ARANYA TOWNSHIP, INDORE: INDIA

An Experiment On Sustainable Human Habitat

Prof. Utpal Sharma

Dean, School of Planning and Public Policy,
CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India

Bhavesh Metha
Research Associate, CRDU,
CEPT University, Ahmedabad, India

ABSTRACT clusters with human scale, flexibility to addition

Urbanization in India and South Asia has generated
one of the horrifying pictures of poverty in the
form of slum. It has been a very difficult task of
dealing with this settlement form which has been
the part of many of the growing urban centres of
the country with almost 47% population of cities
as slums. Aranya project represents a new paradigm
in urban planning, that attempts to resolve this
growing issue and discusses one of the critical
aspect of urban design and town planning approach
with the economically weaker section of the urban
population. What makes it special is – the approach
of ‘Planning and Urban Design framework of the
settlement where people build themselves’. The
framework was evolved through understanding
the needs of the people. An attempt was made to
address the issues of identity and sense of
community which is often missing in conventional
projects.
The site and services approach to planning and
design for the 65,000 population in the city of
Indore is a new philosophy for handling the urban
crisis of slum settlements. The project is the
synthesis of the cultural, social and economic needs
of the slum population and the more mundane
aspect of cost effective site and services, there by
creating one of the richest fabric for ideal habitation
of the poor people. The concept for the project is
defined by the broad goals of a good habitat –
vitality, imageability, equity, efficiency, flexibility
and feasibility.
The Aranya project demonstrates the vital aspects
of urban design in its design of appropriate typology,
hierarchy of streets and open space, housing
and growth of built form and an efficient sites and
services layout integrated with the architecture of
the township. The indigenous character of built
form provides a setting for the continuation of
fundamental values of society. As per the traditional
Indian towns, the level of openness and the degree
of privacy is maintained through a spatial order.
The clarity of spatial hierarchy enhances the
imageability of the settlement. This was achieved
through a rigorous research of the Indian traditional
settlement forms. The Aranya plan uses these
universal principles of hierarchy in urban design
by creating the centre with public amenities and
major urban space moving outwards with series
of streets and clusters of houses in hierarchy
creating more private residential public realms.
The street is also seen as an urban space with
human activities and multiplicity. The emphasis
on developing a cost efficient layout for services
has brought down the cost of the project
significantly and hence is an important ingredient
of the design of the settlement.
Aranya has become the model not only in the
professional and the academic world, but also with
the administration and the implementing agencies.
It has been the case study for many similar projects.
The project has looked at the implementation
process as a vital aspect in such a case. It defines
construction of the minimum, so as to allow people
to add and develop the house as per their
requirements and affordability in the future. This
has built into the project, the aspect of a sense of
belonging and identity, which is a strong social
issue for the habitation of the poor... / or any other
community.

Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II) 15
The efficient site planning, a fresh approach to
infrastructure, while using strong traditional urban
design principles of the context, with a hope to
provide the most ideal environment for living to
the poor, has produced an example of good urban
design in the context of rapid urbanization. It has
not only been accepted by the people but been a
case study for further research in the field.
Keywords: Low cost housing, innovative sites
and services project, landuse efficiency, affordability,
socio - cultural responsive architecture, innovative
infrastructure.
INTRODUCTION
In most cities in India and South Asia, the poor
live in appalling conditions. It is obvious that there
is a mismatch between the way our cities have
been built and the way people are compelled to
use them. Therefore, the role of the Planner and
Urban designer must necessarily encompass the
needs of the poor in evolving the urban form
sympathetic to their lifestyle.
By the late ‘70s it became clear that India’s huge
population growth, combined with a lack of
economic development at the rural base, was
leading to mass migration to cities. Squatter
settlements made of industrial waste, cardboard
or whatever was available, sprang up around most
urban centres. Even the lowest cost housing
designed by architects was beyond the financial
reach of these people 1 . As a result of past
experiences, the failure of the approach to ready-
made built housing with heavy subsidies has
emerged and, with that the corresponding changes
in policies have also occurred. In the programmes
related to slum areas, the emphasis has shifted
towards environmental improvement from just
clearance and relocation. There is a growing
realization that slum dwellings also constitute a
part of the housing stock. While the public sector
can provide road networks, water supply, sewerage,
storm water drainage, electricity and other public
amenities, the upgrading of house can be done
more conveniently and economically by the people
themselves. “Though accepted in principle, slum
upgrading programs often fail, as most authorities
shy away from granting security of tenure, which
can induce the occupants to improve their housing
conditions.”2
In terms of planned efforts, slum improvement,
sites and services and core housing have emerged
as alternate solutions to housing problems. ‘Houses
only become homes when the inhabitants identify
with the place, with a sense of belonging. Security
of tenure and ownership rights help generate such
feeling.’3 All of these approaches accept a model
of progressive house construction focusing on
provision of secure tenure and a range of basic
services.
The ancient texts on Town planning and Architecture
(Architecture of Manasara4) have dealt at length
with the design aspects of human habitat.
Traditional settlements indicate efficient deployment
of scarce resources suited to the culture and
lifestyle of the people. The symbiosis of activities
and space provides a spatial order that permits
individuals and communities to adapt the spaces
for multiple uses through soft edges or transitional
spaces. Behind these concepts lie certain values,
a close and enduring fit between action and form.
The Aranya (meaning forest) Township is an
innovative experiment of settlement planning and
design (conceived in 1981 and implemented in
1986) supported by the Indore Development
Authority (IDA). What makes it special is – the
idea of ‘Planning and Urban Design framework of
the settlement where people build themselves’.
The framework evolved through understanding of

1 Curtis W., (1988), “Balkrishna Doshi – An Architecture for India”, Mapin Publishing pvt. ltd., Ahmedabad, India.
2 Mehta, M. (1987), Housing Policies: Retrospect and Prospect, in: “Space and Society”, pp.72.76
3 Ahuja Sarayu (1991), “A Balanced Community in which all groups are finally mixed……..” – Architect B.V Doshi on
his new sites and services project Aranya, in Indore, Indian Architect & Builder, January, pp.22-29.
4 ‘Architecture of Manasara’ is a definitive Indian treatise on Vastu Sasthram, an ancient building code which was used
for designing houses, planning cities and communities for centuries in India. This document was used as a prescriptive
building code dealing with architecture and spatial organization of residential quarters. It is written by a sage named
Mansara. It is one of the 5 documents that exist now which deals with Vastu Sasthram.

16 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
needs of the people. An attempt was made to
address the issues of identity and sense of
community which is often missing in conventional
planning and design process.
Various studies5 were undertaken to understand
traditional settlements in the Indian context and
evolve a planning and design framework to suit
the prevailing social, economic and technological
conditions (Refer to Figure 1). A study ‘Towards
a human Habitat’ identified design and planning
principles to be incorporated at various scales. A
study of ‘How the other half builds’ (1984) was
done to understand the lifestyle, living environments
and aspirations of the urban poor. Appropriate
planning and design principles along with norms
for various facilities and public spaces were evolved.
Cultural, social and economic needs were taken
into account to arrive at solutions sympathetic to
the life style of the people. The study of
neighborhood streets showed that they were not
merely corridors for movement but they also
accommodated various social, economic and
domestic activities. House extensions were identified
as spaces in front of the house, and though located
in the public realm, they acquired a private
character through their use and physical
modifications. These were seen not only as means
to expand the small house, but in doing so; they
enhanced the quality of the living environment.
The study of various small economic activities
identified the nature of space requirements and
showed how the design of streets and public spaces
can accommodate these activities. These studies
not only helped in evolving the framework but also
helped in detailing out the design process for the
Aranya Township.
THE CONTEXT
The Aranya Township is located in the city of Indore
(Refer to Figure 2), which is the commercial centre
of the state of Madhya Pradesh. According to the
1981 census, this city had a population of 8.27
lakhs. Like most other cities in India, Indore was
experiencing acute shortage of housing particularly
for the lower income group, as well as, problems
arising out of inadequate infrastructure. A survey
carried out by the Indore Development Authority
and the Madhya Pradesh Housing Board (1981)
showed that about 60,000 families were living in
slums and squatter settlements. The housing
supply from both public and private agencies to
the next four years was to the tune of 25,000
units, whereas there was an additional demand of
51,000 units. The income distribution of Indore
city showed that nearly 60 percent of the population
belonged to the economically weaker section, with

Figure 1: Nature of house extension.

(Source: VSF, 1984) Figure 2: Geographical Location of Indore city.
(Source: Maps of India, 2007)

5 ‘How the other half builds’- A study of the existing slum settlements in Indore provided an interesting insight into
how the people build houses for themselves. - ‘Integrated Rural Development Plan for village Charodi’ – The study
investigated the nature of economic developmen both formal and informal. As conventional housing project do not
consider this vital need, such an investigation was considered significant.

Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II) 17
income less than five hundred rupees per month
(at 1980 prices) and could not afford to spend
more than 10 percent to 15 percent of their income
on housing. Aranya Township was proposed by
the Indore Development Authority to alleviate the
housing shortage, particularly for the economically
weaker section of the society.
Indented for 65,000 people, mostly from the
economically weaker section (EWS) and lower
income groups (LIG), Aranya represents in many
ways a ‘classic’ approach to housing the urban
poor. What is different, however, is that a “site
and services” approach has been refined (while
remaining flexible, attentive to individual resources
and spontaneity) to include ‘model’ house-types,
suggested materials and steps for implementation.
This proposal searches a middle ground, between
a house ‘with no rooms’ and a totally non
participatory monotonous public housing project.
In a site and services project, land and
infrastructure are the principal components. Thus
efficient site planning was given due importance
while keeping human aspects in strong focus. A
fresh approach to infrastructure design was evolved
to enhance performance by using new materials,
design methods and computer aided models.
Integration of ‘infrastructure design principles’
created an innovative layout without compromising
on quality of urban space and substantially reduced
the cost of infrastructure.
net area of 88 ha, over 2.5 ha had been set aside
to absorb the pockets of existing light industry.
Around 6500 plots for individual houses were
provided ranging in minimum size of 35 square
meters for the EWS housing to 400 square meters
for higher income groups. Of the total residential
units, 65 percent of area was allocated to the EWS
category.
Larger plots for upper income groups were also
integrated into the scheme, to raise surplus capital
to cross- subsidise the EWS housing to bring them
with the loan repayment capacity. The residue was
used in a revolving fund to assist the housing
construction and to set up material banks.
“The sole ‘architecture’ provided by designers was
to be ‘sanitary cores’ each comprising plumbing,
washroom, kitchen plus a single room. These could
then be extended as the inhabitants established
themselves, it was hoped that the new community
would eventually generate building trades and
then an upgraded version of the informal urban
vernacular would result.”6

It was felt necessary to set up training centres to

teach industrial, constructional and other technical
skills. Material banks were set up to feed the
building activities in the early stages. Easy
construction techniques and assembly methods
were demonstrated through a cluster of
demonstration housing. In essence, the self-help
spirit was encouraged to boost the internal economy
of the settlement. With this in mind, a full spectrum
of spaces and built-forms were provided to
accommodate these activities in Aranya Township.

The site, largely rectangular in plan, was located

on the Mumbai – Agra highway, 6 km north of Figure 3: Site and Surroundings.
Indore city centre (Refer to Figure 3). Out of the (Source: VSF, 1984)

6 Curtis W., (1988), “Balkrishna Doshi – An Architecture for India”, Mapin Publishing pvt. ltd., Ahmedabad, India.

18 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
THE CONCEPT OF SITE AND SERVICES
‘In the ‘site and services’ approach, each family
is provided with a small plot which is serviced with
a water tap, storm water drainage, a sewerage
connection and a paved access with street lighting.
The level of servicing varies with the beneficiary’s
ability to pay. Similarly, the plot may be
supplemented with core housing, comprising of
toilet and a water tap as a minimum, and a multi-
purpose room, wash area and plinth as additional
built-up area.’7
Accepting site and services as a viable approach,
there are three areas which show potential for
technological innovation. First, infrastructure design
can be made more effective. Secondly, though
people are fairly innovative in house construction
techniques, there is scope for improvement with
little additional cost. Finally, in the planning of
such projects, an efficient layout can save valuable
land and infrastructure, thereby bringing down the
costs. It is in this context that planning and design
of Aranya Township, based on a site and services
model, assumes special significance.
BASIC CONSIDERATIONS
It has been observed that much of the present
urban low-cost housing has generated unpleasant
and unbalanced environments with complete
disregard for the traditional lifestyle of the people
uncomfortable and ill-thought out use of spaces,
costly or inadequate infrastructure, poorly designed
housing along with lack of community, recreational
and commercial support are major fall backs in
such proposals. Aranya Township was thus an
opportunity to address some of the issues. The
following issues were considered in the project:
· Indigenous character of built form suitable to
the lifestyles of the poor
In traditional Indian towns and cities the level
of public use and degree of privacy is
maintained through spatial order. The clarity
of spatial hierarchy enhances the imageability
of these traditional towns. The dense, low rise
7 Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (March 1990), “Aranya: An approach to settlement design; planning and design of low cost
housing project at Indore”, Mimeo, Ahmedabad, India.
Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
built form, comprising narrow streets and
courtyards responds well to the hot- dry climate
of Indore.
· Site and services - an innovative approach
Being a site and services project, Aranya differs
substantially from conventional housing. As
only the basic building cores are provided on
serviced plots, the built form can be extended
by the occupants at a pace in tune with their
capacity to mobilize resources. Thus, the
emphasis was on providing building materials,
technical know-how and finances.
· Optimization of land-use
This can be achieved by taking suitable
measures to increase the portion of marketable
land and by increasing the areas allocated to
residential plots. Hence the relevant
optimization process should focus on road
network as well as public and community
spaces. This can be done by considering
multiple uses of public spaces. The present
planning norms provide excessive areas for
facilities and open spaces which is not affordable
to the poor.
· Marketing of land and the concept of cross-
subsidy
Depending on zoning regulations and existing
developments, a site provides opportunities
for some non-residential development, which
can enhance the marketability of a project.
The design elements of the township will itself
create potentials for various types of
developments. Non-residential land uses,
particularly commercial uses, should be
organized around the major road network in
order to generate more revenue. Similarly,
bigger plots should be located on wider roads
to get better prices and in turn be able to
subsidize smaller plots for low income groups.
· Economy of infrastructure and road network
Infrastructure, particularly roads, water supply
and sanitation constitutes the largest cost
component of land development and therefore
19
Figure 4: Master Plan & Demonstration Houses.
(Source: Steele James, 1998)

Figure 5: Built form scenario.

(Source: Sharma U., 1995)

20 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
 becomes the prime target for efficient design.
Hence, right from the layout planning to the
detailed design of the service core, the
emphasis was on judiciously reducing the cost
of services without compromising the quality.
ACTIVITY STRUCTURE
‘The prime objective of Aranya was to create an
integrated human habitat, compatible with the
lifestyle and cultural background of the people,
with their economic constraints. The planning not
only considered affordability, marketability and
spatial parameters, but also the activities of
community living. Hierarchies were worked out –
relating to the human scale and imageability, which
became the vital essence of the community.’8
Aranya was envisioned as a self contained town
(living, working and recreational facilities within
Table 2: Comparative alnd utilization.
(Source: VSF, March 1990)
8 Doshi B.V. (1968), The Proliferating City and Communal Life: India, in: “Ekistics”, pp. 67- 69
Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
township) (Refer to Figure 4, 5). Well defined
communities and spatial organization were
incorporated in making the plan. At the township
level, it was perceived as an entity with a distinct
character and identity. Within that, functional
groupings of populations of 8,000 to 15,000
supported other needs such as commerce, public
institutions, educational institutions, parks, local
commercial activities and play grounds.
Communities of 500 to 1500 people satisfy the
need for local level groups. At the street or cluster
level, with a population range of 30 to 100 people,
strong social interaction was envisaged. The lowest
in the hierarchy was the dwelling unit. Various
hierarchies of spatial organization adopted were:
Levels Population Range
Township 40,000 to 65,000
Sector 5,000 to 15,000
Community 500 to 1,500
Cluster or Street 30 to 200
Dwelling Unit 1 to 20
Table 1: Size of communities within settlement.
(Source: VSF, March 1990)
21
The land-use within the Aranya Township was
predominantly residential. A considerable
institutional and commercial use was also provided.
All basic community and institutional facilities were
provided in the township, including social services
like education, health, recreational areas, essential
infrastructure and amenities like water supply,
sewage, storm water drainage, roads, electricity
and activities like commercial and other service
establishments. Each activity system was analyzed
in terms of its population threshold and area
requirements. To determine the total area
requirements for various facilities and amenities,
a population of 65000 formed the basis. Thus,
growth and change in facilities over a period of
time were given due consideration.
Compared to the IDA proposal and to enhance the
employment activity, an increase in the commercial
area was proposed. This resulted in a reduction
of the number of plots to be provided in the
township. In this process however, the proportion
of plots for the EWS was not reduced and at the
same time the marketable area was increased.
Within Aranya, the road area of about 21 percent
together with pedestrian walkways and public
squares amounting to a further 1.5 percent of the
net planning area compared very favorably with
the norms set by the World Bank.
It was recognized that the EWS plot size was too
small for living (though the World Bank and HUDCO
had accepted EWS plot of 25 sq.mts) and it was
increased from 33.45 sq.mts (IDA proposal) to
35.32 sq.mts, further it was increased to 44.65
sq.mts and ear-marked for Lower Income Group
(LIG). The idea behind gradual increase in the plot
sizes was to enable people (particularly of lower
income strata) to choose from a wider range of
options matching their affordability.
SETTLEMENT STRUCTURE
A detailed checklist of design principals for Aranya
was organized into spatial hierarchies to assist in
the settlement design process. Between the entire
township and the individual dwelling, a variety of
concepts have been used at different scales. Even
though the hierarchy was principally determined
by the underlying design concepts, it was
nevertheless important for spatial organization of
22 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
the settlement. The design concepts determining
hierarchy varied from intangible ones such as a
sense of community, social interaction to more
tangible ones like the critical size of population or
area that can support certain local facilities, or the
formation of an environment friendly area free
from through-traffic. Many of the physical and
social basis of these hierarchies had overlapping
boundaries and the success of the design depended
largely on how they were integrated while retaining
flexibility.
A clear preference was shown for smaller open
spaces adjoining the homes, which would
incorporate functions like access, play area, income-
generating activities, etc. Besides accommodating
these activities, these spaces would serve very
important perceptual functions of giving identity
to different areas by defining territories. The nature
and amount of open spaces required at various
levels was systematically identified and was then
summed up in order to arrive at the total
requirement. The area requirements for educational
facilities proposed were much lower than those
suggested by conventional planning norms. The
reduction in area was achieved not by sacrificing
the quality, but by envisaging multiple use of
spaces. For instance, parks and playgrounds to be
provided for the community could also be used
for outdoor activities of the schools.
PLANNING AT TOWNSHIP LEVEL
The township was divided into six identifiable
sectors or neighborhoods. The idea was to integrate
different sectors by road and form a sense of
community. The road network was designed in
such a way that it defined entry points and
discouraged through vehicular traffic to create an
environment friednly area free from through traffic.
Population compositions differed according to the
location of each sector in the town structure. The
sector on the south-east corner consisted larger
share of higher income population, while the sectors
on north-east and north-west corners comprised
of mainly lower and middle income population.
This pattern of spatial organization took into
account the marketability of land and built form
relevant to the envisaged population. At the cluster
and street level, the population composition was
to be more homogeneous to create a behavior
setting for strong social interaction.
The township had to blend within the urban fabric
of Indore, but at the same time retain a unique
and distinct identity of its own within which various
social and economic activities could flourish. The
planning and design principles adopted would in
themselves generate a distinct character of the
settlement. It was, however, decided to reinforce
this identity in its built form. It was essential to
provide a focus to the township. Various non-
residential activities at the township level were
grouped together to create this focus. The built
form of this town-centre was raised above that of
the other structures to accentuate its visual impact
as a node.
The next important aspect was the linkages to the
proposed town-centre. It was decided that the
activity spine of the township should link the north
and south boundaries of the site. This was to be
done in such a way that the envisaged road network
gave proper access to the town-centre and at the
same time discouraged through traffic. Hence, this
road was staggered at two places to break the
continuity and thereby discourage fast and through
traffic. The road network and the system of open
spaces were organized so as to converge at the
town-centre and highlight the concept of spatial
organization.
Figure 6: Distribution of facilities & levels of accessibility.
(Source: VSF, March 1990)
Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
It was not enough to have only a town centre with
facilities and amenities to act as a focus. The
distribution of lower order facilities and amenities
became another important aspect of the design
concept. It was decided to have a fine grain
distribution of lower order facilities, but organized
in such a manner so as to maintain a strong link
with the town-centre (Refer to Figure 6).
The open spaces at the township level consisted
of a formal playground and paved public spaces
along the bazaar. Open spaces were conceptually
organized in the middle of each neighborhood as
a continuous space, providing easy pedestrian
access from each sector to the town centre. Various
commercial activities, social amenities and utilities
were to be located all along these continuous green
space, resulting in an even distribution of these
facilities throughout the settlement. Thus, a
coherent hierarchy of open spaces and other
activities was achieved in the design.
The basic concept was to give due importance to
pedestrians and bicyclists. This required the
integration of the environmental area by
discouraging traffic through the township. The
location and form of various activities, the system
of road network, open spaces and the nature of
the built form reflected this concept. Since
accessibility in terms of walking distances from
home to various activities was the prime measure
23
of consideration at all levels, community and central
facilities were placed within easy reach.
PLANNING AT SECTOR LEVEL
The township was divided into six identifiable
sectors or communities. Each of Aranya’s six sectors
contained a population range of 7000-12000.
Although the basic reason behind the formation
of this particular hierarchy was mainly functional
in terms of providing easy access to various local
facilities and amenities, it also helped to foster a
sense of community and promote social interaction
amongst the residents.
At the sector level, the pattern and distribution of
open spaces was closely interlinked with the location
of various facilities, amenities and the road network,
so as to evolve a structure for the township and
by locating social facilities in the open spaces,
there was better chance of these spaces being
used, maintained and self-policed against illegal
encroachment. Community activities were combined
with open spaces, thus promoting multiple use.
PLANNING AT CLUSTER / STREET LEVEL
Climate was one of the important consideration in
the evolving of a conducive living environment.
Most of the plots were small and permitted only
row house development. The longer side of a block
of row houses was given an orientation of north-
south to reduce the solar radiation on the building
facades. The plot sizes were worked out to suitably
accommodate courtyards in the built form. The
decision of orienting housing blocks in the north-
Figure 7: Aranya - a way of life - clusters, streets, bazaars, images and people.
(Source: VSF, March 1990)
24 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
south direction necessitated the lower level access
roads (which constitute the major proportion of
the total road network) to have an east-west
orientation. The neighborhood access roads were
to be perpendicular to the lower access roads and
thus the road network responded to the climatic
factors. The semi-public spaces were oriented
north-south so that they could be adequately
shaded by the adjoining buildings.
Between the sector and the individual dwelling, a
series of spatial hierarchies varying in scales were
used to organize the layout. The concept behind
the formation of these levels was to encourage
social interaction. The hierarchy at the sector level
was aimed at providing facilities and amenities for
a threshold population. The sector was divided
into several communities, which in turn, was again
broken into smaller spatial order of streets and
clusters. Groups of households were arranged
around small, semi-private spaces, which also
acted as service slots, giving access to various
infrastructures to each plot. These semi-private
spaces and public squares were small enough to
relate to human scale. The cluster as a whole was
free from through vehicular traffic and encouraged
pedestrian movement. These small spaces acted
as safe play-areas for children and provided settings
for social and domestic activities. The clusters
formed around a series of public squares were
linked by a pedestrian pathway to the sector and
attached facilities.
In low-income communities, it is essential to have
a housing layout flexible enough to accommodate
areas for income-generating activities. In Aranya,
organization of public spaces helped people to
perform these activities to augment their income.
For income generating activities, spaces were
provided in the form of small shops or work places
at home or on spaces adjacent to the houses (Refer
to Figure 7). In addition, provisions were made to
establish cottage industries in various semi private
spaces, by providing small work platforms which
could be sold or rented out. People could develop
these platforms according to their needs. Families
living in the same street or in the immediate vicinity
would be given preference in occupying these work
places.
PLANNING AT THE DWELLING UNIT LEVEL
Most of the housing was envisaged to be plotted
development. For the EWS, a range of options
varying from site with a service core, kitchen and
plinths were considered. For the other income
groups, only plots were to be sold. The dwellings
were planned to suit the lifestyle of the people.
Obviously the plot sizes were small for the EWS,
there was a need for the sharing of spaces for
different activities at the dwelling unit level hence
provision of outdoor spaces was promoted. The
house form incorporated elements like platforms,
porches, courtyards and roof terraces.
Various alternatives were made while evolving the
house form. A verandah or house extension was
the public face, which could be used for various
work activities whilst the courtyard at the back
could become the more private domain of the
house. A living area followed by a kitchen and a
toilet was sandwiched between the front extension
and the courtyard at the back. Most of the houses
were provided with an additional access at the
back, which allowed them to keep animals and
vehicles, and even rent a part of the house to
augment income. It could also act as an access to
the upper floor extension. Provision of an additional
access to each plot was considered important, as
was revealed through a study of plots in informal
settlements. It was observed that provision of
access from the courtyard limited encroachment
of the open space.
While deciding on plot proportion and organization
of spaces within the house, various possibilities of
expanding the house were taken into consideration.
Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
Possibilities of incorporating a staircase at the
front or at the back were examined. The internal
subdivision of each dwelling was kept simple so
as to provide maximum efficiency with minimum
circulation space. A minimal dwelling was designed
so that it could be progressively upgraded and
enlarged. At the initial stage, the dwelling consisted
of a basic service core and a room. The basic core
could be merged into the future ground floor
extension. Space was provided for a staircase in
the front porch or the rear courtyard to reach the
roof terrace. This could eventually serve the first
floor, built to cater to the growing needs of the
family. The balcony and the roof terrace provided
additional open spaces, useful for sleeping outside
during summer nights.
In India, house extensions not only help to expand
a small house, but in the process, they also enhance
the quality of public spaces. Such an important,
but often neglected, aspect of habitat planning
was given due recognition in the Aranya project.
Changes in the conventional building and zoning
regulations envisaged the creation of a transition
zone of 0.5 mts width between the street and the
house, where people would be allowed to build
house extensions. The permissible house extensions
were stoops, platforms, porches, balconies and
open stairs, which created an interesting street
character.
The degree of publicness of various spaces of the
house corresponded to a sequence which began
with the entrance and the most public part, and
led to the more private areas or domains. Ottas,
platforms and porches were the transitional spaces
between the street and the house. The degree of
publicness of these spaces was highest within the
spatial arrangements of the house; these spaces
could also be used as shops or work places. The
toilet core was justifiably located adjacent to the
courtyard. Between the otta and the courtyard
was the living area of the house, followed by the
kitchen. The spaces were so arranged that the
house became progressively private.
Variety of staircases, openings, projections, railings
and parapets made each house unique and gave
it an identity within the same plot area
configuration. The demonstration housing cluster
built demonstrated these varieties and possible
25
Figure 8: Variations in elements enhancing street elevation.
(Source: VSF, March 1990)
pattern of house extension (Refer to Figure 8).
INFRASTRUCTURE DESIGN
Sites and services programme and slum upgrading
emerged as the two viable options to tackle the
problems of housing for the urban poor. In both
the options, provision of infrastructure plays a
crucial role as it constitute the major portion of
the total project cost and hence become prime
targets for efficient design. Thus, in Aranya, special
emphasis was given on planning and designing
the layout in relation to infrastructure networks
to arrive at optimal design solutions without
compromising on the standards.
Infrastructure was designed in an integrated
manner. It was realized that the design decisions
for each component influenced the other
components and hence, should not be considered
in isolation. In order to achieve overall efficiency
and economy, a particular component may turn
out to be more expensive, but at the same time
may result in substantial overall savings. For
instance, additional cut and fill for the roads
resulted in saving of manhole costs by reducing
their depths.
As most of the infrastructure follows the road,
therefore the layout of the road network with
respect to the topography was given due
consideration so that the roads are always on
positive slopes which help in achieving an efficient
and cost effective infrastructure.
In Aranya, underground storm water drainage and
electricity network was provided. As opposed to
the conventional practice of open drains and
26 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
overhead electricity cables, which generally results
in the open drains getting chalked due to solid
waste disposal and in case of overhead cables
resulting in a poor quality of environment. In the
long run, this proposal was found to be economical
since in underground services, there was less
maintenance. Though the initial cost was higher
but when a lifecycle costing was done, it turned
out to be much more economical and efficient in
comparison with conventional practices.
To ensure efficiency, trade-offs in capital costs and
subsequent maintenance costs were studied. It
was realized that roads without curbs deteriorate
faster and increase maintenance costs. Thus in
Aranya, all roads were provided with appropriate
curbs. Infrastructure was designed in accordance
with topology to increase efficiency and reduce
costs through computer-aided design.
The network design was kept flexible enough to
accommodate changes in the nature of treatment
and inflow of services. The network was
decentralized but interconnected, so that the
project could be divided into separate phases,
each working independently and cohesively.
THE SERVICE CORE
It was decided to provide a basic service core
consisting of a toilet and a bathroom to every
house. The planning of the service core had greater
impact on the overall development cost. In addition,
the location of the service core within the house
was carefully considered in terms of user’s socio-
cultural preferences. The option of community
toilets, though economical, was not considered,
on grounds of health, hygiene and the quality of
environment. While planning and designing the
service core, following guidelines were considered:
· Consider the environmental impact of the
sanitation core.
· Provide safe and adequate sanitation for all
families.
· Make the sewage system adaptable to
alternative treatment / disposal methods.
· Ensure full privacy to W.C. and wash areas.
In Indian cultural context, toilet and cleaning
activities were considered private and should be
separate from the entrance. Thus, in Aranya, the
service core was located in the backyard. To
integrate with the service lines, four conventional
possibilities were studied:
1. Toilets at the front, facing the street, with the
service lines in the street.
Figure 9: Study of service core network.
(Source: VSF, March 1)
Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
2. Toilets at the back, connected to the service
lines in the street, with pipes running under
the floor.
3. Toilets in the back, courtyards with common
service lines running through the backyards
of one of the rows of the back to back houses.
4. Community toilets with water taps.
A system was developed of clustering which avoided
toilets at the front and at the same time saved on
cost and performance (Refer to Figure 9). The
service core was designed to extend into a full
house at a later date with minimal change in the
original core.
PROJECT COST, REVENUE AND SURPLUS
A substantial surplus of 11.7 million rupees has
been generated against the investment of 57.2
million rupees based on the 1982 prices. This has
27
been achieved by judiciously locating the larger
plots and the commercial activities which fetched
maximum sale prices. The surplus created a seed
capital for further EWS schemes in the future.
The EWS sale price was subsidised to the tune of
about 35% on average, which was compensated
within the project from the sale of upper income
plots through the principle of cross subsidy. Thus,
it reduced the need for direct subsidy to housing
poor from other sources.
POST OCCUPANCY EV ALUATION
Presently around 85% of the EWS and LIG plots
Figure 10: Environment in Aranya.
(Source: Mehta B., April 2007)
28 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
are occupied. The idea of integrating different
socio economic groups worked well. The concept
of cross subsidy became a good reference too for
any integrated settlement planning.
It has been observed that the core houses build
about 20 years ago have developed in their own
way. The original idea of variation in house form
(freedom to build by choice) by elements like
staircases, projections, openings, etc. was a
complete success and it was observed that people
built with more variety to create an identity of
their own (Refer to Figure 10).
Starting with only service cores and basic
infrastructure, people have built their houses in
stages, based on their economic resources and
the available materials. Houses were built gradually
and successfully as homeowners continue to
undertake incremental housing construction that
matched their own needs and ability to generate
resources. In the initial stages of development,
people used inexpensive materials, but in later
stages, bricks and reinforced concrete was used
as construction materials, that resulted in more
solid and permanent structures.
Aranya has also contested the argument that in
such schemes usually, the beneficiaries i.e. slum
dwellers go back to their original site, after selling
the allocated plot. On the contrary, in the Aranya
the post occupancy survey shows that almost 90
percent of EWS households lived and incrementally
upgraded their houses. 30 percent of the households
rented part of the house to augment their income.
However, there were limitations in terms of choosing
the location of the house by the beneficiaries as
the houses were allotted by lottery system. In this
process, people could not choose their neighbors,
but eventually strong communities were formed
on the basis of similar socio economic groupings.
Though the houses were small but availability of
open spaces with amenities created a sense of
equality. The concept of separation of vehicular
and pedestrian networks also worked well. It was
observed that the linear open space was utilized
intensively with the schools and other amenities
were located along it. As Aranya was located
outside the Municipal limits, initially the
maintenance of the streets and open spaces was
an issue, but later the communities evolved their
own system of maintenance and up keeping. It
was realized that additional urban design guidelines
for larger part were required to create a coherent
built form along the main streets.
SUMMARY
Aranya has demonstrated an innovative approach
to the integrated development creating a holistic
environment, rooted in socio cultural and economic
milieu of the place that is sympathetic to the way
of life of the urban poor.
Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
Aranya, since its inception and realization, has
created unprecedented awareness in the
professional and the academic world. It has been
a case study and inspiration to many similar
projects. Generally, the housing for the urban poor
is planned in isolation from the city. But, in Aranya
the realization was that towns have to be a mosaic
of culture where the rich and poor should live
together. As the communities of Aranya grow
socially, economically and culturally, the incremental
composition and housing transformation process
continued.
This township, a model experiment by the Indore
Development Authority has set a standard of
balanced and harmonious habitat and has emulated
other organizations engaged in the field of low-
cost housing. As the infrastructure constitutes the
major component of the total cost, the methods
developed for streaming the services assumed
importance. Underground infrastructure with
integrating topology became an ideal example to
other large scale development in Indore and
Madhya Pradesh. Landscaping was considered an
integral part of the infrastructure (which is not the
case with conventional housing schemes) and has
influenced other developments.
‘The Aranya project is based on good intentions
in which the innocence of the professional designers
is symbolized in the 80 demonstration houses.
The river of poverty in India erodes such good
intentions, if they are not safeguarded with
innovations which can take the project through
one decade.
The important lesson that the Aranya project has
to offer, then, is that it is extremely difficult to
provide housing for the poor that will actually
develop all of the intricate networks of social,
religious and economic characteristics of a true
community and perpetuate these over time. This
issue of appropriate design continues to be a
critical point of debate in architectural and planning
circles in India and in governments worldwide,
with important implications for other developing
nations and the post-industrial world.’9
The project has looked at the implementation
process as a vital aspect in such a project for the
poor. It defines construction of the minimum, so
29
as to allow people to add and develop the house of sense of belonging and identity, which is a
as per their requirements and affordability in the strong social issue for the habitation of the poor.
future. This is inbuilt into the project, the aspect (Refer to Figure 11)

Figure 11: Cluster open space.

(Source: Mehta B., April 2007)

9 Steele, J. (1998), “The Complete Architecture of Balkrishna Doshi: Rethinking Modernism for the Developing
World”, Thames & Hudson Ltd.

30 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Article (Journal):

Doshi B.V. (1968), The Proliferating City and Communal Life: India, in: “Ekistics”, pp. 67- 69

Doshi B.V., Sharma U. (1994), An Approach to Human Habitat, in: “Spatio – Economic Development
Record”, Vol.01

VSF (1984), Low-Cost Housing, Township at Indore, in: “Open House International”, pp.34-44

Mehta, M. (1987), Housing Policies: Retrospect and Prospect, in: “Space and Society”, pp.72.76

Book:

Alexander C., et.al, (1977), “A Pattern Language”, Oxford University Press, UK

Curtis W., (1988), “Balkrishna Doshi – An Architecture for India”, Mapin Publishing pvt. ltd., Ahmedabad,
India.

Centre for Minimum Cost Housing, McGill University, (1984), “How the Other Half Builds, Volume 1:
Space”, Mimeo, Montreal.

Centre for Minimum Cost Housing, McGill University, (1984), “How the Other Half Builds, Volume 2:
Plots”, Mimeo, Montreal.

Lynch K., (1981), “Good City Form”, MIT Press, Cambridge, UK.

Steele, J. (1998), “The Complete Architecture of Balkrishna Doshi: Rethinking Modernism for the
Developing World”, Thames & Hudson Ltd.

Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (March 1990), “Aranya: An approach to settlement design; planning and
design of low cost housing project at Indore”, Mimeo, Ahmedabad, India.

Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (1985), “Residential Open Spaces: A Behavioral Analysis”, Ahmedabad, India.

Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (1979), “Integrated Rural Development Plan for Village Chharodi”, Ahmedabad,
India.

Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (1979), “Tribal Training Centre for Surat Panjarapole Project”, Mimeo,
Ahmedabad, India.

Newspapers/ Magazines:

Ahuja, S. (1991), “A Balanced Community in which all groups are finally mixed…..” – Architect B.V
Doshi on his new sites and services project Aranya, in Indore, Indian Architect & Builder, January,
pp.22-29.

Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II) 31
Petrilli, A. (1984), “A City made up of many Villages”, Spazio-e-Societs, March, pp.10-33

VSF (1995), “Aranya: Low-cost housing at Indore”, The Indian Concrete Journal, December,
pp.681-684

VSF (1996), “A New Township for 40,000”, Architecture + Design, July-August, pp.29.40.

VSF (1995), “Aranya community housing, Indore, India”, The Architectural Review, November, pp.72

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CBRI, India (1982), Building Digest, Paper 13, Asia Press, Delhi.

Housing and Environment Department, Madhya Pradesh, (1982) “Madhya Pradesh Urban Development
P r o j e c t – A i d M e m o i r e o f t h e Wo r l d B a n k A p p ra i s a l M i s s i o n ” , M i m e o, B h o p a l .

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Town and Country Planning Department, Madhya Pradesh, (1982), “Urban Development Report for
Indore”, Bhopal, India.

Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (1983), “Low-cost Housing, Phase I and II”, Mimeo, Ahmedabad, India.

Unpublished Research:

Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (March 1980), “Towards a Human Habitat”, Ahmedabad, India.

Vastu-Shilpa Foundation (1998), “Living Environments” – Housing Design by Balkrishna Doshi,

Ahmedabad, India.

32 Journal of Research in Architecture and Planning: Vol. 6, 2007-Urban Design: Case Based Theory & Practice(Part-II)