Goa: Urbanization in the Era of Mass Consumption

With its distinct history, Goa has long been promoted as a pleasure periphery. The state’s tourism industry is a key driver of urbanization in the state. Leveraging the Goan lifestyle, there is a push by the authorities to further promote tourism driven mass consumption with a focus on land sales, second homes, and entertainment. This model has put a lot of pressure on Goa’s vulnerable communities, which is leading to an increasing amount of social discord. Tracing the evolution of Goa’s urbanism from the land reform undertaken in the 1960’s to the present, the talk is a reading of the current urbanization patterns in Goa and the challenges its civil society faces going forward.

Fernando Velho is based in Goa with a practice dedicated to architecture, furniture design, heritage conservation and research. The Singapore Institute of Architects awarded one of his projects, ‘The Zero Waste Archifest Pavilion’, its Design and Excellence Award. He has also collaborated with Ayaz Basrai and Mansee Badve to design the India Pavilion at the Dubai Design Week, 2019.