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Christopher Benninger

One of the myths of common wisdom is the paradigm that poses planned cities against so called “free markets.” Actually, a well-tempered land regime strengthens consistently performing urban development markets! This is a symbiotic relationship, not an antagonistic one. Urban planning appears antagonistic where it is poorly conceived and ineptly executed. Where there is scant ....

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In search of architecture Sunday, October 10, 2010,01:36:22 AM Architecture is a curious craft! One structure may follow all of the laws of design yet be worthless, while still another may break all of the principles and be profound! A building may be bad without doing anything wrong, while yet another may have to sin against architecture to reach perfection. When I came to India five decades ago, each city was known for its architectural fabric. The word ‘architecture’ back then meant the entire city’s urban .... Full Story		Let there be gardens Saturday, September 25, 2010,11:07:28 PM My recent visits to Chandigarh and New Delhi aroused a yearning for the tranquility and youthfulness of gardens. It was not just a desire to retreat into an urban forest on a silent afternoon that will never be; it was a craving for the serenity of greenery. The glimpses of laughing youngsters arm in arm; of boys in knickers kicking a ball about; of girls giggling with bright clothes flowing; .... Full Story
The beauty of walking Sunday, September 05, 2010,01:42:24 AM Award-winning master architect and city planner Christopher Benninger pens down his views on urbanism of a city he chose to live in.... Full Story		A tale of two cities Saturday, August 21, 2010,10:53:58 PM East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet,” could be a characterisation of Pune from 1817 to 1947, and maybe even today! Pune can be analysed as historical layers, each growing out of those beneath it, and becoming the new tier on top! The Raj period saw the metropolis divided into two primary socio-economic spaces: the colonial city, or ‘camp,’ and the ‘native city;’ .... Full Story
Global city: gift of the Raj? Sunday, August 08, 2010,12:27:16 AM Almost a century of Pune’s history was consumed by a regime transforming the sub-continent into an efficient channel for raw materials. From 1857 to 1947 the British Raj scripted a story that pervades our subconscious imagery of who we are! That era is cloaked in romantic images of ladies in crinolines at the Race Course, gentlemen in fine carriages arriving at the Council Hall, .... Full Story		Death and life of a great Indian city Saturday, July 24, 2010,08:59:35 PM Two hundred years of Pune’s ascendance abruptly came to an end on November 17, 1817 with the defeat of the Maratha Army on the fields of Khadki. The very reason for Pune’s existence ceased to exist! As the empire evaporated, a vibrant urban civilisation collapsed, introducing four decades of economic depression. The population declined from 110,000 in 1817 to 81,000 in 1825, and .... Full Story
The great city builders Saturday, July 10, 2010,11:42:41 PM As Pune moves into an unknown future we have a wealth of urban planning history and experimentation to learn from. This is our sacred legacy and our endowment of wealth! Separated from the ancient Kasba period and the early Maratha period by the occupation of Aurangzeb, the emergence of the Peshwa period in 1720 gives us a third layer of history to glean wisdom. This period .... Full Story		Bringing in the new Pune Sunday, May 30, 2010,03:33:09 PM Award-winning master architect and city planner Christopher Benninger pens down his views on urbanism of a city he chose to live in.... Full Story
Pune: City of my dreams Sunday, May 16, 2010,03:33:22 PM Pune’s broad economic base and cosmopolitan culture make it a place of huge opportunity. All it needs is a professional urban development team, and a strong, clear vision of how the city should be.... Full Story

Christopher Benninger

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