CapAsia

Development of a World Heritage, Si Satchanalai, Natonchan, and Sawankahlok, Thailand (Jan-Mar 2019):

Sukhothai is a World Heritage site.  CapAsia participants investigated three major sites around it: Si Satchanalai, Natonchan, and Sawankhalok. The students explored ways to acknowledge people's heritage and acknowledge current residents in the area, without displacing them in the process of development.

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Development of a World Heritage, Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand (Jan-Mar 2017):

Sukhothai is a World Heritage site.  CapAsia participants investigated two major sites to the north and south of Sukhothai: Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet.  In addition to the principal sites that concerns the Thai nationalist history and royal monuments, the students explore ways to incorporate people's heritage and ways and the current residents in the area, without displacing them.

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Facilitating Urban Development in Penang, Malaysia (Jan Mar 2015):

Penang is a World Heritage site.  CapAsia participants investigated three major sites in the city: The first multistoreyed public housing project (Rifle Range), A kampung redevelopment site where people of an old neighborhood are relocated in newly built apartments (Tanjung Tokong), and an older jetty converted into neighborhoods of a several kin-based groups (Clan Jetties). Working with students of University of Sains Malaysia and with the help of Professor Lee Likmeng, CapAsia participants made some significant contributions to these ongoing projects, particularly enabling the community members use their agency to improve the quality of life in these neighborhoods.

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Facilitating Urban Development in Bhubaneswar, India (Jan Mar 2013):
Bhubaneswar is the first planned city in independent India. The CapAsia team investigated five key areas in the city: government housing neighborhoods (Units 1 and 2), private housing, heritage, transportation, and informal settlements. The students presented their findings and proposed suggestions to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation. The original capital of Odisha was conceived by Otto Koenigsberger within his idea of Action Planning, i.e., planning as a process. The subsequent developments demonstrate that this thinking has given way to the idea that plan is a product. The inability to contain the plan is evident in the seeping in of informal settlements even into the neighborhood units of the highest level bureaucrats and politicians. The CapAsians also highlighted the need to work with the settlers in self-established neighborhoods. The project was carried out in collaboration with the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi.

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Facilitating Community Development Efforts in Chharanagar, India (Jan Mar 2011): 
The highly discriminated Chhara community in Ahmedabad is in reasonably good social and economic condition, but is basically trying to amend its social image. It is trying hard to revive its own culture through the Budhan Theatre and improve the livelihoods of its members through education. CapAsia VI students studied the community and made small interventions such as writing their (real) story through our experience, teaching the kids, drawing a map, making plans for the improvement of access, open spaces, drainage, and suggested to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation that it is better to upgrade the neighborhood than to subject it to renewal as proposed in Town Planning Scheme 96. The plan the CapAsians prepared proved the Municipality's base plan was erroneous, saving the community from renewal. The project was carried out in collaboration with the graduate planning class and faculty at CEPT University, Ahmedabad.

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Enabling People’s Recovery Processes after the 2004 Tsunami, Hambantota, Sri Lanka (Jan-Mar 2008): 
The purpose of the project was to enhance the recovery processes of the tsunami-affected people in Sri Lanka. CapAsia V students studied five settlements in Hambantota District constructed for the tsunami affected people and made small interventions that would enhance the recovery process of the people. As part of the project, the students also visited New Orleans (USA), Banda Aceh (Indonesia), and Phuket (Thailand). The project was carried out in collaboration with the graduate planning students and faculty at the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.

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Development Plan for Veraval, India (Jan-Mar2005): 
CapAsia IV students carried out surveys and prepared a preliminary development plan for Veraval, a port city in Gujarat. It was a joint project with CEPT University’s Housing and Environmental Planning graduate classes, Ahmedabad.

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Livelihood-Improvement of Low-Income Settlements, Delhi, India (Jan-Mar 2003): 
CapAsia III graduate students studied the efforts of the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), helped NIUA's customization of its Community-Based Information System (CBIS), and the development of proposals to improve the livelihood of three self-built settlements in Delhi. It was jointly carried out with the NIUA.

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Development Plan for Pondicherry, India (Jan-Mar 2003): 
CapAsia III undergraduates prepared a preliminary development plan for Pondicherry. It was a joint project with the third-year physical planning studio of the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA).

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Eastern Waterfront Development, Mumbai, India (Feb-Mar 2001): The preparation of development scenarios for the Eastern Waterfront in Mumbai using the scenario-mini scenario method of information gathering. Jointly organized between CapAsia II and Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture and Environmental Studies (KRVIA).

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Environmental School, Digana, Sri Lanka (Mar 1999): Proposal for a school that uses the environment as a means to teach and learn (not simply learn about the environment from outside). CapAsia I project in collaboration with the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.

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New Community Center for Sankhu, Nepal (Feb 1999): A design project for a traditional city near Kathmandu. CapAsia I project in collaboration with Nepal Engineering College (NEC), Kathmandu.

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