The Right to Belong: Reclaiming Public Space through Community-Based Design
Disciplines
Architecture | Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Abstract (300 words maximum)
India’s rapid urbanization has resulted in fragmented urban fabrics, where women and children remain in vulnerable positions. They face systemic barriers in education, safety, and social participation due to under-resourced environments. Despite the nation’s commitments to gender equality and the right to education, slum environments continue to lack adequate infrastructure that supports learning and collective well-being. Architecture has the potential to combat these challenges by creating spaces that promote social inclusivity. While architects and planners have recognized the increasing need for inclusive spaces, most projects do not explore how a built form itself can create empowerment within marginalized populations. This thesis investigates how multifunctional community centers can be designed to advance empowerment for women and children in Jaipur’s Kacchi Basti slum. Through a qualitative research approach, this study integrates precedent analysis, site investigation, and design exploration to examine how architecture can strengthen social connections and community life. Precedents such as women-led schools and community hubs across India and other similar global contexts provide design strategies rooted in community participation and sensitivity to the local environment. The Kacchi Basti serves as a case study to test how adaptable, programmatically flexible spaces can strengthen community inclusion and opportunity. The expected outcome is a design framework for multifunctional community centers that demonstrates how architecture can support empowerment through accessibility, safety, and shared learning. By linking spatial design to social transformation, this research aims to position community architecture to promote gender equality and advance educational opportunity within India’s informal settlements.
AI Disclaimer: AI was used to outline and enhance this abstract.
Use of AI Disclaimer
yes
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CACM – Architecture
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Robin Puttock
The Right to Belong: Reclaiming Public Space through Community-Based Design
India’s rapid urbanization has resulted in fragmented urban fabrics, where women and children remain in vulnerable positions. They face systemic barriers in education, safety, and social participation due to under-resourced environments. Despite the nation’s commitments to gender equality and the right to education, slum environments continue to lack adequate infrastructure that supports learning and collective well-being. Architecture has the potential to combat these challenges by creating spaces that promote social inclusivity. While architects and planners have recognized the increasing need for inclusive spaces, most projects do not explore how a built form itself can create empowerment within marginalized populations. This thesis investigates how multifunctional community centers can be designed to advance empowerment for women and children in Jaipur’s Kacchi Basti slum. Through a qualitative research approach, this study integrates precedent analysis, site investigation, and design exploration to examine how architecture can strengthen social connections and community life. Precedents such as women-led schools and community hubs across India and other similar global contexts provide design strategies rooted in community participation and sensitivity to the local environment. The Kacchi Basti serves as a case study to test how adaptable, programmatically flexible spaces can strengthen community inclusion and opportunity. The expected outcome is a design framework for multifunctional community centers that demonstrates how architecture can support empowerment through accessibility, safety, and shared learning. By linking spatial design to social transformation, this research aims to position community architecture to promote gender equality and advance educational opportunity within India’s informal settlements.
AI Disclaimer: AI was used to outline and enhance this abstract.