Odhav, GIDC - Where Streets Define ‘Publicness’

Shubhi Kushwaha | CEPT University

‘Publicness’ can be described using several attributes. According to Benn and Gaus, the most
significant characteristics for a public space to be differentiated from a private space are access,
agency, and interest. The first one represents physical and social access to the place, as well as
the activities in it, the second represents the locus of control and decision-making present, and
the last one the targeted beneficiaries of actions or decisions impacting on a place.

When we talk about ‘publicness’ with reference to this statement, one aspect that crosses our
minds is an area tailored specifically for public use such as a park or a plaza. While quite a few
localities in Ahmedabad live up to this standard, there are numerous that do not. It is seen that
only the people of relatively expensive areas in the city have access to these designated public
spaces such as parks and plazas, while the poorer localities are being left to fend for their
definitions of public space.

But, how does one exactly define public space? The perception of public space changes
according to the use and context, thus making it difficult to point to a single definition. However,
it is possible to differentiate among broad types of public spaces. One such early distinction,
according to Michael Walzer, highlighted the difference between ‘close-minded’ types of space
intended for only one type of use, and those which were ‘open-minded’, where a variety of uses
were tolerated. The gap in the economic stature of the society also gives rise to a spectrum of
public spaces unique to each type of society. Each society, from gated communities to ‘chawls’
has a specific definition for a public space based on its requirements and usage, let us see how
via the analysis presented below.

After a thorough walkthrough of the area located in Odhav, one major aspect that was noticeable
was the way that the inhabitants utilized the streets of the region. Due to a lack of designated
public spaces, streets served as a major factor in not only connecting localities within the area
physically but also served as a public space that connected people socially, by giving them
spillover spaces apart from their households where they could do chores, interact with each other
and their children could play under their supervision.
To further elaborate, the Odhav road, being the main road of the region was the only road that
provided an official distinction between the pedestrian and the vehicular path limiting this
‘publicness’ to both the sides of the streets which were provided with a wide pedestrian walkway
and storefronts, leaving the bigger stretch of the road for the vehicular traffic and the BRTS
route, thus living up to the conventional definition of public space or a street with the designated
public, semi-public and private spaces with a clear distinction and usage of each. Even then,
informal parking and encroachment by street vendors limit the implementation of this idea.

However, one observes this trend changing drastically while moving inwards towards the core of
the Odhav. While moving along the branch roads like the Rajendra Park road and Ranchodji
Mandir road we observed that a bigger chunk of these roads is occupied by pedestrians most of
the time, sometimes even obstructing the vehicular traffic in these streets. People are generally
out by the commercial stretches of the roads, either shopping, chatting, or relaxing making these
streets act as a public space used for congregation rather than just for the vehicular commute.
According to observations a lack of a properly defined pedestrian walkway and relatively
narrower streets also accelerates this phenomenon, allowing people to spill over to the streets as
a result.

While navigating towards the deeper core of the site where “Chalis” are present one observes
this phenomenon of publicness to a greater extent. One such ‘Chali’ is located in Rabari
Wasavat, a residential locality of the site where narrow corridors connect the areas to the main
streets. Now, due to a lack of an officially designated public space like a park or a plaza, the
inhabitants try to utilize what is available to them and use corridors emerging in the streets for
children to play, women to socialize and perform their day-to-day chores, and men to congregate
after returning from work. While talking to a native we also came to know that the people here
also slept on the streets during summers. So one can get a fair perspective of why the streets in
Odhav are so important and so vivid and portray quite a unique idea of ‘publicness’ where the
streets are not there only to serve the people but also act as an extension of their homes in the
process.

Contrary to the scenario present in Odhav, when we walk around a street present in a posh
locality of Ahmedabad, for example, CG Road, we see a completely different definition of
‘publicness’. Here we have well-lit stores with glass displays, cafes and restaurants around the
corner, street vendors within designated areas, and well-designed concrete seating with buildings
on either side of the road merging seamlessly with the streets to come together and create a
public sphere to attract people and create a true experience of a public space which can be
explored on foot. Proper lanes are provided for vehicles with an active traffic management
system that ensures an obstruction-free pedestrian experience for all. Now, one may question that
“Has there been no attempt to create such a public space in Odhav?”

Coming back to the case of Odhav, a similar attempt was made, especially on the Odhav main
road where a stretch of commercial complexes, just like CG Road, with broad footpaths are
provided. But factors such as informal parking by two-wheelers, encroachment by street vendors,
and an overall lack of planning designated public spaces obstruct the pedestrian movement.
Whereas in the case of the inner roads obstruction is faced by vehicular traffic while the
pedestrians occupy the streets freely due to the lack of properly defined footpaths. This is seen in
the innermost streets of the ‘Chalis’ where the inhabitants use these streets as a public space and
treat them as extensions of their homes.

While this scenario could be termed as ‘haphazard’ or ‘unplanned’, it acts as a catalyst to bring
the inhabitants of these communities together and weave in them a sense of belonging to the
community. This sense of belonging and the strength of the community can be seen during major
festivities like Ganesh Chaturti where rallies are held by the members of the community with
high zest and energy, filled with songs and dance, unlike anything that can take place in a posh
street like CG Road. During these temporal festive activities, the streets of Odhav become more
vibrant and lively bringing the communities together so they can call it home.

The case examples of Odhav and CG Road serve as two sides of the same coin - ‘publicness’.
Both cases address ‘publicness’ in their unique ways and cater to different sections of society.
But is one better than the other? While we see proper urban designing principles along with a
good infrastructure being employed at CG Road, the streets of Odhav have their own stories to
tell. The essence and the spirit of the community are portrayed to a far greater extent here when
compared to the commercialized CG Road. But obviously, good infrastructure and planning
matter to better functioning of an area and the society as a whole. If this can be achieved while
keeping the soul of the street intact, that in my opinion would define the ‘publicness’ of a place.