Laari Futures: Redesigning Street Vending Carts as Mobile Urban Infrastructure in India
Chaal Chaal Agency's Laari Futures project, supported by the Ammodo Architecture Award for Local Scale, reimagines street vending carts as mobile urban infrastructure. Based on the Atlas of (In)Constant Infrastructures research that mapped 78 vending typologies across 12 Indian cities, the project collaborates with women vendors from the Sathwara group in Bhuj. It develops cart prototypes—Nano, Vachlo, and Motto—that integrate solar-powered misting, lighting, and phone charging to improve produce preservation and working conditions. The design avoids formalization, maintaining mobility and adaptability to street life.
Key facts
- Chaal Chaal Agency documented 78 street vending typologies across 12 Indian cities.
- The project is supported by the Ammodo Architecture Award for Local Scale.
- Community engagement with women vendors from the Sathwara group in Bhuj involved co-mapping and co-design.
- Cart prototypes include Nano, Vachlo, and Motto.
- Solar energy powers misting units for produce preservation, lighting, phone charging, and fans.
- Vendors often rent carts separately and pay extra for shade and lighting, affecting economic stability.
- The project aims to return time, comfort, and capacity to vendors while keeping carts mobile.
- Design team includes Sebastian Trujillo-Torres and Kruti Shah.
Entities
Artists
- Sebastian Trujillo-Torres
- Kruti Shah
Institutions
- Chaal Chaal Agency
- Ammodo Architecture Award
- Sathwara group
- designboom
Locations
- India
- Bhuj
- Ahmedabad