The Study circle has started! On the
6th of April, 25 people gathered for the first session at the
SAWCHU building. And in spite of the rains, 17 people met on the
13th April for the second session. The atmosphere was very
harmonious and quiet. Everybody is welcome to drop in and join a
session even though they might not be able to come every time.
Your input is useful in any way. Although the best is to be
regular!
The circle is still soaring through
the unknown city. It is at a point in time when it is
established and is in full action. What kind of place is it
then? How does it fulfil our needs? And what are our needs? At
night, in the day? Are there streets? Is it green? Where are the
people? How do we encounter them..? And what about transport?
What transport system do we find over there in the future?
Through the peaceful air of tomorrow,
the circle slowly descends towards today. And on its way it is
collecting data.
What about a planning exercise in a different mood. You are
welcome to join the journey!
A few word about the methodology
and what it eventually can achieve at the end. The outline of
the method is not the programme of the circle but a first phase
of studies.
The purpose is to follow a series of stages that will conclude in constructing various models that
express various ideals of the city. Models can also be made - if
needed - to illustrate what is undesirable. The method's aim is
to learn to observe what mechanisms, or what different
combinations of qualities, will allow models to be successful
(or unsuccessful). At a later stage, if it is found, an ideal
model can be selected and developed. In that case it is possible
to devise reference designs that can be proposed to be applied
for planning in Auroville.
But the Circle is also an effort to
widen the understanding of planning procedures themselves.
Therefore a few words about the approach used to arrive at a
harmonious working..
The aim is to make the process as
impersonal and universal as possible. To express general
opinions does not serve that purpose. Instead, in the first
sessions, one is requested to identify the various individual
qualities that can constitute an ideal condition. These
qualities are then selected collectively, without personal
references, and categorised according to what is common among
them. These categories will then form the first bases of the
model-making. By this general selection process and its
impersonal applications, the models constructed are not
expressions of individual opinions but the sum of selected and
combined qualities. This is likely to create some kind of third
position that is more complex than the scope of general
opinions. From this one can discover what is good in one's
opinions but also discover what improvements are needed. The
purpose of this whole process is, of course, that we will all
grow in our understanding of what is possible in terms of
planning, and by that enrich our views.
