Event Date: 15th December 2010
Speaker: David Robson, C. Anjalendran, Channa Daswatte
Venue: Rachna Sansad, Academy of Architecture

Event Date: 10th December 2010
Speaker: Dr. Abhay Pethe
Respondent: V.K. Phatak
Chairperson: D.M. Sukthankar
Venue: Urban Design Research Institute

The paper is based on the premise that weak institutional structures pertaining to land management in Mumbai have led to high transactions costs and informal, less transparent systems of interaction among government authorities and private sector players such as builders and land owners thereby impeding efficient functioning of land markets. The paper analysed these dynamics through empirical studies of urban land management (the most valuable asset at stake in urbanisation) using core economic principles of incentive compatibility (the goodness of law), the one price principle (no arbitrage) and stock-flow relationships. In so doing it utilized a conceptual framework spanning: the Principal- Agent model; the consequences of asymmetric information; the intermediate role of Supervisors (judiciary, media and civil society agents); as well as decentralization post the 74th constitutional amendment in the context of finances for provision of amenities & shrinking fiscal space for the States. The paper argued that whereas one would want to see simplification in the cause of greater transparency and accountability, one needs to guard against oversimplification given the essentially multifaceted and complex nature of the microcosm of governance.

Event Date: 19th November 2010
Speaker: Pankaj Joshi, Ulka Mahajan, Dr. Anand Teltumbde
Venue: Rachna Sansad, Academy of Architecture

The government introduced a Maharashtra SEZ Bill which intended “to provide for development, operations, maintenance, management and administration of the Special Economic Zones and other specially designated areas in the state for promoting growth of export from, the economic activities in such zones and areas.”
There are SEZ’s planned in Mumbai (Gorai) and in the MMR (NMSEZ, MMSEZ) and nearly 206 in Maharashtra. We felt that the impact of these designated areas would be felt strongly in Mumbai and MMR as well as other cities in Maharashtra and their corresponding regions. As part of this public discussion we invited speakers from varied backgrounds to present their experiences and views.

Event Date: 16th September 2010
Speaker: Abha Narain Lambah
Venue: Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai

This meeting with the Fort Stakeholders was held to present and discuss the progress report on the UNESCO nomination of the Gothic and Art Deco buildings surrounding the Oval Maidan as a World Heritage Site.

Event Date: 27th February 2010
Jury: Charles Correa, Sen Kapadia, Narendra Dengle, Kamu Iyer, Ravi Hazra
Venue: Rachna Sansad, Academy of Architecture, Mumbai

VIEW COMPETITION

In 2000, the Urban Design Research Institute initiated the annual Charles Correa Gold Medal for the best design dissertation from Schools of Architecture in Mumbai and selected schools outside the city. The medal is an appreciation of quality and talent among young students of architecture, and encourages a focus on the urban context.
Schools who want to take part should express interest by writing to UDRI. Schools should offer full time B.Arch. courses for Architecture and must be approved by the Council of Architecture. Each school can nominate only one entry, which is required to be an architectural project set in an urban context.

MUNICIPAL INITIATIVE IN HERITAGE CONSERVATION: THE CASE OF AHMEDABAD

Event Date: 21st January 2010
Speaker: Debashish Nayak
Venue: Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai

Sandhya Savant was a Conservation Architect and alumni of Sir JJ College of Architecture, who made a tremendous contribution in the realm of conservation practice in the city of Mumbai before passing away suddenly in 2006. Since then, supported by her family, UDRI conducts an annual memorial lecture to deliberate on urban issues.

Event Date: 15th January 2010
Speaker: Dr. Aseem Iman, MIT
Venue: Rizvi College of Architecture, Mumbai

This talk was a case study analysis of one of the largest and most high-profile urban design projects in the United States, City Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, which was inaugurated in December 2009 at a cost estimated at $11 billion. With a total development of nearly 17 million square feet over 67 acres on one of the most well-known streets in the world, the Strip in Las Vegas, City Center epitomizes innovative urban design in a number of ways: an assembly of star architects for one project, casino and hotel design at the cutting edge, impressive sustainability ambitions, and its role as an urban center. The case study reveals how the city building process in Las Vegas is highly reflective of the ways in which urban design occurs at the nexus of private profit and public policy in American cities. The talk offered insights into what role private profit and public policy played in shaping urban design projects, and concluded with possible lessons for urban design in India.