Design Brief

Towards Ahmedabads Septcentennial

Re-envisioning the Sabarmati Development Project

LSE Cities Programme. Summer Term 2012 CITY MAKING: The Politics of Urban Form.

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Introduction.
The present design brief calls to re-evaluate, re-think and re-imagine the current project envisioning Ahmedabads Septcentennial (year 2111). The economic predictions for the country will positively contribute to its development, however this design brief urges to embrace the opportunity to keep moving forward but in a different direction. The challenge is to aim high but carefully ask the right question. Instead of referencing current world cities, it is being asked to imagine Ahmedabad of the future, recognizing and taking advantage of the present economic system. Multidisciplinary teams should be able to challenge conventional wisdom, think holistically and generate creative solutions that allow for deep change.

In sought of positioning itself as a global city, Ahmedabad begun the ambitious redevelopment of its river. The project conceived under the logics of neoliberal ideology has generated a strong reconfiguration of the city reinforcing social and spatial segregation. In addition it lacks of an understanding of the hydrologic cycles of the river and have been criticized as being gambling with nature. In brief, with the sole purpose of beatification the Sabarmati River Front Development Project consists of converting the river in a fake lake of 10 km in direct but wrong reference to world riverfront cities like Paris, London and Sydney. The project is ruled by the logics of infrastructure and lacks the sensibility to integrate with the existing urban landscape. In addition, under market pressures the project appears to be trapped with the logic of generating fast returns at any cost without acknowledging the future impacts.

View of the ongoing project in the southern east of the river. The Baba Lului Mosque (1560 AD) on the right is one of several institutional buildings affected by the project. Source: Author

Population AMC (2001) Area AMC in hectares (2001) Density (pp sqkm) Population AMC (2011) Area AMC in hectares (2011) 2001-2011 population growth Annual Population growth Literate population (2011) Population 0-6 (2011) Slum population (2001) Housing stock (2001) Total GDP (2007) Annual GDP growth GDP per capita 2007 GDP per capita 2025

1 2

3,515,361 19,000 18,501.9

1 2

5,570,585 50,000 36.89%

1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3

4.71% 80.14% 10.57% 25.77% 1,050,000 $8 billions 12,9% $4,000 $17,000 831,459
1.43% 42.44% 56.13%

Formal employment 2 (1991)

Primary sector Secondary sector Tertiary sector 2 2 2

Formal employment 2 (2001) 2 Informal employment (2006) 2 Informal daily product

Source: Google Earth

1,123,000 400,000 $800,000

Central strech of the artificial lake, 2010.

Sources: 1. Census of India, 2. City Development Plan 2006-2012, 3. McKinsey & Company.
*AMC: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

Ahmedabad

Monsoon rains fall in southern Asia.

Source: NASA Earth Observatory. earthobservatory.nasa.gov

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Developmental Priorities.
generate 17% of its income1), but also faces the challenges of social demands from the current population that inherited the flaws from the rapid informal growth in the past and the future requirements of the projected population growth. Under these circumstances, arise three key urban developmental priorities that should be addressed holistically: i. Rethink the role of the river within the urban structure of the city considering not only its environmental and social value as a public open space in the center of the city, but also its potential contribution to local industries and global competitiveness. ii. Recall the social capital of educational institutions and local entrepreneurs to create a new economy of the city based on innovation and the production of knowledge, capitalizing on the river as the trigger for the citys refoundation. iii. Develop an urban scheme based on residential density along the river that allows for efficiency, intensity and interaction among the diverse population; from slum dwellers to the new middle class diminishing the existing social and spatial segregation.

The commercial capital of the Gujarat State faces two main challenges derived on one hand from its historical economic leadership and on the other from the ambitious expectations to situate it as global city of the developing East. Once considered the Manchester of the East, its present urban configuration becomes from its vibrant industrial past. The eastern side of the Sabarmati River was the first to develop due to the establishment of textile mills that sought proximity to the rail station inaugurated in the outskirts of the walled city in 1864 (see map p. 6). This area also accommodated basic homes for some of the workers known as chawls which were built around the cotton mills. Despite the industrial prosperity, others that migrated to the city in search of job opportunities had to settle in slums throughout the predominant industrial zone. Whereas, the western side started to develop as a properly established residential area away from industries and factories since the construction of the first bridge across the river in 1870. These sudden operations fixed the socio-spatial scenario of the city were the Sabarmati River although the main geographical feature of the urban landscape enacts as a separation between east and west rather than as a protagonist of the urban development of Ahmedabad. Given its key role in the regional and even national economy, Ahmedabad confronts the pressure of maintaining its contribution to the countrys development (with 8% of the State population it

1 City Development Plan 2006-2012, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) 5

Sources: Author based on * City Development Plan 2006-2012, p. 72 and The Ahmedabad Chronicle. Imprints of a millennium, p. 35, 81 and 94.
6

i. The Sabarmati River as the core. The river constitutes the main major open space of the city (350 ha of public domain) covering a distance close to 10 km cutting through the consolidated urban area of Ahmedabad, thus it represents an unbeatable opportunity area for the development of the city. However, the riverbed and its borders are underutilized and mismanaged.

ating the environmental degradation and encroachment of the river and obstructing the public accessibility. These not only deteriorated the river but also put the lives of the slum residents under high risk of flood in monsoon season. A study done in 1998 showed that the share of employment in informal sector was 77% and it generated 47% of the total city income3. Accordingly, a UN report suggests that the main cause for the in-

Historically, the river has been used for recreational purposes and small economic activities, although its nature as a seasonal river had shaped the transiency of its functions. Nonetheless, in the last decades poor migrants that sought for a central location, occupied the river borders with a permanent population of up to around 150.000 slum dwellers2 gener2

Bird view of the city center in 1995. In first plane the slums along the river front. In the background the out of use mills chimneys. Source: Yatin Pandya

crease of informal jobs is the lack of diversification of the citys textile economy 4 .On this regard, the riverbanks had accommodated some of this growing informal activities (marketplace, washing,
City Development Plan 2006-2012 (AMC-CEPT) 4 The Challenge of Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements 2003, UN-HABITAT.
3 7

Figure estimated by slum dwellers in 2005, Renu Desai (2006)

dyeing and farming) which are capable to adjust to the fluctuating levels of water.

The workers of The Sabarmati River in 1966. Source: Henri Cartier-Bresson.

From the environmental perspective, the city suffers from high levels of air pollution (640 tons/day 5) and lacks of green areas that could mitigate the high volumes of dust in suspension and the hot weather. Only 129 of the 19,000 ha of the citys administrative area (AMC, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation) count as 1000 40 open spaces 6. Moreover, a recent survey done by the AMC shows that the urban 750 30 agglomeration has less than 1 tree every 10 people 7. This strongly determines the 500 20 use of open public spaces considering that the city registers an annual average 250 10 of 212 days with a maximum temperature over 32C.8 0 0

jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec

Average Low Average Average Temp. High Temp. Precipitation 13 26 0 16 29 0 21 34 0 25 38 0 27 40 10 28 37 90 26 32 290 25 30 210 25 32 120 22 34 10 18 31 0 15 27 0

Most Rain reported 50 20 20 20 230 430 950 610 630 250 90 30

1500

1125

750

375

jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec jan feb mar apr may jun jul aug sep oct nov dec Average Low Temp. Average High Temp. Average Precipitation Most Rain reported

City Development Plan 2006-2012 (AMC-CEPT) 6 Ibid. 7 The Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ 8 Weatherbase. www.wheatherbase.com
5 8

ii. The creative capital of the East. The city has some of the most prestigious research and academic institutions of the country. This is coupled with a long history of entrepreneurship that gave birth to the textile industry in the mid-1800. In addition, the high growth of the informal sector suggests a great capacity of self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship of the poorest segments of the population. In fact, the informal sector contributes $800,000 daily to the citys economy.9 The Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology University (CEPT, founded in 1962) and the National Institute of Design (NID, founded in 1961) are two of the establishments with a multidisciplinary academic method that is based on Design as the key contributor to the processes of development. While, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (eleventh in the Financial Times Global MBA ranking and the second best

ranked Asian institution10) is a business school that could complement this approach jointed with local business and industrys organizations. In this context, the area of the river and its surroundings offer an opportunity to create and test a sustainable development model that might be referenced by other growing cities with similar characteristics. In other words, the river becomes a site for research, innovation, experimentation and development. Even though the citys great entrepreneurial potential, special attention should be payed to education quality. Ahmedabad ranks fifth in literacy rate among the Indian metropolis, and has an education index of 0.428, below other cities of the region like Chennai, Bangalore, Jakarta, Tehran and Ho Chi Minh.11

0.65 0.55 0.45 0.35

Health
Source: Author based on Urban Age database.

Education

Wealth

Chennai Bangalore Ahmedabad Jakarta Tehran Ho Chi Minh

Regional comparison of Quality of Life

City Development Plan 2006-2012 (AMC-CEPT)

9

The Financial Times. www.ft.com 11 Cities, Health and Well-being. The Hong Kong newspaper. Urban Age (2011)
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iii. Exploiting the proximity to the riverfront. Despite the growth of 36% of the population between 1991 and 2001, Ahmedabad has remained a compact city. With an average of 18,500 people per km2, unlike similar-size cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad the pattern of spatial growth has been through contiguous expansion and densification of the inner city rather than by low-density sprawl12. However, within the administrative boundaries of the AMC, is possible to identify central areas with low density. All the areas of the old city eastern riverbank between the Ghandi and Sardar bridges that overlook on to the river have a residential density above the citys average. Although, despite having the riverfront at an average of 15 minutes walking distance, the old city has decreased its density by 22% in the last 20 years. While in the same stretch across the river, 3 of the 4 riverfront districts have an average density below 10,000 people per km2.

Given the previous figures, both riverbanks could admit residential densification. The potential use of the river as a recreational area allows for good quality densification of the central area (6 km approx. of riverfront). The central area has a high concentration of jobs and thus already has the pressure of willing residents in addition to the existing slum dwellers.

800

10 ppha

Density of administrative area.

Source: Author based on City Development Plan 20062012 (AMC-CEPT), p. 12.
12

City Development Plan 2006-2012 (AMC-CEPT)

10

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The Sabarmati River project.

Also, the river serves as a drain for storm water during wet monsoon. Whereas, in summer the river dries up leaving only a stream of water and the riverbed exposed. After the construction of the first three bridges, the western side of the river allowed for the natural expansion of the city until the present where the river occupies a central strip of the urban sprawl. With an average width of 300 m, the urban stretch of the river has an area of 350 ha. As well, the river has a symbolic relevance for being the place for the beginning of the freedom movement. In 1917 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, founded

The Sabarmati River has a central role in the present and future urban structure of Ahmedabad. Although, up to now it has been neglected, any intervention of it will deeply shape the destiny of the city for centuries. The main opportunity becomes from the centrality and publicness of such an open space. The city of Ahmedabad was founded in the eastern riverside of the Sabarmati River in 1411. Formerly used as a drinking water source, the river ended up receiving more that a third of the sewage water generated by the city plus untreated industrial effluents. In recent years, the river was selected by the National River Conservation Project that aims to clean up the most polluted rivers of India.

Central East side of the river were still some laundry activities take place, 2012.

Source: Author

11

the Sabarmati Ashram in the west bank of the river. Afterwards, in March 1930 the day before the Salt March a massive speech was delivered amongst the crowd in the dry river bed of the river.

Historical massive gathering in the river bed, 1930. Source: Presentation by Anand Patel (2012).

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i. Dynamic flood-able urban park. The central park opportunity. Ahmedabad doesnt have any major green area freely open for public use. Formerly, the Kankariya Lake (45 ha) served for this purposes in the east side of the city, however since 2009 the establishment of an entry fee limited its use excluding the less well-off segments of the population. Meanwhile, the apparition of 10 shopping malls (and 20 more to come) serve as the only alternative for the demand of spaces of socialization.

change and interaction among the population specially between both sides of the city in order to create greater social cohesion and cultural development. The previous could be imagined adapting to the river hydrological cycles, and creating a scientific and technological park based on water sciences.

Kankariya Lake, 2012. Source: Author

The estimated annual population growth of 5% implies that city will have around 180,000 new inhabitants yearly. Accordingly, as it is predicted in the City Development Plan the hugest expansion of the city will occur along the river through the conurbation with the Estates capital, Gandhinagar. Under this circumstances, the space of the river arises as an opportunity to create a public space of congregation, ex13

Predicted urban expansion, 2011-2035.

Source: Author based on City Development Plan 20062012 (AMC-CEPT), p. 21.

Gandhinagar

ii. Research and Development. Creative Industries. Ahmedabad, just like the rest of the country is experiencing huge socioeconomic transformations. The GDP per capita will at least triplicate in the following 15 years13. The economic base of the city is increasingly turning into the tertiary sector. It could be estimated that the city is expected to have a better qualified workforce. It is relevant, though that the economic base stays diversified so that is less vulnerable to external crisis and competition. The investment trends show that the major industries in the district were chemicals, pharmaceuticals, textiles and metallurgical 14. This give room to the development of other industries such as technology for urban infrastructure. The Research and Development goal should be understood as the creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new applications15 The situation of the Sabarmati River presents a major research challenge from the urban perspective. Is not only the magnitude of the area it occupies, but also the extreme variations of the level of
McKinsey & Company. 14 Gujarat State Portal. http://www.gujaratindia. com/ 15 OECD Factbook 2008. www.sourceoecd.org/ factbook
13 14

water due to the monsoon and dry seasons. This appears specially relevant as a precedent for other cities of the Asian region that are experiencing rapid urban growth and have similar climate conditions and risks of flood.

iii. Settlement in-situ. Just like in the rest of India, Ahmedabad has a large population living in slums. The slum population almost doubled between 1991 and 2001 reaching 25.77%. From the near 900,000 slums inhabitants 15% approximately lived in the Sabarmatis riverbanks. Although, the government has been implementing a housing programme the people are being resettled in the periphery away from job opportunities which result in supposedly better living conditions but with impoverishment and social and spatial exclusion. The old city is already experiencing depopulation tendency. Yet the redevelopment of the river represent a great opportunity to attract people to a well served and environmentally friendly area of the city. Both river fronts could potentially accommodate residential densification along an urban amenity like the redeveloped river. In fact, the river should become the structural spine of the city along which the existing and new infrastructure relate and create a network of urban services. Even the riverbed itself could be thought as a lightweight-transport corridor that connect the northern and southern parts of the city. The river front redevelopment should allow for the settlement of the existing slum population along with housing of different rates creating socially mixed areas that support the interconnection of both sides of the river and mitigate the existing separation between east and west.
15

The 2001 housing stock was near 1 million for a population of 3.5 millions. This plus the population growth indicate an important shortage of dwellings. This could be strategically tackled by focusing on well served parts of the city like the city center where the riverfront appears as a key option.

The undefined river borders of the Sabarmati. Source:

5 km

Presentation by Piyas Choudhuri (2012)

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Sustainable multi-scalar approach.

the proposal. Those that have direct spatial relation with the river borders will participate directly through a board that enables the coordination among them and the presentation of bottom-up proposals. The board will also be the main channel of communication between the residents and the authorities. The rest of the surrounding districts will be involved through consultation. Moreover, the general public should be invited to take action through all kinds of organizations of the civil society. Particular consideration should be taken with traditional organizations such as the Ahmedabad Textile Mills Association16 (ATMA) and the Self-employed Womans Association17 (SEWA). Both are convened to represent the formal and informal economies that are leading the citys globalization. Also, representatives of the slum dwellers should be called to participate, thus the necessary contribution to facilitate the organization of these groups should be considered. Equally, private investors are convoked to get involved through the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Finally, world organizations with expertise in the topic should be invited to get involved. This includes the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ).

The main stakeholder responsible for the redevelopment of the Sabarmati River is the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in its role as the manager of the properties of public domain. However, there are several other participants at different scales and levels that should be included in the project. National and State authorities will have key presence through four approaches; the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (Basic Services for the Urban Poor & Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme), the Ministry of Environment and Forests with the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry above the National Institute of Design (NID), the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship set up in the Indian Institute of Management (IIMA) by the Government of Gujarat. In an aim to make the development plan sustainable, the proposal should include a variety of stakeholders and topics, however the focus of the approach is to prepare a plan for the development of the urban area, thus the coordination role will rely on the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) which is in charge of guiding the growth of the broader urban agglomeration and is under the supervision of the Government of Gujarat. All urban wards should be included in
16

Founded in 1891. 17 Derived from the Textile Labour Association founded in 1920.
16

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Planning scenario.
form the seasonal characteristic of the project due to flood.

The declared ultimate goal of the National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy 2007 established by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation is to ensure sustainable development of all urban human settlements, duly serviced by basic civic amenities for ensuring better quality of life for all urban citizens.18 Accordingly, the metropolitan authorities are encouraged to develop and keep updated master plans (City Development Plan, CDP) and zoning plans which the Sabarmati River Project should follow and/or update if required. Similarly, the present redevelopment should comply and if needed update the State Regional Plan. Apart from this other five areas have been identified as key to the site; Transport Planning, Water Management (storm and sewage infrastructure), Green Areas & Open Spaces, Heritage & Environment and Disaster Mitigation and Management. First, the transport policies should be considered as there is already a strong emphasis on urban connectivity with the ongoing Bus Rapid Transit project. Second, water management is critical due the existing sanitary conditions and the rainy weather. Third, green public spaces are relevant to facilitate social inclusion and improve quality of life. Fourth, heritage laws are helpful to address surrounding spaces with cultural value that are prominent particularly in the city center. Fifth, disaster mitigation will in18

August 2006 floods. Source: Ajit Solanki,

Associated Press.

The Sabarmati River Project aims to encourage innovative solutions that are realistic with the social, economical and environmental contexts of the city, however given the goals of the project the design proposals are expected to be radical and mind-shifting. On this regard the present planning and political authorities are open and will facilitate if necessary the modifications of the current planning framework. This way it facilitates the concretion of another of the targets of the project which is to become a reference for other Indian cities (and expanding cities of the East) that share similar urban conditions and geography.

National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy 2007

17

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Strategic Framework.
nomical context the purpose of this section is to propose a diverse range of public uses of the new infrastructure considering temporality, climate conditions and scale among others. Accessibility. The centrality of the site and the size of the city demands reflecting on the way of accessing the project. These should include solutions considering connections through the riverbed, bridges, noble ground continuity, proximity and distance relations. Public spaces network. The river redevelopment is also expected to trigger the transformation of other public spaces of the city. The teams should present the new relations that will be built between the river and the diverse range of public amenities (existent and proposed) and how is constituted as a network of public spaces. Equally, the design should respond to the occurrence of massive events such as festivals, celebrations, peregrinations and gatherings. Landscape. The extreme variations of the water levels coupled with the hot weather enforce the landscape layout strategy to considerate the provision of shadows, thematic trails, water bodies management and to mediate between the new infrastructure and the existing urban landscape. Design for informality and flexibility. The local culture finds its most productive modes of economic expression in an environment away from rules that could
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As it was expressed before, the teams are expected to address the proposal holistically. Therefore it is expected that the adopted strategies operate synergically towards a better understanding of the complex and rapid transformations that the city will experience and is already experiencing. The opportunity for Ahmedabad to face the threats of rapid growth (economic and population) enforces that the proposals should aim to be viable and sustainable. As a base level the proposed solution for the river should be understood as a piece of advanced urban infrastructure. Jointly, an economic plan should show the way the newly produced urban space is activated with creative industries and urban productive activities. Finally, develop a densification plan of the river borders that capitalizes socially the value generated by the project. i. Advanced Urban Infrastructure. The challenge to shape the citys future with the rivers redevelopment demands good design. It should be understood by advanced urban infrastructure as a human based flexible system able to adapt over time. This urban system that operates at a city scale is not only the physical element but also includes the social realm that it involves. Under this perspective the following are the issues expected to be tackled, though are not limited to. Potential public uses. Given the social, geographical and eco-

even be seen as chaotic. What it is required is to keep and even enhance this special way of productivity allowing for flexibility in the understanding that certain grades of uncertainty allows for innovation. Spatial integration. The site as described by the brief bisects the city. The proposals should solve how the river ceases to be a crack and becomes a seam. Area of influence. The impact of the intervention will depend on the proposals. Therefore, the area of influence is not predefined and should be proposed according to the designs presented. Flooding management. The proposals are required to eliminate flood risk. Accordingly, if necessary the teams should study solutions along the whole extension of the river. It is expected to be presented a system of monitoring the river and early alert. Sewage management. Along with the hydraulic solution for the flood, the proposed infrastructure should provide a solution for the existing sewages that discharge into the river. In addition, it should be considered a system of devices that detect pollution of the water. Transport corridor. The incorporation of the river into the urban structure will generate changes in the transport patterns. The proposals should model these scenarios and pro19

pose solutions to use the riverbed as an axis of non-motorized transport. Management plan. In addition to the business plan, the teams are expected to present a management plan that includes the new city institutional layout required to administrate the scheme. This plan should consider the necessary autonomy of this new system in order to assure its duration over time independent from the government of the day regardless of which political party is in power.

Anand Patel (2012) and Google Earth database.

Aerial view of the city center showing urban change through time along with the variations of the river topology in different months of the year. Sources: * Presentation by

1949 (*)

1.0

1.5 km

November 2000

1.0

1.5 km

July 2002

1.0

1.5 km

September 2005

1.0

1.5 km

January 2010
20

1.0

1.5 km

ii. Innovation and Creative Industries. The scheme proposed should not only address the issues of the new economics activities for the river (public and private) but also the management of the river as a public enterprise. The main goal of this enterprise is the creation of civic capabilities at various levels. The following is an indication of some of the topics to be fulfilled. Collaborative and participatory approach. Either for the design of the proposal to its implementation it should be submitted a methodology that incorporates a collaborative and participatory approach in all the stages of the project amongst all the stakeholders. Informal sector inclusion. Given the importance of the informal sec-

tor in the citys economy it is expected to be incorporated to the scheme, although with caution as not to affect their productivity. This should include at least the offer of training programmes. Enhancement of creative industries. The proposals should present a strategy for attracting and retaining talent. The river project should be considered as a platform to develop pilot schemes and project prototypes that facilitate rigorous research and buildup creativity. New urban productive activities. In addition to the existing productive activities new ones should be envisioned. This should be explored through the understanding of the value system of the city, its society and context. In order to increase productivity there should be incentives to increase the dialogue between service enterprises and manufactures.

Photographic dossier of the citys lifestyle.

Source: Author.

21

Business plan. The business strategy should compliment the management plan and should prove the economic viability of the project. This must include at least an investigation of the funding strategies and land management. Open market. Given the centrality and adjacency to productive areas, the river project should evaluate the placement of markets in the riverbed. The proposed solution should be a competitive alternative to the increasing appearance of shopping malls. Identity and global image. The proposals should consider building on the local identity towards creating a strong and distinguishable global image based on the uniqueness of the city and its local culture. Sustainable growth. In view of the economic predictions the plans should propose a set of tools that help maintain the equilibrium among social, economic and environmental development. Diversification of the economic base. The submissions should present different scenarios of economic development aiming for the diversification of the citys economic base.

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iii. Densification and Intensification. The project will undoubtedly generate high demand over its surrounding areas. The proposals should aim to obtain highest possible intensity taking advantage of the attributes of centrality, connectivity and public amenities securing that all segments of the population can enjoy the benefits of proximity to this new area. Consequently the proposals should follow up the subsequent topics. Mixed Use. The schemes proposed should present explorations of different zoning layouts for the adjacent areas. These should consider an overlap of functions and diverse users that allow for a balance between the residents of the area and the floating population. New middle-class. Considering the increase in the GDP per capita the proposals must acknowledge the emergence the new-middle class and propose a sustainable livelihood. Accordingly a study of the predicted demographic patterns and lifestyle should be done to support the proposals. Participatory design. The projects should consider their realization through participatory design, understood as the collaborative process by which the designers skills are set to serve the needs of the people to give technical and economic feasibility to the designs.

Communication plan. The teams should present a communication plan for the project that accompanies the process from its design to its implementation. This should be flexible enough to accept successive updates according to the peoples needs. Institutional alliances. A submission of an institutional alliance strategy should be put forward including the existing institutions in the neighboring area of the river and the proposed ones. Social management plan. Complementing the physical plan for the project, a social plan is required. This should include public consultation plan, qualitative and quantitative research of the affected population, temporary relocation plan, participatory construction and habilitation program of the new amenities. Inclusivity. The project should aim for inclusivity acknowledging the relevance of minority groups institutions such as the Self-employed Womens Association. Social and spatial integration. The spatial integration strategy should be followed by a social integration that strengthens relationships across social groups and creates opportunities.

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Key deliverables.
Include the details of the business principles that should be adopted to assure the feasibility of the project. The general rule is that the submissions can freely to attach any other source of information that contributes to explain the proposals, however consider that the most synthetic will be highly valued. Finally, the teams that qualify for the next stage of the competition should be prepared to deliver a 7 minutes presentation that will be followed by a question and answer session.

The competition is open to world wide consultancy firms or partner firms that can prove the capabilities and/or expertise of solving urban strategic plans. The submissions should be organized with the following structure. Executive summary Abstract of the proposal with key relevant figures and supporting images that briefly introduces the Physical, Social and Business Strategies and how they integrate with each other. Video of the proposal A 90 seconds video that depicts the main vision of the proposal based on a collection of local images. Proposal Poster A 1.5 m2 color poster that synthesizes the proposal combining graphic and text information. Physical Strategy Report Description of the physical intervention with all the required set of images including technical drawings, diagrams and renders. The teams should choose the part of the proposal that better describes their vision to develop a detailed cross section of the river. Social Strategy Report Explanation of the approach to the social issues of the project. This includes the social mitigation plan, the communication plan and an organization chart of the stakeholders describing their role and estimated involvement in the project. Business Strategy Report
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