Cities, home to over half the global population only occupy 3% of landmass, but disproportionately consume 70% of global resources, leading to pollution, economic disparities, and environmental vulnerability. Thus, cities play a vital role in achieving global sustainability. Liveability encompasses the physical, social, economic, instructional, and environmental aspects of a city. Cities are complex systems with interdependent subsystems, presenting both excitement and challenges, particularly with advancements in complex mathematics.
Rapid urbanisation in the global south, particularly in India, poses substantial societal and environmental challenges. The country’s large population and rapid urban growth lead to unsustainable and unliveable urban environments. This is exacerbated by outdated planning approaches and insensitive development practices that disregard the complexity and liveability of cities.
The Liveable Urbanism Studio is a unique vertical studio unit where BSc 3 and MArch 2 students collaborate with local partners to study urban form and liveability in rapidly expanding cities of the global south. In 2022-23, the studio focused on Calicut, the fastest growing coastal city in southern India with a population of half a million.
Initial explorations in urbanism theory, tools and literature provided students with a grounding to build their personal approach and research strategy. Through a three weeklong study trip to India, they developed an excellent understanding of urbanism and its challenges in India and specifically in Calicut which formed the basis of their urban strategies and spatial design proposals.