Streets Livability through Vegetation | Dissertation 2020 | SPA Delhi

DISSERTATION

Streets Livability through Vegetation | A/2892/2016 | Aanchal Khandelwal | Fifth Year Section A| Guide: Associate Prof. Abha Sharma | Coordinator: Prof. Dr Jaya Kumar | School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi

December 2, 2020 Word Count: 10,683

| Street Livability through Vegetation |

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Abstract Keywords Livable Streets, Pedestrianisation, Street Vegetation, Livability.

The dissertation attempts to understand the influence of Street Vegetation on the Pedestrian Experience. As streets are the most valuable asset of the public realm and the communities thrive on the streets. Research explores the concept of urban livability of streets, where walkability can help in decreasing sedentary lifestyles.

So, there is an increase in the focus on the walkability of streets and pedestrian interactions. The detailed study focuses on urban street design and planning to create livable streets which provide pedestrians with a comfortable urban and social environment. The various factors are established to have a critical analysis of the various case examples around the globe discussing the various parameters accessibility, connectivity, safety, comfortability, ambience, placemaking and physical features of street space created by the vegetation elements. The sidewalk plane of the streets is defined as an enclosed room where the pedestrian's walk, where the design is based upon a human-centric approach. Also, the various measures of livable streets which define the streets enclosure, imageability, scale, safety, connectivity and complexity are further discussed and analyzed. The primary survey (online) was conducted to have a Pilot study to understand the general pedestrian perspective while using the streets. The survey data shows the pedestrian mindset which allows them to have a movement based upon the visual and safety appeal of the environment.

The study concludes by laying stress on the importance of street vegetation in terms of enhancing the experience and sense of safety on the streets. It also reveals that a balanced and healthier urban livability of streets is an outcome of several factors depending upon the typology of the street, its infrastructure, vegetation and lighting elements which are properly designed and maintained.

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Declaration The research work embodied in this dissertation titled “Street Livability through Vegetation ” has been carried out by the undersigned as part of the undergraduate Dissertation programme in the Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, under the supervision of Ms Abha Sharma (name of the guide).

The undersigned hereby declares that this is his/her original work and has not been plagiarised in part or full form from any source.

_________________ Aanchal Khandelwal A/2892/2016 Year 5, Section A 2 December 2020

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Certificate This dissertation, titled ‘Street Livability through Vegetation’ by Aanchal Khandelwal, roll no. A/2892/2016, was carried out during the 5th Year, 9th Semester (2020) B.Arch. Program in the Department of Architecture, under our guidance during September - December 2020. On completion of the report in all aspects and based on the declaration by the candidate above, we provisionally accept this dissertation report and forward the same to the Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India.

_________________ Abha Sharma Guide

_________________ Jaya Kumar Coordinator

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Acknowledgements I take this opportunity to thank everyone, without whose support, discussions and assistance, it would not have been possible to have my dissertation research.

First of all, I would like to acknowledge and extend my gratitude to my dissertation guide, Ms Abha Sharma for her intriguing ideas, constant support and supervision throughout the research. To the dissertation coordinator Prof. Dr Jaya Kumar for her constant guidance and immense knowledge on how to research and write the paper.

I would like to thank my friends especially A S Saaral, Akshay, Pragya, Shruthi and others non mentioned for the immense support in discussions and rants at times needed and my family especially my brother, Naman for the timely support and listening to me whenever needed. Also, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my college mates Emily, Ishan, Jayanth, Milind and Rahul for sharing pictures of Architecture Block road. Sincere gratitude to all the respondents at varying places in the country safe and sound in the time of pandemic for filling in my survey questionnaire to pass it on to their acquaintances.

And lastly, of course, the Internet and the online library resources for all the valuable archives and information that exist and could be gathered in the times of secondary source research.

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Contents Abstract, Keywords Declaration Certificate Acknowledgements

Contents List of Illustrations List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1 - Introduction 1.1 Background 1.2 Significance - Need for the study 1.3 Research Questions Aims, Objectives

2 3 4 6

7 9 10 10 11 11 12 13 13

Scopes, Limitations,Hypothesis 1.4 Research Framework 1.4.1 Chapter Outline 1.4.2 Research Structure

14 14 14 16

Chapter 2 - Streets and Pedestrians

18

2.1 History of streets 2.2 Importance of streets Pedestrian Accessibility on Streets 2.3 Street Classification (Typology) Conclusion

18 20 21 23 23

Chapter 3 - Livable Streets 3.1 Livable Streets Concept - for whom?

3.2 Walkability on Sidewalks 3.3 Functions on Livable streets Conclusion Measuring factors for livability on streets

Chapter 4 - Street Vegetation – Component of livable street 4.1 Types of Street vegetation 4.2 Physical Space 4.2.1 Benefits, the influence of Street Vegetation 4.2.2 Issues, the problems of Street Vegetation 4.3 Experience 4.4 Policies and Guidelines Design criteria and standards Street Vegetation selection Conclusion

24 24 25 26 28 28

30 31 34 34 36 37 38 39 40 40

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Chapter 5 - Methodology 5.1 Conceptual Framework 5.2 Methods 5.2.1 Parameters of Study Measuring factors of Livable Street with Vegetation 5.2.2 Case study Selection and Justification 5.2.3 Survey Study

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Chapter 6 - Case studies and Survey 6.1. Introduction Case Study Online Survey 6.2 Case Examples High Line street, Manhattan, New York, US Pondy Bazaar Pedestrian Plaza, Chennai, India Architecture Block Road, SPA Delhi, New Delhi, India Lancaster Boulevard, Lancaster, California

44 44 44 44 45 45 48 51 54

Chapter 7- Analysis

57

7.1 Introduction 7.2 Case Study Analysis 7.3 Survey Data Analysis Section 1 Streets Section 2: Street Vegetation Conclusion

Chapter 8 - Findings 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Inferences and Findings

Chapter 9 - Conclusions Future Research and Way Forward

57 57 60 60 61 62

63 63 63

66 67

References

68

Bibliography

70

Appendices

73

Appendix 1: Questionnaire Appendix 2: Survey Data Compilation Plagiarism Report

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List of Illustrations Illustration 1. Cover Page Image -Architecture Block (Source Author) Illustration 2. Conventional Modern and Historical Streets (Source Google Images) Illustration 3. Streets and various Users (Source ITDP) Illustration 4. Conventional Street Design vs Human-centred Street Design (Source Google Images)

Illustration 5. Sidewalk Plane (Source https://www1.nyc.gov/site/planning/plans/active-design-sidewalk/active-design-sidewalk.page )

Illustration 6. Sidewalk Zones: Frontage, Pedestrian, Amenity Illustration 7. Measuring of Livability factors (Source Author) Illustration 8. Streets with and without Vegetation (Source Author, Getty Images) Illustration 9. Different Kinds of Street Vegetation (Source Getty Images) Illustration 10. Street Intervention with through designed vegetation (Source ITDP) Illustration 11. Street vegetation and its three components (Source Author) Illustration 12. Car oriented v/s Multimodal Street (Source ITDP) Illustration 13. Different kinds of the street with Vegetation(Source ITDP) Illustration 14. Street and its zones (Source ITDP) Illustration 15. Street Vegetation attributes(Source Google Image Analysis) Illustration 16. High Line Street (Source Google Images) Illustration 17. Highline Street View with Analysis (Source Google Image Analysis) Illustration 18. Pondy Bazaar Street (Source Google Images) Illustration 19. Before and after the intervention (Source ITDP) Illustration 20. Pondy Bazaar Chennai Analysis (Source Google Image Analysis) Illustration 21. Pondy Bazaar Street Intervention (Source Google Images) Illustration 22. Architecture Block Street (Source Author) Illustration 23. Architecture Block street Analysis (Source author Analysis) Illustration 24. Before and After Intervention (Source Google Images) Illustration 25. Street Views (Source Google Images) Illustration 26.Lancaster boulevard Street Analysis (Source Google Image Analysis) Illustration 27. Street with and without Street Vegetation (Source Author, Getty Images) Illustration 28. Street views with Different Vegetation (Source Author Edit)

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List of Figures Figure 1. Literature Review Methodology (Source Author) Figure 2. Research Structure (Source Author) Figure 3. Pedestrian Accessibility on Roads (Source -https://www.itdp.org/2020/10/15/pedestrians-first-tool-guides-cities-on-the-path-to-walkability/)

Figure 4. Pedestrian Walking Data (Source -https://www.itdp.org/2020/10/15/pedestrians-first-tool-guides-cities-on-the-path-to-walkability/)

Figure 5. Analysis Framework (Source Author) Figure 6. Walkable Distance Source Mapping (Source Author) Figure 7. Gender (Source Author) Figure 8. Age Group (Source Author) Figure 9. City Type (Source Author) Figure 10. Usage of Pedestrian Street (Source Author) Figure 11. Pedestrian Infrastructure (Source Author) Figure 12. Factors influencing on Walking Experience (Source Author) Figure 13. Factors disabling the walking experience (Source Author) Figure 14. Appealing Streets (Source Author) Figure 15. Elements of Importance on Street (Source Author) Figure 16. Proper Pedestrian Streets (Source Author) Figure 17.Influence on Urban Livability (Source Author) Figure 18. Sidewalk Regulation (Source Author) Figure 19. Importance of Street Vegetation (Source Author) Figure 20. Safety on Streets with vegetation (Source Author) Figure 21. Highly Walkable Street (Source Author) Figure 22. Vegetation factors Influencing Walkability (Source Author) Figure 23. Vegetation factors disabling Walkability (Source Author) Figure 24. Maintenance of Streets (Source Author) Figure 25. Quality of Live on Streets (Source Author) Figure 26. Vegetation Factors influencing Livability Index (Source Author)

List of Tables Table 1. Comparative Analysis of the Case studies (Source Author)

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Chapter 1 - Introduction 1.1 Background Currently, India is having high growth in its urban sector. As we have been through a period of rapid urbanization and mobility in the decade, particularly the large and medium-sized cities, where it’s all stated in terms of growth (Sahoo 2016). Most city lifestyles are turning to be sedentary, which leads to health consequences. Livability in cities is currently a growing topic due to the current needs in the fast pace of life in the context of India. As we look into various earlier research on livability in cities, it’s usually connected to the streets and their vitality (Appleyard 1981). As streets are the places where the community life happens, subjected to multiple roles in urban life, thus require and use major portions of land.

Nowadays, cities have had a major focus on moving or parked vehicles. Streets are ever-evolving, ranging from the various activities to fast-paced moving vehicles, which are expanded to meet up the ever-growing demands of vehicles, which is just increasing the gap between the buildings on its sides. Thus, creating the barrier effect of busy roads on people. No one wants to walk on the streets, if not needed people do try to avoid it. They are no more pedestrian-focused or People-oriented streets, which makes them unattractive and kills the liveliness (Jacobs, 1992). To have high livability, we need good streets, under where people want to be, which are safe and comfortable, yet interacting.

“Our streets and squares make up what we call the public realm, which is the physical manifestation of the common good. When you degrade the public realm, the common good suffers.” – James Howard Kunstler (Writer, Urbanist) In the past, Indian towns had human-scale streets and chwoks with the modernization of architecture and transportation, cities have changed. With rapid urbanization, disparate development of more roads with congestion is making sideways narrower, resulting in a decline in the attractiveness and desirability of streets. There is a continuous cycle formed, as more vehicles lead to congestion, the further the demand increases, the need to build more space for these vehicles, in the

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never-ending loop. Indian cities are struggling to be in the flow of competing with the needs of mobility and livability together.

Today, we have narrow or no sidewalks creating it uncomfortable to walk or be non-motorized. As stated by Louis I khan “The street is a community room.” The community interaction on the urban streets loses its liveliness and there is just congestion. To create safe streets for a livable community to thrive upon (Fischer 2000). Are we even interacting anymore on/with streets? Is the environment of streets stimulating or urging enough for pedestrian activities? As there is a need to pay attention to build more livable streets with a balance of congestion and attractiveness to use them on foot. Street vegetation helps in creating a sound atmosphere to walk in and thus influences the role of pedestrian movement.

Research has shown that livable streets cater to all kinds of users, invite access for all, encourage use and participation (Francis 1987). When streets are treated and made into great places, it encourages users to stroll, have social inclusion keeping the character of the street alive.

1.2 Significance - Need for the study The need for the study is based on the focus to embrace urban growth with coherence with other purposes as well. By directing the attention to have feasible roads for mobility as a well human-centred approach for accessibility to the streets.

There are considerations established on creating Pedestrian pathways but looking at the design considerations of spaces created, the potential to determine the influence of vegetation on streets for attracting the pedestrians on streets, by bridging the functional extremes and influencing the safety & walkability perceptions. Many pieces of research examine how street vegetation of various kinds for different uses on streets affects driver safety and behaviour, but very few talk about the Pedestrian viewpoint of safety and emotion and senses the intriguing atmosphere created by the vegetation and greens.

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1.3 Research Questions How does Street Vegetation Influence Street Livability for Pedestrians?

1) Why are walkable streets important, does it make them livable?

2) What is the role of vegetation in making a Street pedestrian-friendly?

3) Is street vegetation an asset to Livability?

Aims The study is aimed to understand the influence of street vegetation in creating livable environments. Furthermore, to analyse how it affects the pedestrian experience.

Objectives 1) To understand the importance of streets in creating livability in urban areas 2) To understand the needs of pedestrians wrt the atmosphere formed by different kinds of street vegetation for walkability.

3) Identifying and understanding the various attributes to measure the livability of different kinds of streets; under the parameter of street vegetation influence.

4) To identify the benefits & issues related to street vegetation and to discuss the potential solutions/improvements in the street and its functioning.

Scopes 1) The research focuses on the environment created by street vegetation in general, not looking at the biological aspects of the green cover.

2) The scope of the study is based on looking at various examples around the world, it is not limited to any specific city or an area.

3) The scope of the study is focused on street vegetation and its features only.

4) The study is to examine the influence on different kinds of pedestrian streets with lesser traffic as compared to highways and major arterial roads.

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Limitations 1) Having limitations of time and COVID pandemic constraints, research will be limited to analysing data from secondary sources only.

2) Participation in the surveys will be conducted via online means due to COVID and manpower restrictions.

3) For the Case study, data from other authors would be drawn upon for the analysis.

Hypothesis There can be a beneficial influence between walking users and street vegetation resulting in better community spaces, and designed street planting can help in attracting pedestrians to increase the walkability thus, the urban livability.

1.4 Research Framework 1.4.1 Chapter Outline Chapter 1 - Introduction The introduction chapter states the research proposal, the research questions and describes the reasoning behind the research. It justifies the study, in terms of the need for the information, the background of the topic, its significance and hypothesis.

Chapter 2 - Streets and Pedestrians The chapter emphasizes the importance of streets in our day to day life. It talks about its historical significance and how they have developed over time. Furthermore, the Indian context of streets is discussed which are highly dense and thus an interaction on streets is an area of interest that helps in forming certain objectives.

Chapter 3 - Livable Streets The human-centred thinking in terms of livability on streets is a principle in itself that technology that forms the theme of this chapter. It focuses on the various aspects of livability which include walkability (i.e. ease of walking for pedestrians), functions of the livable street (i.e. enhancing user experience for everyone) and factors affecting the same. Using the literature sources, various measures of livability and pedestrian perspective are established to be analyzed and critiqued upon.

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Chapter 4 - Street Vegetation - Component of livable streets This chapter forms the basis of research objectives and questions as it helps in understanding street vegetation - a component of streets. A useful insight that can be drawn is how experiences are shaped by physical space which in turn are itself controlled by policies and regulation.

Chapter 5 -Methodology The chapter explains the steps taken in for having the findings to the certain questions and objectives of research analysis established. Here a mixed method of the qualitative and quantitative method is chosen to come onto the findings and conclusions of the research. Where the attributes to analysis are established.

1) A few examples of different kinds of streets with vegetation are studied, where street vegetation has influenced the walkability factor of the area. These will be analysed based on the attributes laid through the literature study.

2) An online survey questionnaire (n = assuming the pilot study number, 200) is conducted to understand how pedestrians perceive urban street vegetation and what is their experience with it. The questionnaire is designed to explore whether people’s attitude with regards to the street's vegetation affects the urban livability concept.

Chapter 6 - Case study and Survey The various examples across the globe are identified and analyzed based on the attributes selected that influence the pedestrian’s perspective of the street vegetation.

Different typology of streets is studied and analyzed based on certain set parameters and to lay out how street vegetation can influence the perspectives. The questionnaire is to get quantitative findings of people’s perspective.

Chapter 7,8 & 9 - Analysis and Findings with established Conclusions After the compilation of all the data points, an analysis will be done towards the end.

Conclusions will be drawn based on the compilation of the qualitative data collected from the survey.

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1.4.2 Research Structure The detailed framework of the study of Literature review of the major topics related to research.

Figure 1. Literature Review Methodology (Source Author)

Literature Review of the various researches is studied to understand the various important topics related to the research and then the correlation between them is set.

The study aims to research if the pedestrian perspective can be attributed to the experience of street vegetation.

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Figure 2. Research Structure (Source Author)

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Chapter 2 - Streets and Pedestrians “Think of a city and what comes to mind? – It’s STREETS.” Jane Jacobs A street by definition is a public space between the built environment. It is the community space, formed over by the adjoining spaces which serve all users - cars, bicyclists, buses, pedestrians, prams, vendors and pushcarts. (Untermann, 1990).

Dedicated pathways called streets or sidewalks for pedestrians to walk, stroll and use according to the various uses within the roadway set limits existed in past centuries. It is a public easement space, which is common to all, the meaning of street diversifies depending upon the user, space and function.

During the human settlement expansion, the connection between the various areas started to develop. The negative spaces between the settlements started forming regular zones and transformed into streets. Users engage with the public spaces alongside the streets. Appleyard (1982) in his article has stated that “Streets are the places where children grow and feel the outside world, adults interact and connect, where neighbours pass by and mix up, old people dwell, these become the public areas, the rallying plazas for protest, with greeneries and elements, forming its history & uniqueness."

2.1 History of streets Streets are the backbone of the settlements and have been subjected to loads of functions and ways to look upon. Cities before the modernism era looked upon the human scale to design spaces. As-built architecture around where people work, stay and dwell plays a vital role in the formation of the city space, where streets are the space where built architecture ends and the communities thrive. Streets the buffer zone from one building to the other.

Streets in the older parts of walled cities were narrow walkways that were tightly packed by the building mass around. These streets opened upon larger spaces of plazas which landmarks constituted, which allowed venues to be varied, porosity and fluidity with citizens outflow, further the same adjusted upon accommodating for horses and wagons with pedestrians in the same space.

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During modernism, attention was shifted to automobile transportation, and it took away people from their involvement with the streets themselves (Francis 1987). With added congestion, a decrease in safety standards was experienced by the population. The fast pace of moving cars left behind small or no space for pedestrians.

Illustration 2. Conventional Modern and Historical Streets (Source Google Images)

This slowly made the dead community spaces. Streets lost the idea of being the space where people collectively share their lament, triumphs and voices, to have coherence in the public. Heavy transport on the vehicle-catered roads creates community severance which results in antagonistic impacts on the people who use the streets for walking as there is no sense of space according to human perspective and impacts the perceptions, behaviour, and wellbeing (Anciaes et al., 2016).

All this prioritization to vehicles led to the roads taken up by high-speed automobiles, leaving no space to stroll upon or walk which affects the pedestrians. Presently there is a shift in the ideology and there is an approach to have coherence and integrated systems catering to all the users of the streets.

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2.2 Importance of streets As the streets are the most valuable asset in any space. Street and the Pedestrians as the majority of stakeholders interact and mingle up regardless of the criteria of the sex, race, age, status, and regimes. They use streets to walk, stroll, shop, meet and generally engage in many social, economical, political, and recreational activities.

Evidence has shown us that urban streets can positively contribute to perceived notions of safety, good health and walkability (Speck, 2018). Streets open an opportunity for improvement as they are subjected to continuous evolution. Streets acquire almost one-third of a city which directly or indirectly influences the rest and the environment surrounding it (Jacobs 1993). There was less focus on livability, safety, wellbeing which are the key factors to sustain in an urban area. (Southworth, 2003).

Illustration 3. Streets and various Users (Source ITDP)

Streets are the transition areas where people step out from one space to reach another or just to stroll off. A considerable amount of daily life is spent. The space for a variety of interaction between the various stakeholders; Pedestrians, Cyclist, transit users, Motorist, Freight and Service providers, vendors doing business.

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Pedestrian Accessibility on Streets In India, walking has been one of the majority functions, as one of the basic needs to commute to stroll to daily essentials. The bazaars and essentials alongside the very organically defined streets play major attraction points in the Indian context. In Asian cities, higher density streets are connected with the intersection of social interaction and placemaking with the inclusion of economic vitality of the streets (Ho, Douglas 2008). Many activities, small commercial businesses, entertainment and social functions thrive on the Indian streets, as it acts as a space room.

Figure 3. Pedestrian Accessibility on Roads (Source ITDP)

Pedestrianization is the most influential part of the streetscape, that directly relates to the liveliness and attractiveness of the street. A pedestrian sidewalk is a demarcated zone where motorised transport is restricted and just meant for pedestrians, to use it according to the various uses of walkability, strolling, interacting and mingling subjective to the place. It influences the relationship between the vehicles and shoppers and gives a buffer zone to the vitality of the space. Walking is the oldest accessible and affordable means of transport. As there is major growth in the urban population. With modern times and the technological advancements in the country, the streets functioned as mobility conduits for the ever-growing traffic and not for the gathering and market spaces (ITDP, 2014). For great streets, as termed by Jacobs (1993), space needs to be community catered and needs to cover and include all

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objectives of all users of various diversities in planning not only primarily focus on provisions for motorized traffic. The evolution of streets, mainly catering to that on ery many automobiles while overlooking the needs of other stakeholders, led to the decline of the streetscape in India. Thus, a step forward for intervention in the consideration regarding pedestrianization.

Figure 4. Pedestrian Walking Data (Source ITDP)

As the urban transport situation deteriorates, there is the need and desire for pedestrian-friendly streets for better accessibility. There is the urge to build regenerated modes with sustainable means. Thus, more focus to restore the lost attractiveness of streets and chowks, making them pedestrianised. The urge to make it pedestrian-friendly does not imply the complete restriction of vehicles, rather a harmonious partnership of both.

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2.3 Street Classification (Typology) The growing urbanisation with the increase in numbers of automobiles formed the growth of cityscapes. As the reconfiguration and widening of streets happened to form the linking between them. As the need to resolve the conflict between fast-moving

traffic

with

accessing

local

connecting

streets “the functional

classification of streets” according to hierarchy was done (UTTIPEC, 2010). The road network is based on the hierarchy of streets, defined by the function, right of widths, physical characteristics, speed allowances and the capacities of inflow in the area.

The classification of streets according to the transport guidelines in the county is: ● National Highways - These roads are High speeds with majority vehicular traffic flow with fully controlled access with divided roadway, and have an inter-city role. These passing through the urban densified areas are called Urban Arterials. ● Arterial Roads - These are the internal urban roads which interlink the long-distance mobility between various important junctions of the city. ● Sub Arterial (Collector) Streets - These Streets function as the local connecting streets for the neighbourhood areas to the major public junction areas of localities. They also connect neighbourhoods’ streets to arterial roads. ● Local (Neighbourhood)Streets - Neighbourhood streets are the locality streets whose dominant function is to provide local connectivity of private spaces with the public zones. ● Exclusive Pedestrian & NMV - These are specifically catered Streets where pedestrian and non-motorized transport are the dominant modes. Mostly regulated

by

authorities

and

particularly

happen

in

more

sort

of

commercialized and market areas to create more free and open public spaces.

Conclusion In a report of WHO (2009), stated that the roads are unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists; all who are away from the shield of the vehicles. Thus, suggests the high needs of proper streetscape sidewalks with liveliness and amenities to cater to the pedestrians. the various streets and the activities on them,

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Chapter 3 - Livable Streets 3.1 Livable Streets Concept - for whom?

The livable street has the principle of human-centred thinking and emphasizes the equality between cars and pedestrians using the street. Streets in the urbanscape are for the all, which relates to having them not only as motorised transport conduits and corridors but equally for the public for social and active counters. (Bosselmann et al., 1999). Thus, it is a challenge for creating livable urban environments on streets to have social cohesion and developing the urban livability standards of the urbanscape. Francis (1987), says “The livable streets concept states to create an equitable balance between both the motorist and street pedestrian, bicyclists, vendors etc. users. The striking balance between the economic conduits and placemaking community space, which focuses on safety and comfort.” Urban livability is often a subject to various opinions, as for the residents (can be seen as an interaction between physical social boundaries of environment and personal interaction) and for the assessor (can be seen as depending upon the various variables of the space, with time, place, occasion and purpose).

Illustration 4. Conventional Street Design vs Human-centred Street Design (Source Google Images)

Today, many cities are relooking at the advantages of their dense historic forms which were humane, and they are supporting the public realm through pedestrians, bicycling, and public space improvements, thus creating them human-centric. There is a major focus on developing pedestrian-friendly streets with better roadway design concepts. Everyone can be on the streets. Kevin Lynch, an Urbanist argues in his

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book A Theory of Good City Form (1981) that “an urban public space has rights of presence, use in action, appropriation, modification and disposition.” These rights form the public nature of the streets and can show how the public, livable and vital space is.

3.2 Walkability on Sidewalks Sidewalks with pedestrians constitute the most fundamental space in the open public spaces in an urban environment. sidewalks are created to cater to have space for pedestrian movement which is safe from the traffic and where pedestrians can move, stroll, trade, gather and interact within the public sphere beyond the built environments, which contributes to a safer, healthier and active lifestyle.

Sidewalks as a whole is an environment where numerous interactions and activities happen simultaneously. The pedestrian, who is at the centre of the sidewalk room, creates the movement in the space to set a scene which is subject to the perspective around. It is a space defined by four planes: (Active Design: Shaping the Sidewalk Experience - DCP, 2013) ● a ground plane, ● a canopy, ● a road-side, and ● a building-side.

All these four planes in the sidewalk room contribute to the spatial quality of the sidewalk for pedestrians to walk and create a scene and experience of the movement.

Illustration 5. Sidewalk Plane (Source Active Street Design, NY Govt)

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The concept of sidewalk planes as a room is based on the pedestrian who inhabits and their movement experience in the space, not based on the perspectives of the transport conduits users and space or those who have designed it for the pedestrians. As a space build can be shifted dramatically while the actual design is executed on-site by the users. The walkability factor of the sidewalks.

As stated by Specks (2018), in his book Walkable Cities Rules - “The walkable city is the rollable city, and when a city works well for people in wheelchairs, it works well for everyone.” Attracting pedestrians back to the street is an art in itself; by making them livable (Appleyard 1982). Streets need animation and detail; too many of our streets look tired, dull, and uninviting - not surprising given the automobile orientation. What are pedestrian needs from walkability – safety, convenience, comfort, and visual experience? Making them human-centric with the co-existence of the natural environment. Streets are the outdoor spaces we seek into for any public purpose (Wagner and Creese, 1968)

Illustration 6. Sidewalk Zones: Frontage, Pedestrian, Amenity (Source Active Street Design, NY Govt)

3.3 Functions on Livable streets Walkability on streets attracts people as the pace of walking is slow; it allows them time and expression of experiencing the space and surroundings by various means.

Observation and connection generate the feelings from different visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, vestibular and proprioceptive senses with the moments of understanding and handling them.

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Livability is determined by a variety of social activities rather than the necessary ones (Gehl, 2013). Streets reduce the lack of social coherence in urban life, as it encourages street activities, playful places, and engages with public amenities.

“While the concept of livable streets should be clear, its realization should be flexible.” - (Appleyard et al., 1981).

An enjoyable sidewalk experience is subject to the purpose and perspective of the different users based on the age, gender, design, time, purpose, mood, spatial environment and various other variable factors. Design and its elements to enhance the sidewalks of the streets spatial quality based on the functions and kind of environment created by the street design elements, connectivity, path making it resilient and attractive for the users to get influenced. The question is about the needs and rights of street dwellers which leads to reclaiming these streets. According to Jacobs (1993), the success of urban streets leading to greater livability is given by the more and more people that are using them, “not in automobiles, but on foot, on bicycles, and in buses”. The various street activities depend upon the needs of the user groups and their demand, their accessibility to space which provides opportunities of newer discoveries creating more social encounters and gathering which leads to economic upfront on streets.

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Conclusion The major aspects of the city that were once assumed to be public – streets, sidewalks, plazas, parks, and other public realm areas for collective experiences such as cultural, community, gatherings – are suddenly private spaces that are immersed in the dynamics of commodification, simulation and new global identities explicitly programmed into the production of new urban space (Ho and Douglass, 2008). This can be correlated to the amount of design intervention by authorities encountered

with

lack

of

user

need

mapping

and

significant

need

for

pedestrianization. The integration of all the aspects together helps in developing better spaces and streets which are livable. To have a sustainable urban transit system which focuses on the liveable street concept catering to pedestrian accessibility, minimizing the traffic and community severance by creating a balance between two. According to Jacobs, the success of these streets is given by the more and more people that are using them, “not in automobiles, but on foot, on bicycles, and in buses” (Jacobs, A.B., 2001).

Measuring factors for livability on streets Looking at the various measures to study and analyze based on the livability of streets. ●

Imageability/Accessibility is the factor of a placemaking that makes the space image and the experience while having a movement across counts, ensure accessibility for multiple users, considering different ages and abilities.

This imageability depends on the attractiveness of space that influences, creates emotion from the pedestrian movement.

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Safety measures ensure the efficient design and its consideration towards the stakeholder and the intervention of the quality space concerning the mapping of safety throughout the day.

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Enclosure/Resilience factor relates to the periphery of the built environment formed along the streets which include the canopy, vegetation, and other elementary features on streets.

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Human scale factor refers to the size and proportion of the sidewalk room which forms planes that define the movement, correlating it to the interaction of humans through various senses.

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Transparency/Connectivity is the factor which enables the porosity in and around the space to perceive the objects and the activities.

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Complexity/Continuous variety factor is the visually oriented richness of space that influences the physical environment and the landscape around.

Illustration 7. Measuring of Livability factors (Source Active Street Design, NY Govt with Author Edit)

Streets make the surrounding safe, with more functions in and around creating a more accessible and comfortable for all thus increasing the human interaction and makes the community thrive. Urban street’s sidewalk space is nothing in its notion. It is an abstraction. It means something only in conjunction with the buildings and other uses that border it, or border other sidewalks very near it (Jacobs,1992).

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Chapter 4 - Street Vegetation – Component of livable street Naturally, then, we begin with street Vegetation, which is almost always central to making sidewalks safe, healthy, comfortable, and sustainable (Speck, 2018). The green zone adds value to the aesthetics of the walkability enhancing the environment, should be placed carefully and to have clearer demarcated zones for different stakeholders of the street. Thus, strategically marked locations of the green zone, including shrubs, trees, ground cover and greenery can be used for design benefits instead of bollards to mark the limits of the zones.

Illustration 8. Streets with and without Vegetation (Source Author, Getty Images)

Creating an overall soothing environment which is natural, functional and pleasing streetscape is crucial for creating any living street (Burden & Litman, 2011). As the street vegetation creates the perceived notion of a physical environment, it helps in creating a sense of satisfaction and increases the livability factor of the space.

Therefore, Street Vegetation can be correlated to create a space on the street that enhances the emotions of the dweller on the street, and is a very important element in creating livable streets. Livable street and street elements create a sense of social interaction and cohesion by creating neighbourhood vitality, and perception of safety and livability for sidewalk walkability and making the realm safer and more accessible. Several elements compose a streetscape including the driveway for transportation, pedestrian pavement, cycle tracks, street amenities, frontage zone.

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4.1 Types of Street vegetation Street Vegetation includes all types of cultivated and wildly grown – maintained over a period; Greens growing in road verges, medians, paving joints, trees, shrubs and other herbaceous plants. Street vegetation leads to Protective sidewalks, reduces crashes and pollution noise, stormwater, improves retail viability.

Illustration 9. Different Kinds of Street Vegetation (Source Getty Images)

Street planting of vegetation is characterized by various factors as it provides visual influence to the experience of the users and stakeholders, and helps in creating an ecologically sound environment. Care should be taken to choose plants whose growth will not create obstructions for the pedestrian nor damage the sidewalk (as certain tree roots may do).

Vegetation on the streetscape can be considered as one which grows naturally and the other which is designed as part of the sidewalk plane’s ecosystem which enables environmental-enscape leading to better community space, health and sustainability.

It helps in regulating and creating adequate consideration in transport conduits management. We need to view street vegetation as a worthy form of urban infrastructure in its own right and to have better livability in the present needs.

Vegetation is a very important part of the public realm in the ecosystem as it creates the physical environment that caters to the health and suitability of humans and the immediate space. It can be well designed or naturally occurring which needs care, maintenance and coherence support for the well being. We need to view street vegetation as a worthy form of urban infrastructure in its own right and to have better livability in the present needs.

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Illustration10. Street Intervention with through designed vegetation (Source ITDP)

Street’s major functions are social and commercial encounters and exchange, having fulfilling places that are attractive. Streets allow people to be outdoors and experience the political space, move around, to meet and cross, to have words of exchange and goods (Jacobs 1993). Also, as urbanscape livability is defined by the open public space, which constitutes streets, the most vital element considered the plantation and the greens are making the environment more interactive and increasing the pedestrian satisfaction score (Choi, et al., 2016).

In "The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety," Jane Jacobs (1992) outlines her basic notions of what makes a neighbourhood a community and what makes a city livable. Safety particularly for women and children - comes from "eyes on the street," the kind of involved neighbourhood surveillance of public space that modern planning practice in the Corbusier tradition had destroyed with its insistence on superblocks and skyscraper developments. (Jacobs, 1992). Streets with well-maintained street Pg. No. 32

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vegetation give communities a better perception of drivers, and shoppers tend to travel further to shops with better landscapes and spend more money at these shops (Dumbaugh, 2005). This is something everyone already knows: A well-used city street is apt to be a safe street while a deserted city street is apt to be unsafe.

(Jacobs, 1992).

Further, the Street vegetation Physical space can drastically change the space around and make it more vibrant and enhance the experience, directed by the design considerations under policies and rules for an efficient model and management. The following diagram below shows the interrelation of the character of street vegetation, which is further explained.

Illustration 11. Street vegetation and its three components(Source Author)

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4.2 Physical Space Street Vegetation is both transportation and urban design tool. Street vegetation in the physical space is defined as vertical elements in the sidewalk plane of streets.

Vegetation acts as a frame that defines the street wall as a plane, correlates all the spaces distinguishably and focuses the view to different corridors. The canopy of the vegetation and the plane created as a community room defines the enclosure imageability of the street that generates intimacy, porosity and connectivity.

4.2.1 Benefits, the influence of Street Vegetation a) Social benefits - Street Vegetation provides an opportunity to enhance the surroundings and the importance of preserving the remnant vegetation.

Vegetation brings about human’s health. The vegetation can reduce stress, aids mental health, reduces asthma, obesity, stress, and heart disease, promotes outdoor activities when designed in coherence with the well-designed streets, attracts more people of different ages and gender (Säumel, et al., 2016).

Vegetation has a great influence on preference for types of street greening and adding trees to urban streets strongly increases the perceived quality of life.

Urban roads are not merely transported corridors but public spaces where people engage in recreational and social activities (Bosselmann et al., 1999). The livable streets in the urban design intervention of space need a space where social activities and the livability of space and users intermingle and function together as a whole. Vegetation influences human speed as if its physical element matches the size and scale making the space interactive with the human senses.

Vegetation on streets provides aesthetic beauty to space, gives value and creates a symbolic experience of the street movement encouraging people to walk and stroll around which further leads to more social interaction and encounters creating a more liveable environment creating a healthy lifestyle and breaking the sedentary ones. Planting in the nature strip delineates the pedestrian space from the vehicular space which improves the sense of safety. (Jones, et al, 2013).

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b) Physical and Environmental benefits - Vegetation provides comfort to the users along the street, by providing seasonal shade for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. It improves the climate of the space by providing shade and space around which nullifies the “urban heat island effect”. Trees and urban forests decrease soil erosion, stormwater runoff, flooding, air, water and noise pollution; they provide wildlife habitats, soil nutrients, composting materials, and recycling services; and they sequester carbon dioxide (McPherson, 1995). Green streets, rain barrels, and tree planting are estimated to be more effective in managing stormwater per invested than conventional methods. (Jones et al., 2013). Vegetation on streets helps in naturally cleansing the air as it absorbs and dilutes the pollution on roads by motor vehicles. Greens act as the oxygen production centre and reduce carbon emission in the environment. They can reduce glare, act as a screen for undesirable features; utility poles, light poles, on-street and off-street parking and other features in the built environment, frame lighted areas and define transportation corridors for better movement and barrier. c)

Economic benefits - Street Vegetation on the sidewalk enhances the user experience of the space which helps in the functioning of roadside business in the commercial area as it makes people stroll, linger and shop around in the space surrounded by the green space. The physical environment created by the vegetation helps in enhancing the business of small vendors making the space more experiential (Kathleen L Wolf, 1998). The design interventions create certain design steps to have street elements and amenities for better connectivity and influence over the user groups, which enhances the walkability and livability factors. All this helps in creating a vital commercial space around pedestrianised livable streets. Street vegetation makes the space safer and increases the property and real estate value of the area as it attracts more people. Appropriate street tree planting along commercial strips can improve the economic viability of the strip by improving customer comfort and therefore business diversity (Jacobs, 1993). Also, increases the street retail vitality and the nearby neighbourhoods’ spaces have reinforcing identity and prices increase.

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4.2.2 Issues, the problems of Street Vegetation a) Locational Issue - Physically, when vegetation is matured and its location on the sidewalks and the areas cause several issues if not being planted properly, taking into consideration the amount of growth below the ground, thus making the space problematic. b) Biological Issues - As the living part of the street, the vegetation has overtime growth and requires proper maintenance and other issues and challenges, such as tree mortality, its maintenance and overgrowth which can sometimes cause fatal damage and injury, leading to its biological growth-related cost add ups to the municipal or the private agency related to the functioning of these elements. Jones et al. (2013) point out the urban street vegetation faces various issues, including rapid urban growth and development, changing weather and climate patterns, invasive species, soil compaction, tree disease, and inadequate tree maintenance and protection c) Social Issues - The tree mortality and degradation issues happen in lower socio-economic areas due to a lack of public community participation (Nowak et al., 1990). The lower income indicates fewer funds available for tree care.

The lack of ownership and care by the dwellers create vegetation prone to damage and vandalism which correlates to the poor livability of the space.

Street vegetation helps in enlightening up the street and makes them livable with more added quality. As subjected through various researches there are benefits and drawbacks of the street vegetation studied.

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4.3 Experience There are a few other elements and perspectives that correlate directly with the street vegetation and the kind of street created through them. This helps in listing out the different attributes to study and analyze for seeing the influence of street vegetation on the livability of a street.

Gender-Based Perspective - The various researches on gender and streets in public spaces, shows that there is a varying number of factors that influence gender-based perspectives on streets. As the safety factor in the social benefits remains a topic to be heard differently. Especially Women pedestrians consider the time, climate, area all influencing the street vegetation differently. As space with higher shade cover might be sometimes too empty to be taken. During the further steps of methodology in finding the influence of street vegetation.

Street Elements - Static Street elements, designed and placed according to the needs and requirements. These include the elements like utility boxes, street poles, lamps, benches that hold places to interact, sit and rest. These elements need to be properly placed at adequate locations and provide clear movement widths for the stakeholders of streets and to be in cohesion with the street vegetation (ITDP,2014).

These include the various service-related elements placed on streets like dustbins, trash cans, toilets, information boards, signages. They enhance the space and make it more vital and helps in creating livability on streets as there are elements for walking users to interact with, helps in traffic calming too.

Street Parking - Livable streets cater to the needs of all kinds of stakeholders to have space for pedestrians as well as for the ones moving in vehicles. As there is segregation of vehicles on the roads, there are dedicated spaces for street parking without the hindrance in pathways for motor vehicles, cyclists and pedestrian movement. These spaces are regulated and charged, which are dedicated spaces available for on-street parking which is well managed, charged and restricted in volume, without restricting the pathways of movement for motor vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists. There are various favourable and unfavourable opinions of the same as this might be good for commercial local business but leads to a certain amount of congestion if not regulated properly. The whole system needs to be

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properly designed so that the created zones don't get out of the shadow because of certain wrongdoings.

Street Vendors - As on sidewalks there are three zones of frontage, pedestrians and amenities. The well-planned spaces on streets for street vendors to provide goods and services to people walking and strolling on the sidewalk plane. This enhances the economic vitality of the street space.

4.4 Policies and Guidelines These urban design interventions and the street space design are subjected to the public open spaces and come under regulations or policies by the government of the local area. These public policies play an important role in promoting and achieving the set criteria for better designed and more liveable streets. The guidelines offer a particular set of standards to perform and help in achieving a proper outcome of a physical environment related to street vegetation. The policy documents explained below, define the street vegetation and its vitality as a whole in the street design element form. These guideline documents are created under the government with help of field experts, and proper field surveys which take into account the needs of all kinds of stakeholders as each has a separate role to play and varying need and use in creating an overall sustainable livable and functional street sidewalk with street vegetation.

Illustration 12. Car oriented v/s Multimodal Street (Source ITDP)

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The car-oriented streets just cater to the vehicles and there is no consideration given to the perspectives and needs of the pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users.

This brings us to an integrated way of thinking where the pathways are considered with all the stakeholder perspectives and needs.

ITDP (2011) guidelines for the design of streets says Vegetation (Street Trees and Landscaping) improves the liveability of streets. vegetation on streets.

Illustration 13. Different kinds of the street with Vegetation (Source ITDP)

Design criteria and standards ITDP (2014) guidelines states various criteria landscaping elements should satisfy: ● An appropriate amount of distance between trees and greens on the streets create a vital environment of shade and comfort on the streets. This depends upon the climatic conditions of space, type, shape and size of individual vegetation type. ● Vegetation (trees and smaller shrubs) pits and water grit locations should be considered with the conduits of the other street elements (light poles). ● The biological growth and its Maintenance of the vegetation to be considered to create the proper porosity and visibility on streets. ● Depending upon the location and type larger sets of that rees with proper branching structures remain good for the area.

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Street Vegetation selection For choice and selection criteria of the suitable type of the street, vegetation depends upon various factors, including the species kind, the climate required for growth in particular environmental and physical conditions, the enhancement of the street environment formed by them. As not to create too dingy space nor to create non-comforting space. The first middle ground of the kind of vegetation is to be chosen and adequately designed for creating a livable environment. The major influencing factors are: ● Species type ● Location of the plantation (nature/median strip, road, path) ● Planting density (number of gaps) ● Quality (age, form etc) ● Growth and maintenance demands

Conclusion

Illustration 14. Street and its zones (Source ITDP)

Looking at the Liveability aspects of Street vegetation and its types of tree lines, shrubs, landscaping grass, etc. do provide the street with many benefits and enhance the environment of space for the pedestrians to move on and have it used more often. Making them attractive and inviting. It also influences their viewpoint on the enhancement of the street's slow zone.

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Chapter 5 - Methodology 5.1 Conceptual Framework

Figure 5. Analysis Framework (Source Author)

The conceptual framework for the research includes the establishment of the idea of how to proceed on selecting the various attributes/parameters of street vegetation influencing the pedestrian’s perspective. The method of study and its analysis as mentioned earlier in the research framework is based on a mixed-method of both qualitative and quantitative type through certain qualities and parameters based on case examples and survey-based upon the study.

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5.2 Methods The method chosen for the research is looking at the various livability measuring criteria and then analyzing the various case studies and thus having a proper survey questionnaire regarding choices given to the person to share their perspective.

5.2.1 Parameters of Study a) Measuring factors of Livable Street with Vegetation ● Accessibility & Buffer ● Connectivity & Interaction ● Safety Climate, Shade & Comfort ● Ambience & Amenities ● Placemaking & Infrastructure

Illustration 15. Street Vegetation attributes (Source Author)

5.2.2 Case study Selection and Justification The case study examples selected are based across the globe, the examples are where the influence of street vegetation is seen (positive or negative). The streets identified are different typologies of streets that are studied to gain a broader perspective in understanding how the arterial, local, neighbourhood and fully pedestrianised streets and other elements respond to the vegetation grown in and around (designed or grown over time) and analysed based upon (Qualitative)

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measures of livability parameters to understand the effect on the pedestrians’ feelings and quality of life through the increase in walkability due to the ambient physical environment created.

The following case study examples are chosen : 1. High Line street, New York 2. Pondy Bazaar Pedestrian Plaza, Chennai 3. Archi Block Road School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi (Semi- Primary) 4. Lancaster Boulevard, Lancaster, California All these streets have undergone urban intervention and have an unusual environment. They create a livable street environment that having that has coherence with vehicular movement and caters to all kinds of users with the consideration of street elements and vegetation around.

5.2.3 Survey Study An online survey was conducted to understand how pedestrians perceive urban street vegetation. The questionnaire (Quantitative) explores the mindset of the audience targeting the various user groups and their view on walking in their surrounding spaces and what are the major factors influencing the same.

Furthermore, it takes into account questions based on the vegetation and urban livability, and the various parameters established above to analyze them. So, to study how these influences the movement based upon how appealing the environment is in the surrounding space.

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Chapter 6 - Case studies and Survey 6.1. Introduction Case Study The case studies are selected to study the street vegetation influence on the pedestrian perception of walkability experience. This explores various examples studying different typologies of the street and various vegetation types around the street creating different user experiences in terms of physical as well as psychological barriers through vegetation and its various planned elements.

Online Survey The questionnaire (See Appendix 1) survey was conducted to determine the perspectives of people, to understand their concerns about walkability in their neighbourhoods. Also, their preferences and perspectives regarding the street vegetation and its influence in making the space appealing and attractive to use. The sample size for this study was considered to be 150 people.

The survey was circulated considering the people in different cities and taking out time to walk around and why would they. The survey people are selected through random sampling in the online survey to avoid any biased review.

Also, the survey questions people about why streets are important and how they peeve streets around them. The open-ended question was asked if they want streets with greenery around so gain knowledge about their perspective about the perception of roads. The major option for questions depends upon their perception of satisfaction if they agree with the current and proposed things.

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6.2 Case Examples 6.2.1 High Line street, Manhattan, New York, US High line street is a fully Pedestrianised street which was a redesign of the elevated railway line transformed as a public street and park in Manhattan. It stretches for 2.33 km which is a well-designed pathway for pedestrians to stroll and pass by the area.

There is an intermix design of the new and old elements present on-site to create a different interactive human experience.

Illustration 16. High Line Street (Source Google Images)

The types of street vegetation create the experiential space that is well designed to make the people walk and the wilderness is used as a design element to enhance the space and to make urban reform. Making the space a commonplace of gathering, interacting and to have space for all. The placemaking of the space with the vegetation and its elements creates a visual ambience and provides spaces with safety, comfort and shade.

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Illustration 17. Highline Street View with Analysis (Source Google Images)

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Imageability/Accessibility The street has distinct key features making it recognizable and more accessible for different users, considering different ages and abilities.

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Safety The street is designed for the heavy influx, which is in use 24/7 enabling eye on the street also, the bridge is always in the virtual eye of people on and off the area.

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Enclosure/Resilience The bridge street is defined by the physical barrier with the internal element of vegetation, street furniture and other elements to have areas for high interaction.

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Human scale The environment created by the physical elements on the streetscape that influence the walkability of pedestrians as it lies in the human size and levels creating a change of hig=her interaction which can generate intriguing senses and emotions.

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Transparency/Connectivity As with a clear and no Physical barrier in the view; Space is well connected with the surroundings making it porous and well connected.

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Complexity/Continuous variety As the plaza creates a space enclosed with wilderness vegetation designed and maintained properly as a street with a park and strolling space with the visual richness of a variety of activities occurring in the enscape.

The Highline Pedestrian street is analyzed based upon the Measuring factors of Livable Street with Vegetation. Where street achieves all the parameters of the livable street making it resilient creating a wholesome experience of the same. As the area has a lot of active users throughout the time-space is attributed to this high visibility and imageability range where the “Eye of street” concept by Jane Jacobs plays the role. The High Line street is always in the virtual eye range and has elements of enclosure of space at human-level making it much more human-centric and interactive. The wilderness vegetation is being used as a design element making the project an urban intervention, where the access and safety of the space make it more accessible to all types of users. The project challenged the conventional notion of connectivity, street, and landscape.

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6.2.2 Pondy Bazaar Pedestrian Plaza, Chennai, India The Pondy Bazaar Pedestrian Plaza, spanning over 700 meters on Sir Thyagaraya Road, was an urban intervention to create a human-centric and pedestrian active zone on a shopping/commercial street. Space was transformed to create a newer experience on a busy traffic-oriented road making it more resilient to use.

Illustration 18. Pondy Bazaar Street (Source ITDP)

Illustration 19. Before and after the intervention (Source ITDP)

The before and after images above shows the intervention done on Chennai street by ITDP, to create a pedestrian active street with seating and other design elements to create space which is appealing for people to walk and stroll on the street. The design mainly focuses on sidewalk zone widening for the space to walk and the addition of design elements to make the street interactive on the human level.

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Illustration 20. Pondy Bazaar Chennai Analysis(Source ITDP)

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Imageability/Accessibility Street Promenade is designed to create a space where the experience of street shopping is redefined. The widening of footpaths to create a public pedestrian plaza for people.

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Safety As the whole streetscape is covered with Commercial Shops all around which marks the eye at all hours making space always safe and active.

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Enclosure/Resilience The redesign of Thyagaraya Nagar Street was done by having proper street segregation, with defined lanes for vehicular and pedestrian street, expansion of pedestrian zones with proper infrastructure and barriers where required.

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Human scale Street Plaza has physical elements incorporated in the street design space making it usable for sitting, playing, meeting, socializing, strolling etc. thus, makes it interactive.

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Transparency/Connectivity As the Public sphere is designed to be a people-centric design over vehicles, making it accessible for multiple users, to pass, shop and interact.

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Complexity/Continuous variety Space is visually appealing by creating the space but lacks vegetation and planted greens on human interaction scale, making the space with ample walking space but with less shading and a comfortable environment.

Based on the Livable street parameter analysis the street has a commercial eye on the street making it safe for pedestrians, whereas being a neighbourhood street the connectivity factor isn't well utilised as there is segregation of vehicular traffic but the street. The transparency of movement is hindered.

Illustration 21. Pondy Bazaar Street Intervention (Source ITDP)

As shown in the above sketch the road earlier was filled with traffic congestion because of no regulations on parking, travel speed and no proper sidewalk infrastructure. The call for the design intervention to create a people-centric design catering to the needs of people and making the shopping/commercial street more active for pedestrians. As the influx of people was huge in the area, the placemaking made the area not only active, it increased the accessibility of space and gave a different image to it.

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6.3.3 Architecture Block Road, SPA Delhi, New Delhi, India The pedestrian street between the Architecture and Planning Block of the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi is designed with proper vegetation and ample space to walk from one block to another. It is a neighbourhood street that lies in the institutional range with no/minimal commercial zone with some street sellers, as space around is just a connecting Pedestrian street.

Illustration 22. Architecture Block Street (Source Author)

The street acts as a proper Street highly recommended for walkability, but as the street has no commercial space around and is existing between the government institutes with functioning time from 9-5 which makes the street use die and the use at night in dark is very less as the place looks dingy and unsafe with no less human interaction.

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Illustration 23. Architecture Block street Analysis (Source Author)

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Imageability/Accessibility The street creates an experience while having a movement between the road with proper street vegetation making it a boulevard street.

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Safety The user group using the street is very limited making the street with less influx, which is shady at certain non-busy hours and in dark because of no ample lighting.

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Enclosure/Resilience The Pedestrian footpath street is defined by the physical barrier of level difference with proper vegetation defining the pathway with one side covered by the major road and a service Road.

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Human scale On the street as there are no physical elements, street furniture, bins, playing elements that enable humans to interact with them and find the experience more attractive. This makes the street dull and unattractive.

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Transparency/Connectivity The pedestrian footpath isn't well connected with the surrounding space making it less connected and accessible for users.

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Complexity/Continuous variety As there is almost no activity present in and around the space is merely functioning as a connecting pathway with a physical environment of vegetation.

Based on the Livable street parameter analysis the Archi Block Pedestrian street has proper vegetation creating an experiential movement from one block to another, but it lacks any commercial activity around making the space dingy at times with no eye on the street, thus unsafe for pedestrians. The space has limited users which mostly function for certain timings making the space unusable in dark, marking an unsafe zone.

The traffic on the side is fast-moving making the densely vegetated road lacking transparency. The street has no complexity linked with the surroundings, the environment is soothing, comfortable and shady by the ample amount of street vegetation, but there is a high lack of amenities around. The street activity is limited because of the location and the less influx of people in and around.

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6.3.4 Lancaster Boulevard, Lancaster, California The Lancaster city municipality converted a non-attractive fully vehicular oriented Arterial road downtown into a more accessible and livelier road for different kinds of users. Thus, making it a livable street that the as a coherence of vehicular and pedestrians on the streets, the street was converted as a designed boulevard with segregation of different zones as per the usage.

Illustration 24. Before and After Intervention (Source Google Images)

Illustration 25. Street Views (Source Google Images)

The streetscape has pedestrian, vehicular and dedicated parking zones. The dedicated parking space is used as a weekly farmer's market every Thursday and year around festival space for kiosks and cultural hubs for activities of the community.

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Illustration 26. Lancaster boulevard Street Analysis (Source Google Images)

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Imageability/Accessibility The Pedestrian zone on the street creates an experience for commercial shoppers and strollers around. The boulevard street creates attention making the street more viable through the greens.

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Safety The arterial road had the commercial shops creating the active edge all along and having proper amenities around creating a full-time eye on the street.

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Enclosure/Resilience The Pedestrian sidewalk zone was defined by the street vegetation psychological barrier and level difference marking the zones, creating an ambient environment enhancing the walking experience.

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Human scale There are well designed physical elements that create the human interaction with the elements due to easy accessibility to these elements, thus creating an attraction that in a way corresponds to the human walking and experience.

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Transparency/Connectivity As the street is well connected with the surrounding space and degree of porosity is high. The street has ample

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lighting, street furniture, traffic patterns with speed regulation, landscaping creating a space that is more magnetic and accessible to all. ●

Complexity/Continuous variety The pedestrian footpath and the middle spine created for the festive market makes the street with visual richness, the high influx of different users and complex activities.

The Lancaster Boulevard street was an urban intervention of the vehicular street into a people-oriented street, which is analyzed based upon the Measuring factors of Livable Street with Vegetation. Where street achieves all the parameters of the livable street making it resilient creating a wholesome experience of the same. The varying variety of activity space on the street makes it an attractive and soothing environment. Increasing the urban influx on the street makes people walk and stroll around the commercial plaza enhancing the city livability index of walkability. As the street creates space for festive markets which is the space for social interaction, gathering spaces for the community to thrive on. The boulevard plantation strip creates the environment making the sidewalk usable and accessible to all with the presence of physical elements.

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Chapter 7- Analysis 7.1 Introduction The research paper follows a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative analysis, where in the last chapter the qualitative aspects of the research are studied taking a few examples across the globe to understand the use of streets and the physical environment which is formed by the street vegetation and the other elements of the streets. Further, the Analysis chapter lays the conclusion from the 4 case examples studied and a comparative analysis of the same based on the certain parameters of study established earlier in the literature review. Then the quantitative data collected through the survey is analyzed to study the respondents’ view and perspective related to streets as the pedestrian, and how walkability can enhance the lifestyle of the city and spaces in their neighbourhood.

7.2 Case Study Analysis The four case examples and their study analysis shows how Streets and its elements function together in creating an ambient physical environment for the users. Certain inferences from the 4 case examples are as follows: 1. High Line street, New York The High line street has an ambient intriguing environment created for the pedestrians where they can stroll, cross and socialize. The urban intervention of the existing railway line into a pedestrian street bridge with physical elements of street vegetation, wilderness grew over the railway track, furniture, lighting etc. The street is a perfect example of a pedestrian-oriented street with human-centric design catering to the needs of all kinds of users in the space.

2. Pondy Bazaar Pedestrian Plaza, Chennai The promenade plaza on the major commercial street market road of Pondy Bazar, where the street is redesigned to be a liveable street which is people-centric and caters to the needs and demands of the different age groups using it for shopping, to pass by, to explore and to socialize. The street elements like the furniture and play elements make it attractive and appealing.

There is a lack of ample street vegetation and planted greens, making the

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street with a low shade and uncomfortable to walk and stroll in its physical climate of humid Chennai.

3. Archi Block Road School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi The Pedestrian connecting street between the architecture and planning block at SPA, Delhi has densely covered vegetation creating a shaded and comfortable street to walk in with an ambient environment. But as space has limited user influx and with no commercial area around to create an active edge enabling an eye on the street, makes the street unsafe. Also, there is no physical element that caters to human scale interaction making it less/not at all lively and appealing.

4. Lancaster Boulevard, Lancaster, California The arterial street intervention to create a livable street concept with more humans to walk and enhance the space by making the commercial edge active. The street design has segregation of the pedestrian, vehicular movement and parking zones, thus marking space for all kinds of users.

The following case study is comparatively analysed based on the certain parameter of the livable streets with vegetation Parameters

High Line Street, Newyork

Pondy bazaar Plaza, Chennai

Archi Block Street, Delhi

Lancaster Boulevard, California

Access to Pedestrians

Exclusive Pedestrian Street

Segregation of Space for Vehicles & Pedestrians

Connecting Sidewalk for two SPA Blocks

Designed in Coherence for Pedestrians and Automobiles

Characteristics

Bridge with Paved Stone

Paved Promenade

Concrete Paved Footpath Fly Ash Brick

Bitumen Road and Stone Sidewalks

Connectivity

Highly Connected with the adjacent areas

Converted as a Livable Street making it connected to the city

Serves as a connector of the two blocks, not extended

Ample amount of parking space for the users to stop and walk in the market.

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Imageability & Liveliness

Interactive & Very Lively

Market interactive & Lively during shopping hours

Not at all lively

Very Lively

Safety

Good lighting & Active Hours high influx of people Active Street

Commercial eye in the centre of the market Lively in evening

Not at all safe because of Dingy dark hours No eye on Street due to surrounding land use

Commercial eye Eye on Street

Wild excess of Vegetation Street Furniture Stroll and pass Nodal Points

Excess of street furniture, All user type friendly Comfort Providing

Negligible Street Furniture,

Open Market space, fewer street physical elements

Human Scale

Elements for all kinds of users

Active areas for strolling and sitting down

No element for human scale interaction

Spaces for human scale interaction

Comfort & Shade

Shaded spaces along the edges due to the surrounding built

Not much vegetation

Good shading from the sun, not much overcrowding

Ample amount of shading for market

Legibility

High Visibility

Wide Roads Legible

Dense Vegetation making it difficult at dark to be legible

Very Good legibility, Great Typology

Enclosure

Dense Standing Vegetation

Table 1. Comparative Analysis of the Case studies

The different streets with different typology and spatial environments are studied and analyzed based on the qualities of the street and how these environments are intriguing enough to influence the street walkability of pedestrians.

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7.3 Survey Data Analysis The data collected and compiled through the Survey Questionnaire (See Appendix 1) is further analysed and critiqued and the inferences are established based on respondent’s responses as the pedestrians' perspective of looking at the streets with vegetation and how it can effectively influence the liveability of the area.

The Survey Data Compilation (See Appendix 2) of the responses through the random sampling of respondents across the country has the following inferences as to the analysis. In the random sampling, 58% of the respondents were male and the remaining, 42% were female (see Figure 7). The majority of survey forms were filled by Tier 1,2 & 3 cities (See Figure 9).

Section 1 Streets ● Walkability From the 152 respondents of the survey, there were almost 80% of people who walk and step out Daily/Quite often a week for utilitarian purposes in their neighbourhood area of a walkable distance of 6-10min. People's walkability is a significant factor in their daily lives and the physical environment of sidewalks and footpath concerns the majority (See Figure 10). ● Availability of Pedestrianised Street infrastructure The survey form shows that most of the places lack a proper walking sidewalk or footpath with some basic elements like trees, light and furniture, which makes a space ample for walking. 62% of people have a lack of Pedestrian roads in their neighbourhood and the nearby Public Spaces (See Figure 11).

● Are the streets Appealing? Reasons behind the issues and influences on walking.

The majority of people considered Cleanliness, Vegetation and Lighting amenities as major concerning factors influencing their walking experience.

Whereas the major issue behind people who are resisting walking is because of the Bad Infrastructure and Safety on the walkways (See Figure 14).

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65% of people find the Pedestriansed spaces appealing, with the activities around and 24% say it may depend upon the area and the time. ● Effect on Sedentary Lifestyle 85% of the respondents agreed with the statement that walking more often and pedestrianisation of the neighbourhoods can help in decreasing the sedentary lifestyles as people will be more open to walking in walkable distances of the PedShed area (See Figure 17).

Section 2: Street Vegetation ● Importance of Street Vegetation on Streets?

A scale of 1-5 Respondents' view was taken of whether streets with vegetation are important, to provide shade, comfort and a physically intriguing environment.

Out of 152 responses, 105 people considered vegetation Highly important for a street (See Figure 19). ● Safety?

As the street with vegetation is sometimes less legible and makes the area dingy if the vegetation cover is dense and not porous for an eye on the street.

The survey shows that people like to walk over a street with vegetation that has a designed and proper level of vegetation (See Figure 20). ● Influence on Walkability?

Through the survey analysis, it is found that Shade and Climate was the major aspect which is provided by the vegetation influences walkability on streets for the pedestrians, followed by the health benefits of walking and the visual ambient environment created by the same (See Figure 22). ● Issues with Vegetation As Indian streets lack proper Sidewalk infrastructure and lack proper maintenance of the elements such as Amenities, vegetation, lighting and other

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features. The major issue with street vegetation is considered to be the maintenance which is related to the effort put by regulatory bodies and community thus killing the spark of the space (See Figure 23). ● Quality of life?

Through the survey, the respondents' view about the liability factor was taken on how walkability on streets with vegetation can influence it. As the Quality of life of urban space is dependent upon the health factor, walkability and physical environment, 30% Strongly agree and 44% Agree on the fact that Green streets can increase people’s will to walk thus creating an ambient environment and increasing the quality of life (See Figure 25). ● Livability Index of Cities The survey answers by the respondents show their perspective about Vegetation creating an ambient environment in streets and surroundings which makes it more attractive & appealing to people increasing the walkability ratio of space and thus increasing the Livability of the urban space.

The majority of the respondents agree that greens and vegetation help in creating a stimulating environment (See Figure 26).

Conclusion The analysis of the Qualitative (See Case Examples) and Quantitative (See Survey) data helps in understanding the subject in detail, looking at the establishments laid in the literature review and shows how the physical environment of the streets has an influential effect on the pedestrians. The Qualitative parameters studied are further validated in quantitative surveys to understand which has a higher influence on the walkability of people. The comparative analysis of the case study is to understand the different quality factors and parameters which helps in creating the different streets and how it increases the walkability ratio, which is directly proportional to the better quality of life and helps in decreasing the sedentary lifestyle. Similarly, in the data analysis of respondents survey its seen that the street vegetation and other amenities are the influential factors for the pedestrians.

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Chapter 8 - Findings 8.1 Introduction The chapter looks at the findings from the research study (Chapter 6) undertaken to analyze (Chapter 7) the influence of street vegetation on walkability factors.

8.2 Inferences and Findings Streets being the fundamental part of the public realm we as individuals and communities thrive upon in our day to day life.

1. The streets-escape spaces aren't merely the walking zones in the highly dense cities, these are also the interaction areas and zones. A good street provides all the facilities that make it walkable such as jogging, strolling, shopping, socializing, interacting, waiting etc. The urge of pedestrians to walk on these streets depends upon the stimulating environment and the physical attributes of the space.

2. The case examples studied are analysed over the quality parameters looking at the physical environment formed by the streets and its functional elements that provide the imageability and resilience to space. The learnings show how the streets need to be people-oriented and the sidewalks especially should cater to the human scale to have a high level of interaction. The pedestrians’ sidewalk room needs this before the older times in historical setups, where the pedestrian movement was the threshold and which enabled the satisfactory movement along the edges of the road making the streets functional for all.

3. In the Indian subcontext condition, the ambient shade and comfort are extremely important in the case of the sidewalks, as the activities happening on sidewalks are highly influential. The sidewalks with vegetation cover as full-grown canopy trees, shrubs and groundcover with the paved material of the ground plane. The vegetation softens the concrete, adds colour to space, creates an alluring environment, making the hard surface porous for the water to flow.

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4. Findings through the survey data analysis show that the majority of spaces lack proper pedestrian infrastructure, but the people who frequently use pathways to walk and stroll want or aspire for it. Participants were fairly satisfied with the designed vegetation around the street acting as a buffer and a physical barrier between the moving vehicles and the pedestrians. In this a variety of factors on the placement and maintenance of the vegetation influence the: ● perception of safety, ● eye on the street through the land use pattern, ● number & density enabling porosity and ● designed amenities around.

5. .The concept of the livable streets analyzed earlier shows that many parameters such as access, connectivity, visual aspects, shade, ambience, placemaking, enclosure, safety, comfort etc. are to be considered, observed, critiqued and designed properly keeping in mind all the age groups and kinds of people who use the street sidewalk for the utilitarian purposes. These successfully happen with the proper strategic planning, discussion, critiques and designing according to the needs, surroundings and context of the user group of the space, with further maintenance and monitoring.

6. Looking at the role of vegetation which is planned and designed on the street creates a psychological barrier between the vehicle and the sidewalks making it a shield plane. Both physical and social factors of vegetation play a role in increasing the walkability index of the street. As seen in the Lancaster Boulevard case study where the physical features of the urban intervention contribute to an overall environment of the space creating a psychological barrier with the defined planted/designed boulevard on the middle parking spine as well the sidewalks.

7. Walking for short walkable distances in a daily lifestyle helps in creating a healthy lifestyle providing a breakthrough in the sedentary lifestyle. Also, helps in creating a community and active environment in the public spaces which help in solving issues like, climate change, air & noise pollution, quality of life. By taking the Pedestrianization mode and abandoning the motorized modes, streets become more efficient and functional spaces.

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Chapter 9 - Conclusions Streets are more than the thoroughfare acting as transportation conduits, these are space for gathering, interacting, coming together to experience the environment. A quality walkable street is what is needed in the public realm, to create an ambient physical environment that must be designed according to pedestrians' needs and requirements supported by the facilities and proper policies. As streets comprise a large amount of the city's public space, it is a space for all, which functions with all people, amenities and infrastructure together. Covid-19, the global crisis has highlighted the importance of streets as public spaces as they allow people to move to increase the Walkability ratio and Pedestrianization helps in creating social inclusion and to have a better quality of life, by making streets safe, healthy and happy for all. The planner and regulatory authorities who plan these streets need to have a design with de-separate developments for vehicles and pedestrian influx together in coherence making it active with proper participation of the surrounding community users.

The research findings indicate that the walkable street is a mixture of the physical environment and psychological feelings created by the virtue of various elements and amenities. These are places that are stimulating or attractive enough for people to experience them which inculcates feelings and emotions about and in the physical space through the interaction of human senses. It constitutes a space for all, coherence with the vehicular flow, transit riders, pedestrians, cyclists, service providers, vendors and passers. The Street sidewalk is a room with various elements of built scape, greens, vegetation, amenities, texture, material, barrier, canopy etc. in the surroundings. The Livable street objective in a city is to create a more lively and accessible space that helps in creating a better Quality of Life.

The hypothesis suggested that Street vegetation is just for making streets appealing enough to walk, but looking at the beneficial effects of the vegetation and the influences it has on human health, improved neighbourhoods, physical environment, better quality of life and interaction on a human scale. Well, designed sidewalks create ecological corridors with canopy and ground porosity helping in having a physical sound and socially inclusive environment.

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For the better-known fact to all, with the growing congestion levels on roads with traffic, there is a shift towards having pedestrian pathways to abandon and decrease the load on traffic. The findings highlight that walkability is highly influenced by the vegetation greens in conjunction with the amenities of the street. As these help in creating alluring environments. The vegetation has to be placed on the sidewalks for higher rates of mobility.

In the Indian context, high density shows that coherent development can help in providing a better space for all creating a better accessible and well-connected infrastructure with basic requirements that can make streets appealing, enabling people to walk and to interact with streets more.

Looking at the research questions, the influence of Street vegetation is imperceptible if looking at the larger picture of it creating a sound environment. But the coherent environment created by the planned and designed vegetation helps in creating better opportunities for all the stakeholders of streets and enhancing the clear visibility, activity space, inclusion and better qualities of livability.

Future Research and Way Forward Research focuses on the attitude and perception of pedestrians towards the street vegetation and its influence on their walking patterns. Future studies can look into the environmental effects of street vegetation following the climate factors enabling better air quality and noise reduction due to the cannot barrier effects. This can have a way forward with having findings around the public service, with participation and critique in design.

Besides, further research can help in establishing the policies, rules and regulations about street vegetation following the social and behavioural influence of pedestrians.

These can be looked at in the detailed study of the maintenance and water flow management of the greens.

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Appleyard, D. (1980) ‘Livable Streets: Protected Neighbourhoods?’, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 451, pp. 106–117. DOI: 10.2307/1043165.

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Burden, D. (2006) ‘22 Benefits of Urban Street Trees Choi, J. et al. (2016) ‘Human-centered designs, characteristics of urban streets, and pedestrian perceptions’, Journal of Advanced Transportation, 50(1), pp. 120–137.

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Wagner, J. H. and Creese, W. (1968) ‘“When Do We Hit the Streets?”’, Landscape Architecture, 58(2), pp. 104–108.

Untermann, R. K. (1990) ‘STREETS ARE FOR SHARING’, Landscape Architecture, 80(7), pp. 54–57.

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Bibliography Anciaes, P. R., Jones, P. and Mindell, J. S. (2016) ‘Community Severance: Where Is It Found and at What Cost?’, Transport Reviews, 36(3), pp. 293–317. DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2015.1077286.

Appleyard, D. (1980) ‘Livable Streets: Protected Neighbourhoods?’, The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 451, pp. 106–117. DOI: 10.2307/1043165.

Appleyard, D., Gerson, M. S. and Lintel, M. (1981) Livable streets. Berkeley: University of California Press.

BADAMI, M. G. (2009) ‘Urban Transport Policy as if People and the Environment Mattered: Pedestrian Accessibility the First Step’, Economic and Political Weekly, 44(33), pp. 43–51.

Beecham, S. and Lucke, T. (2015) ‘STREET TREES IN PAVED URBAN ENVIRONMENTS – THE BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES’, p. 13.

Bosselmann, P., Macdonald, E. and Kronemeyer, T. (1999) ‘Livable Streets Revisited’, Journal of the American Planning Association, 65(2), pp. 168–180. DOI: 10.1080/01944369908976045.

Burden, D. (2006) ‘22 Benefits of Urban Street Trees Burden, D. and Litman, T. (2011) ‘America Needs Complete Streets’, ITE Journal, 81(4). pp.36-43.

Choi, J. et al. (2016) ‘Human-centered designs, characteristics of urban streets, and pedestrian perceptions’, Journal of Advanced Transportation, 50(1), pp. 120–137.

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Appendices Appendix 1: Questionnaire Street Vegetation & Perspectives Hello fellow Humans. I'm Aanchal Khandelwal, currently pursuing my Architectural degree. This survey is part of my dissertation 'Street Livability through Vegetation'.

My research is focused on analyzing how street vegetation conditions influence pedestrian walkability on the streets.

The following questionnaire survey is to understand the Pedestrian perspective and shall only be strictly used for academic purposes. Do fill in the form below based on your day to day experiences and contribute to my research. Thank you! Ask your friends and family too.

Link to the Google Form created https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfNt7LTbRUREkjEfTifRQw_JiOMs2ftlcmda_G-iX2zTCEP mw/viewform *Required

1. Name*

_______________________

2. Age* ○

Below 18

○

18-30

○

30-45

○

45-60

○

Above 60

3. Gender* ○

Female

○

Male

○ Prefer not to say 4. Occupation*

_______________________

5. Current Location? (City, State)*

_______________________

6. Which category does your city fall into? * ○

Tier 1 - Metro City

○

Tier 2 - City

○

Town

○

Village

○

Don't Know

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Streets 1. Do you step/walk in your Neighbourhood? (Please consider scenario before Covid) * A walkable distance in 6-10 minutes

Figure 6. Walkable Distance Source Mapping (Source Author)

○

Daily

○

Quite Often in a week

○

Weekly

○

Never, very rare

○

Other _______________________

2. Do you have a Pedestrianised Street Infrastructure in the places you visit more often and walk there?* Proper Sidewalks or footpaths and elements like trees, lights, furniture ○

Yes

○

No

○

Other _______________________

3. If yes, You walk - Which of the following influences your experience?* Tick which all you experience

■

Visual Beauty and Infrastructure

■

Cleanliness

■

Shade and Comfort

■

Vegetation, Light and Amenities

■

Safe to move

■

Activities on Street

■

Other _______________________

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4. If No, You don't walk - Why so?* Tick which all you experience ■

Bad Condition and Infrastructure

■

Poor Light, Greens and Amenities

■

Safety and Other Issues

■

Other _______________________

5. Do Streets where you walk to appeal to you?*

Is it a space filled with people & vegetation,

lights that make you feel comfortable enough to walk on streets or there is congestion and no infrastructure, so it's unattractive.

○

Yes

○

No

○

May be

6. Rate the following elements of street depending upon their importance on Pedestrian streets* .1 being Least and 4 being Very Important Pointer

1

2

3

4

Accessible space

〇

〇

〇

〇

Infrastructure

〇

〇

〇

〇

Vegetation & Street Furniture

〇

〇

〇

〇

Vendor/Public Interaction

〇

〇

〇

〇

Light- Safety Measures

〇

〇

〇

〇

7. Would you walk more often on Proper Pedestrianised Streets?* Given when you have time and usage possibility

○

Yes

○

No

○

May be

8. Can Pedestrianization affect the Sedentary Lifestyle and increase Urban Livability Factor of a city/town?*

*A sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle involving little or no physical

activity.*

○

Yes

○

No

○

Can’t say

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9. Do you think streets sidewalk can be regulated and designed for better Walking usage?* ○

Yes, will have lesser traffic congestion

○

Yes with proper traffic Segregation

○

Maybe, not at the cost of Vehicles

○

No, Sidewalks aren't of use

Street Vegetation 1. How Important are Streets sidewalks with vegetation? *

Illustration 27. Street with and without Street Vegetation;(Source Author, Getty Images) 1 being Least Important and 5 being very Important

1

2

3

4

5

〇

〇

〇

〇

〇

2. Are you concerned about safely going down the streets with vegetation?

Concerning the Traffic calming, Eyes on the street, Lights on streets etc.

○

Yes

○

No

○

Other _______________________

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3. Choose the one you would feel likely to walk on?*

Illustration 28. Street views with Different Vegetation(Source Author Edit)

○

Option1 - No vegetation

○

Option 2 - Light Pole with Vegetation pots

○

Option 3 - Greens and small shrubs

○

Option 4 - Properly Designed Vegetation

4. How would you rate the following aspects of vegetation that influences walkability on the street?*

1 being Least and 3 being Very Important

Pointer

1

2

3

Safety & Buffer

〇

〇

〇

Shade & Climate

〇

〇

〇

Visual Ambience

〇

〇

〇

Sewage + Rain-water Management

〇

〇

〇

Health Benefits

〇

〇

〇

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| Dissertation 2020 | SPA Delhi |

5. Consider a Street with Vegetation you have taken, What are the issues you feel we have with street Vegetation* ■

Improper Placement

■

Maintenance

■

Mortality/Biological Issue

■

Other _______________________

6. Is maintenance of the street vegetation not taken care of usually and that makes the streets dull and non-walkable? * Choose one. ○

Authorities need to be more responding

○

People should take some measures.

○

No one wants to take an effort

7. Will the Quality of life Increase if we use the streets more often?* ○

Strongly disagree

○

Disagree

○

Neutral

○

Agree

○

Strongly agree

8. How street Vegetation can help increase the Livability index of a city or town.* Tick what all you consider.

■

Makes street Appealing to people

■

Increases Walkability Ratio

■

Creates better surrounding environment

■

People need break from Sedentary LifeStyle

■

Generates Human senses & emotions

■

Other _______________________

9. Would you like to have streets with designated vegetation in your locality?

Why?*

Please Elaborate

____________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________

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Appendix 2: Survey Data Compilation The survey Questionnaire (See Appendix 1) in Google form was floated around to conduct the survey and to analyze the pedestrian point of view about streets and walkability can influence the liveability of an urban area.

The Data Compilation of the above Questionnaire of about 155 individual responses from varying ages and cities and how their surrounding space on streets and street vegetation influences their experience and their views regarding the same.

1. Gender?

Figure 7. Gender

2. Age Group?

Figure 8. Age Group

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3. Which category does your city fall into?

Figure 9. City Type

4. Do you step/walk in your Neighbourhood? (Please consider scenario before Covid) * A walkable distance in 6-10 minutes

Figure 10. Usage of Pedestrian Street

5. Do you have a Pedestrianised Street Infrastructure in the places you visit more often and walk there?* Proper Sidewalks or footpaths and elements like trees, lights, furniture

Figure 11. Pedestrian Infrastructure

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6. If yes, You walk - Which of the following influences your experience?*

Tick

which all you experience

Figure 12. Factors influencing on Walking Experience

7. If No, You don't walk - Why so?* Tick which all you experience

Figure 13. Factors disabling the walking experience

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8. Do Streets where you walk appeal to you?

Figure 14. Appealing Streets

9. Rate the following elements of street depending upon their importance on Pedestrian streets

Figure 15. Elements of Importance on Street

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10. Would you walk more often on Proper Pedestrianised Streets?

Figure 16. Proper Pedestrian Streets

11. Can Pedestrianization affect the Sedentary Lifestyle and increase Urban Livability Factor of a city/town?*

Figure 17.Influence on Urban Livability

12. Do you think streets sidewalk can be regulated and designed for better Walking usage?*

Figure 18. Sidewalk Regulation

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13. How Important are Streets sidewalks with vegetation?

Figure 19. Importance of Street Vegetation

14. Are you concerned about safely going down the streets with vegetation?

Figure 20. Safety on Streets with vegetation

15. Choose the one you would feel likely to walk on?

Figure 21. Highly Walkable Street

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16. How would you rate the following aspects of vegetation that influences walkability on the street?

Figure 22. Vegetation factors Influencing Walkability

17. Consider a Street with Vegetation you have taken, What are the issues you feel we have with street Vegetation*

Figure 23. Vegetation factors disabling Walkability

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18. Is maintenance of the street vegetation not taken care of usually and that makes the streets dull and non-walkable?

Figure 24. Maintenance of Streets

19. Will the Quality of life Increase if we use the streets more

often Figure 25. Quality of Live on Streets

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20. How street Vegetation can help increase the Livability index of a city or town

Figure 26. Vegetation Factors influencing Livability Index

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Plagiarism Report

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