The Word ‘Community’ is used constantly in Urban Conversations, but often feels borrowed from a Rural Context. What does Community actually look like in a City — and does the Word Still Hold?… | Melissa Smith & Bhawna Jaimini

In this episode, we explore the idea of community in urban spaces.

What does it actually mean in a city?
How belonging is negotiated, sustained, and sometimes lost in cities?

The conversation examines voices that are often overlooked in planning, especially children, and asks what changes when they are recognised as active users of the city rather than simply people to be planned for. We turn to Ahmedabad, a city where historic neighbourhoods and rapid urban development exist side by side, to understand how these different urban realities influence the way public spaces are designed and used.

Rather than offering simple solutions, this episode looks at the practical challenges of designing with communities instead ‘of’ or ‘for’ them. Through reflections from practice and examples from the field, our guests discuss what meaningful participation can look like, and how cities can become more responsive to the people who live in them.

If you’ve ever wondered why cities function the way they do or how everyday stories can reveal larger urban challenges, this is where the conversation begins.

Welcome to The Nagari Podcast!