For complex projects in the public realm or at the scale of the city, actors become clearly differentiated, and hence the building of constituencies becomes crucial to engage different stakeholders in any project. This is often done through various media to put across ideas, and it is here that research and writing to communicate ideas of the city become an important part of the practice. In retrospect, publications become a way of creating partnerships, collaborations and friendships which serve to keep alive the conversations on the issues at hand and engagement with the work we do. Similarly, these publications then go out into the world beyond the project and have a life of their own. But, most critically, in hindsight they allowed us to expand our ‘sphere of influence’ and equipped us to speculate about the future, simultaneously creating an archive of the present. The acts of archiving and reflecting, as well as simultaneously speculating and being propositional, are critical for us to gain agency as a profession. For, by committing in writing, drawing our speculations, or even in discerning the patterns that surround us gives us agency as professionals in society. If we do not have agency or find ways to establish an agency, we will break down as a profession.

This lecture will cover 30 years of Rahul Mehrotra’s research and writings in the context of his engagement as a practitioner as well as advocate for various issues concerning Architecture and Urbanism in India.