4.2. Training and Awareness

So if one has to understand this change process, it is not just we can understand from one-year work or two-year work. I mean, I can see here at least after eight years, when I visited I could see a tremendous change.

The process of understanding community changes, especially after disasters, requires time and observation. It's not adequate to rely on short-term studies; instead, a long-term perspective shows how community designs evolve over years. In the example given, the speaker revisited a site after eight years and noticed significant transformations in the community's infrastructure and social elements.

Think of planting a tree. You can’t expect it to grow and bear fruit in just a few weeks. It takes years of nurturing for the tree to develop fully and provide shade or fruit. Similarly, community designs take time to adapt to changes after significant events.

The first thing is the uniform and standardized forms which are not acceptable in many cases. Because, it is also based on the family networks, the family size, the family structures, the individual and collective needs vary, before disaster and after disaster.

The core dwelling concept, which focuses on uniform housing designs, often fails because it doesn’t consider the diversity within family structures and community needs. For instance, after a disaster, families may have different requirements based on their size or dynamics. A rigid housing plan may not accommodate these varying needs, resulting in dissatisfaction among residents.

Imagine trying to fit everyone in a cookie-cutter house. A family of four doesn’t need the same space as a family of eight. Just like clothes that fit wrong can make you uncomfortable, a standardized house can lead to feelings of disconnect in a community.

The design of the core dwelling aspects were not sufficiently address the religious beliefs and customs. You can see the example of the puja rooms, the religious buildings how they have modified those, including the location of the orientation and how it has an impact on the inhabitants.

When designing homes or communities, it's crucial to integrate cultural and religious practices. For instance, the placement of prayer rooms or communal religious spaces plays a significant role in how residents experience their homes. Ignoring these aspects can result in spaces that don’t resonate with the community’s identity.

Think of a restaurant that doesn't serve your favorite dish or doesn't accommodate the dietary restrictions that are important to you. It wouldn’t feel welcoming, right? Similarly, if homes aren’t designed with cultural needs in mind, people may feel alienated.

Because development is culture-specific. Building design and planning guidelines do not sufficiently address the cultural needs of traditional settlements.

Each community has its unique cultural aspects that need to be considered in planning and development. Unfortunately, traditional planning guidelines often overlook these details, leading to designs that may not suit the local context. This highlights the significance of involving local knowledge when planning developments.

Consider a chef from another country trying to cook a dish without knowing the local spices or ingredients. It’s likely that the dish won’t taste authentic or might not please the locals. Likewise, urban planners must incorporate local cultural knowledge to create effective and accepted community spaces.

Participatory approaches are very well encouraged and inability to access local knowledge because this is one perception to development they think that the foreign agencies whoever comes within that these people don’t know anything one has to understand that they know many things one need to tap that resources.

In development projects, engaging the local community in decision-making is essential. Many times, outsider organizations underestimate the knowledge of local residents. However, communities often possess invaluable insights that can guide effective development strategies. Recognizing and utilizing local wisdom can lead to more culturally aligned and successful outcomes.

Imagine planning a community event. If you ask only a few people from outside the community about what works best, you might miss out on the local favorite activities or traditions. However, when you involve locals in planning, you ensure the event resonates with everyone's interests.

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