In Europe, we do not build malls like that in the city, it does not work.

RK: I would take a very Venturi stand; it will be a both and phenomena. It will be neither/nor; both/and.There is no specific answer. I agree with you that malls will have short life periods, They will become like restaurants and bars, they will have a four year life span and then they will have to be rejuvenated. They will not survive. Shopping will also become more online and then events will be the only answer to make them survive better. It might not be a Dhama. I agree that Dhar- nas should not be allowed in every place, no one should be allowed to voice opinions wherever they want. I like Singapore, you want to voice an opinion, it is a police state but who cares, it works.

NG: You can take permission to use the space. That is a problem, that people need permission to have an opinion about the city that they contribute to. I am not suggesting that everyone has a Dharna, but for example, if you want to sit/ photograph the city, technically it is your city, you should be allowed to participate in the city without permission and restrictions. There should be a legislation about the number of NO that is allowed in a space in the city. The more you restrict people the more you create a city with dummified people. People who care only about them- selves and their personal property.

RK: I think that way, make a place eventful, cultural events….

NG: And some spontaneity.

RK: You create intentionally architectural spaces, that you can turn into an amphitheater – I am giving an example – is fantastic. Flexibility of space and multiplicity of space that has the potential to gather people in our architecture.

TN: Do you think that in the master-plan we have this typology. My feeling is that we try to give one function for every plot, but we don’t have the typology of flexible space, public space can be one but…

RK: What we do in our work must consciously evolve in that direction. It is the Christopher Alexan- ders message of articulation. In his patterns he always says that you have to create a sense of place, which does not mean that you are only doing the designed activity of that space but at the same time, be able to convert that situation into a place that has the potential to gather peo- ple. So that someone can take a guitar and play and voice an opinion, by singing a certain hymn. That should happen. An architect has to be an optimist. We have to consciously create an event space of that nature that public participation is immense.

SN: More than it being an issue where public space becomes a land use kind of issue, I am won- dering whether in a city like Bangalore, can public space become part of projects in specific are- as. That is more important. If a project needs to be built on M.G. Road if some part of it needs to be dedicated to public use? That is perhaps a more successful method.

TN: This requires a huge dialogue between the public sector, private sector and architects.

SN: A dialogue or maybe even just an issue of tweaking the regulations, tweaking the regulations. Everything in India works through guidebooks, not necessarily through dialogues.