Revitalizing Ahmedabad's Neighborhoods: Integrating Vastu Shastra-Mixed-Use Housing and Market

Founded in 1411, Ahmedabad is rich in cultural and architectural heritage, exemplified in its traditional pols densely packed neighborhoods fostering a sense of community, shared identity, and architectural ingenuity. Now part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, these pols are deteriorating, facing overcrowded streets, aging infrastructure, and substandard sanitation. Despite these issues, many residents remain due to strong family and cultural ties. This project explores the potential of using Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian construction science, to guide sustainable revitalization while preserving the city’s unique identity. It examines the integration of Vastu principles in improving waste management, ventilation, and sanitation while maintaining traditional architectural elements like communal courtyards and shaded facades. This research suggests that Vastu Shastra-informed architecture, urban design, and planning to develop a mixed-use housing and marketplace that can enhance living conditions without compromising the neighborhoods’ historic charm, foster community involvement in restoration efforts, and inspire policy changes for heritage preservation. Ahmedabad’s pols could serve as a model for the conservation and sustainable development of historic urban neighborhoods worldwide.