Chandigarh: The Making of an Indian City

by Ravi Kalia

Initiated in 1949, Chandigarh is the most visible example of a planned city in India. Here, Kalia provides a history of its planning and development, focusing on the major figures involved. This updated edition features a new introduction and a new epilogue which relate the aims of the Indian
government's original plans, and the vision and design of Le Corbusier, to present-day Chandigarh. The book remains the leading study of the growth and development of this fascinating city.

234 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1989

Reviews

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most interesting part of this book is the author's description of Le Corbusier's plan for Chandigarh. I knew that Le Corbusier (a mid 20th-century French architect) favored some policies that tend to be (justifiably) unpopular with today's new urbanists, such as surrounding major government buildings with sterile plazas and high-speed roads. But this book shows that Le Corbusier was less anti-urban than I had thought. He favored compact, mixed-use residential neighborhoods that included shops and schools as well as houses (and which compact enough to be a 10-minute walk from end to end), built bicycle trails as well as high-speed roads, and favored a street grid- all policies that tend to support walkability.

The end of the book (which discusses the post-Corbusier history of Chandigarh) is not nearly as interesting; my sense is that to fully comprehend it one would have to know more about India's politics and government than I do.

[Sahil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tells you a lot but sometimes leaves you wanting for details.

[Tejasdeep Singh Sehgal · Rating 4 out of 5]

one star down only because I'd have liked to have gone a little more into the actual architectural/urban planning highs and beauties of the city instead of just the "making of the city" part; but still an impressive read. a bit quirky - not sure if it'll catch the fancy of anyone I know, but certainly a great read for me.