Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) University [http://www.cept.ac.in/] offers training, education, research and consultancy on the built environment in the fields of planning, architecture, urban design, building technology, landscape and interior design. CEPT says it "believes in a multi-disciplinary approach to development and has immense expertise and resources to draw upon."
The Department of Urban Design, Faculty of Architecture recently conducted a design studio on four towns of Goa -- Margao, Panjim, Mapusa and Vasco with an emphasis on participatory development. According to the institution, this urban transformation studio questions the conventional planning premise and aims at intervening at the ward level. The point of departure for the studio is the 74th Amendment which empowers the municipalities to make their own plans and promotes the bottom-top approach. The intention of the studio is to explore the method/process of participatory development and the role and nature of urban design. Through the students’ designs, the studio debates on number of emerging issues, tests possibilities and seeks to resolve the conflicts. For instance: "Can urban designers fulfill peoples aspirations and improve their lives? Can we guide preferred change? Are people stakeholders or victims? What are our concepts now of sustainability, neighborhood, public private, control and freedom?" CEPT University's team had come to Goa in July 2009 to conduct field studies followed by a visit in early October where they made presentations and got a feedback. They interacted with the planning authorities, Goa College of Architecture, elected representatives, NGOs, professionals and other citizens in this endeavor. Says the CEPT: "We are now making the final presentations of the design proposals for Margao and Vasco in Margao, Goa on Wednesday December 9 (10 am onwards at Ravindra Bhavan conference room) and for Panjim and Mapusa at the Goa College of Architecture on Thurs day December 10, 10:30 am onwards." Just thought of sharing this with you... FN -- Frederick Noronha :: +91-832-2409490 ANOTHER GOA: http://tiny.cc/anothergoa Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fredericknoronha Writing, editing, alt.publishing, photography, journalism
