They Live here too. + Divine Paws
Rachita N Murthy
Master of Design Thesis Project
Exploring coexistence, care and shared urban life between humans and free-roaming animals in Bangalore Urban, India
Free-roaming dogs and cats in India are often perceived by the communities they live alongside as nuisances, dirty, potential carriers of diseases, and “someone else’s responsibility”. This thesis examines the presence of free-roaming animals in urban spaces, particularly in Bangalore Urban, India, asking how we might recognise them not as outsiders but as co-inhabitants of shared environments. By observing their daily lives and the public attitudes surrounding them, the study explores how these animals actively participate in and shape the city’s social and spatial dynamics.
Rooted in my extensive experience as a cat rescuer, my thesis reflects on how everyday interactions and small acts of care can gradually reshape relationships between people and free-roaming animals. Drawing from creative, practise-based and design-led methods, it investigates how design can facilitate more thoughtful human-animal interactions, foster dialogue beyond direct encounters, and cultivate a stronger sense of collective agency and responsibility.
The broader aim is to move public perceptions away from fear, hostility or indifference towards empathy and shared accountability. Through diverse narratives of compassion and experimenting with accessible design interventions, the research seeks to inspire communities to imagine and build more inclusive and caring urban infrastructures that support both human and more-than-human city dwellers.
Keywords: Free-roaming animals, Human-animal relationships, Creative advocacy, Animal
Agency, Community animals, Multispecies cohabitation
The exhibit showcases selected aspects of my research explorations and design interventions developed throughout the thesis process.The Oracle Cards are designed as an interactive and low-pressure conversational tool that encourages people to engage with ideas surrounding free-roaming animals and their care through humour, reflection and playfulness.
The painting depicts an imagined day in Bangalore Urban where humans and animals coexist more harmoniously within shared neighbourhoods and public spaces. Viewers can interact with the artwork by tapping their phones on different animals to receive small pieces of “wisdom,” creating playful moments of reflection and connection.
This project ultimately asks how cities might become more compassionate spaces not only for humans, but also for the animals who already live amongst us. Through small acts of care, storytelling and participatory design interventions, the research hopes to encourage more empathetic and shared ways of living together.
