Beyond the Edge

Abstract

After Mumbai, Pune is the second largest city in the state of Maharashtra. With the city’s growing popularity its urban population is expected to double in coming 20 years; while the area governed by Pune planning authorities will double in next five years. The current planning approach is based on differentiated land use which focuses on territorial scales and long term goals. In this planning approach, everyday life processes tend to be ignored. This causes problems which are most prominent in the urban fringes. Fringe areas are vital in the growth and prosperity of the region as a whole. For its weak institutional situation the fringe lands urbanize in an unpremeditated manner and the potentials of its diverse environments degrade by the time the area begins to develop fully. We address this issue with a focus on complexity theories of cities (CTC). Herein, the city is viewed as a complex system characterized by the interaction of dynamics from the bottom-up and top-down forces. With this insight the proposed complexity approach explores into local dynamics and investigates how they can be taken into account to include contextual qualities. This is done by using micro-stories that describe the day-to-day life of families, including previous generations and their socio-spatial context. This information helps interpret the territory in a manner so as to build plausible visions. From this approach we attempt to outline - how a weak institutional environment in the current planning system may be strengthened towards a more inclusive process of urbanization.