Architects visualise a Ahmedabad free of congestion & roadblocks

With an aim to initiate a conversation about the future of Ahmedabad amongst decision makers, town planners and the general public, an exhibition 'Vision of Ahmedabad' was inaugurated on Tuesday. The exhibition highlights works of six city-based architects who chose as many sites in the city and provided their vision for them.

The exhibition, which is developed as a part of 'Our Cities Ourselves', a programme initiated by Institute for Transport Development Policy (ITDP) was inaugurated by IP Gautam, principal secretary, urban development, and Ahmedabad municipal commissioner G Mohapatra.

The architects tried to facelift the extremely busy Kalupur station area, CG road, Siddi-Saiyyed ni jaali and the area near Bhadra fort and also made suggestions to make better use of spaces under flyovers.

Renowned architect Kamal Mangaldas, who has rendered his design for CG road, wants it to be reserved for the citizens. "The public environment of our street is uninspiring. It seems that the road is meant only for cars with even pavements used to park them," he remarked. Mangaldas said his design would ensure spaces for children, with cycle tracks and a space for vendors. "In my design, cars do not hijack the entire area. Footpaths, which are wide, are reserved for pedestrians. The 18-metre wide one-way street has been well divided," he said.

Architect Apurva Amin chose the chock-a-block Kalupur area to deliver his vision. "We have tried to create a meaningful traffic space as the entire area is cramped all the time. Our designs involve minimum efforts and are realistic," he said. Speaking about the designs, Apurva added, "We have suggested an elevated parking area and a drop-off facility for visitors. A multi-level podium with an eating plaza along with maximum use of public transport through dedicated corridors to help commuters reach the station."

With most of the spaces under bridges and flyovers gobbled up by encroachments, Parul Jhaveri and Nimish Patel suggested they be used to enhance the community. "The city has more than fifteen flyovers and rail over-bridges. These spaces can be used for multifarious community and cultural events like street plays, community meetings, folk performances or rallies," Patel said. 

Meanwhile, an international 'Traveling Exhibition: Vision of 10 global cities' was also inaugurated at Kanoria Art Gallery. The month-long exhibition was earlier launched in USA, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and South Africa showcasing vision of ten sustainable cities in 2030. The exhibition showcases futuristic large-scale images landmark areas of ten global cities, including Ahmedabad, developed by international architects based on ITDP's principles for transport in urban life.