Preparing the City
Strategic Visioning & Proactive Initiatives to take Auroville forward
Auroville is not just being built — it is being prepared. Carefully, consciously, courageously. This is the work of laying foundations not only in soil and stone, but in spirit and shared purpose.
The City of Dawn calls for more than roads and buildings — it calls for foresight, imagination, and action. Under this section, we explore how Auroville prepares itself through strategic planning and design that align with its soul: from visioning future infrastructures, to nurturing green corridors, crafting welcoming experiences, and proactively initiating bold steps toward its ideals.
As we approach the 150th birth anniversary of the Mother in 2028, AWARE wishes to support key actions that cement the idea of the City — not just as a physical place, but as a living offering. This is a moment to ground the dream in visible, tangible progress. To inspire the next wave of willing servitors to discover Auroville, adopt it as their home, and participate in this bold human experiment in consciousness.
This is where the dream begins to take form — in sketches and soil, in collaborative frameworks, in conscious systems. These aren’t just development plans — they are living blueprints for human unity, sustainability, and spiritual evolution.
Preparation is not passive. It is active alignment with the future we seek to embody. Here’s how we begin.
The Auroville International Information Centre (AIIC) will be a transformative repurposing of the existing Visitor Centre. It will focus solely on providing information about the purpose, vision, and philosophy of Auroville, without any commercial activities. This space will offer a calm, enriching, and peaceful environment for visitors who seek a deeper understanding of Auroville’s ideals, rooted in the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
To maintain the tranquillity of the central zone, visitors will park at the larger, external Visitor Centres and be transported to the AIIC via electric vehicles, free of charge. This creates a space where only those genuinely interested in Auroville’s ideals will engage, ensuring a life-transforming experience rather than a typical shopping or tourist visit.
As a pilot project, this Mother AIIC could eventually inspire similar centres across India and globally, spreading the message of Auroville’s unique philosophy to the world.
Acceptable, Affordable & Adorable Housing Solutions
India is commemorating Sri Aurobindo’s 150th Birth Anniversary. Sri Aurobindo was born on 15th August 1872. On India’s independence day and Sri Aurobindo’s birthday on 15th August 1947, he shared His five dreams. The last dream was about self-perfection and making way for the advent of supramental beings. His spiritual associate, Mirra Alfassa, better known as “the Mother” set up Auroville in Tamil Nadu in 1968 as a place for unending education, spiritual and material research, and a bridge between the past and the future with residents as willing servitors of the Divine Consciousness. Auroville is conceived as a laboratory of evolution and a township for transformation. The Mother involved a renowned architect, Roger Anger, to work on the design and approved the Galaxy Plan, which forms the basis of the Auroville Master Plan designed for a population of 50,000.
World Tamil Heritage Center
WTHC is a forum to explore and celebrate everything Tamil. We partner with Tamil faculties of various universities, academies and cultural centres expounding both classical, folk and contemporary Tamil elements. We organise various annual conferences, seasonal cultural festivals, monthly campaigns focussing on one aspect of Tamil culture, educational workshops, and also publish books and seminar papers.
In total, WTHC is set up for the world to experience, explore, educate, engage, and empower Tamil Heritage.
At the soul of Auroville stands the Matrimandir—a golden sphere of silence and light. Encased in golden discs, its inner chamber holds a crystal globe, through which sunlight streams and travels down to the lotus below. It is not a place of religion, but of deep inner stillness. Surrounding it are twelve petals, each representing a quality of the Mother—like sincerity, peace, and perseverance—and twelve gardens still in the making, alongside the Park of Unity. A lake is being created around the Matrimandir, transforming it into a luminous island of contemplation. Plans for a large Matrimandir Reception Complex are underway, which will gracefully receive guests and guide them along the Line of Goodwill—a pathway stretching to the Visitors Centre. Once complete, this entire journey—from entrance to soul—will offer visitors a profoundly transformative and immersive experience of Auroville’s spiritual and architectural vision.
Auroville envisions the creation of four grand parks, each embodying one of the divine aspects of the Mother: Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, and Mahasaraswati. These are not just symbolic landscapes—they are spaces of energy, reflection, and inner alignment. Maheshwari’s park will evoke vastness, wisdom, and calm majesty. Mahakali’s will channel strength, intensity, and fearless transformation. Mahalakshmi’s will be a sanctuary of beauty, harmony, and love. Mahasaraswati’s will express precision, patience, and the spirit of perfect work. These parks will be living expressions of consciousness, spread across Auroville, inviting people into a deeper connection with nature and their own inner being. They offer a break from noise and function—not distractions, but destinations for soul-experience. Each park will have its unique landscape design, flora, art, and spaces for quiet reflection, all rooted in their respective attributes. Together, they will form a sacred rhythm across the City of Dawn.
Hope of Humanity is envisioned as a bold, UNESCO-recognized ‘Heritage of Humanity’ monument, rising in Auroville’s International Zone. This futuristic structure will be more than architecture—it will be a message. A living symbol of unity in diversity, inviting the world to reflect, engage, and act on our shared human destiny. For UNESCO, it’s a chance to anchor its ideals in a tangible, globally relevant project—an iconic space dedicated to culture, peace, and planetary consciousness. For Auroville, it opens doors to international partnerships, visibility, and support. Visitors will walk into a space where world cultures meet—not as exhibits, but as living expressions. Exhibitions, performances, interactive experiences—everything will converge to tell one story: that humanity is one. Millions will pass through it. Many will carry its message forward. In every sense, Hope of Humanity will be a bridge—between nations, between past and future, and between the ideal and the real.
The Town Hall is the operational heart of Auroville—a space where the city’s collective life is coordinated, nurtured, and evolved. It hosts all key organizational and administrative functions, serving as the backbone for governance, planning, and public services. Here, decisions are made, dialogues unfold, and processes are held that keep the city flowing. It’s not a place of authority, but of responsibility—where residents work together to align daily functions with Auroville’s deeper ideals. From urban planning and financial coordination to resident services and collaborative meetings, the Town Hall ensures that the practical framework of the city supports its spiritual and evolutionary aims. Designed to be open, transparent, and participatory, it reflects Auroville’s aspiration for collective self-governance rooted in consciousness. As the city grows, so will its Town Hall—into a living example of how community, complexity, and clarity can harmonize in service of a higher ideal.
The Vocational Training Centre in Auroville is envisioned as a dynamic hub to equip youth with practical, future-ready skills. Rooted in the ethos of integral education, this centre will go beyond conventional job training — nurturing hands, hearts, and minds together. It will offer courses in renewable energy, sustainable construction, organic farming, arts and crafts, digital technologies, repair work, carpentry, tailoring, and more — all aligned with Auroville’s values of sustainability, collaboration, and conscious living.
The aim is to empower young people from Auroville and surrounding villages to become self-reliant creators, not just workers — to craft, build, grow, and innovate with purpose. The centre will also encourage entrepreneurship, enabling youth to contribute meaningfully to both Auroville’s development and the larger world.
In doing so, it becomes not just a skills centre, but a bridge between inner growth and outer action — preparing youth for a future that demands both.
The CROWN is the beating heartline of Auroville’s physical and social life—a dynamic corridor encircling the city’s peaceful centre. With a 4.3 km circumference, the Crown loops through all four zones of Auroville—Residential, Cultural, Industrial, and International—serving as a vital connector and catalyst for collective living. As envisioned by the Mother, the Crown will eventually be free of motor vehicles, allowing only 10 km/h electric vehicles, preserving the sanctity and silence of the Peace Area it embraces.
It is here that life truly unfolds—a living artery of community activity. Along its length, you’ll find libraries, theatres, galleries, community kitchens, healthcare centres, play zones, art installations, and spaces for celebration and reflection. Much like Mumbai’s Kala Ghoda but immersed in nature, the Crown is poised to become a walkable showcase of Auroville’s creative spirit. Beneath it, essential infrastructure will silently serve the city, enabling harmony above.
The 12 Radials are the structural spokes of Auroville’s urban galaxy—radiating outward from the central Crown Road and linking it to the outer Ring Road. Like the rays of a sun, these radials not only provide essential mobility and access but also symbolize the organic flow of consciousness from the city’s core to its edges.
Each radial traverses different zones of Auroville—Residential, Cultural, Industrial, and International—allowing seamless connectivity and interaction across the township. More than just roads, they are pathways of integration, threading together neighborhoods, green spaces, and vital infrastructure.
The radial system balances movement and stillness, activity and contemplation. It ensures the efficient distribution of services and people, while also inviting slow, experiential exploration—by foot, bicycle, or electric vehicle. The 12 Radials form the skeleton of a city designed not just for function, but for growth in consciousness, embodying the Mother’s vision of unity and beauty in urban form.
The Ring Road encircles the planned city of Auroville like a protective embrace—marking the outermost boundary of the urban area and demarcating the transition from city to forest. Beyond it lies the Green Belt: a vast expanse envisioned as Auroville’s ecological lungs, home to forests, farms, wildlife corridors, and conservation initiatives.
Functionally, the Ring Road serves as a peripheral circulatory loop, allowing smooth transit around the city without disturbing the inner peace zones. Symbolically, it defines the limit of human habitation and collective life, beyond which begins Auroville’s conscious effort to heal and regenerate the Earth.
This boundary is not a wall—it is a membrane between city and nature, between built form and wild form. It allows Auroville to breathe, to expand consciously, and to remain grounded in its ecological and spiritual ethos, ensuring that growth does not outpace harmony.
The International Zone Loop, proposed to be named Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world is one family—is a symbolic and functional road that unites the diverse continental sections of Auroville’s International Zone. More than just a pathway, it is a circle of cultures, designed to facilitate connection, collaboration, and shared celebration among humanity’s many expressions.
This loop will wind through pavilions and spaces representing not only nations, but civilisations, languages, and worldviews. It offers a walkable, cyclable, and experiential journey across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and beyond—not as geopolitical constructs, but as living expressions of human unity.
In spirit and design, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is a bridge between worlds, echoing Auroville’s founding dream of transcending borders and building a collective future. As visitors move through this loop, they don’t just encounter cultures—they encounter a vision of unity in diversity, made real in form, spirit, and daily exchange.
If roads are Auroville’s circulatory system, then cycle paths are its nervous system—subtle, intelligent, and deeply connected. These paths weave silently through the greenbelt and urban zones, linking homes, schools, farms, and forests with a rhythm that honours peace, beauty, and slowness.
Cycling here is not just transport—it’s meditation in motion, an everyday encounter with nature and stillness. These shaded, tree-lined trails offer an enriching, bountiful experience, inviting Aurovilians and visitors alike into a way of life that’s sustainable, joyful, and free.
As the world chokes on fumes and congestion, Auroville offers a living blueprint: how to make the bicycle—not the car—the default mode of movement. These paths, running parallel to invisible infrastructure lines, can also support power, water, and internet distribution, making them vital arteries of resilience.
In a world needing answers, Auroville’s cycle paths quietly whisper: this is possible.
Service Nodes are the heartbeat of Auroville’s sustainable and self-sufficient community infrastructure. These primary and secondary hubs serve as multifunctional spaces, offering essential services that keep life running smoothly while maintaining the eco-conscious ethos of Auroville.
Each node provides a community utility center, offering covered parking with solar canopies, ensuring energy efficiency. They house services like water supply, electricity, and recycling stations, promoting sustainable living. There are also cafes and shops, where people can grab a bite or shop for essentials, creating spaces for community interaction.
In addition, cycle repair stations, mechanics, and taxi services ensure smooth daily commutes, while solar battery services and gas bottle exchanges cater to more technical needs. A repair, upcycle, and recycle yard helps encourage the reuse of materials, embodying Auroville’s commitment to circularity.
These nodes are where collective action happens, providing a model for self-reliance and holistic living.
Auroville’s Olympic-sized stadium is designed to be a versatile space, offering facilities for all major sports while fostering community unity. With a seating capacity of 50,000, it can host international sporting events, creating a platform for global recognition.
Beyond its role as a sporting venue, the stadium serves as a gathering space for residents—a place for collective activities, festivals, and large-scale community events. Whether it’s celebrating cultural milestones, hosting workshops, or creating a space for collective action, the stadium is envisioned as a hub of unity and energy.
Its design incorporates sustainable features, ensuring minimal environmental impact, in line with Auroville’s core values. The athletic fields, indoor arenas, and multi-purpose zones will cater to residents’ recreational needs while promoting an active, healthy lifestyle.
This space will not only serve as a symbol of Auroville’s commitment to sport, but also as a gathering point, amplifying the city’s message of peace and unity to the wider world.
The Centre for International Research on Human Unity (CIRHU), located on the periphery of the Matrimandir Lake, is a monumental initiative in Auroville’s International Zone. Designed as a global center for dialogue and exchange, CIRHU will focus on the research and exploration of human unity, drawing scholars, thinkers, and innovators from around the world.
The center will feature a 5000-seat auditorium, capable of hosting large-scale events, conferences, and cultural performances that promote the ideals of unity, peace, and collaboration. The library will be a key resource, offering extensive research materials on the topics of humanity, integration, and international cooperation, making it a prime destination for intellectual exploration.
CIRHU will also include residencies and quarters for researchers, providing a space for focused work and reflection, while its meeting rooms and presentation halls will facilitate educational and cultural interactions. This vibrant, multi-purpose center will become a focal point for global collaboration, enriching the world’s collective efforts towards creating a united future.
The International Zone in Auroville is envisioned as a dynamic, cross-cultural hub where global collaboration and unity take center stage. The zone will be home to continental pavilions representing Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, designed not just as cultural showcases but as vibrant spaces for networking, collaboration, and engagement. These buildings will host events, discussions, and exchanges that foster understanding across different parts of the world.
In addition to the iconic Unity Pavilion and Bharat Nivas, new pavilions dedicated to poetry, art, music, theater, and cuisine will further amplify the diversity of cultural expression in Auroville. These spaces will become living, breathing representations of global culture—not confined by political geography, but celebrating the essence of each continent’s unique heritage.
The continental buildings will also host representatives from around 50 countries, facilitating dialogue and collaboration across borders, ensuring that Auroville continues to evolve as a unified global community committed to peace, understanding, and sustainable development.
The Line of Forces (LoF) Residential Zone is a visionary concept in Auroville, designed to harness the dynamic flow of energy through the city’s layout. Inspired by the galaxy’s natural forces, this zone represents a key aspect of the city’s spiritual and energetic design. The LoF acts as a conduit for energy movement, shaping the city’s vibrancy and flow.
This residential area will feature high-rise buildings of varying levels, symbolizing the upward movement of consciousness. At one end, the Line of Goodwill will rise to 18 floors, creating a landmark that serves as a focal point for the city’s energy. As you move towards the Matrimandir Lake, the buildings will gradually decrease in height, reaching down to a single-story design near the peaceful and serene heart of Auroville.
The LoF Residential Zone will not only be a place of living but will also foster a balance between urban development and spiritual harmony, aligning with Auroville’s core principles of unity and progressive evolution.
The 6 LoF (Line of Forces) Industrial Zone in Auroville is a strategic development designed to support and structure the city’s economic activity. It is divided into six key sections, each tailored to specific sectors of the economy, reflecting Auroville’s holistic and progressive approach to urban planning.
Five LoFs will represent and house the five economic sectors:
- Primary Sector: Agriculture, mining, and raw material extraction.
- Secondary Sector: Manufacturing, construction, and industrial production.
- Tertiary Sector: Services, including retail, hospitality, education, and healthcare.
- Quaternary Sector: Knowledge-based services such as research, IT, and media.
- Quinary Sector: High-level decision-making and professional services for individuals (such as doctors, architects, and consultants).
The sixth LoF will serve as a multi-functional hub, similar to a shopping centre structure, dedicated to displaying and promoting the products and services from all the sectors. This will serve as a space for B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) interaction, facilitating both business transactions and customer engagement, while showcasing Auroville’s innovative solutions in a sustainable, collaborative, and cutting-edge environment.
This dynamic structure ensures that Auroville’s economic activities remain interconnected and in harmony with the city’s ideals of unity, sustainability, and cultural exchange.
The AFA88+GO03 Act plays a crucial role in safeguarding 20 square kilometers of land within Auroville, preventing private exploitation and ensuring the land remains dedicated to Auroville’s purpose of unity, sustainability, and collective living. This act serves as a protective framework to secure Auroville’s land under a legal umbrella, preserving it from being appropriated for private use or development.
Through the Land Protection Areas, the Act effectively shields vital land resources, enabling Auroville to maintain its ecological balance, spiritual sanctity, and planned growth. The 20 square kilometers covered by this consolidation act represent the core zones essential for Auroville’s infrastructure, green spaces, agricultural development, and residential areas. It ensures that the land remains under the management of Auroville and not susceptible to market forces that might disrupt the city’s harmonious development.
This proactive step is fundamental to Auroville’s long-term vision, ensuring that its land resources remain aligned with its philosophical and environmental goals.
The Detailed Development Plans (DDP) for the six zones of Auroville aim to create a harmonious, sustainable, and interconnected urban environment that aligns with the city’s founding principles. The Peace Zone, at the heart of Auroville, will be dedicated to fostering inner and collective peace, featuring serene spaces for meditation, reflection, and spiritual practices. The Residential Zone will offer eco-friendly living spaces that prioritize sustainability, community living, and self-sufficiency. The International Zone will serve as a hub for global cultural exchange, bringing together diverse nations and ideas in an environment of unity and collaboration. The Industrial Zone will focus on sustainable industries, emphasizing green technology, eco-friendly manufacturing, and renewable energy. Finally, the Cultural Zone will nurture the arts, with spaces for performances, workshops, and exhibitions. Surrounding all these is the Outer Green Zone, a natural buffer promoting ecological balance, reforestation, and sustainable agriculture, preserving Auroville’s environmental integrity.
The Green Belt around Auroville plays a crucial role in both environmental sustainability and city functionality. Primarily dedicated to farming, it ensures the production of organic food, contributing to Auroville’s self-sufficiency and ecological balance. This area also serves as a dense green reserve, acting as a natural oxygen generator and providing a much-needed breather from urban spaces. By promoting biodiversity, it enhances the overall health of the region, while serving as a buffer against the external world. The Green Belt’s role goes beyond its environmental benefits, as it houses essential utilities for Auroville, such as waste management, water treatment, and renewable energy sources. Its carefully planned layout fosters a connection to nature, providing a peaceful, sustainable zone that complements Auroville’s vision for integrated living. Ultimately, the Green Belt is a vital space that supports Auroville’s ecological, agricultural, and infrastructural needs.
The Auroville Foundation Zone is a proposed development outside the 20 km² Auroville Circle, specifically designated to house the key administrative and governance structures of the Auroville Foundation. This area would accommodate large offices for the Governing Board (GB), International Advisory Council (IAC), and their various committees, along with dedicated spaces for their staff, government consultants, and other essential personnel. The zone would feature spacious meeting rooms, residential quarters, recreational facilities, canteens, and guest houses for visiting VIPs.
This arrangement ensures that the core governance functions of Auroville are housed separately from the city, allowing Auroville itself to retain its independence, free from the constraints of bureaucratic structures. By creating a designated space for administrative functions, Auroville preserves its ability to flourish organically, without compromising its aspirations for peace, creativity, and community-driven growth. The proposal supports a win-win scenario—separating the functional needs of governance from Auroville’s soul and vision.
The idea of creating two large Visitor Centres (VC) outside Auroville aligns with the goal of providing distinct experiences for different types of visitors. These campuses would cater to those seeking entertainment, shopping, and a more commercial experience, while maintaining the purity and spiritual integrity of Auroville itself.
One proposed VC campus would be located near the ECR, utilizing the Roger Anger legacy buildings. This space could be transformed into a visitor hub, with designated areas for shopping and entertainment, and some parts could be repurposed for parking, providing convenient access for visitors. The second VC could be set up near the toll area, on a large parcel of Auroville land, allowing for a similar setup with additional parking and commercial space.
By moving these activities outside of the core Auroville Circle, this solution ensures that Auroville remains a space free from commercial interests, in line with the Mother’s vision of a non-monetary community, while still offering a place for visitors to engage with Auroville’s creations and products.
