AHMEDABAD:

The River and the City

3rd December 2008

INDIAAHMEDABAD

MUMBAI

DELHI

AHMEDABAD

RAJKOTVADODARA

SURAT

AHMEDABAD

GANDHINAGAR

LATITUDE : 23O4’ N

LONGITUDE : 72O34’ E

CLIMATE : HOT AND DRY TYPE

SOIL TYPE : BROWN SANDY & CLAYEY

VEGETATION : DRY DECIDUOUS TYPE

Ahmedabad City Region

*Source: Google Earth website

Location and General Information

*Source: Google Earth website

TOPOGRAPHY : ROCKY IN EXTREME SOUTH, LEVEL PLAIN RISING TOWARDS NORTH AND EAST

GEOLOGY : COVERED BY RECENT AND SUB-RECENT FORMATIONS

TEMPERATURE : MONTHLY MEAN SUMMER-410C ; MONTHLY MEAN WINTER-18.80C

HUMIDITY : MONSOON MONTHS R.H. 80% ; NON MONSOON MONTHS R.H. 30%

RAINFALL : 800mm PER ANNUM

MAIN CATCHMENT AREA OF SABARMATI RIVER

MAIN CATCHMENT AREA OF SABARMATI RIVER

ARAVALI HILLS NEAR UDAIPUR

RANN OF KUTCH

Ahmedabad City RegionLocation and General Information

Ahmedabad City RegionWater Bodies and Topography

LEGEND:

Source: AUDA reports, A.M.C. website

1m interval

2 45km

1 3

0km

N

•The topography of city shows that the land slopes towards South .

•The slope of the city is 1:750 (approx)

•The area under water-bodies is 38.54 km approx. 2.96% of the total area.

•The prime surface water body in Ahmedabad is the river Sabarmati, which flows from North to South and divides the city into two parts; East and West.

•It is not a perennial river. At Eastern side of the city, two minor rivers cross the region i.e. The Khari river and the Meshwa river. A number of ponds / lakes / water bodies are also present in the city.

•Due to rapid urbanization some lakes / water bodies have become extinct. About 36 lakes / water bodies have dried up in last 28 years.

PLAN SHOWING THE LOCATION OF THE VILLAGES AND THE CITY AS CORRESPONDING TO THE WATER BODIES

Evolution of the CityRelation of Water Bodies and the City

VILLAGE SETTELEMENTS

WATER BODIES

N

•Every village had its own pond, which was the source of water.

• Size of pond varied from 20 ha to 80 ha depending on the size of the village.

• These ponds now remain dry during summer months.

• Important ponds in Ahmedabad are Kankaria filled with water throughout the year; and Chandola lake which remains dry even in monsoon.

Source: Unpublished Thesis work Niketa, CEPT student

Kankaria Lake

Chandola Lake

Topography shapes patternsLand and Water : Flow, storage, use, waste, reuse cycles.

Regulate speed and direction of flow through urban pattern to stabilise water and

soil cycles.

Naroda Village

Street Layout, Neighbourhood Limits and Internal Structureaffected by topography.

Ahmedabad showing disused mill lands

1411

1857

1884

1901

1911

1920

1928

1932

1936

1939

1956

1958

1959

1960

2000

GROWTH OF AHMEDABAD(1411-2000)

Evolution of the CityGrowth of Ahmedabad

N

• The area of city during the period 1411-1770 was 5.3 sq.km.

• The establishment of the first textile mill in 1861 was a landmark. With expansion of this industry, development began to spill over (beyond city walls) towards the north-east & south-east of walled city, but only on the Eastern side of the river.

• Construction of Ellis Bridge in 19th century opened up the Western side for urban expansion – mainly Residential.

• Industrial development – Eastern side.

•Commercial development – Walled City.

• City extended beyond present municipal limits & crossed limits of AUDA on Western side.

• After 1982 growth was observed on main transportation routes, where agriculture was predominant.

Source: Unpublished Thesis work, CEPT student

Ahmedabad City RegionTopographic Sheet and AUDA boundary

AUDA BOUNDARYN

Regional topography-sheet showing the extend of AUDA boundary.

• The direction of slope is almost parallel along the

flow of the river Sabarmati. (NE-SW)

• A few elevation points ‘tekras’ are observed in

western Ahmedabad. Depression zone is present

near the city of Mahemdabad.

•Open / vacant land occupies an area of 17.23

Sq.km. and is 3.6% of the total area of urban

complex.

Source: Thesis work Richa Garg, LA,CEPT student

The Formative Period:

Formal Structure

and

An Architecture of Community and Individuality

Urban PatternTopography, Institutions and Neighbourhoods

Many small, definable parts rather than few large ones.

Consistency of structure of parts.

The very large, the very small.

Consolidation, readability,association.

Similarity of sequencing at all scales.

UnitCluster

Neighbourhood

Locality City

Smallest scale typologically ordered.Accretive growth, similarity of patterns.

The Colonial Enterprise

Directness, Simplicity and Frugal Means:

A Possible Indian Architecture ?

Civic Statements:A National Style?

The Era of Institution Building:Modernism and Civic Pride

Searching an Authentic Voice

The Speculative Mode:A Disjointed Carnival