ArchiDiariesAcademic projectsRiver in the City – Reviving the Urban River’s Edge and Making it an Urban Common | Architecture Thesis on Urban Landscape Design
River in the City – Reviving the Urban River’s Edge and Making it an Urban Common | Architecture Thesis on Urban Landscape Design
Project Name: River in the City - Reviving the Urban River’s Edge and Making it an Urban Common
Student Name: Jaee Naik
Awards: Citation for Best Thesis by KRVIA, Mumbai University (2022) | Essay excerpt- ‘Can a riverfront be an urban common?’ published by Architecture Live – (2024)
Excerpt: ‘River in the City – Reviving the Urban River’s Edge and Making it an Urban Common’ is an architecture thesis by Jaee Naik from the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies (KRVIA) that seeks to transform perceptions of urban rivers and incorporate socio-ecological relationships into urban landscape design. It aims to establish an “urban common” through community stewardship and systemic interventions that preserve its ecology.
Introduction: Rivers and other “natural ecosystems” have been manipulated and commercialised in the present urbanised environments. They have unavoidably experienced changes in their ecologies and relationships with the communities. The thesis seeks to transform the way that urban rivers are perceived and to bring socio-ecological relationships into the design of urban landscapes. It also seeks to establish an “Urban common” through community stewardship and systemic interventions that preserve its ecology. The research analysed the socio-ecological development of Mumbai’s urban river, and the design approach that emerged from it explored the construction of a new riverine landscape that accommodates a variety of “commoning” spaces.
The goal of the thesis is to analyse how the Dahisar River in Mumbai has impacted various communities over time. The study looks at the history of the river using the framework of collective histories, historical records, and historical regulatory policies.
The Transect Through Time: Mapping the Story Of The River And Its Landscape
Contradictions in the relationship between the river and the communities in the past, present, and throughout the city can be inferred from a deeper understanding of the Dahisar River’s past and current conditions.
The planning can be said to reflect the emergence of new rationalities. Infrastructure innovations are often envisioned by policymakers and environmental practitioners as providing relief from urban problems in the future. The development strategy is often just technocratic, ignoring socio-ecological values that change the meaning and values of “water” in the urban landscape. In an attempt to mitigate damage and preserve the rivers, the state frequently proposes “restoration” and “beautification” projects. However, the majority of these initiatives take a piecemeal approach and poorly replicate eurocentric ideas of a concretized riverfront. The future of the landscape can be speculated about by looking over the policies and proposed development plans.
The Future Transect: Mapping The Story of The River and Speculating Its Future
An alternative future? Valuing the past -The riverfront is viewed as a platform for initiating a dialogue between people and the city. Once this interaction is initiated, it would connect the community to the rest of the city.
The River Stewardship and Governance DiagramSite Selection and Strategies
Studying the entire stretch of the river in parts, the socio-cultural and historical relevance of each zone and spaces of commoning are identified along with listing the different kinds of activities happening. Larger urban strategies and new site strategies are proposed to revive the spaces of commoning.
Design Process
The urban landscape strategy aims to naturally treat the water of the Dahisar river, through reed beds, afforestation, layered wetlands, sewage treatment plants and other such strategies.
Strategy Plan
The neighbourhood becomes self-sufficient regarding water when the retaining walls are replaced with bioswales that collect rainwater and treat the river. The proposed interventions make the river an “urban common” and promote human interaction with it. The strategy makes use of the river as the central spine for circulation by creating a number of public areas surrounding it as well as cycling and walking paths to enhance pedestrian and bicyclist interaction.
Urban Plan
The overall plot can be schematically divided into zones according to the type of landscape treatment that will be applied to it based on the landscape strategy. These zones can be further divided into the different types of landscaping and vegetation that need to be applied. The various landscape types are intended to function as an urban common area in addition to revitalising the riverbed ecologically.
Landscape StrategyBuilding Diagram and Organization
In order to create a belt of services and amenities for the settlement as well as spaces of ‘commoning’, the prototype building is situated close to the edge, close to the densely populated areas.
Final Outcome
Exploded Axonometric and Section of The BuildingThe New Landscape
The spaces of commoning are programmed to have amenities, utilities and spaces restoring the heritage of the river.
This successful stewardship of spaces is ensured by the architectural language, which features non-imposing smaller scaled buildings, overhung open bamboo roofs, natural building materials, etc., making the structure “porous” and accessible to all. Further architectural features that ensure quality include internal streets, courtyards, and bridges.
New Spaces of Commoning
The project aims to bring about an ideological shift in the state’s conception of these landscapes, the way the market forces have commodified them, and how the communities that live there are perceived.
New Spaces of CommoningNew Spaces of Commoning
The newly created landscape accommodates and transforms into an area that harmoniously combines ecological awareness with socio-cultural significance.
Conclusion: The thesis offers a new perspective on the design of urban landscapes by establishing an “urban common” through community stewardship and systemic interventions, preserving their ecology. By taking Mumbai’s Dahisar River as a model, the project explores a new riverine landscape that accommodates various “commoning” spaces.
[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]
Site Context
Design Process
Final Outcome
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