India's urbanscapes are characterized by a negotiation between the formal and the informal; permanence and impermanence. Structured amidst the concrete high-rises and planned neighborhoods, makeshift markets and bazaars form the core of city life. Often composed of sustainable structures, these transient commercial hubs exhibit a form of rudimentary architecture that spreads its roots deep in India's cultural and economic traditions.
The heart of India's informal urbanism lies in its public marketplaces and roadside bazaars that have existed for centuries. These urban zones have a history, believed to have originated from the era of traveling merchants and imperial trade relations. Today, these environments have evolved into dense labyrinths of impermanent shelters made from recycled tin sheets, tarpaulin canopies, and wooden poles. These bazaars organically transform neighborhoods into a choreographed chaos of vendors, goods, and the common public. Weekly markets are usually massive in scale and are set up every few days only to disappear again.
The makeshift nature of these bazaars allows for excellent flexibility to cater to the ever-changing needs of communities. Stalls manifest and morph based on seasonal produce, migratory trades, or recurring festivals. The temporal boundaries are dictated not by rigid planning but by an intuitive interaction between capitalism and culture. This organic urban morphology is similar to a pop-up city like the Kumbh Mela that appears and dissolves in sync with the cultural festivities of India.
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How Do You Design for Informality?The temporary nature of Indian bazaars reflects a deep-rooted cultural ideology that prioritizes flexibility and adaptability over rigid planning. This idea of "jugaad" - an improvised or frugal solution - extends beyond just physical architecture. The social and economic organization of these marketplaces is also fluid and negotiated through informal networks and relationships.
Researcher Ananya Roy highlights how the state itself employs "informal" territorial practices like deregulation and exceptions, thereby creating systems of flexible planning in cities like Calcutta, Bangalore, and Gurgaon. The bazaars embody this principle at a micro-level - a self-organized interaction of rickshaw pullers, trash collectors, guards, and vendors who together enable these hubs to emerge and dissolve seamlessly.
Even historic market buildings from the colonial era, like Bombay's iconic Crawford Market, were designed with large open-air plazas to accommodate this fluid tradition of street vending and temporary retailing. The British architects seemed to recognize that the architecture of Indian commerce required malleability through a seamless relationship between permanent structures and transitory activities.
This symbiotic relationship between the ephemeral and the enduring is increasingly under threat. Many traditional bazaars have been razed to make way for shopping malls, their vibrant ecosystems displaced under the pretext of unplanned urbanization. This highlights a disconnect between urban policy and ground realities of not merely the communities dependent on the informal market system, but the urban character lent by these transient environments.
According to urban theorists like Rajat Kant, neighborhoods like Lucknow's Aminabad derive their vibrant sense of place not just from formal establishments but crucially from the diverse informal activities that create "intense variety and contrast." Without the street vendors, hawkers, and pop-up bazaars, these areas would lose their cultural and economic dynamism.
In Indian cities too, the forces of gentrification and notions of a "world-class" cityscape are causing hostility towards informal marketplaces. Urban masterplans and policies tend to prioritize land-use zoning over accommodating diverse economic practices. There is an administrative apathy towards the basic requirements of communities sustaining themselves through these temporal, self-constructed architectures.
Any envisioning of urbanization and development goals must acknowledge and provide for the time-honored traditions of ephemeral placemaking. Ultimately, concepts like land tenure and zoning will need to evolve to be more accommodating of the unique complexities that underlie India's urban landscapes. As India's cities continue to expand, there is an opportunity to imaginatively integrate the vibrancy of its pop-up bazaars within urban plans and policies. Indian cities owe their pluralistic character to evolving symbiotically with their shifting and transient marketplaces.
This article is part of an ArchDaily series titled India: Building for Billions, where we discuss the effects of population rise, urbanization, and economic growth on India’s built environment. Through the series, we explore local and international innovations responding to India’s urban growth. We also talk to the architect, builders, and community, seeking to underline their personal experiences. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should feature a certain project, please submit your suggestions.
