Udaipur, the City of Lakes, sits at the foot of the Aravalli mountains in Northwest India, a range extending 800km and protecting much of Northern India from desertification. Once the jewel of the Mewar kingdom, Udaipur is suffering environmnetal degredation as its mountains and lakes are being exploited through deforestation and mining practices. Rapid growth and urban sprawl have led to a suffocated public realm and a city divided between its past, present and future; struggling to find its new identity.

Re-establishing the natural and cultural identity of the city through linking the natural assets of Lake Pichola to the West, and the Aravalli Hills to the East, the proposal strengthens the natural systems upon which the city was founded. The Chhatta ('Hive') aims to address Udaipur's lack of public space and its sprawling pattern of development by creating a well-defined network of public parkland, transport and infrastructure. This aims to bring people closer to nature and to each other by breaking down divides and strengthening the invaluable natural assets of the city.

Reuniting people with the jungle, the city must rekindle its relationship with the past in order to pave its way to a brighter future.