2021| National Competition
Location: Coimbatore, India
Recognition: Selected as winners for Phase 2, with a detailed project report submitted for the proposed site as part of the Sustainable Urban Development - Smart Cities (SUD-SC) Initiative by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation and GIZ.
Team: Urban planners, architects, strategist and sustainability consultants.
Role
As an urban design consultant, I contributed to visualizing scenarios that demonstrated how the identified People, Water, Food, and Energy loops integrate to enhance and improve the everyday lives of communities.
The pamphlet played a pivotal role in facilitating engagement with diverse stakeholders, gathering valuable feedback for the design and planning phases.
Challenge
Exclusion due to complexity: Technical urban planning strategies are often inaccessible to community members because of jargon-heavy content.
Lack of cultural relevance: Planning processes frequently fail to connect with the cultural and linguistic context of diverse stakeholders.
Limited participation and buy-in: These barriers create a disconnect between stakeholders and the planning process, reducing engagement and support for sustainable solutions.
Lack of cultural relevance: Planning processes frequently fail to connect with the cultural and linguistic context of diverse stakeholders.
Limited participation and buy-in: These barriers create a disconnect between stakeholders and the planning process, reducing engagement and support for sustainable solutions.
Solution
+ Illustrative Tools: Designed visual representations of the four loops—People, Water, Food, and Energy—highlighting their integration into everyday life to improve community well-being and resilience.
+ Bilingual Storytelling: Crafted narratives in Tamil and English to ensure inclusivity, cultural relevance, and accessibility for all community members.
+ Scenario-Based Engagement: Developed relatable, people-centered scenarios, such as shaded streets, solar-powered homes, and community compost hubs, to showcase tangible benefits and foster meaningful connections.
Impact
+ Increased Participation: Engaged a wide range of community members, including marginalized groups, in participatory workshops.
+ Improved Comprehension: Tools clarified complex concepts, enabling stakeholders to meaningfully contribute.
+ 27 Tailored Strategies: Community insights led to site-specific solutions for water management, mobility, and energy efficiency, aligning with everyday needs.
+ Improved Comprehension: Tools clarified complex concepts, enabling stakeholders to meaningfully contribute.
+ 27 Tailored Strategies: Community insights led to site-specific solutions for water management, mobility, and energy efficiency, aligning with everyday needs.
Community Engagement Roadmap
Campus Lived Experience
