Hyperlocal Guwahati Observatory

Spatial Documentation

• Area specialization mapping: Which neighborhoods are known for what (trades, foods, services, cultural activities)
• Architecture documentation: Building styles, materials, design patterns, informal settlements across different areas
• Home garden surveys: How people use private outdoor spaces, plant choices, growing techniques, rooftop usage
• Infrastructure mapping: Transport nodes, utilities, accessibility patterns, informal pathways

Participatory Neighborhood Mapping

• Train residents to use GIS tools and smartphone apps for documenting local geographic knowledge
• Create collaborative base maps where residents contribute layers of information
• Map informal gathering spots, accessibility features, seasonal flooding areas, community-created solutions
• Build community capacity for ongoing spatial documentation and advocacy

Microgeography & Spatial Transformation

• Document how spaces transform during festivals, seasons, emergencies, and daily rhythms
• Map temporary uses of public spaces, informal markets, community gatherings
• Create time-lapse documentation showing seasonal and social changes
• Analyze pedestrian flow, accessibility barriers, informal navigation patterns

Community-Generated Geographic Storytelling

• Connect geographic features to community stories, historical changes, place-based memories
• Create walking tour maps combining spatial navigation with neighborhood history
• Map intangible qualities: places that feel safe, areas with strong community connection
• Build interactive maps allowing community members to add place-based stories

Infrastructure Mapping

• GPS mapping of drainage systems, informal water collection, power infrastructure, waste management
• Document accessibility features, barrier-free routes, infrastructure gaps
• Map informal infrastructure: community-created drainage, shared resources
• Create advocacy-ready maps showing infrastructure needs and community-proposed solutions

Social Infrastructure Documentation

• Map formal and informal gathering spaces, usage patterns, capacity
• Analyze accessibility for different age groups, physical abilities
• Track changes due to development, encroachment, community action

Temporal Documentation

• Seasonal pattern tracking: Monsoon effects, festival cycles, agricultural rhythms, weather-dependent activities
• Historical change documentation: How neighborhoods evolved, what existed before, community memory of transformation
• Real-time activity monitoring: Current events, daily rhythms, weekly patterns, community happenings
• Future trajectory mapping: Development plans, community aspirations, anticipated changes

Temporal Geographic Documentation

• Create maps showing how neighborhood geography has changed over decades through elder memories and historical documentation
• Document daily, weekly, and seasonal rhythms of space usage
• Map emergency response patterns, flood evacuation routes, community resilience infrastructure
• Track gentrification, development pressure, and community resistance through spatial analysis
• Build predictive maps showing potential changes and community-preferred development scenarios

Ecological Observatory

• Citywide ecology mapping: Wildlife corridors, water bodies, green spaces, biodiversity hotspots
• Microclimate documentation: Temperature, humidity, soil conditions, air quality by area
• Biodiversity tracking: Which plants/animals thrive where, native species distribution, pollinator networks
• Environmental monitoring: Pollution patterns, noise levels, flooding zones, urban heat islands

Biodiversity Corridor Documentation

• Map native plant and animal species within neighborhood
• Document seasonal migration patterns, nesting sites, feeding areas
• Track impact of urban development on local ecosystems
• Connect with Assam State Biodiversity Board for data sharing

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

• Document medicinal plants available locally, traditional preparation methods
• Interview traditional healers (bez, ojha) about practices and plant knowledge
• Map seasonal availability of medicinal plants
• Connect with AYUSH practitioners for knowledge verification

Community Weather Documentation

• Neighborhood weather pattern documentation and analysis
• Integration of traditional weather knowledge with modern monitoring
• Community education about climate change impacts and adaptation
• Data sharing with meteorological services and research institutions

Environmental & Ecological Mapping

• Map microclimates, wind patterns, sun exposure, seasonal water accumulation at neighborhood scale
• Track air quality, noise levels, environmental health indicators at block-by-block resolution
• Map community gardens, informal green spaces, resident-created ecological improvements
• Create integrated maps showing connections between built environment, natural systems, community health

Community Knowledge Networks

• Skill holder mapping: Who knows traditional techniques, crafts, local history, specialized knowledge
• Informal support systems: How communities organize mutual aid, childcare, elder care, resource sharing
• Cultural activity hubs: Where events, celebrations, gatherings, learning exchanges happen
• Guwahati-specific cultural practices and seasonal traditions
• Neighborhood stories, local legends, and community memory

Neighborhood Subculture Documentation

• Document local communities, informal networks, cultural patterns
• Map how information flows through community networks
• Interview longtime residents about neighborhood changes and social patterns
• Document gathering spots, informal markets, community rituals

Skill & Knowledge Mapping

• Database of neighborhood expertise: traditional crafts, technical skills, languages, cultural knowledge
• Connect skill-holders with learners for knowledge transfer
• Document which skills are at risk of being lost with elder generations
• Include both formal credentials and traditional knowledge

Northeast India Creator Documentation

• Document artists, makers, community organizers, activists doing meaningful work in Guwahati/Assam
• Create searchable database of local creators with focus areas, methodologies, community impact
• Map connections between creators working on similar issues or using complementary approaches
• Include traditional artisans alongside contemporary digital creators and social innovators
• With permission, archive their content off social media

Guwahati Neighborhood Wiki

• Hyperlocal wiki documenting neighborhood knowledge, resources, contacts
• Integration with government data where available
• Version control for tracking neighborhood changes over time

Emergent Documentation Framework

• Discovery protocols: How to identify new phenomena worth documenting as they emerge
• Community contribution systems: Ways for residents to suggest documentation topics and participate
• Rapid capture methods: Tools for quick documentation of unexpected findings and serendipitous discoveries
• Integration processes: How new discoveries get incorporated into existing observatory categories

Place-Based Storytelling Initiatives

Inspired by Bangalore’s rich tradition of place-based books and neighborhood stories, we cultivate storytelling culture about Guwahati’s specific places, histories, and communities.

• Neighborhood narrative projects: Encouraging residents to document and share stories about specific localities, streets, landmarks
• Hyperlocal history collection: Oral histories about places - how neighborhoods changed, what existed before, community memories tied to locations
• Cultural mapping: Connecting stories to physical spaces through QR codes, walking tours, interactive maps of community memory
• Intergenerational place knowledge: Elders sharing pre-development memories, younger residents documenting contemporary changes
• Guwahati-specific cultural expressions: Seasonal traditions, monsoon stories, local festival variations, food culture tied to place