Fresh

Cover Städte im Fluss - Dhaka, Kolkata

The two megacities Kolkata and Dhaka lie in the core of the world's biggest Delta. What does the strong interdependence between human settlements and water mean to the inhabitants of these 14-million metropolises? To which risks are they prone? And by which measures do the two cities, which share similar geographic location and common cultural roots, tackle the challenges of urbanisation? HFB curated this issue of Stadtbauwelt in order to promote a dialogue between practitioners and researchers of 2 cities, whose similarities have rarely been thematised in the last 50 years. Furthermore, jointly with Goethe-Institut Dhaka, it will introduce the magazine to the public in Bangladesh's capital city with a seminar on April 1-3, 2012. Authors from Kolkata, Dhaka and Berlin will gather their views and thus start up a common discussion in the local setting. Read the editorial...

Chennai: Human Space – Cultural Space

Within the project cluster “Chennai: Human Space – Cultural Space”, initiated on occasion of the Year of Germany "Germany and India 2011-2012: Infinite Opportunities", Habitat Forum Berlin conducted a 4-week-long workshop for students of architecture at Anna University. Aiming at identifying humane development perspectives amidst the congested urban fabric of contemporary Chennai, the workshop shall focus on its MRTS elevated line. Participants were encouraged to adopt ethnographic and phenomenological methods for their fieldwork in the 18 metro stations. Not only their interior space, but also their – existing or missing – connectivity to the surrounding areas were given primary attention. Via associative walks, rhythmanalytical surveys, sketches, interviews and participant observation with users as well as inhabitants, everyday needs and ideas regarding the Metro came out and gave life to an exhibition. In the next phase (November 2011 - February 2012), an architectural competition encourages to develop creative ideas for a better use and an inclusion within the urban space of the still neglected, lifeless stations.

Sustainable Hyderabad – Megacities of Tomorrow

Sustainable Hyderabad – Megacities of Tomorrow is a five-year project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research with the aim of enhancing translateral cooperation towards sustainable urban planning and development. Against the background of the need for better participation, Habitat Forum Berlin coordinates the communication between nexus. Institute for Cooperation Management and Interdisciplinary Research and the various partners in Hyderabad. Moreover, it develops strategies for information and activation of the megacity's inhabitants with students of the Technical University Berlin. More...