Dreamweaving 2.0: a participatory process for holistic planning
The Dreamweaving Core Team has put forward a proposal to expand the participatory Dreamweaving process of 2021. The intent is to help bridge polarities in views and approaches around Auroville’s urban development, and to foster inclusivity in the manifestation of Auroville. Dreamweaving itself is a collaborative, holistic approach, conceived as a means to weave together diverse ideas for Auroville’s urban design from multiple architects, a cross-section of multidisciplinary experts and diverse members of the community. (For more information, read this earlier article which covered the “Dreamweaving the Crown” process that was held in Auroville in early 2022.)
In their presentation on 30th July, the core team outlined an ambitious yet pragmatic method aimed at widening participation and cultivating shared stewardship of the city’s future, initially through four interconnected community-led initiatives. This evolving model shows potential to help realise Auroville’s vision of an urban environment consciously shaped by ground realities, serious climate concerns and residents’ lived experiences.
Dreamcatching for community alignment
As the prelude to Dreamweaving, ‘Dreamcatching’ is conceived as an open participatory space for any resident who feels drawn to engage in a visioning process to consciously call down Mother’s Dream. Through this forum, Aurovilians are invited to share their understanding of the city’s vision and express how they might imagine the diverse values of the community being reflected in the lived experience of the future built environment of Auroville.
The aim is twofold. Firstly, to broadly align how Auroville’s purpose would be reflected in its urban design, with a focus on nurturing a new way of life and nurturing the Charter through the manifestation of a conscious city. Secondly, to expand upon how the planned city might practically support its inhabitants.
Feedback body for informed oversight
To facilitate ongoing community feedback, the proposal also suggests establishing a representative body of 30 randomly selected Aurovilians. This group would first participate in an educational orientation on urban planning concepts. Their mandate would then be to receive and comment on planning initiatives from an informed grassroots perspective. If needed, they could use the support of additional inputs gathered through focus groups and expert panels.
Dreamweaving architectural visioning
The third process aims to channel creative energies towards problem solving and would be led by the next generation of Auroville architects. Potential focus areas include finding solutions for development pressures on the city boundaries and transforming the Crown road into a pedestrian- and cycle-friendly backbone.
Self-education for participatory planning
In the fourth process, residents would come together in small self-organised groups for in-depth exploration of topics such as spatial justice, sustainable densities, green transport networks and other planning concepts. After several months of internal study, each group will then present their key findings to the wider community. The objective is to empower grassroots participation in an informed planning process.
Connecting the dots for cohesive outcomes
Together, these four initiatives seek to optimise participation throughout the process – from shaping visions to designing solutions to critiquing proposals. This stems from the understanding that Auroville naturally contains differing viewpoints that have tended to cause divisions in the community. However, past instances where residents came together through hands-on issues beyond ideology show that a ‘central ground’ does exist and can be strengthened.
This new method aims to cultivate this ‘central ground’ even amid present divisions. The four proposed initiatives would be interlinked via an informal coordinating group which would merge valuable inputs, facilitate dynamic interlinking within and between workstreams for mutual learning, and foster cohesion. This balanced, flexible, non-prescriptive approach seeks to bring more nuanced discussions around holistic planning, and to nurture collaborative stewardship and progressive refinement of Auroville’s urban development vision. It is also hoped that potential new forms of organisation might emerge through the unfolding interactions among the different processes.
A long road towards the future
Over 50 years, Auroville has shown that building a sustainable township grounded in human unity and consciousness is an ambitious goal. While challenges persist, steady gains demonstrate its potential. The Dreamweaving exercise echoes one of Auroville’s founding principles of prioritising residents’ experience in shaping their environment and society.
If we embrace diversity of views through respectful dialogue, community-led processes will help address complex realities. Future growth depends on our shared willingness to walk together, learn from mistakes, and lift each other towards our highest ideals. One step at a time, programmes like the Dreamweaving will undoubtedly move us closer to realising Auroville’s transformative dream.
Extracted from Voice of Auroville, Issue 03, September 2023
