Cities of India were greatly influenced and moulded during British Rule, which further witnessed dramatic development with the advent of Industrialization. Two elements: People and infrastructure form the foundation of the city's development and influence each other in a loop.
Infrastructure is a ‘basic physical framework’ which ensures smooth working of the city and comfort of its people. Our cities have witnessed the use of infrastructure planned centuries ago like Railways, Churches, Temples, government buildings, Libraries, etc. as well as advanced proposals like Underground-elevated Metros, Bridges, Coastal roads, Flyovers, etc. These physical systems were developed and planned in a specific Time frame and it ensured the best usage then.

Jail being one such system established by the Britishers which is functional even today, but Are they efficient and suffice the demands as they did 100-150 years ago? Are they relevant today? Can such infrastructure adapt to the changing perspective of the people, their demands and make them suitable for future cities?

The dissertation thus put forth an inquiry of how Jails (sit right in the core, as a crumbling infrastructure) can be adapted to form an ‘Urban Courtyard’ and explored further to make it more relevant to developing smart cities. The study aims to understand the development and needs of the city, its smart future, and the impact of this growth on aging infrastructure. Adapting to the changes, the intervention can thus be an opportunity benefiting the city and its people.


KEYWORDS: Old infrastructure, Jails, Time frames, Relevance, Future smart City,
Adaptability, Urban courtyard