Fulbright-Nehru US Student Research Fellowship Application

STATEMENT OF GRANT PURPOSE
Amanda Gann, India, Interdisciplinary Studies
FLUX: Developing Resilient Strategies for Peri-Urban Development 

In collaboration with Harini Nagendra, a native Bangalorean, ecologist, and professor of Sustainability at Bengaluru’s Azim Premji University, this research explores the ecological, economic, and socio-cultural roles of natural systems in the development of resilient peri-urban landscapes. As rapid urbanization and climate change transform the ecology of our global landscape, rapidly-growing cities like Bengaluru, India—projected to increase by 6 million people in the next 15 years—face multidimensional infrastructural challenges. COVID-19 exposed how vulnerable peri-urban communities (and specifically the poor and marginalized populations) are to the projected geographic and ecological changes. Informed by the examination of Bengaluru’s past and present relationship to natural systems, analysis of Master Plan documents highlighting the proposed land-use changes in the city’s peripheral region (the peri-urban), and interviews with peri-urban community members, I aim to develop resilient urban design strategies that consider the socio-ecological role of urban natural systems. 

For centuries, Bangaloreans have had close economic, social, and cultural relationships with nature. Early settlers transformed Bengaluru’s semi-arid landscape into a “Garden City” by digging lakes and wells to provide drinking water for the growing population. Since the introduction of piped water from external sources over the last century, the lakes have deteriorated into reservoirs for the city’s waste or have been drained to make space for new development. Responding to the depletion of nearly 80 percent of the water bodies over the last four decades, a growing number of citizen groups have emerged to restore those that remain.

Water scarcity has become a rising concern as Bengaluru grew from 2.8 million people in 1980 to nearly 12 million in 2019. Known as the “Silicon Valley of India,” Bengaluru is now home to a growing number of startups and technology companies. As economic opportunities expand, so too will the city’s geographic boundaries. New development in the peri-urban could displace vulnerable communities, agricultural land, lakes, and forests. In a 2013 study by the Rockefeller Institute, the low-income peri-urban communities were shown to be the most vulnerable to the impacts of rapid development and climate change due to the lack of planning, policies governing development, and the communities’ dependency on ecological systems for their livelihoods. If not carefully designed, the rapid expansion could negatively impact the ecology of the Cauvery river watershed, introducing new chemical and human waste into the critical water supply of Bengaluru and surrounding towns and villages. By capitalizing on advanced technological resources, community activism, and its entrepreneurial spirit, Bengaluru can become a leader in innovative urban development, setting an example for other growing cities in the region.

This research will be advised by Dr. Harini Nagendra, who has spent the last ten years uncovering the historical relationship between humans and nature in Bengaluru, documented in her recent book Nature in the City: Bengaluru in the Past, Present, and Future. Dr. Nagendra believes communities can be a “powerful force of conservation” and gives students opportunities to take action, by engaging with local communities to conduct research projects and design complimentary installations and photo exhibitions. At Azim Premji University, I will be an active member of the academic community where I will attend seminars, colloquia, and utilize the Mapping Laboratory at the Centre for Climate Change, which provides technical support in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing technologies.

.

Gann, Grant Purpose, Page 2

Phase 1: Experiencing the story of Bengaluru, past, and present. (Aug. - Dec. 2021)

After orientation in mid-August, I will visit the National Archives in New Delhi to gather historical maps and writings. I will then take a two-week trip to document the broader ecological landscape in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka through writing, short films, and photography. Upon my return to Bengaluru, I will utilize the Karnataka State Archives to explore Bengaluru’s ecological transformation over the last three centuries by analyzing historical texts and maps. With resources and support provided by the Centre for Climate Change’s mapping laboratory, I will layer the geographic information from the historic land use maps in ArcGIS to create an animation showing the ecological changes over time: focusing on water bodies, tree cover, and buildings. Combining present-day and historical photographs, quotes from the interviews with local historians, and the maps generated at the lab, I will construct an ArcGIS StoryMap—a multimedia presentation—to convey the historical importance of natural systems in the development of the city and present this research to my academic community for feedback.

Phase 2: Documenting the peri-urban transformation. (Jan. - Mar. 2022) With skills developed in graduate school while examining the implications of the construction of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Fontana Dam, I will utilize remote sensing technology to map the existing land-use—cataloging villages, parks, agricultural land, lakes, and forests. Through layering the existing and proposed land use, detailed in the Revised Master Plan (RMP-2031) by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), I will document the human and natural systems affected by the expansion of Bengaluru in a detailed report to accompany the photographs I take during my field studies. 

Phase 3: Zooming into the scale of a conversation. (Apr. - July 2022) With the introduction of a new 8-lane expressway connecting Bengaluru to Chennai (phase one starting in the nearby city Hoskote), the northeast corner of the city along Highway 75 (NH75) is projected to expand rapidly over the next few years. Through observational field research, I will document the experience of a diverse group of citizens who reside near the Yele Mallappa Shetty Lake—a peri-urban lake currently bisected by the NH75—through mapping of ecological systems within the watershed, photography, and if possible, in-person translator-facilitated interviews following proper health guidelines for COVID-19. The photographs, video, and drone footage will show existing conditions and reveal how citizens utilize the lake in their daily lives. I will then develop informed urban design strategies that consider the socio-ecological needs of citizens to create a thriving urban landscape. This research will be presented locally and available online to planners, developers, and policymakers.

After the completion of my Fulbright term, I will continue researching the role of natural systems in the development of new urban landscapes as an independent scholar, focusing on the policies that shape our cities. As a publication designer and visual storyteller, I will work to make this research as accessible as possible through the creation of an interactive website and a series of storybooks written for children and for scholars. I will submit this research to a broad scope of scholarly publications, to invite insights that reach beyond (but intersect with) the disciplines of architecture and urban design. And, I intend to work with an interdisciplinary team on the design of new urban infrastructure for rapidly growing cities. After working collaboratively for years, I would be eager and honored to later transition to teaching at a university, engaging in discussions with students and colleagues about the transformation of our global landscapes.