Project

THEORIES OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM (ARC61303 / ARC 2224) BACHELOR OF SCIENCE ( HONOURS ) IN ARCHTIECTURE

“Life between buildings: using public space” Part 2

NAME: NEOH JIA WEN STUDENT ID: 0318228 TUTORIAL TIME: 11.00P.M.

Table of content 1.0 Framework of content…………………………………………………………………………………………3 2.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………..4 3.0 Comparative Analysis Essay…………………………………………………………………………………7 4.0 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………..14 5.0 Reference………………………………………………………………………………………………………15

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1.0 Framework of content - the social and physical attributes that influences the contact points and its intensity along the streets.

Non - physical form Form through social activity Contact points

-junction -create walkability How it influence the intensity, frequency of the contact point

Physical form

Activity attracts people People attracts people

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2.0 Introduction This is the second project of “Life Between Buidlings: Using Public Space.�, subject Theories of Architecture and Urbanism. It requires students to write a comparative analysis essay based on findings from Project one case study and local site research from subject Architectural Design Studio 5.

In this comparative analysis essay, two streets in Asia which is Jalan M.H Thamrin, Jakarta and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur are being compared. The comparison focuses on the social and physical attributes that influences the contact points and its intensity along the streets.

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Jalan Muhammad Husni Thamrin, the thoroughfare of busy city Jakarta In Jakarta, the practice which became apparent from activity mapping is the use of streets as shared spaces rather than segregated spaces for motorized and non-motorized traffic (Mantho, 2015). The selected street is Jalan Muhammad Husni Thamrin (Jalan M.H Thamrin) which located at the heart of Jakarta and become the thoroughfare that runs through the Central Business District. The street spans for 2.5km long across from Patung Kuda roundabout to Bundaran Hotel Indonesia roundabout. Along this street are mostly shopping malls, offices, theatre, and hotels. Since 23 May 2002, the government organized “car free day� activity every Sunday along the street in order to socialize vehicle-free lifestyle and enhance the environment quality of Jakarta. The street is pedestrian friendly as it is wide enough, clean and low in crime due to police patrols regularly.

Figure 1 shows the contact points along Jalan M.H Thamrin

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Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, ‘grande dame’ of Kualan Lumpur shopping The selected street from our design studio project to be compared to Jalan M.H Thamrin is Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Along the street are mostly shopping mall, shops and stalls which creates a shopping street identity for Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. The focus area spans for 1km starting from Jalan Dang Wangi until Jalan Tun Perak. The alley beside it, Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, is closed to traffic and transformed into a night market every Saturday which brings to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman another pattern of social living.

The site shares the similarity with Jalan M.H Thamrin as they both have a direct pedestrian network.

The idea of both sites that shows different activity occurs during different time-based adapted to the engagement between people made up to the interesting comparative points worth arguing.

Figure 2 shows the contact points along Jalan Tuanku Abdu Rahman

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3.0 Comparative Analysis Essay According to Jan Gehl’s “Life between Buildings�, social activity takes place every time two people are together in the same space, human activities in public space can be distributed into necessary, optional and social types of behaviors (Gehl, 2006). When there is a spot or a place where people get to meet one another and allow a more intimate level of interactions to happen, even without a physical form of node, a contact point is formed (Gehl, 2006). The frequency of activity is defined by the variety of activities happened in one place.

At the starting point of Jalan M.H Thamrin, which is Plaza Indonesia, without a physical form of node, a contact point formed with a high frequency of activity which offers a variety of activities. It happens naturally at the junction of road as shown in Figure 3. Due to its high visibility to the road, people carry out necessary activities during car free day as the vendors set up the stalls along the pedestrian pavement. The informal economic activities or vendors make positive contributions to walkability. Pedestrians appreciated the way in which informal vendors enhanced street life by making available food or convenient places to sit, shop and eat which create the optional activities. Social activities are indirectly supported whenever necessary and optional activities are demand in public spaces (Gehl, 2006). The presence of vendors seems to allow social activities including interaction between the vendors and visitors, sitting and chatting for communitybased surveillance (also called passive contact) and prevented the street from being quiet. If given a choice between walking on a deserted or a lively street, most people in most situations will choose the lively street (Gehl, 2006).

Figure 3 shows the high frequency of activity in Plaza Indonesia which located at the junction and form a contact point without a physical form 7

Similar to Plaza Indonesia which set up stalls along the pedestrian pavement, in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, vendors carts can be found located on the street side. However, the vending carts compromise sidewalk width to the point that it cannot be considered accessible which is shown in figure 4. The interface properties are rather messy, with loose concrete and stones. The frequency of activities and contact intensity are relatively low. Compared to the good condition of Plaza Indonesia, it appears that Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman only allows necessary activities for example business activity to happen. The existence of seating and its orientation define the opportunity of people to see, hear, and meet others (Gehl, 2006). Seating or benches cannot be located at the side for people to stay and rest. However, the intensity of contact point is still relatively high as people tend to talk to each other or looking at the surrounding while queuing in front of stalls.

Width of sidewalk

Figure 4 shows the existence of stall that compromise sidewalk width

Urban designers adopt a high-resolution approach to walkability, in which pedestrian spaces are represented as places. The frequency of the activity in front of Bundaran Hotel Indonesia is moderate with a fountain feature in the middle, leaving the space around free to serve as a pedestrian pathway. It became an exclusive focus on pedestrian planning based on monumental and synoptically legible sites, highlighting the conceptual boundaries of pedestrian space (Lo, 2013). However, its functional urban pedestrian space is quite discouraging and dangerous for those who walk when the road is not closed for “car free day�. As shown in figure 5, the pedestrian is exposed to danger because visitors have to cross the road in order to 8

carry out optional activities which are a hotspot for photography and children’s playing area. What is omitted from this conception of pedestrian space is the functional routes of travel that is used by the bulk of the city’s pedestrian. This also shows the lack of open space provided for the capital's residents (referring to Figure 6).

Pedestrian Street

Road

Fountain

Figure 5 shows that visitors are exposed to danger in order to cross the road to the tourist hotspot

Fountain at Bundaran H.I People that gathers at the fountain

Figure 6 shows the lack of open space provided for the capital’s residents Compared to the street condition of Jalan M.H Thamrin, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman has a rather good condition through the planning of government in a way that balance motorized transportation modes with populous pedestrian needs. In front of shops, five-foot walkway is provided which is a lot wider and suitable for the pedestrian. Urban designers, such as Kevin Lynch and William Whyte, emphasize the 9

importance of transparency and ground-level legibility to good city form (Lynch, 1972). Therefore, based on my observation, people get to carry out optional activity like shopping along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman resulting in the pace of the pedestrian in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman seems to be slower compared to Jalan M.H Thamrin, due to the reason which the opportunity for them to look around at the stalls increase (as shown in figure 7). In terms of street furniture, the sidewalks in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman is similar to Jalan M.H Thamrin where they are decorated with planter pots that providing street side vegetation.

Figure 7 shows the transparency and ground-level legibility along five foot way Along Jalan M.H Thamrin, most of the contact points have a high frequency of activity, especially at the transportation hub. At Sarinah BRT Station, people carry out necessary activities, for example, the use of public transport to get to their destination and vendors set up the stall along the pedestrian bridge. It also happens to see that a series of social activities include people sitting and chatting, people observing passing pedestrians on the bridge or having interaction between the vendors and the visitors creates a high contact intensity. The physical properties of the urban environment do not have a direct influence on the quality, content, and level of social interaction, planners can affect the possibilities for meeting people. In “Life between Buildings”, Jan Gehl suggests that the concept of the “self-re-enforcing” process, whereby individual events can stimulate others, forming a situation called “activity attracts people” (Gehl, 2006).

During praying hours, the pedestrian bridge act as a shelter for people to do their praying. This reflects back on Gehl’s definition on “activity attracts people”. People paid considerable interest to when people are being able to see other people in action.

Each of these activities places very different demands on the spatial properties of the physical environment. Along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, although a bus station can be found, both frequency of 10

activity and contact intensity is relatively low. It can be seen that only passive contact happens with people sitting and queuing up at the bus station. It might due to the physical dimensions of facilities, in terms of scale provided and orientation. Sharinah BRT station has a larger scale and facing both sides of the streets (shown in Figure 8.1) compared to the bus stop in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman which oriented facing the vehicle road (shown in Figure 8.2). According to “Life between Buildings”, Gehl mentioned that only a few stops were noted in front of banks, offices, showrooms. Conversely, people tend to appear a major interest in the connection to the street space itself. Bus stop in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman facing an empty plaza, people get to a loss in interest with the disappearance of activity attracts people.

Pedestrian Bridge

BRT station

Bus lane

Street

Figure 8.1 shows Sharinah BRT station which facing both sides of the street

Empty Plaza

Vehicle road

Bus stop

Figure 8.2 shows bus stop in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman which oriented towards the vehicle road.

The landmark of the Jalan M.H Thamrin, which is the monument, Patung Kuda Arjuna Wiwaha, becomes a point form of typology. There is a water feature which acts as a magnet to pull the people’s attention. It features a high frequency of activity, which optional activities along the main route such as 11

cycling, jogging, skating, and strolling can be spotted. Although it shows a high frequency of activity, the contact intensity is moderate. As shown in figure 9, people tend to approach to the crowd with the theory of “people attract people” where it creates attraction whenever there are people enjoying street performance.

With the existence of secondary seating, people often lean, rest and sit on, as well as gather and socialize around the curb of Patung Kuda which allowed passive contact to happen. It is then lead to people attract people with the support of investigation that found out benches along garden’s main path is used more than the benches found in quiet areas (Gehl, 2006).

Pedestrian access

Patung Kuda

Figure 9 shows the approach of people to the crowd with the theory of people attracts people in Patung Kuda.

The same type of typology appears to be different in between Jalan M.H Thamrin and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. As shown in figure 10, along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, where in front of Sogo shopping mall, the frequency of activity is moderate. People often gather when there is street performance.

It shows that people attract to people, where music blaring out on the street from loudspeakers in front of record shops elicited no reaction, but the moment live musicians began to play or sing, there was an instantaneous show of lively interest (Gehl, 2006). People tend to attract to groups of people, which “people come where people are”. The contact intensity within the place is relatively high where people enjoy the performance, sitting on the steps and planter box which is considered as secondary seating, along with people who have a close relationship with them (shown in Figure 11).

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Figure 10 shows the approach of people to the crowd with the theory of people attracts people in front of Sogo shopping mall.

Steps in front of Sogo Planter box

Figure 11 shows people seating on secondary seat enjoying street performance.

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4.0 Conclusion In order to conclude, it can be said that by only studying at the street, we are able to observe the mechanisms behind “life between buildings� which is about how closely interrelated and significantly the planning of cities are able to shape the daily lives of those within them. Jalan Muhammad Husni Thamrin tends to shows itself vibrant with new urban planning and policies. On the other hand, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman show its vibrant with the richness in culture. Both of the sites show the mismatch between the prevalent use of streets as shared spaces where people exchange, talk, enjoy weather and seasons, the authentic and non-artificial and superficial things happen (Ria, 2012).

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5.0 Reference 1. Gehl, Jan. Life Between Buildings. 1st ed. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2011. Print.

2. Lo, R. H. (2013, September 20). Walkability Planning in Jakarta. Retrieved July 01, 2017, from http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6w98f88x#page-159 3. Mantho, R. (2015). The urban section: an analytical tool for cities and streets. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

4. Lynch, K. (1972). Lynch, Kevin. Cambridge: MIT Press.

5. Ria. S. (2012, June 20). Walkability Planning in Jakarta. Retrieved July 01, 2017, from https://issuu.com/cai-asia/docs/escholarship_uc_item_05p5r596__1_/28

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