thesis framework
01] preface - titled Institutional Buildings, Planning of Cultural Precincts the research tries to understand the role of institutions in formation and governance of areas/ regions of cultural significance in the city. The research locates itself in the need to re-imagine heritage and redevelopment of areas in the city alongside the larger aspirations of a city plan.
02] acknowledgements - institutions, agencies, guides, colleagues, family and friends
03] methodology - Formatted as introduction, projects review, research plan, data analysis, conclusions and design the structure is a course prescribed condition. Review of nine area studies performed in various city neighborhoods and presenting solutions to research objectives are the two main components of the task. These facilitates into the suggestion of a list of areas of significance, a possible vision and spatial guidelines for the boundaries occupied by program.
_
04] backbay cultural district - The first citizens plan for an urban area the plan establishes the notion of culture as regulating both development and factoring in the environmental considerations of Backbay. Located adjacent to the city business districts of Fort and Nariman Point trajectories for its growth now lies in the realm of academic exercises and private proposals.
05] fort management plan - With the footprint of its founding boundaries Fort houses the highest concentration of historic buildings significant for the city. The programmed management of the delineation and its sub precincts have been basis for several future preservation projects for the city.
06] marine drive - Popularly known as the queen’s necklace the region is home to most Art-Deco buildings in the city. Being part of several beautification proposals and conservation ideas the area contributes to the city other than its heritage a bevy of open spaces and a generous waterfront.
07] khotachiwadi - An item in the first version of the heritage list of building and published under regulation 67, Khotachiwadi is one of the several heritage precincts in the city. Known for its mostly well preserved fabric it synchronizes well between ideas laid out by the state and implementation by its residents.
08] mumbai central station - Having a large swath of land in Central Mumbai the station complex has been part of area development schemes and private proposals in spatial and programmatic development of the place. Facility up-gradation and redesign of the transit hub are interventions negotiated into a building type encased in heritage conditions.
09] promenades of carter & bandstand - As citizen initiated programs revitalization of the waterfronts have presented both for the city and the neighborhoods renewed access to the water’s edge. The spaces created thus become regular event spaces for public cultural programming such as the bandra festival held once every two years.
10] mount mary - Pilgrimage center for the devout the sites associated with the shrine complex host one of the largest annual festivals in the form of the Mount Mary Fair. Partnership between the municipal corporation and the church authorities enable the smooth performance of the event held every second week of September.
11] bandra kurla complex - Located in the geographic center of the city the special planning area houses one of the four business districts. Due to concentration of office blocks on the eastern section of the delineated land the identity of the space is in distorted state thereby failing to capitalize the potential of the area.
12] chembur heritage precinct - Suggested in the recent past the project was commissioned by the MMRHCS for suggestions towards proposing updated ideas and tactics in preserving a heritage precinct for the city. Instead of heritage the task attempted to suggest culture as a negotiating yardstick encompassing all aspects of community specific significance rather than only earmarked built fabric.
_
13] building databases - Heritage projects in the city have followed a systematic method in listing, documenting structures and then proposing regulations modified to factor in the special needs of the built fabric. In proposing an updated list of cultural sites a database of city guidebooks is assembled to position the geography of culture as recommended with the data accessed.
14] standards & policy review - With a found geography there is an established limits or stage to cultural sites for the city. To modify i.e combine, edit and propose a relatively revised viewpoint towards development of culture a reading of directives, policies and regulation facilitate the process. Objective specific references from international agencies, national to state bodies and local governing agencies these documents are consulted from.
_
15] culture - what defines the culture/ sub-culture of a region? Mumbai is India on steroids or so says TimeOut City Guide. With this image principle the acts associated with what the city is then presented made up of bits such as places, events and neighborhoods that is aligned with both the local and the nation state aspiration of what culture is that is measured by standards set at the national and international directives such as EU & UNESCO.
16] history - what are the key events that have brought regional culture to its present form? The history of the city has began its narration by a wedding story. That wedding gave the city its form, brought in businesses and with trade, commerce, exchange there has been the becoming of Mumbai as we know or is made aware. A progress of a series possibly linear influences have made built communities, landmarks and celebrations.
17] events - what are the various cultural cycles organised within the city limits? Mumbai could be envisioned a city of festivals. Between national days such as the Republic day events and Christmas, festivities the place has got its calendar packed. These govern sporadic unfolding of areas that are accommodative to festivities. Adjusting to the events are considered hallmarks to the city.
18] centres - where are the cultural hotspots located? As a result of its physical form the city functions linearly. North south and back. Hence a string of sites from Colaba to Malad for the west and Crawford to Mulund for the east are the beads of culture, if one could expound the idea as, for Mumbai.
19] sites - what would be the cultural radii of a context or what could be the boundaries? Each of these beads have limits or locations and contexts in them for which the neighborhood as a whole is considered significant. To sub-list from the primary neighborhood listing would detail to a degree how culture coagulates for Mumbai.
20] guidelines - if a set of guidelines has to be set out for a cultural precinct what should be the ideals that would be needed to be considered? Development in the city is governed by regulation in the form of guidelines published along with the municipalities plan for its area of governance. In the present regime only heritage and cluster redevelopment are the possible avenues for areas or precincts for the city. Referencing planning standards and policies situates an enabling environment for suggesting alternate models.
21] containers - if bodies/ policies control the production of culture, what would be their respective tactics? Cultural products take shape that requires to be contained within specific spatial constraints. These are attributed by building types associated with its programming. Campus in the city have the leeway to spread out and locate activities while private urban institutions make do by containing its engagements or distribution as per requirements.
22] spaces - can the idea of culture be contained in a built form? Presenting the case study of shopping in the city, the state of culture as it morphs is based on the site on which shopping performs. From formal markets to hawking, distinct types are available based on land reservations, building types and spatial adjustments to accommodate it as a result suggesting the culture of shopping an amorphous situation, with a possibility of emulation.
23] typology - the space of spectacle, building type of culture, the cultural amenity, which of these would qualify? The precinct is a concentration of an activity set. Cultural centers become hyper-programmed activity centers facilitating the production of cultural products. Type of cultural precincts is thus a combination between location and level of patronage it gives to specific cultural activity.
_
24] cultural geography & listing - The city is divided into three sub cities of the island city, eastern suburbs and western suburbs as a result of its physical form. These larger formations thus is the situation towards identification of neighborhoods that can for itself activate cultural programs. The listing in the three zones are thus a result of spaces investigated via the objectives solved previously, typifying states of positioning sites of cultural significance.
25] cultural policy - Culture in the city could be categorized under four groups of built form, language & literature, indigenous communities and creative industries local to the geography. To draft out a situation for culture in the present planning task, on the basis of the list at hand the vision is towards an urban directive of that collates the existing disorganized or insular conditions of city culture.
26] cultural building regulations - Taking off from the list and the policy that becomes a plan, building guidelines caters to extents to that the program is directed to perform. Instead of asking for special regulations as its the norm, the quest would be find means to have type specific guidelines that details regulations instead of creating further categories. Elaborating on the list, spaces specific to identified cultural performance is to be standardized from the basis of which spatial variations are recommended.
_
27] diagramming details - Bandra Kurla Complex definitely has an image problem. With its location and relatively facilitating site conditions the attempt is towards a city centric cultural district that could rectify how one views the landmass. This contributes to the city as a whole by proposing a more accessible archipelago of cultural situations with updated facilities and at the same time catering to aspirations of the larger urban cultural policy.