2. Introduction
•Auroville (City of Dawn) is an “Experimental" township in Viluppuram district in the state of Tamil
Nadu, near Pondicherry in South India
.
•Auroville was founded as a project of the Sri Aurobindo Society founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa
.
•Designed by architect Roger Anger
.
•As stated in Alfassas
fi
rst public message about the township, "Auroville is meantto be a universal
town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peaceand progressive harmony, above
all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. Thepurpose of Auroville is to realize human unity."
3. The concept
The initial concept of the city was laid down by Mirra Alfassa (The
mother).
The city was conceptualized in the form of a galaxy with central peace
zone and other areas radiating out from the central zone and
fi
nally
surrounded by a thick green zone
.
A crystal globe has been placed at the centre of the meditation chamber
as focal point of attention, and a heliostat has been designed to direct
the sun rays onto this globe. This is the only illumination for the
meditation chamber
.
The heliostat has a mirror which rotates in consonance with the
movement of the earth so that the sunlight is re
fl
ected constantly at the
same angle
.
When the sun is not shining, arti
fi
cial lighting is used to simulate the
e
ff
ect of natural light.
4. City zone and greenbelt
Who are the Aurovilians
?
• They come from some 45 nations, from all age groups, from all social classes, backgrounds and cultures, representing
humanity as a whole.
• The population of the township is constantly growing, but currently stands at around 2,160 people, of whom approx one-
third are Indian.
THE CITYAREAWITH A RADIUS OF 1.25 KM
Peace area
Industrial zon
e
International zon
e
Cultural zone
Green belt
5.
6. Peace area
At the centre of the township, Comprising the Matri mandir & its gardens
.
the amphitheatre with the Urn of Human Unity that contains the soil of121 nations
and 23 Indian states
.
And a lake to help create an atmosphere of calm and serenity and to serve as a
groundwater recharge area
7. Industrial zone
A 109-hectare area to the north of thePeace
Area
.
The Industrial Zone, a zone for
"green"industries, is focused on Aurovilles
e
ff
orts towards a self-supporting township
.
It will contain small and medium-scale
industries, training centers, arts and crafts,
and citys administration.
8. International
zone
A zone of 74 hectares to the
west of the Peace Area, Will
host national and cultural
pavilions, grouped by
continents.
9. Cultural zone
Planned on a 93-hectare area, situated to
the east of the Peace Area,
The Cultural Zone will be a site for applied
research in education and artistic
expression.
Facilities for cultural, educational, art and
sports activities will be located in this zone.
10. Greenbelt
Green Belt of 1.25 km width
.
Zone for organic farms, dairies, orchards,
forests
.
Wildlife areas, this belt will act as a barrier
against urban encroachment
,
Provide a variety of habitats for wildlife
.
Serve as a source for food, timber,
medicines etc. and as a place for recreation.
11. Land use
In the heart of the city is the Matri mandir and its gardens.
Whole of the city is surrounded by a thick green belt comprising of
forest land & agricultural use(1.2 km wide).
The city is divided into
fi
ve major zones
:
1. Industrial Zone(109 hect.)
2. International Zone(74 hec.)
3. Residential Zone(189 hect.)
4. Cultural Zone(103 hect)
5. Peace Area
12. Land use built and unbuilt area
Use built area Area [hectares]
Residential 95
Village settlement 20
Auroville community 75
Commercial 19
Manufacturing 10
Public/ semi public 65
Roads/streets 30
Playground 13
Total 232
13. Use unbuilt Area [hectares]
Regenerated land 598
Agricultural land
Agriculture & related 50
Farming 940
Water bodies 45
Canyon, waste & others 98
Total 1731
Total land use Area
Built 232
Unbuilt 1731
Total 1963
14. Economy of township
Agriculture which includes allied land regeneration e
ff
orts, is an important sector of
the Auroville economy
.
100 small and medium manufacturing units : computer software, electronic and
engineering products, equipment used in alternate and appropriate technologies such
as windmills, solar lanterns and heaters, and biogas systems
.
Cottage type industries producing a wide range of products such as garments, candle
and incense products, printing, food processing, etc
.
Setup : renewable energy and appropriate building materials
.
research and training activities :
15. Housing / road network
Housin
g
Since Auroville is experimenting with appropriate construction elements, wall materials vary widely from stabilized
earth blocks and rammed earth to
fi
red bricks
.
Implications in terms of design and materials, of reduction in energy consumption, and adoption of eco-friendly
practices.
16. Road network
Car Free Plan
1. All areas of the city are within 5 or 6 minutes walking distance.
2. The outer ring road could take motorised tra
ffi
c and connect with centralised
parking areas there Onward travel would be by bicycle
.
Pedal-power within the city proper:
Inside the outer ring road area, transport of people and goods would be by pedal-
power (there will be a network of pleasant cycle and walking paths) and electric-
powered vehicles.
Parking at outer ring-road : The outer ring road will be large storage yards for
accommodating supplies while awaiting dispatch into the city.
18. Infrastructure
Water / electricity
Water Supply
:
The entire water supply both for
drinking and irrigation is dependent on
underground sources
.
A number of deep wells Extensive
water management research and
application
.
19. Power
:
About 150 houses use solar PV electricity and heaters for their
energy requirements.
The power distribution of around 600consumer connections
is carried through a system of 28 distribution transformers
.
Sewerage and Sanitation:
Consisting of septic tanks, Im ho
ff
tanks, ba
ffl
e reactors, and root
zone and lagooning systems.
20. Planing the city
Through its Master Plan, Auroville wants to break new ground in settlement-planning in such a way as to help
other cities, both in India and abroad, which are experiencing high urbanisation trends. Auroville also hopes to
demonstrate how 'urban' & 'rural' areas can complementarily develop in an integral and holistic way for their mutual
bene
fi
t and well-being.
We talk about an 'integrated' masterplan, implying here that both city and environment are integrally planned for,
since Auroville has come to care for its ‘hinterland’
.
Probelm /di
ffi
culties /thoughts considered before plannings the city
Undesirable trends in urban growt
h
Concerning village settlement
s
Auroville's approac
h
Optimum mix of densitie
s
Broad framework
21. Town planing development
Auroville’s town planning and development research
organisation, includes sections for dealing with Urban
Design, Planning, Architecture, Topography,
Mapping, GIS, Model Making, Infrastructure, Data
Bank, etc.
Under its umbrella falls everything concerning the
conceptual planning, design, architecture and
execution of the physical township and its
surroundings in terms of the galaxy concept and
Master Plan - Perspective 2025
.
It encompasses environmental matters, integration of
services and infrastructure, non-polluting tra
ffi
c,
water harvesting and conservation, cultural heritage
conservation, interaction with organic farming and
a
ff
orestation projects, as well as integration of villages
and regional development needs.
