Nayapalli Pallavi : An Urban Village Development Project in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

Abstract: With a grant from Sida I went to Odisha, to learn about women’s local conditions and try to find out how a building could somehow ameliorate it. Through Architects Sans Frontières I got in touch with Urban and Development Resource Centre, working with upgrading slum areas. They had a budget for a new Community Centre in Nayapalli in Bhubaneswar, but no architect. The Community Centre includes a playschool, a medical centre and community meeting spaces. The building permit for this is currently with the municipality of Bhubaneswar. Today alcoholism is a major problem among the Nayapalli men. Most of them are unemployed and the young men lack alternatives. The women are the main providers for their families, working as house maids. My second proposal is a merely theoretical addition – a Launderette. It will not cure alcoholism, but it will employ a few people and give them possibility to support their families. It will relief some women from time-consuming hand wash and give them time to do something they find more interesting.  And maybe it can give some repute to the area, and make its community proud of it.