FP NEWSLETTER FACULTY OF PLANNING CEPT UNIVERSITY Academics @ FP................... FP Achievements................. Know Your Alumni............... Co-Curriculars...................... Extra-Curriculars.................. Creative Section................... 1 2 3 4 6 7 Upcoming Events in July IN THIS ISSUE NOTICE BOARD PICK YOUR MATCH EDITORIAL TEAM Highlight Placements 2021 | Summer Winter School | FP Achievements | Summer Exhibition 2021 Click here for more information (pg 7) 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 41 MAY | JUNE 2021 1 Over the months of May and June, Faculty of Planning conducted four Summer Winter School courses on diverse topics that covered urban mobility, costing and budgets for smart urban projects, urban agriculture and housing. Introduction to Housing: Seminar Structured as an introduction to housing, this SWS course tutored by Imran Mansuri was conducted over ten days starting from May 31. It introduced students to the concept of housing for masses, the evolution of housing settlements, the underlying processes, determinants and generations, and resulting patterns. The course sensitized students towards the current state of housing and the efect of economic, social, and political forces on it. It gave an overview of the various stakeholders involved, and the role of professionals in housing projects at the urban scale. Urban Agriculture for Resilient and Sustainable Cities Tutored by Aditi Mali, this course aimed to inform students about urban agriculture, and make them rethink current food systems in India. The pandemic has disrupted the supply chain of food in urban centres. Urban Agriculture makes food security for urban dwellers possible, by utilising unused spaces around them while providing livelihood. The course explored these ideas and motivated the students to come up with innovative proposals for the integration of urban agriculture in cityscapes, neighbourhoods and individual units. The course was conducted between 27 May and 1 June. The deliverables of this course included presenting case studies, formulating proposals for urban farming, and growing microgreens. Urban Mobility - Methods and Applications Through this course, the tutor Nilanjana De Bakshi aimed to provide an overview of the discrete choice methods and recent models used in urban mobility planning through case studies in passenger and freight planning. Throughout the course, students focused on problem identifcation and defnition, and solution identifcation and presentation. The course was conducted over nine days from 14 June to 22 June. The students’ progress was assessed based on their presentations on the last day of the course. Summer Winter Schools ACADEMICS @FP Fig 01: Urban Mobility - Methods and Applications| P.C.: Jainam Shah 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...................
Over the months of May and June, Faculty of Planning conducted four Summer Winter School courses on diverse topics that covered urban mobility, costing and budgets for smart urban projects, urban agriculture and housing.
Introduction to Housing: SeminarStructured as an introduction to housing, this SWS course tutored by Imran Mansuri was conducted over ten days starting from May 31. It introduced students to the concept of housing for masses, the evolution of housing settlements, the underlying processes, determinants and generations, and resulting patterns. The course sensitized students towards the current state of housing and the effect of economic, social, and political forces on it. It gave an overview of the various stakeholders involved, and the role of professionals in housing projects at the urban scale.
Urban Agriculture for Resilient and Sustainable CitiesTutored by Aditi Mali, this course aimed to inform students about urban agriculture, and make them rethink current food systems in India. The pandemic has disrupted the supply chain of food in urban centres. Urban Agriculture makes food security for urban dwellers possible, by utilising unused spaces around them while providing livelihood. The course explored these ideas and motivated the students to come up with innovative proposals for the integration of urban agriculture in cityscapes, neighbourhoods and individual units. The course was conducted between 27 May and 1 June. The deliverables of this course included presenting case studies, formulating proposals for urban farming, and growing microgreens.
Urban Mobility - Methods and ApplicationsThrough this course, the tutor Nilanjana De Bakshi aimed to provide an overview of the discrete choice methods and recent models used in urban mobility planning through case studies in passenger and freight planning. Throughout the course, students focused on problem identification and definition, and solution identification and presentation. The course was conducted over nine days from 14 June to 22 June. The students’ progress was assessed based on their presentations on the last day of the course.
Summer Winter Schools
ACADEMICS @FP
Fig 01: Urban Mobility - Methods and Applications| P.C.: Jainam Shah
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FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MAY - JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 41
BUD students completed their DRPs and theses as a final milestone for graduation. As a part of their capstone projects, students carry out research work during their last semester and are guided by their mentors to complete the same.
BUD Final-year Reviews
The final semester students of Bachelor’s in Urban Design completed their respective directed research projects (DRPs) and theses under the guidance of various
The jurors assessed the proposals based on their research, adopted methodologies, implementation, and practicality. The students, therefore, got an opportunity to understand the requirements of the market in a nutshell, preparing them for their professional lives.
experts across the country. The students have focused on the stakeholders’ perspectives, the flaws in the current system, etc. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the juries were conducted online.
The jury panels consisted of several highly experienced professionals from esteemed academic institutions, industry experts from various consultancy firms, think tanks, research organizations, etc.
The course aimed to understand the nuances of city-building and understanding how Smart Cities are starting to become a part of the current urban and socio-political scenario. Tutored by Preeti Inamdar and Advait Aundhkar, the course majorly focused on six modules,
including factors influencing smart urban growth, cost optimization and budget formulation for smart urban projects, among others. The course was conducted from 21 June to 26 June. The deliverables included daily group assignments that were based on the six modules.
Who pays and how do you pay for Smart Urban Projects?
FP ACHIEVEMENTS
Parth Patel (FP UG ‘16), Bachelor’s in Urban Design (BUD), has won an honourable mention at World Landscape Architecture (WLA) Awards 2021 in the Student-Concept-Design category.
BUD student wins World Landscape Architecture Award 2021
World Landscape Architecture (WLA) hosts the annual international awards to honour landscape architects for their outstanding work and promote the profession across the world. Parth is one of the four winners selected in the Student Design category from over 400 entries from numerous landscape architecture programs worldwide. He was recognized for his project ‘Eco-Adhocism: Forms of Bioarchitecture’, produced in the unit
Eco Warriors guided by Mansi Shah and Chandrani Chakrabarti. The project envisions a wilderness park
at a riverside site at Gandhinagar with bio-follies that activate social, ecological and functional programs.
Fig 03: Parth Patel
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Fig 04: Eco-Adhocism Forms of Bioarchitecture| P.C.: Parth Patel (FP-UG’16)
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Fig 02: Who pays and how do you pay for Smart Urban Projects| P.C.: Palaash Roy
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Faculty of Planning alumni Anurag Naidu, Faiza Solanki and Ramit Raunak shine at various national and international competitions and conferences.
Alumni achieve recognition at various National and International events
Online Training and Capacity Building Certificate Programme Alumnus Anurag Naidu (FP-PG’18) was awarded the Best Poster award for ‘Wastewater - The Untapped Resource, Bhuj’ at the Online Training and Capacity Building Certificate Programme on ‘Developing Treated Wastewater Reuse Facilities’. The competition was organized in March 2021, on World Water Day, by ICAP-Trust, IDECK, TERI, and Namami Gange. The poster design emphasized optimizing the collection and treatment of wastewater, reusing it to reduce the freshwater source burden and promoting it as an economic resource for Bhuj.
World Bank Group Youth SummitAlumni Faiza Solanki and Ramit Raunak (FP-PG’18) were selected and invited as delegates to represent India at the World Bank Group Youth Summit as Global Youth Climate Leaders. Established in 2013, the Youth Summit is an annual event hosted by the World Bank Group to engage with youth globally on the most pressing topics facing our generation. Conducted on June 9 and 10, the theme for the 2021 chapter of the programme was ‘Resilient
Recovery for People and Planet’. As a part of the summit, Ramit also participated in the case challenge, where he developed strategies to foster sustainability in private industries.
Future Transport Visions Group CompetitionAlumnus Ramit Raunak (FP-PG’18), with co-researchers Lawrence Penn and Emma Leworthy, participated in the Future Transport Visions Group competition and successfully published a collaborative report on ‘Road Scoring Index for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV)’. The research aimed to produce a methodology to assess the suitability of the road network for autonomous vehicles. It will bridge the gap between vehicle capability, infrastructure quality and the resultant implications for CAV safety, ensuring optimally safer environments as they are introduced to the road network.
The detailed project can be viewed at- https://www.ftvg.co.uk/ftvg-2020-21-connected-and-autonomous-vehicle-road-scoring-index/
Fig 07: Ramit Raunak
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Fig 05: Faiza Solanki
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Fig 06: Waste- Water the Untapped Resource- Bhuj| P.C.: Anurag Naidu (FP-PG’18)
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AH: How are you currently associated with the profession? RK: I am the founder of an organization called Urban Innovation Lab. At UIL, we work towards solving urban problems, developing knowledge products, and technological solutions. We assist urban sector start-ups in developing innovative solutions to everyday urban problems. We explore the many dimensions of cities to find out the kinds of initiatives that can help create better cities.
Mr. Ram KhandelwalMr. Ram Khandelwal is an alumnus of M.Plan (Infrastructure Planning), the batch of 2011. He is the founder and CEO of Urban Innovation Lab, a Bhopal based think tank inclined towards solving urban problems, developing knowledge products, and technological solutions.
KNOW YOUR ALUMNI
Fig 08: Mr. Ram Khandelwal
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AH: Could you please describe your work profile?RK: At UIL, we majorly work with two project types. Our first vertical is called CityX, where we undertake R&D projects. We work towards developing technological products, such as prototypes of equipment that comes in handy in solving urban problems. We try to bring in innovation through new technology like Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, etc., into our work profiles to build better machines that aid in managing
urban problems. Secondly, we develop web-based solutions that identify certain gap areas within the industry and provide platforms to facilitate services that can improve
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FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MAY - JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 41
people from different backgrounds, which enriches our experiences and helps us develop a broader perspective. It has been an engaging journey for me - it has taught me a lot, and I hope it continues to keep teaching me things as I move ahead in my life.
AH: Please share your experiences, apart from academics, from your days at FP.RK: I love the student life that we have at FP. It’s not just the curriculum or the other learning experiences that we had; for us, FP was also a place for cross-cultural learning.
What I also loved about my time at CEPT was how culturally vibrant the city of Ahmedabad is. If you are a food lover, you could go on and on, and you’ll never be able to exhaust your options. The vibrant environment created on campus during festivals like Navratri or Uttarayan helped us meet new people and showed us new ways of how people of varying cultures could come together.
AH: Any message(s) for presently enrolled students, especially keeping in mind the current scenario?
RK: If I have to take a step back and give a message to myself ten years back and to all my fellow CEPTians currently enrolled as students, there would be two things I’d like to say. One is that, as you go through your course duration, live the experience to the fullest. Don’t worry too much about what will happen in the future; the future will unfold on its own.
Live in the moment, enjoy the student life, make the most of the learning experience, make many friends, and build connections that will last you a lifetime. Don’t miss out on the intangible aspects of your student life.
The second thing would be that we all come from distinct disciplines that train us to prepare ways to tackle urban problems. However, when we go into the field, things don’t work in isolation. Cities and their various dynamics are complex. You will always come across many different perspectives and approaches in the practical field. There will be a lot of learning opportunities from people who come from diverse backgrounds. Always be open to exploring new ideas and methods!
the delivery of city services. Under our second vertical, GrowU, we develop an ecosystem conducive to curate diverse urban sector start-ups. As founder/CEO, my role is to ensure that we have the right kind of networks to identify promising ideas and help cities perform better as a whole.
AH: Describe your transformation from college life to professional life.RK: I would not call it a ‘transformation’, but rather, a journey. It has been a continuous process of learning. I’ve had many different kinds of experiences during my time at CEPT and throughout my professional journey. The difference between the two is that at CEPT, we work on projects in a very controlled environment and hence, our learnings are structured. However, as soon as you step into the industry, you have to manage conditions within certain limitations.
Another important thing that happens in the field is that you get exposed to multidisciplinary environments. Within the college, our circles are limited. As soon as we step out into the industry, we meet
CO-CURRICULARS @ FP
Parking Challenges in Metro CitiesThe Gujarat Institute of Engineers and Architects (GICEA) hosted a webinar on ‘Parking Challenges and Opportunities in Metro Cities’ on 21 May 2021. The speakers were Kirtee Shah: President, Inhaf (Habitat Forum); Hon. Director, Ahmedabad Study Action Group; Chairman, KSA Design Planning Services Pvt. Ltd., Dr. Rutul Joshi: Associate Professor & Head of Doctoral Programs, CEPT University, and FP Alumna Disha Pujara Majeethia: Urban Planner & Senior Executive - Corporate Planning Department, Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited. The speakers spoke of the significance of looking at each city differently while
looking at the parking challenges. They also mentioned the importance of executing several simple steps at a neighbourhood level to resolve the parking problem rather than waiting for a policy to be drafted or implemented. To watch the webinar click here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq0tpDl64gY
Transit-Oriented Cities are the FuturePractical Cities organised a masterclass on ‘Transit-oriented Cities are the future’ on 19 June 2021. The speaker for the session, Dr. Rutul Joshi: Associate Professor & Head of Doctoral Programs, spoke about the evolution of cities from the
Remote learning through webinars
Fig 09: Webinar on Parking Challenges and Opportunities in Metro Cities| P.C.: Rutuja Nivate
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FP professors promote remote learning through webinars on topics like ‘Parking Challenges in Metro Cities’ and ‘Transit-Oriented Cities’
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FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MAY - JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 41
As the Faculty of Planning gears up for a new semester, it opened the admission doors on 18 May for prospective students. To familiarize the students with the various courses offered, their structure, and the type of opportunities they provide in the field, FP held a “Know Your Program” webinar series on 26-28 May for Urban Planning, Urban Infrastructure and WASH, and Urban Design respectively. The Admissions office also held an open house - “Process and Prospects” on 21 May, 28 May and 2 June to guide the aspiring students through the admission process. The merit list for prospective students was announced on 30 June.
FP Admissions
Fig 10: FP Admissions - Webinars on Admission Process and Prospects
10one built to accommodate bullock carts to the current one, wherein several modes of transportation co-exist. Dr. Joshi also emphasised the significance of TOD (Transit Oriented Development) through the ‘Seven principles for future development of transit-oriented/ friendly cities’. Dr. Joshi gave the attendees an insight about developing the transit stations as a public place and not as a divider within the cities. To watch the webinar click here- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qXEh4JoDDw
The manuals illustrate step by step guide for the preparation of planning proposals as per the Gujarat Town Planning and Urban Development Act, 1976. They have been prepared after consultations with senior officers of the Town Planning and Valuation Department, retired senior town planners and practising urban professionals. CRDF, CUPP members and FP Professors - Prof. V. K. Phatak, Prof. Jignesh Mehta, Prof. Utkarsh
Patel, Prof. Amit Gotecha, Dr. Saswat Bandyopadhyay, Dr. Sejal Patel, Dr. Rutul Joshi, along with alumni- Ms. Nancy Dixit, Mr. Rohit Raina, Mr. Shashank Trivedi, Ms. Rishika Bowen, Ms. Jayati Trivedi and Mr.
Aviral were a part of the core team of domain experts and practising urban professionals involved in the process. To view the manuals, click on their respective images below.
Draft manuals for Macro and Micro level planning Gujarat Real Estate Regulatory Authority (Guj RERA), CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) and Centre for Urban Planning and Policy (CUPP) released draft manuals and guidelines for Development Plan, Local Area Plan and Town Planning Scheme.
The Faculty of Planning prepares itself to welcome a new batch of students.
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Fig 11: Draft Manuals for Development Plans, Local Area Plans and Town Planning Schemes
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FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MAY - JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 41
EXTRA-CURRICULARS @ FP
Fig 14: Movie Screening Invitation| P.C.: FP-PG Movie Club
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This newsletter is a student body initiative. For any suggestions, feedback and
FP-PG Student Council ElectionsThe FP-PG Student Council Elections were announced on 14 June. The candidates read out their manifestos in front of the student body on 18
June, and the following day saw a spirited virtual campaign by all candidates. The election day - 20
June saw a great turnout, where 84% of votes were cast through an online platform. The baton for President was passed down from Mr. Manoj S. to Ms. Prerna Yadav and for the Treasurer from Mr. Snehal Patil to Ms. Sairy Jain. The student body did not reach a consensus for the post of Academic Secretary. As per the constitution of the FP Council, re-elections will be held for the same.
Urban Powwow organizes its first session of ‘City Tales’Urban Powwow is an initiative by the students of B. UD, which seeks to
organize a series of informal sessions for students to understand and explore the field of Urban Design. It conducted its first session of City Tales, on 25 June 2021. The City Tales chapter of Urban Powwow aims to bring out the essence of each city through stories. The series focuses on bringing out the experiences, characters, culture, and the mental image of the city that thrives in the everyday.
The speaker for the first session was Mr. Sohomdeep Sinha Roy from Kolkata Arch Foundation (KAF). Mr. Sohomdeep spoke about the several activities and intervention programs hosted by KAF, like the sketch walk series, thus thoroughly exploring the city of Kolkata, with the motive of giving back to the community and the city.
The second session of City Tales was conducted on 29 June 2021. The speaker for the session was Ms. Ruchita Madhok from Kahani Design Works, a Mumbai based communication design studio. Ms. Madhok shared her thoughts and
experiences about Mumbai through a digital platform called Storycity India. Ms. Madhok took the attendees through her explorations of Art Deco architecture and design throughout the city of Mumbai.
FP Movie Club Celebrates Semester End The FP student body met online on 30 May to celebrate the end of another semester through a movie screening. The Movie Club screened Detropia, a 2012 film by Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing. The 1hr 41-minute movie revolves around the economic crisis of Detroit - a post-industrial American city. The screening was followed by a lively discussion among the audience.
The FP Student body successfully stayed connected even during the holiday season. They curated, participated and hosted exciting events like the Urban Powwow, the Student Council elections and a movie screening virtually.
Fig 12: Manifesto reading | P.C.: Prerna Yadav
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Engaging and fun filled holidays at FP
Fig 13: City Tales session with Sohomdeep Sinha Roy| P.C.: Priya Thottappally
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FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MAY - JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 41
‘A heart out on choices in a city’ | By Sakshi Saxena | 2nd Sem, MUP
CREATIVE SECTION
In my heart I grew forward while leaving somethings behind,A perfect world is hard to find..
Tradeoffs I made were choices that fade,Once life moves ahead to be fruitfully made.
Through every journey I remind myself,That when I reach home there would be enough on my shelf.
For that and for a beautiful time,I keep working close like a rhyme.
Today I make a choice which will tomorrow fade,But till that point my day will be made.
FACULTY OF PLANNING | CEPT UNIVERSITY | NEWSLETTER MAY - JUNE 2021 | ISSUE 41
‘Public Place Design’ | By Basil Vignesh | 2nd Sem, MUD
The concept is developed by segregating the spaces to the dedicated primary functions programs which includes the parking, market stalls, open plaza and food court while pedestrianizing both edges of the street and the spaces beneath the flyover.
‘A Peek Into Colaba Causeway’ | By Vidhi Shah | 2nd Sem, MUD
The illustration shows Colaba Causeway observed during the active daylight hours. The distinct elements of Colaba Causeway are ground floor edge, arcades along the footpath and the vending activities that actives the whole street and makes a public space.
