MArch/MLA Options Studio fieldwork report: Kolkata Studio

From 23 February to 2 March 2025, the Kolkata option studio engaged in fieldwork to periurban Kolkata led by Victoria Jane Marshall. The studio is framed on a railway line that extends southeast of Kolkata – from Sealdah to Canning – through the lenses of periurban, post-rural, and rural intensification. Within this train line, the students are focused on four key train stations- Bidyadharpur, Kalikapur, Champahati and Piali- each with its own distinct spatial, ecological, and socio-economic makeup.

The trip began with a preliminary social research exercise at the vegetable and wet market around Ballygunge Junction railway station. Here the students, guided by local research assistant, Dipanwita Manna and her team, engaged vendors and buyers to understand the market dynamics. On the second day, the students took the local train to Canning (often used by vendors to transport crops), gaining insights into the broader regional context and the West Bengal delta landscape.

The following days saw the students conducting independent fieldwork, engaging with residents, and documenting observations at their respective areas of interest. This research journey linked back to Koley Market near Seladah, Kolkata’s largest wholesale vegetable hub, tracing the journey of the produce from periurban farms to urban markets and kitchens.

The fieldwork concluded with a guided exploration of Kolkata’s “grey town”, highlighting the city’s multiethnic heritage. Students visited significant cultural landmarks, including a Parsi fire temple, Buddhist monastery, Aga Khan Jamatkhana, Chinatown, and a synagogue, gaining a deeper understanding of Kolkata’s diverse communities and settlement history.

Overall the trip provided invaluable insight, bridging the student’s academic design-led research with emplaced spatial, social, and ecological dynamics.