Mohalla van, or community forest, describes the underlying principle of our masterplan proposal, which aims to use the rich social, economic and ecological context of Bhopal to transform the city’s sprawling nagars (neighbourhoods) into a network of intertwined and resilient mohallas (communities).

The proposal responds to the growing need to address the future resilience of Bhopal as rapid expansion outruns the implementation of safe and future-proofed infrastructure and threatens ecological stability. The aim is to catalyse exponential momentum towards regenerative living that meets the needs of the existing and future communities of humans and more-than-humans alike.

The vision is for Gehun Kheda to demonstrate the viability of a dynamic, regenerative neighbourhood which fosters a sense of mohalla in a Bhopali way. The goals include the creation of homes for 40,000 more people, 130,000m² more planted public realm in addition to a revitalised riverside, and new schools and primary health centres to support the 84,000 residents projected to live in Gehun Kheda by 2060. Key features include the regeneration of existing tributaries to become socio-ecological and flood-resilient spines, the construction of cultural nodes within five minutes of every household, and the reformation of the Kaliyasot river into cascading lakes.

The project will not only enhance the local economy through the catalysing of informal economic activity and upskilling of craftspeople, but will also improve quality of life through the greater provision of community space, enhanced environmental conditioning strategies and better access to green areas. The masterplan is designed to be implemented in a phased manner through demonstrative plots and ‘domino urbanism’. This begins with infrastructure upgrades, initial housing demonstrations, and the establishment of training and learning centres, with further construction of cultural nodes following this in order to mobilise community-led development.

The masterplan will make use of strategic stakeholder partnerships which foster collaboration between the local communities, local authorities, private partners and expert consultants. It will be developed within the overarching frameworks of initiatives such as AMRUP, PMAY, the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, to follow through on wider ambitions for a sustainable and world-leading India. Overall, the proposal questions the typical ‘masterplan’ approach and outlines a different way of promoting urban regeneration, rooted in Indian culture and tactical interventions.

Proposing a masterplan as a western institution within an Indian climate provided a unique challenge. To avoid imposition, and to design with diligence and sensitivity, became our primary objectives, and cultural immersion and dialogue with local architecture practices, schools and people were key to our process.

Sponsored by an Indian practice - Studio Saar, our brief was to create a regenerative masterplan for Bhopal, the administrative capital of Madhya Pradesh. 40 years on from the Union Carbide disaster, the western world presents a singular vision of Bhopal: a place of tragedy. In contrast, we experienced a place of immense kindness, richness and peculiarity. Despite being self-described as a ‘sleepy’ town, there is a density of activity (and people), with a rich culture of informal economic activity and idiosyncratic traditions emanating from the bazaars and narrow streets of the old town, seeping into the fabric of the city.

Bhopal is a city built on rich layers of history and anti-authoritarianism where increasingly tigers creep into the fringes late at night. The ancient heart of the old town is where Bhopal truly flourishes; it is where everything you need is within five minutes, where everyone knows everyone, and people debate and drink chai late into the night.

Nonetheless, outside the old town, Bhopal’s suburbia lacks this distinctive Bhopali identity. With the population increasing by 26% every decade, projected to peak in 2060 at double its current state, infrastructure is struggling to keep up and the city is sprawling into the agricultural periphery. Scarcities in climate resilience compound the consequences of urban sprawl; an imbalance in Bhopal’s wider human/more-than-human ecosystem needs addressing.

However, with its multitude of resources, there is plenty capability for Bhopal to harness these to foster social, ecological and economic regeneration and move forward as a pioneer in regenerative urbanism.

The scheme allows for the population of the segment to double along with the density - from 60 dwellings per hectare to the desired 120, as recommended by the UN and seen working successfully in parts of Kaliyasot. This accommodates new and existing resources (identified through five minute city analysis) and scales them appropriately, considering both predicted population increase and predicted population maximum.

The newly proposed nodes provide schools and healthcare facilities for the existing and incoming population within a five minute walking radius and are sized appropriately. The nodes are located on demonstrator sites which serve as exemplar sites for two new housing typologies - both retrofitting existing housing and building new fractal high-density courtyard housing. These facilitate a domino effect throughout the segment, into the sector and beyond.

Our scheme adds a total of 130,700 m2 of greenspace. This includes greenspaces associated with the nodes, a continued weaving socio-economic and ecological space along the tributary and a large community park by the lake (of which 20,000 sqm are multipurpose space). This figure does not include the river buffer as it is for primarily non-humans.

By weaving together Bhopal’s rich social, ecological, and economic fabric, Mohalla Van aspires to create a resilient, regenerative, and inclusive future for its communities. Through carefully phased implementation, the project addresses the urgent need for safe and future-proofed infrastructure whilst restoring ecological balance and fostering cultural vibrancy. The integration of new homes for 40,000 people, 130,000 m² of new public green spaces, river and tributary revitalisation, and new essential amenities for 84,000 people ensures the well-being of both current and future residents, whilst the focus on upskilling and informal economic activity strengthens local livelihoods.

This proposal not only looks to redefine urban planning in a contextually appropriate manner, but also looks to set a benchmark for regenerative living in Northern India. It demonstrates how influential design, tactical interventions, community collaboration, and alignment with national initiatives can drive regenerative development.

Together, this vision offers Gehun Kheda and wider Bhopal as a replicable model for cities across the nation. Mohalla Van presents a methodology for implementing urban change in a way that reflects both Indian aspirations and the need to repair our climate, whilst also ensuring a harmonious coexistence of humans and more-than-humans alike.