CB BureauThe international travelling exhibition Vision of 10 Global
Cities has arrived in (Gujarat) and, starting today, will stay there until
October 16 at Kanoria Centre for Arts. The month-long exhibition travels to
India after sojourns in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa,
showcasing the vision of ten sustainable cities in 2030. Ahmedabad has become
the first city in Asia to host the exhibition.
The exhibition is part of the launch of Our Cities
Ourselves (OCO), a global collaborative programme in India. OCO is an
initiative of Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a non-government
organization that promotes sustainable and equitable transportation solutions
worldwide.The 10 global cities part of
the exhibition are Ahmedabad, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Dar es Salaam, Guangzhou,
Jakarta, Johannesburg, Mexico City, New York, and Rio de Janeiro.
Shreya Gadepalli, regional director of ITDP, explained
the concept thus: ‘OCO uses the power of evocative /images to bring to life the
future of global cities. The /images were created in a collaborative manner with
leading urban practitioners and architects from 10 cities including Ahmedabad
and have inspired decision makers and developers to come together to transform
their cities.
‘Ahmedabad has established itself as a frontrunner in
India with projects like Janmarg. OCO creates an opportunity for decision
makers and people from various facets of life to come together to envision and
create an Ahmedabad that is vibrant and sustainable and provides a great
quality of life for all.’
The exhibition showcases futuristic large-scale /images
of landmark areas of 10 global cities developed by international architects
based on ITDP’s principles for transport in urban life. In the case of
Ahmedabad, Jamalpur Gate was chosen as a site to create the vision.
A parallel exhibition, Vision of Ahmedabad, launched
in association with Environmental Planning Collaborative (EPC), is on display
at Amdavad ni gufa. The exhibition presents a vision for different areas of
Ahmedabad developed by six leading architects of the city. It expresses how
thoughtfully designed streets, lakes, gardens, and transport infrastructure can
make Ahmedabad more liveable and sustainable for its citizens. The exhibition
will demonstrate areas around six landmarks of Ahmedabad in the present
scenario juxtaposed against how they may look like in the year 2030.
Both exhibitions highlight Principles for Transport in
Urban Life that seek to make cities more people-friendly, environmentally
sustainable, and socially inclusive. The principles were developed by ITDP and partner
organizations.