcgm has to be checked. every section gives like a zillion stats but there isn’t any references to the reports or the respective study. this brings me to the fact that you need a bibliography, glossary and abbreviations section to the document. this is a task someone from an academic position needs to do. some sentences here and there needs a bit of revision. change the language a bit.

reports have a definitive format and to an extend...