With urbanisation advancing at a rapid pace, it becomes imperative to analyse the process of urban planning and governance with regard to the creation of urban spaces. The dichotomy between urban commons and public space creates an... more
With urbanisation advancing at a rapid pace, it becomes imperative to analyse the process of urban planning and governance with regard to the creation of urban spaces. The dichotomy between urban commons and public space creates an interesting distinction in how urban space is conceptualised. This paper focuses on the urban commons (here, wetlands) in Guwahati city, the gateway city in the Northeastern region of India, which have been converted from community spaces to "public spaces" and are continuing to undergo this transition for its overall development. However, this conversion has led to increased privatisation and regulation of these urban commons which are designed to cater to a specific class of citizens. This paper draws on the experience of the wetlands within the city and discusses the impact of urban planning on them to bring forth the debilitating condition of the city"s urban commons. It also elaborates on the process of conversion of urban commons into public spaces and analyses the exclusionary form of governance that emanates from the rubric of urban development for the "public".
