The Hindu Business Line : `Brand Ahmedabad' set to rediscover the city

With sky-rocketing realty prices, haphazard development and strained civic amenities, a group of architects, builders and planners have come on a joint platform to organise a three-day event titled `Brand Ahmedabad-Target 2020' in an attempt to reinvent, rediscover and repackage the 600-year-old city.

The event, which is to be organised from January 5 to 7, under the aegis of Gujarat Institute of Housing and Estate Developers (GIHED), is being sponsored by many corporate houses, including Reliance, the Adanis and DLF, the GIHED President, Mr Jaxay Shah, and eminent architect, Mr B.V. Doshi, told reporters here on Friday.

Brand ambassadors

Apart from Mr Doshi, the IIM-A Director, Mr Bakul Dholakia, and others have been declared `Brand Ambassador for Ahmedabad 2020'.

The future image of the city will be projected using a laser show to depict all present and future infrastructures, flyovers, riverfront, SEZs, IT parks, airports, railway station, proposed metro railway, among other things. A competition between students of three architecture institutions in Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Vallabh Vidyanagar has been organised to invite fresh ideas for development of the city.

Besides, a `Vision Gallery' is also being set up for depiction of future roadmap of Ahmedabad and its images made by architects, builders, entrepreneurs, students and the people of the city. Panel discussions, seminars, symposia, workshops, and property shows will be organised during the event, whose budget will be around Rs 1.75 crore.

On Heritage list

Mr Doshi pointed out that after Chandigarh, Ahmedabad was the only city in India, which boasts of four creations by the world-famous architect-planner, La Carbousie, which should be included in heritage list.

The French Government has declared all Carbousie creations as heritage works.

In 1962, then Prime Minister, Mr Jawaharlal Nehru, had hoped that other cities would emulate Ahmedabad but in the next 20 years the city witnessed seminars being organised on the theme of "Is Ahmedabad dying?"

Mr Doshi said while the people of Ahmedabad are known for their cooperative attitude, entrepreneurship and aspiration for values, the city lacked a "good cultural background", educational institutions and hospitals.

The next month's event seeks to prepare a roadmap to overcome these shortcomings and showcase the city for the year 2020.

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