Writing Urban History was an intense, 4-day workshop for learning how to conceptualize and narrate the historical evolution of Indian cities. During this workshop, participants were given theoretical inputs on key urban theories and were taught techniques they can use to create a framework for narrating urban histories of their cities. The focus however remained in narrating the evolution of Urban Form. The workshop participants were from different parts of the country and represented a range of disciplines; Architecture, Urban Planning, Research, and Teaching.
• Introduction: The workshop started with an input lecture on the History of Urban History Scholarship and the participants were introduced to the concept of episodic histories and guided in building their foundational narrative, core themes and the principal frameworks through which they would analyze their chosen cities.
• On Historicizing the Indian City: After learning how various urban theories at large pertain to the Indian context, the participants were then exposed to techniques and mediums which would aid them best in depicting their take on the city. They shared the major findings of their inquiry and the armature of their projects started taking shape.
Workshop Schedule
• Presentation and Review of Work: A variety of projects that were undertaken by participants exploring different themes such as the legacy of governance, the idea of conflict, the burden of history, the role of sacred geography or cities as political strategies were presented on the final day culminating the end of the workshop.
Participants posing for a group photograph, the workshop was conducted online due to the circumstances related to the Covid-19 pandemic.