FP NEWSLETTER FACULTY OF PLANNING CEPT UNIVERSITY Academics @ FP................... FP Achievements................. Know Your Alumni............... Co-Curriculars...................... Extra-Curriculars.................. Creative Section................... 1 5 6 7 8 9 Upcoming Events in April IN THIS ISSUE NOTICE BOARD PICK YOUR MATCH EDITORIAL TEAM Highlight Placements 2021 |Gujral Foundation Awards |Streets for People Competition | Semester end juries Click here for more information (pg 8) Akshay Kashikar Arundhati Hakhu Bhimeshwor Longjam Elaine Agith Hemansh Sharma Kirti Chandra D Neha Patane Niveda Ramesh Palaash Roy Prerna Yadav Priya Thottappally Rutuja Nivate Tamanna Parvin Yamini Khurana /fpcept ISSUE 39 MARCH 2021 1 DRP Reviews for FP-PG 2nd Year Students of the various departments of the Faculty of Planning, such as Urban Planning, Urban Infrastructure, Urban Transport Systems and Urban Housing, had their presentations and a draft of the fnal report of their individual Directed Research Projects reviewed by a board of panellists. rban Planning Students’ individual projects range between a wide variety of projects including ‘Analysing Institutional frameworks for Planning in Indian cities’, ‘Understanding Urban Sprawl and its implication on Climate Change’ to the ‘Impact of Megaprojects on Cities and Post Covid Urban Planning’, and many more. Review Committee members: Dr. Subhrangsu Goswami, Dr. Rutul Joshi, Dr. Anil Roy, Prof. Rutool Sharma and Prof. Jignesh Mehta. rban Infrastructure Students’ research projects included ‘Improving the Urban Greens to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change’, ‘Assessing Capacities to Deliver Sustainable Water and Sanitation Services at the ULB level’, ‘Delivery of WASH Services and Energy Efciency in Municipal Services’ amongst many others. Review Committee members: Dr. Saswat Bandyopadhyay, Prof. Ashwani Kumar, Dr. Neeru Bansal, Dr. Mona Iyer and Dr. Subhrangsu Goswami. rban Transport Systems Students are working on research projects such as ‘Strategies for Electrifcation of Public Transports Systems’, ‘Economic Viability Analysis Post imt-plementation’, ‘Gender Mobility Perspective and Parking Management Action Plans’, amongst others. Review Committee members: Prof. H.M Shivanad Swamy, Dr. Shalini Sinha, Ms. Chaitanya Kanuri, Dr. Nitika Bhakuni, Mr. Gautam Patel, Mr. Nirav Joshi, Mr. Khelan Modi, Mr. Abhijit Lokre, Mr. Hiren Joshi, Mr. Laghu Parashar, Mr. Nivesh Chaudhry and Mr. Gordon Telling. ACADEMICS @FP Fig 01: DRP Reviews| P.C.: Akshay Kashikar 01
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FP NEWSLETTERF A C U L T Y O F P L A N N I N G
CEPT UNIVERSITY
Academics @ FP...................FP Achievements.................Know Your Alumni...............Co-Curriculars......................Extra-Curriculars..................Creative Section...................
DRP Reviews for FP-PG 2nd YearStudents of the various departments of the Faculty of Planning, such as Urban Planning, Urban Infrastructure, Urban Transport Systems and Urban Housing, had their presentations and a draft of the final report of their individual Directed Research Projects reviewed by a board of panellists.
rban PlanningStudents’ individual projects range between a wide variety of projects including ‘Analysing Institutional frameworks for Planning in Indian cities’, ‘Understanding Urban Sprawl and its implication on Climate Change’ to the ‘Impact of Megaprojects on Cities and Post Covid Urban Planning’, and many more. Review Committee members: Dr. Subhrangsu Goswami, Dr. Rutul Joshi, Dr. Anil Roy, Prof. Rutool Sharma and Prof. Jignesh Mehta.
rban InfrastructureStudents’ research projects included ‘Improving the Urban Greens to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change’, ‘Assessing Capacities to Deliver Sustainable Water and Sanitation Services at the ULB level’, ‘Delivery of WASH Services and Energy Efficiency in Municipal Services’ amongst many others. Review Committee members: Dr. Saswat Bandyopadhyay, Prof. Ashwani Kumar, Dr. Neeru Bansal, Dr. Mona Iyer and Dr. Subhrangsu Goswami.
rban Transport SystemsStudents are working on research projects such as ‘Strategies for Electrification of Public Transports Systems’, ‘Economic Viability Analysis Post imt-plementation’, ‘Gender Mobility Perspective and Parking Management Action Plans’, amongst others. Review Committee members: Prof. H.M Shivanad Swamy, Dr. Shalini Sinha, Ms. Chaitanya Kanuri, Dr. Nitika Bhakuni, Mr. Gautam Patel, Mr. Nirav Joshi, Mr. Khelan Modi, Mr. Abhijit Lokre, Mr. Hiren Joshi, Mr. Laghu Parashar, Mr. Nivesh Chaudhry and Mr. Gordon Telling.
ACADEMICS @FP
Fig 01: DRP Reviews| P.C.: Akshay Kashikar
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rban HousingStudents’ individual research projects analyse the ‘Real Estate Growth Corridor of various cities’, ‘Decode Participatory Platforms in Urban Governance in Kerala’ and ‘Rental Housing Needs of the Informal Sector’, among various other topics. Review Committee members: Dr. Sejal Patel, Prof. Madhu Bharti, Prof. Rutool Sharma and Prof. Ravi Sannabhadti.
The students of Bachelor’s in Urban Design presented their work as a part of the mid-semester evaluation and got valuable comments from the jurors for their way forward.
FP-PG 1st year students of Master’s in Urban Design, Urban Infrastructure and Urban Housing had their work reviewed by jurors as a part of mid semester reviews.
Bachelor’s in Urban Design Mid semester Jury
Mid semester Reviews PG 1st Year
rom Utopias to Heterotopia: Migrant Housing: Values of Time,
Density, Culture & Energy had their mid-semester jury on 11th March. The studio was reviewed by Ar.Parag Udani, a well-recognized
mass housing architect based in Rajkot. The jury focused on the initial exploration of the site, individual site inferences, existing problems on the site, and ways to tackle them. The juror was glad to see the inferences that were taken out and the understanding from the site. He also pitched in his point of view in such mass housing projects and he also shared his point of view and his projects of mass housing.
or Urban Design Studio, a synthesis of data from a few
selected national and international cities on aspects such as public open spaces, streets, building typologies and urban block was presented through the abstraction of built forms. The jury was held on 8th March, where it was reviewed by the studio tutors Prof. Vipuja Parmar, Prof. Tapan Shah, Prof. Brijesh Bhatha and Prof. Kiran Keswani.
The jury for City Infrastructure Studio was conducted on 5th March where the students identified the issues and presented the initial strategies required for the formulation of infrastructure in the core and peripheral areas of Ahmedabad. It was reviewed by Dr. Subhrangsu Goswami and Prof. Ashwani Kumar along with tutors Prof. Saswat Bandopadhyay & Prof. Neeru Bansal.
The Housing Strategy Studio work consisted of two parts. The first part deals with current housing situational assessment in terms of development plan, spatial, demographic, economic patterns and sub-strategies based on enabling and provisionary sides of housing demand in Surat. The second part deals with projecting future housing scenarios with key housing sector challenges, need, demand, affordability line and gap. The work was reviewed by Prof. Madhu Bharti and Prof. Rutool Sharma, along with studio tutors, Dr. Sejal Patel and Prof. Amruta Patel on 4th March.
became a model of public – people partnership in conservation in Bengaluru?“, she shared the experiences of her campaign to revive the Puttenahalli Lake in Bengaluru, and the community engagement that entailed. Through the efforts and interventions, many bird, animal and plant species were spotted at the lake. The challenges faced by her involved political, social and economic circumstances, and is still continuing further with different changes in the scenario.
Session by Mr. Shobhit TayalMr. Shobhit Tayal is an architect-planner and an entrepreneur, and an alumnus of the Faculty of Planning. He is the Co-founder & Director of DPC, a design & research led professional service organisation in Ahmedabad. In the session, Mr. Shobhit shared his journey as an entrepreneur since starting his firm after his post-graduation. He touched upon topics like professional ethics and conduct, dealing with stakeholders, and managing a firm. He also answered queries by students, many of whom showed an interest in becoming entrepreneurs.
The Faculty of Planning invited various industry experts as a part of their studios and mandatories, for imparting their knowledge and expertise on various subjects to the 4th semester students of various post-graduate branches.
FP-PG 4th Semester Guest Lectures
aster’s in Planning(Specialization in Urban Planning)
Session by Ms. Shilpa RanadeMs. Shilpa Ranade is a Mumbai based architect and researcher. She co-authored ‘Why Loiter?: Women & Risk on Mumbai Streets’, which was published by Penguin Books India in 2011, and was also the associate editor of the South Asia volume of the book World Architecture 1900-2000: A Critical Mosaic published by Springer, Vienna. Her presentation titled - “Gender and the City” focused on how various genders experience everyday public spaces. She also presented her research in Mumbai, and explained the behavioural and movement patterns that emerge due to gender.
Session by Ms. Usha RajagopalanMs. Usha Rajagopalan is a writer, translator and lake conservationist. She is the author of eight books in different genres, the most recent being ‘The Zoo in My Backyard’. She has received national and international recognition by way of fellowships in fiction and poetry, and won three times consecutively in the Commonwealth Short Story Competition organized by the Commonwealth Broadcasting Foundation, UK. In the session titled - “Puttenahalli Lake Revival: A neighbourhood initiative which
Fig 02: Guest Lecture by Prof. Jignesh Mehta | P.C.: Niveda Ramesh
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Specialist in the Bangladesh Resident Mission of Asian Development Bank (ADB). He currently manages the water and urban services (WUS) and agriculture and natural resources (ANR) sectors of ADB’s portfolio in Bangladesh, that includes administration of loans and grants, project processing and pipeline development. He spoke about his professional experience over the years in different organisations. He talked about his role in ADB and how the organization helps in the upliftment of people in rural areas by providing basic infrastructure like water and sanitation, solid waste management, and improving their standards of living. He also talked about the governance structure of ADB. The session was also attended by 4th semester students of Master’s in Planning (Specialization in Urban Infrastructure)
Session by Dr. Shipra Narang SuriDr. Shipra Narang Suri is an urban planner with a Ph.D. in Post-War Recovery Studies from the University of York, UK. She leads UN-Habitat’s Urban Practices Branch and the senior advisor within UN-Habitat for local governments and their networks. Her lecture focused on the code of conduct for planners, and was also attended by 4th semester students of Master’s in Planning (Specialization in Urban Infrastructure)
aster’s in Planning(Specialization in Urban Design)
Session by Prof. Jignesh MehtaProf. Jignesh Mehta, is an urban planner and urban designer, the Program Chair for Master’s in Planning (Urban Planning), and Adjunct Associate Professor at CEPT University. With the final semester studio delving into the nuances of Local Area Planning, Prof. Jignesh Mehta shared his own experience and expertise with the students while sharing examples of the projects he was involved in. He talked about the Ashram Road CBD in Ahmedabad and the possibility of what it can become, increase in the FSI in the area, possible redevelopment and hence the need to guide the development. The approach that HCP, Ahmedabad
aster’s in Planning(Specialization in Urban Housing)
Session by Ms. Titas BhowmickMs. Titas Bhowmick is currently an Associate Consultant with Knightfrank and a CEPT Alumna. Prior to her current engagement, she was also an Associate in Consultancy and Valuation in CBRE India. She talked about discounted cash flow as a method of property valuation, and how it helps in the financial and real estate sector. The lecture was a hands-on exercise on one real estate project.
Session by Ms. Vibhu JainMs. Vibhu Jain is a CEPT University alumna, who currently works as an Urban Consultant with Tokyo Development Learning Centre (TDLC) of the World Bank. She co-leads the Publications component of TDLC and contributes to flagship global publications of the World Bank. Before joining the Bank, Vibhu worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers Ltd. and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, and has more than 14 years of experience in various aspects of urban development, including public policies, infrastructure and service delivery,institutional frameworks, and capacity building. She spoke about her experience and professional journey till now in the World Bank. The session was also attended by 4th semester students of Master’s in Planning (Specialization in Urban Infrastructure)
Session by Mr. Lokesh GoyalMr. Lokesh Goyal is a Civil Engineer with an MBA in Finance and a Member of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors India (MRICS). He currently heads the valuation team within IIFL Home Finance Ltd., and has more than 21 years of experience in the field of real estate valuation, feasibility studies, transactions and stressed asset disposals. He talked about different valuation methods in practice and current market standards.
Session by Mr. Pushkar SrivastavMr. Pushkar Srivastava is an engineer-planner, and a CEPT University alumnus, currently working as a Project Management
took, to carve out streets - increasing public realm, guiding the build form development with form-based codes - ensuring harmonious built and envisioning the CBD of Ahmedabad once the LAP is in place.
Session by Ms. Deepa DaveMs. Deepa Dave is an urban planner, with Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA). She is a pioneer in LAP Projects and was a significant contributor to the Ashram Road Central Business District LAP project. She talked about the current scenario of Local Area Planning in Ahmedabad with specific reference to LAP Case Study in Vadaj.
Session by Dr. Abhijit LokreDr. Abhijit Lokre is the founder-partner of The Urban Lab, Ahmedabad, with an experience of over twenty years, his work spans a variety of areas including urban and transport planning, urban design, and urban management integrating services like consultancy, research, training, advocacy, and capacity building. He provided insights on transit oriented design and street design, and stressed on the importance of ‘porous’ ground floor in cities and its enforcement for parking, and behavioural and policy changes for better application of design. He also talked about Transit Oriented Development in Hong-Kong and how it connects through traffic.
Session by Ms. Shikha MerchantMs. Shikha is an Urban Designer and is currently working in Surbana Jurong Consultants, Pune and a CEPT Alumna. She is also a visiting faculty for Rachana Sanand Academy of Architecture, Mumbai. She shared her projects on street design, Urban design details and master planning as well.
FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MARCH 2021 | ISSUE 39
The Faculty of Planning invited various faculties, professionals, experts, and academicians as a part of their studios and mandatories, that imparted their knowledge and expertise on various subjects to the 2nd semester students of various post-graduate branches.
FP-PG 2nd Semester Guest Lectures
aster’s in Planning(Specialization in Urban Planning)
Session by Prof. Tushar BoseProf. Tushar Bose is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Technology and the Program Coordinator for Bachelor’s in Construction Technology. He delivered his lecture on planning and designing of water supply, sewerage and drainage systems in master plans.
Session by Dr. Sejal PatelDr. Sejal Patel is a Professor at the Faculty of Planning, the Dean of CEPT Short Term Program, the Head of International Office and the Program Chair for Master’s in Planning (Specialization in Urban Housing). She delivered her lecture on the topic - “Enabling the markets to augment the supply of affordable housing”.
aster’s in Planning(Specialization in Urban Housing)
Session by Ms. Vijaya Redekar SalankeMs. Vijaya Redekar Salanke is an alumna of the Faculty of Planning, currently working as a Research Associate at Centre for Urban Policy and Planning, CRDF. Her lecture titled - “In-situ upgrade of slums through participatory approach - The case of Jaga Mission, Odisha”, focused on various components of the mission including land rights, housing under State housing mission, provision of essential civic infrastructure, etc.
Session by Prof. Manvita BaradiProf. Manvita Baradi is the Founder - Director of Urban Management Center, and has more than 25 years of technical experience in developing and administering programs for Local Governments, capacity building of Local Government Associations,
urban and regional planning, citizen participation, municipal performance measurement and international development. Her lecture titled - “An overview of urban livelihood mission - A flagship programme of the Government of India”, covered the issues faced by the migrants, who are a large part of the urban fabric in the manufacturing hubs like Surat.
Session by Ms. Priyanka N. TiwariMs. Priyanka N. Tiwari is an alumna of the Faculty of Planning, currently serving as a Junior Town Planner and Incharge Town Planner, Town Planning and Valuation Department, Govt. of Gujarat. Her lecture titled - “Process of development plan and TP schemes preparation and its implementation”, focused on the process of development plan and TP schemes preparation in Surat, and their implementation and impacts.
Session by Mr. Manan PatelMr. Manan Patel is a real estate developer based in Ahmedabad, and has expertise in understanding and consulting slum redevelopment projects and affordable housing projects in Ahmedabad. In his two-part lecture, of which the first titled - “Developer’s perspective towards PPP projects”, wherein he talked about the decisions which the developers take after estimating the viability of a project. In the second part titled - “Case study of ‘Althan tenements (public housing) redevelopment’ in Surat”, he talked about developers bid for the project, and the change in governmentality through amendment in bidding criteria.
Session by Mr. Arekh KapoorMr. Arekh Kapoor is an Associate Director with PwC India in the Urban and Rural Economic Service practice, and has an experience of over 10 years across sectors including affordable housing, public-private partnerships, smart cities, urban infrastructure, as well as tourism. His lecture titled - “Recent housing assignment in the market with focus on PMAY”, focused on his experience as a housing specialist for the project he has worked on, and the work undertaken under PMAY.
Session by Ms. Priyankita PantMs. Priyankita Pant is an alumna of the Faculty of Planning, currently working as a Research Associate at Centre for Urban Policy and Planning, CRDF. Her lecture titled - “Inclusionary zoning and regulations in India”, focused on the Indian experience of inclusionary zoning and regulations, and their mandates.
aster’s in Planning(Specialization in Urban Infrastructure)
Session by Mr. Suresh Kumar RohillaMr. Suresh Kumar Rohilla is a geographer-planner, and Senior Director of Centre for Science & Environment, New Delhi with over 25 years of experience. His lecture focused on planning & design options for Decentralised Water - Sanitation Management in urban areas.
Session by Dr. Meera Mehta and Ms. Regina RossmannDr. Meera Mehta is Professor Emeritus at CEPT University and the Executive Director of the Center for Water and Sanitation, with over 45 years of experience in water, urban development and infrastructure finance. Ms. Regina Rossmann serves as a Senior Associate, Training and Engagement at Convergence. The two-part session on Financing Urban Infrastructure focused on Innovative Finance and Blended Finance by Dr. Mehta and and Ms. Rossmann respectively.
Fig 04: Infrastructure Lecture by Prof. Tushar Bose | P.C.: Kirti Chandra D
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Fig 05: Housing Lecture by Dr. Sejal Patel | P.C.: Kirti Chandra D
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r. Parag UdaniA guest lecture was conducted by Ar. Parag Udani for the students of the studio: From Utopias to Heterotopia: Migrant Housing: Values of Time, Density, Culture & Energy. The lecturer discussed how the students could start designing mass housing and the important points to be kept in mind while designing housing for lower-income groups.
r. Sahir PatelA guest lecture was conducted for the students of the studio: Designing Water Infrastructure for Civic Expression. The lecture was focused
on Mr. Sahir Patel sharing his works and ideas which he has worked upon with the students of the studio and giving them suggestions on how they could move forward with regional-scale mapping and speculation.
s. Shilpa MevadaGuest lecture by Ms. Shilpa Mevada for the students of the studio: Un-Gendering the Everyday City focused on making collages and the important information that they should convey. A week later, a second lecture was organized and Ms. Shilpa Mevada gave the students feedback on their collages.
s. Vidya Mohankumar and Ms. Mariana PaisanaUnder the in-conversation series for the students of urban design Studio: Light Infrastructures, two guest speakers, Vidya Mohankumar, founder of Urban Design Collective, and Mariana Paisana, co-founder of Res Do Chao, were a part of a Q&A session, each moderated by the students of the studio. The questions asked looked at their work, the tools of engagement they used, key points of interaction, participatory methods they followed, and so on.
Bachelor’s in Urban Design Guest Lectures
The session was attended by the 2nd and 4th semester Master’s in Planning (Specialization in Urban Planning), as a part of their Urban Patterns and Models mandatory.
On 15 March 2021, the CEPT Excellence Awards Exhibition was virtually inaugurated by Dr. Bimal Patel which showcased the work of the students who were given the excellence award for their academic work.
Session by Dr. Arnab Chakraborty
FP-UG Students receive the CEPT Gujral Foundation Award
he interactive session focused on how to think of scenarios and
use them in the planning process, and various models and their applications. Through quick spot surveys, Dr. Chakraborty explained various types of variations in scenario planning. He then explained the various steps and considerations and how to apply them in the
he CEPT Excellence Awards Exhibition displayed the work
of the 15 winners of the excellence award for the Monsoon semester of 2020. This event was inaugurated by Dr. Bimal Patel, President CEPT, after which Feroze Gujral, Director of the Gujral Foundation, addressed the audience. The event then showcased the work of the winning students, and recognised the eight studio units selected for their excellence in work, which included FP Level-2 studio ‘Un-Gendering the Everyday City’,
Development Plan process. In the Models section of his presentation, he explained how various interlinked models are used to measure impacts and simulate scenarios. Throughout the session, Dr. Chakraborty gave various examples of American cities and his own projects that demonstrated scenario planning and modelling. Post the presentation, he answered questions raised by the faculties and students pertaining to the nature of plans prepared in response to the scenario planning process, limitations of various
FP Level-3 studio ‘Eco Warriors [Edible to Productive Landscapes]’, and FP Level-3 studio ‘Urban Planning and Regulations: Intent, Manifestation and Design’.
Bhavya Trivedi (FP-UG ‘18) for her
models, the time investment required for preparing models, scenario planning for local scale, among a few. The session was beneficial for the students and was appreciated by them.
project ‘Hers, His, Theirs’ along with Dharan Korduvar (FP-UG’16) for his project ‘Sva: A Vision of Self Sustenance’ were announced as two of the five students to be felicitated with a cash prize of Rs. 1 Lakh each for their academic excellence.
Fig 06: Lecture by Dr. Arnab Chakraborty | P.C.: Palaash Roy
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Fig 08: Dharan Korduvar | Source: CEPT News
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Fig 07: Bhavya Trivedi | Source: CEPT News
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FP ACHIEVEMENTS
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FP students and alumni shine at ‘Streets for People’ Competition
Winning Entry by Adnan Ameer Saqib (FP-PG’21) for Wilson Garden, BangaloreWilson Garden, one of oldest residential neighbourhoods, has had a recent influx of commercial activity leading to congestion. To bring back the glory in a facelift manner, the team of two including Adnan (FP-PG’21) proposed a comprehensive toolkit of strategies: ADAPTIVE, INCLUSIVE, and NURTURING. Primary stakeholder consultation with the DULT officials, Commissioner of BBMP, and the residents of the area was done. Currently, Adnan is part of the implementation team, and will further look into implementing the design on ground.
Runner Up Entry by Pratham Pincha for Traffic Park, NagpurPratham Pincha (FP-PG’17) and his team aimed to create value in the Traffic Park neighbourhood by reclaiming the redundant land available in the public domain (in the form of streets). The value thus created shall primarily accrue towards safety & lifestyle benefits for the citizens, monetary benefits for the authorities, and for bestowing image and pride to the city. The strategies included: channelizing the vehicular movement, discouraging private vehicle parking, kids friendly design, encouraging NMT, and integrating and complementing existing
prominent public infrastructure like the Traffic Park and Metro rail. Akshay Kashikar (FP-PG’21) was also a part of the team.
Runner Up Entry Ankanam for streets along Eruveli and Calvathy canals, MattancherryThe project intended to arrive at fast economic practical solutions to awaken life and activate the public realm in a crucial residential street in Kochi city, promoting self-reliance through community farming and activities that cater to individual and societal well- being.
Fig 10: Pratham Pincha presenting the proposal to the Nagpur Smart City authorities | Source: Pratham Pincha
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Fig 09: Street Design by Adnan and team| Source: Adnan Ameer Saqib (FP-PG’21)
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PY: How are you currently associated with the profession? ST: In the year 2001, I started ‘Design and Planning Counsel’ to initiate a company which would outlive my lifetime. Initially we worked in the domain of urban design, planning
and housing, but eventually we delved into the field of architecture. Our focus currently lies with Urban Planning, Environmental Design and Architecture. We also undertake applied research.
Mr. Shobhit Tayal Mr. Shobhit Tayal is an architect, urban planner and entrepreneur. He completed his Master’s in Environmental Planning from CEPT in 1999 and is the co-founder and director of Design and Planning Counsel Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad. He has over 22 years of experience in the field of urban planning, environmental design and architecture.
KNOW YOUR ALUMNI
Fig 13: Mr. Shobhit Tayal
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PY: Could you briefly describe your work profile?ST: We were lucky to have bagged large projects from the onset itself. Our first ever project was Dharavi’s Master plan. We also worked on the Integrated Township for Mangalore which won the HUDCO National Award in 2012 for first Eco City in India. I have also had the opportunity to work on Dholera’s Development Plan, Silvassa Riverfront and many more such projects.
PY: How has the transformation from your college life to your professional life been like?ST: While in college, I was lucky to have teachers and few seniors who were more like mentors. So the challenges one faces after college, I was able to address them with more ease. As a student you believe you can do a lot, but sometimes you start worrying about the practicality of your ideas. For me, it has always been about bringing change, making something meaningful and relevant. When I initiated my firm, I wrote this motto “Advocating Appropriateness” and I still try to practice that. Our team has stayed away from malpractices out
there, which have posed challenges of growth, however we have been able to stay afloat.I had to learn eventually that being a good Planner or a Designer alone will not help. You have to strive hard if you want to develop an organization. My growth has also been about understanding that running a practice is a different ball game than working as a professional. Early on in my journey, I realized that if you really want to bring change, you have to get involved in creating an entity that is powerful and sizable enough. Because as an individual you are limited, but in a team you can do more.
PY: Please share your experiences, apart from academics, from your days at the Faculty of Planning.ST: I joined CEPT because I was aware that CEPT culture promoted open-ness, interactions and dialogues. The thing I remember vividly was how everyone at CEPT was given the same treatment. The teachers encouraged us to call them by their first name. This was a simple and easier way to bridge gaps and communicate.
However one incident that left a mark was when the campus was physically attacked by certain non-liberal external elements. This incident changed CEPT for me. The campus, which was without boundary walls, just like its ideology, was then forced to develop walls around it. The revolutionary in me wrote a poem to express his disagreement, as I believed that external factors shouldn’t be allowed to affect our culture only because of our inability to deal with them.
PY: Any message(s) for presently enrolled students, especially considering the current circumstances?ST: Current circumstances are unprecedented and will go away. What one has to always remember is that, whatever you do, be honest in your work and to yourself. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Also, as students, many worry that they are confused. But I would like to say that confusion is good. Because only confusion can bring clarity. So do not be worried if you are confused, you will get there.
CO-CURRICULARS @ FP
s the admissions are nearing, the FP-Admission Committee
organised a series of webinars for aspiring urban planners and designers under the “Know Your Programme” initiative started by the University. The admissions committee had arranged for these open sessions to guide the aspirants by providing a platform for discussing various planning related issues and opportunities in India. The series began with a webinar on “Urban Planning Profession and Education in India”, followed by “The Role of Planners in Smart and Sustainable Urban Development in India”. Inaugurated on 19th March, the program ended on 2nd April with a webinar on “Seven Sutras of Planning”.
Besides, the sessions also provided opportunities to discuss and resolve admission related queries posted by the aspirants. Following a successful first chapter and the increasing
demand for such programs and webinars, the FP-Admissions Committee will be renewing these webinars for a second session in April.
Pre-admission orientation session for FP-PG aspirantsFP admissions committee organised a series of webinars for aspiring students under the “Know Your Programme” initiative.
Fig 14: Orientation Webinar by Prof. Rutul Joshi| P.C.: Rutuja Nivate
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Elections for Cultural and Sports Secretary for FP-PGWith the academic year nearing an end, the graduating batch passed on their responsibilities to the newly elected Cultural and Sports Secretary.
EXTRA-CURRICULARS @ FP
and how those challenges affect the urban scenario and the common man. The session was followed by a Q&A session where people from different social and urban related fields participated. The discussion also focussed on how to reduce the identified problems, and what initiatives have been taken for the same by ULBs and urban initiators.
n the urban seminar series Citiesque organized by Urban Research
Lab, IIIT Delhi, Dr. Rutul Joshi presented his thoughts on increasing motorization in the urban setup, and the increasing challenges faced by the urban cohort. The seminar talked about the increasing impact of automobiles in Indian context,
FP-CEPT faculty presented in Citiesque - The Urban Seminar Series
Dr. Rutul Joshi presented thoughts on increasing motorization and it’s challenges in urban context.
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Fig 15: Poster-Citiesque
n 23rd March 2021, the Election Commission
announced openings for the posts of Sports and Cultural Secretary. The Commission received three nominations for Sports Secretary and two nominations for Cultural Secretary. The candidates presented their manifestos on 26th, followed by an engaging electoral campaign
till the 27th. The entire process was conducted online via video conferencing and Google forms. Despite the remote campaigning, with a total turnout of about 74% votes, the elections were successful. The results were declared on 28th March, where Surya Thakkar and Bhuvaneshwari M won the post of Sports and Cultural Secretary, respectively.
Fig 16: Manifesto reading session | P.C.: Kirti Chandra D
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This newsletter is a student body initiative. For any suggestions, feedback and
FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MARCH 2021 | ISSUE 39
‘Delayering Streets’ | By Shivam Adikary | 2nd Sem, MUD
‘Public Open Space’ | By Jugal Bhatt | 2nd Sem, MUD
CREATIVE SECTION
The illustration reflects the informality in urban open public spaces where the commercial plaza with connected streets celebrate the identity and culture of the region.
Located at the heart of old CBD of Osaka as part of a network of pedestrianized commercial streets leading to the canal front development, EbisuBasi Suji shopping street, celebrates shopping on-ground by invigorating the experience of a shopping mall through its covered alleys.
