Published on October 28, 2023
Ahmedabad: Sanjushree Subhash and Jai Shrivardhankar, two fourth-year students of exhibition design at the National Institute of Design (NID), have started a crowdfunding campaign to transform a public space in Sanklitnagar into a play area for 5,000-odd children. Till Friday night, the duo raised Rs 14,500 of the Rs 20,000 they need for the initiative through 11 benefactors.
“The idea started with our visit to Parwaz, an NGO near Juhapura, and interaction with local councillors, children, and citizens. We got to know that the area doesn’t have a public space for children to play. Thus, for our design-based intervention, we decided to transform a parking lot into a play area for the local kids,” said Sanjushree.
The team worked under several constraints. After discussion with local authorities, they realized that they would not be able to construct anything permanent on the site.
“If we use a temporary structure, then safety would be a big concern. The final design will incorporate ludo, tic-tac-toe, dog and the bone, other outdoor games, and a cycling track,” said Sanjushree. “If required, some area can be left open for other community-based activities.”
The fundraising pitch mentions that good-quality paint to create the area will serve the community for some time and give the children “access to their dream playground next to their homes, something they have never experienced.”
Tanishka Kachru, senior faculty of exhibition design discipline, said that the project is an example of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 11 related to making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
“The project exhibits that the design intervention is not about flashy ideas. Sometimes out-of-the-box thinking can help communities achieve their goals with minimal resources,” she said.
Parth Shastri Archive 