NEW YORK CITY, January 14, 2011 – The first show of its kind, Jugaad Urbanism: Resourceful Strategies for Indian Cities explores how the energy of citizens “making do” can be an inspiration and a catalyst for the worldwide community of architects, designers, and urban planners. With so much emphasis on high design and high-tech in typical architecture shows, an exhibition focusing on design by the people, for the people, of Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Pune brings a new perspective to the international conversation about designing for life in contemporary cities.

The exhibition, which is on view from February 10- May 21, 2011, is organized in partnership with the India China Institute at The New School, the Indo-American Arts Council and the Society of Indo-American Engineers and Architects. Related programs will include a day-long symposium on informal settlements and low income housing in India, organized in partnership with the United Nations Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT) program, and a weekly film series of documentaries and Bollywood features that focus on life in contemporary India.

“Together, the exhibition and programs aim to educate both local and international audiences about the critical issues of growing cities,” explains Margaret Castillo, AIA, LEED AP, the president of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter. “While Mumbai may seem a world away from New York City, the lessons learned from its empowered citizens and designers can be applied to rapidly expanding cities with similar issues, such as Rio or Guangzhou. Object-based, small-scale urbanism proves that good design has the power to make the world a better place.”

Jugaad: a definition
There is no one definition of the Hindi term “jugaad,” but in a broad sense, the term refers to a certain resourcefulness and innovation found in Indian cities. Jerry-rigged cars, homemade stoves, and do-it-yourself water filtration are all examples of citizens “making do” with what they have on hand. That resourcefulness has proven to be an inspiration for local nongovernmental organizations and international designers alike. The exhibition juxtaposes these homemade solutions and the “designed” ones, showing how the two can build off of one another to improve city life. As curator Kanu Agrawal describes, “Jugaad strategies allow designers to work with maximum adaptability and imagination. Inspired by the skill and ingenuity of grassroots tactics as well as a careful use of meager resources, designers can be thoughtful contributors for healthier, safer, and more equitable cities. With their organizational skills and expertise they can provide examined ways of improving
living conditions.”

Exhibition Content
The exhibition is organized by “resource:” land, water, energy and transportation.

• The land section will feature a proposal for “In-between Architecture” by Studio Mumbai, an Incremental Housing Strategy for Pune by the NGO SPARC, the Cybermohollah HUB community center planned for a slum resettlement in Delhi, and an investigation of the chawls in Mumbai. These buildings, 2-5 story housing structures, built in the early 20th century around the fabric mills of Mumbai, are at the center of a debate about preservation and development in Indian cities. The commissioned proposal by Neera Adarka and Rupali Gupte will save the chawls, but modernize them for contemporary life.
• The water section will also feature a commissioned project—a new scheme for community toilets in Delhi by Vir.Mueller Architects, including an example of his innovative low tech ceramic toilet pan—and an assortment of water filtration solutions, including a “jugaad” 3- bucket solution, and a mass-manufactured design by the Tulip Water Foundation.
• The energy section will display solar solutions, including a solar-powered streetlamp and portable home light, and a set of smokeless stoves. It will also include an energy-generating e-charka, or spinning machine, which is a symbol of empowerment recalling the iconic photo of Gandhi and his charka, spread around the world by Life magazine.
• The transportation section will present the typical “jugaad vehicle” alongside the innovative, constraint-based design of the Tata Nano. Additional materials include a photo essay on the new skywalks of Mumbai, a presentation of drawings and photos of the Janmarg Bus Rapid Transit system in Ahmedabad, developed with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, and the Soleckshaw, a solar-powered rickshaw.
• Additionally, the Center will host an installation by the noted Delhi-based artist group Raqs Media Collective, called “Coordinates of an Everyday City.” The 4-channel video installation was first shown at Documenta 11 in Kassel, Germany. Raqs co-founded Sarai, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, in 2000, and is renowned in the art world for its multimedia projects.