Negotiating Streets With Anti-Streets

an architectural study intended towards realizing the dynamism of Streets as Public Spaces

Negotiating Streets With Anti-streets

niyati mannari 08 sa 125

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dissertation certification

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THESIS REPORT SEMESTER X D.C.PATEL SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, APIED VALLABH VIDYANAGAR, GUJARAT.

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE THESIS TITLED

‘NEGOTIATING STREETS WITH ANTI-STREETS’ DONE BY NIYATI MANNARI , ROLL NO 08SA125, IS HEREBY APPROVED AS A CREDIBLE WORK ON THE APPROVED SUBJECT, CARRIED OUT AND PRESENTED IN A MANNER SUFFICIENTLY SATISFACTORY TO THE DEGREE FOR WHICH IT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED.

IT IS TO BE UNDERSTOOD THAT BY THIS APPROVAL THE UNDERSIGNED DO NOT NECESSARILY ENDORSE OR APPROVE ANY STATEMENT MADE, OPINION EXPRESSED OR CONCLUSION DRAWN THEREIN. BUT APPROVES THE STUDY ONLY FOR THE PURPOSE IT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AND SATISFIES AS TO THE REQUIREMENTS LAID DOWN BY THE THESIS COMMITTEE.

INTERNAL GUIDE:

PROF. ADVAITA JALAN SIGNATURE & DATE

CHAIRMAN, THESIS COMMITTEE: PROF. SALIL BHATT SIGNATURE & DATE EXTERNAL EXAMINER : SIGNATURE & DATE

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acknowledgement

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to my dad for his ‘offbeat’ motivation

to chhotu for letting me dominate him ! to family at large for everything till date

accede

to maa for her unconditional support in all ventures

to abhi patwa neil pali karthik akul riti modia amal thaker nawaab krishna vicky kushal rushi for all the ‘laugh out loud’ moments during these five long years !! to neil for all architectural ‘mentor-ship’ during thesis especially! to percy sir to all the teachers from school to college

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1. Synopsis 2. Overview of Urban Transformation 2.1 Cities from civilizations 2.2 Transition in Public Spaces 3. Dimensions of an Urban Street 3.1 Perceptual Dimension 3.2 Functional Dimension 3.3 Streets in reference to India 4. Democratizing the Social Street 4.1 The Urban Social Street 4.2 The Need for Democratic Streets

content

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contents

5. Streets as Markets 5.1 Transformation of Market culture 5.2 Co-existence of malls and bazaars 6. Case Studies 6.1 Ostergade(Stroget), Copenhagen 6.2 Market street, San Francisco 6.3 Comparitive Analysis 7. Design Proposal 7.1 Site Analysis 7.2 Design

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abstract

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preface

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aim and intend

Streets are generic, pervasive elements of cities that define movement, access, events and embody social life and culture of the users. The intermediate character of streets in the urban environment help them become the intersecting nodes between the public and the private, individual and society, movement and destination, the built and un-built and architecture with planning.

The intend of this study is to ,examine the impact of the street to the civic life taking into consideration the sympatric relations between the rich culture, high degree of social cohesion and varied economic backgrounds of the user communities.

Democratic streets have a meaning for the people, invite access for all, and encourage use and participation. The paradigm shift in the function of streets from being a transitional experience to a motorized routine has led to a decline of the public domain. This anti-democratic nature of the streets is a growing concern today, denying various users their basic rights of access, use and enjoyment. An inquiry into such developments would eventually help reevaluate this 'anti-street' attitude and hence strike a balance between the pedestrian and the motorized nature of streets.

After the advent of vehicles into our lives, a drastic change in the private and public life was witnessed. The ever-increasing proliferation of cars exhibits the power of our economy and our acceptance to technology, but the relative convenience and efficiency of car travel has greatly altered the levels of social interactions. Traffic is an impediment not only to pedestrian movement but also to all the activities that the streets have encouraged each of its user groups to participate in. The architectural intervention here will thus democratize the street and consequently dilute the vehicular dominance that our streets are witnessing today.

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synopsis

One of the important activities that the streets in the Indian context promote is Street shopping. This function of the street has not only provided another dimension to the urban open space but also cut off socio-economic and cultural barriers, treating all users as equal. While the influence of the West significantly alters this traditional market culture, this study would investigate into the co-existence of street markets and contemporary market places in order to revive the essence of the urban-social streets without an architectural determinism.

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preface

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scope

The study would investigate into the interdependent relation of a democratic street and the non-pedestrian activities.

The challenge in this study would be to formulate a co-existing street structure that would provide opportunities to one and all and eventually come up with a universal design solution.

It would also look into understanding the effect of the traditional street markets on the psyche of the user of the streets.

The research will also examine the impact of street shopping and bazaars as a democratic public space taking into consideration the socio-economic and cultural value it carries.

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research methodology:

Analytical Research – Surveys and fact-finding enquiries regarding the user group variables in comparison of traditional markets and contemporary ones

Applied Research – This would aim at an action at the end of the study to find a solution to a prevalent issue or improvise the current condition and revive the state.

Qualitative Research – As this research would include a cross-section of the public, the need to understand the human behaviour in terms of socio-cultural aspects would be a necessity.

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overview of the urban shift

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history

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cities from civilizations

Man began to realize his power through his land. Space that was once barren land, turned into fields of harvest. Tapping the potential of nature even further, Man began discovering the different sources of revenue through wood, metal, minerals etc. Gradually, as He realised his resources were more than his needs, thus, trade emerged. And then began the fight to power and the survival.

Further defining the social structure assertively, Rulers emerged and took charge, Kingdoms originated, flourished and conquered. Under the power of the ruler, the cities changed their dimensions. The agrarian towns were bounded by walls. Defence and security became a primary concern. The journey that started with civilizations began to witness gradual phase changes into what we see today as cities.

Throughout the phases of development that man has undergone, the first four aspects of food, shelter, security and comfort have remained unaltered. But with increasing public interactions and gatherings, another spectrum was added to the above four in due course of time – Society.

As rightly said 'The city is a complex amalgamation of numerous phenomena, based on a multiplicity of dynamic interactions.'(1). Civilizations or cities have never been a static part of the human existence. They have neither completely lost their identity nor have they retained it in the earliest form. They have evolved like an organism in bits and pieces.

The original basis of the cities was people's need to come together, for purposes including security and defence; trade and exchange of goods; access to information, other people and place-specific resources; to engage in activities requiring communal effort or organisation; and to use particular machines , equipments etc.(2)

The cities link the past, present and future, become reassuringly familiar to local people and stimulating for visitors. City is a realm with a high level of culture linked with the most civilized expression of social behaviour. (3) Since the time of civilizations, the formation of the city was deeply rooted in the culture and norms of the dwellers. Their beliefs, lifestyle, habits, compulsions, needs etc formed the skeletal network of the land. Historically, cities have had complex spatial layouts reflecting the multiplicity of human exchanges. They have been alive with the richness of patterns and symbols that fulfil many psychological and spiritual needs.

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Sources :

1. Cities full of symbols; Peter J M 2. Public Places Urban Spaces; Mathew Carmona 3. Future forms and Designs for Sustainable Cities; Dempsey, Mike Nicolas

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introduction

Man's life began as a nomad, wandering from place to place in search of better shelter, food, security and comfort. With time this nomadic character changed into a more settled nature. He began creating his own space and generated activities to engage himself into. With little knowledge and great effort, he came up with the idea of using agriculture as a source for a living.

The nomadic clans began earning bread together for their kin. This led to people coming together and defining their territory, claiming their authority and safeguarding it from others. Consequently leading to the stratification of the social structure.

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history

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cities from civilizations

Since the time of civilizations, the formation of the city was deeply rooted in the culture and norms of the dwellers. Their beliefs, lifestyle, habits, compulsions, needs etc formed the skeletal network of the land. Historically, cities have had complex spatial layouts reflecting the multiplicity of human exchanges. They have been alive with the richness of patterns and symbols that fulfil many psychological and spiritual needs.

India has been a host to cultures from all over the world. The Persians, Mughals, Portuguese, French, English etc invaded this land at different points in history and infused their culture into the already existing form and order. Not only did built forms see this difference, but so did the transport systems and the public spaces.

Not only does the culture infuse itself into the life and philosophy of the dwellers, but at the same it makes the architecture a mere tool to reflect this very innate concept, creating an identity of its own and to some extent, making a presence felt too.

These interactions began at the streets and later in the squares. The public gathering zones in the form of markets along the street and within plazas became a reason for people to communicate.

It is the urban street that from the origins of settlement has acted as principal place of public contact and public passage, a place of exchange of ideas, goods and services, a place to play and fight, of carnival and funeral, of protest and celebration.(4)

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Sources :

1.1 french influence

1.2 mughal influence

1.3 english influence

3.Future forms and Designs for Sustainable Cities; Dempsey, Mike Nicolas 4. On streets; Stanford Anderson Image 1.1 : www.thehindu.com Image 1.2 : www.tumblr.com Image 1.3 : www.picasaweb.google.com

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introduction

The essence of cities is that they bring together people from many different backgrounds and cultures. This can be purely in terms of physical proximity but also in the creation of space for fusing ideas, styles and activities. They are centres for many cultural forms.(3)

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history

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cities from civilizations

While mentioning the public nature of the spaces, two images are perceived in the traditional format of spaces – the street and the square. Squares were more or less defined spaces and the use of which transformed from one era to another as the activities changed.

The street on the other hand, always defined access and movement. The core meaning of both these spaces evolved in different directions as time passed by.

For over a century, the street has been under persistent attack from several directions. The attempts towards improvisation has ultimately deprived the street of its origin and made it run out of existence. While the image of the street was altering from being a public space to a carrier of traffic, Urbanist's such as Arturo Soria y Mata envisioned the city as an analytical diagram of urban functions with the transport as the root to the city.

The streets offer a daily source of communicatio n, interaction and social life, but the alienation of the city dwellers from their own city 1.4 city as an analytical diagram is breaking down the very nature of streets. At this moment, the street is facing the impact of growing science onto itself.

Both building and transport technology have had their transforming effect on it. For the street is human movement institutionalized, the road suggests movement to a destination. Road and street are social institutions and it is their acceptance by the community that gives them the name and the function.(4)

Since the time of civilizations, the street network has undergone alterations due to factors of various kinds. Certain street arrangements have come and gone in history, But what stayed were the two principal types- gridiron and the loosely radical form. The earliest known street grid was at Kahun in 2670 BCE, although this was clearly a measure of expedience and the site was soon abandoned.(5)

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Sources : 4. On streets; Stanford Anderson 5. History of Urban Form; A.E.J Morris Image 1.4 : www.wikipedia.com

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introduction

In spite of such utopian projects, building booms and powerful technological innovations, the function of the street has only been modified- not altered out of recognition- in existing cities.(4)

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history

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phase change in public spaces

Imperfect Grids of the early cities

1.5 harappan grid

The early cities of Harappa followed a more or less gridiron layout in the streets. The only likely reason for the close to perfect grids during those times was the desire to create a sense of enclosure in the simplest possible form.

Urban historians assumed that the gridiron is used as the means to the end of organising complete urban entities.

Greek

The Greek cities of Priene and Miletus too followed the gridiron layout. But in contrast with the other two cities, the city of Athens had an organic growth and was not systematically planned as the other Greek cities.

To the Greeks, their community and public life was placed as a priority to their individual lives.

Their temples, civic buildings and public spaces were considered far important than their houses. The agora, shrines, the theatre, gymnasia and so forth emerged out of this nature of the Greeks.

The inuence of the political setup in Greece was the factor that formed the urban layout.

The citizens had a voice in the affairs of the city formation. The agora made the town a 'polis'.

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Sources :

1.6 Selinus

Apart from Athens, the other minor examples of Greek urbanism shows the effective use of the gridiron pattern as seen in cities like Selinus, Duro Europus and Olythus.

1.7 miletus

5. History of Urban Form; A.E.J Morris Image 1.5 : History of Urban Form; A.E.J Morris Image 1.6 : Redrawn from History of Urban Form; A.E.J Morris Image 1.7 : History of Urban Form; A.E.J Morris

The basic elements of the greek cities comprised of the acropolis, the enclosing city wall, the agora, residential districts, cultural areas, a religious precinct and an industrial area.

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introduction

They also considered that the gridiron layout cannot just happen in direct contrast to organic growth it must be consciously determined and applied to the chose site.(5)

Rome

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history

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phase change in public spaces

The chaotic organic growth of Rome and the regulated street structure was a fact of total contrast. In order to maintain their authority over the area, Romans built 'Castras' which were fortified camps that followed a strict gridiron pattern within predetermined rectilinear perimeters.

Permanent urban settlements such as Timgad and Silurum were also given simple standardised plans. The perimeter being square or rectangular with two main cross streets – one through the centre of the town and the other bisecting the first one made up the skeletal network structure.

A classical example of the impacts of culture and religion onto the urban form is this town of Aosta.

The reason for the breakdown in the grid was the revolution in the religious structure of Aosta that led to the depopulation, where Christianity became the sole religion followed.

There was no place in the new social structure for theaters, amphitheaters, temples, or (in the Christian case) baths. The civic institutions of the Classical city were also defunct, and as one consequence of this, the defense of public space was weak or non-existent.

In the town of Aosta, the principal streets were more or less retained in the grid, while the other streets became irregular as seen in the images.

1.8 original layout of Aosta

1.9 medieval town of Aosta

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Sources :

6. Street Layout through Ages; J H Crawford [Article] Image 1.8 : Redrawn from ‘Street Layout through Ages’; J H Crawford [Article] Image 1.9 : Redrawn from ‘History of Urban Form’; A E J Morris [Book]

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introduction

Few roman towns saw change in their street plans way after their establishment. Towns such as Aosta followed a rigid grid during its origin, but by the medieval period it lost its regularity but maintained a few original topologies.

1.11 roman forum

Medieval Towns Medieval times encompass two eras- the dark and middle ages.

The medieval towns showed a contrast between organic growth and planned urban form. The medieval towns underwent many factors that led to its formation such as feudalism, revival of commerce and religious pressures.

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1.10 colosseum

For most of this period local people generally made minor changes as the need arose; 1.12 munich_market square as cities evolved slowly over a an extension of the street span of centuries. Streets were arranged by those who used them, to suit their needs and desires. These places have very few streets that are straight for any great distance, as is true of informal settlements in all times. Until late in the period, the more important streets tended to converge on the central square(s), where the city hall, principal church, and market may often still be found today.(6)

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Sources :

6. Street Layout through Ages; J H Crawford [Article] Image 1.10 : www.tribunesandtriumps.org Image 1.11 : www.intranet.grundel.nl;www.betheluniveuropeterm.wordpress.com Image 1.12 : Redrawn from History of Urban Form; A E J Morris

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introduction

The social life of the Romans was concentrated along the Forum, Colosseum and the Circus Maximus. The forum area was located in the city centre and provided the commercial and shopping needs. The main streets around, were also ooded with smaller shops and workshops.

Circus Maximus and Colosseum were the source of recreation for almost one-half of the total population.

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history

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phase change in public spaces

The entire medieval town was a market. Trade and commerce was in all parts of the town. Street frontages became a valuable aspect for the commerce to flourish as the irregular lanes of the organic growth were equal in terms of communication and markets. The streets and public open spaces were encroached by the buildings during almost all of the Middle ages. An informal street scene was depicted clearly during this age in comparison to the formal rigid grid iron.

The market during this phase was in two categories – Market in a square or at the widening junctions of the streets. The grid iron structure of towns witnessed the market square as a frequent destination of trade. While on the other hand, the unplanned or organic towns equally accepted both the square and street as market places, each having its own essence and spatial character.

The market place in front of the Rauthus

Market Place

1.13 rothenburg

Grand Place

Place du Bourg

Two or more squares form a sequence of spaces 1.14 bruges

An example of a street expanding into a square or two

A square in front of the Cathedral : More usage on religious grounds

a number of these market spaces were remodelled during the renaissance time 1.15 perugia

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Sources :

Images 1.13-1.16 : Redrawn from ‘History of Urban Form’; A.E.J Morris

1.16 todi

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introduction

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history

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phase change in public spaces

Renaissance During the Renaissance relatively few new towns were established, but existing towns grew rapidly.

Many of these extensions were planned works based on a regular grid. Completely new towns were, however, founded in Sicily, Scandinavia, and the New World. Most of these towns were fully gridded, and many included a square near the middle. (6)

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According to A.E.J Morris, the preoccupation with symmetry, and the creation of balanced axial compositions were central motifs. This was sometimes carried to extremes, as in the Piazza del Popolo, with its matching churches flanking a central street. However, this space is not rectilinear. Also of great importance was the 1.17 piazza del popolo placement of monumental buildings, obelisks, and statues at the ends of long, straight streets. Morris goes on to say that the "primary straight street" was the basis of Renaissance urbanism, and that new, direct routes to facilitate carriage travel were laid.

The street functioning during the renaissance divided the historic street into three segments after the horse-driven traffic added another user group to the streets- Traffic space consisting of civic and religious architecture, residential space occupied with residential buildings and the pedestrian space loaded with markets and commercials.

1.18 obelisk at street end

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Sources : 6. Street Layout through Ages; J H Crawford [Article] Image 1.17 : Redrawn from Google Maps Image 1.18 : www.nonsda.org Image 1.19 : www.googleearth.com

1.19 streets to the piazza

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introduction

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history

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phase change in public spaces

The increasing power of nation-states and their absolute monarchs finds expression in Baroque design. An important change brought by the Baroque was a shift in the way urban space was regarded.

An example of this power was seen in the expansion of the city of Nancy in the 18th century. Nancy’s 18thcentury expansion had two axes, one a major new east-west route passing through today’s Place Stanislaus and the other running, at a right angle, north into the old medieval city. Only great power and the willingness to exercise it in the service of monumental projects allows a single individual to stamp his chosen form on such a large part of a city. The Baroque is the era when plans began to be imposed on a site.(6) In the linear evolution of the city plan, the movement of wheeled vehicles played a critical part and the general geometrizing of space, so characteristic of the period, would have been altogether functionless had it not facilitated the movement of traffic and transport, at the same time that it served as an expression of the dominant sense of life.

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1.20 hemicycle, nancy, france

1.21 18th century nancy, france

1.22 place stanislas ,nancy, france

The avenue is the most important symbol and the main fact about the baroque city. In some cities, diagonal streets were added, to strike through a regular grid. This is characteristic of Baroque planning.

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Sources :

6. Street Layout Through the Ages; J H Crawford [Article] Image 1.20 : Street Layout Through the Ages; J H Crawford [Article] Image 1.21 : Google earth Image 1.22 : www.allposters.com

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introduction

Baroque

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history

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phase change in public spaces

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By the early 1900s, communication technology had shown great development and the advent of vehicles had begun to hit the roads in masses. The social patterns of the people changed with the rising technology. Communication that used to happen along the door fronts, on the way to the work, shop and play, stepped down to telephonic conversations. Walking down the road was a 'un-modernist' style of living. We began prioritizing the technology. This social u-turn consequently altered the pattern of the urban layout.

For instance, consider the case of Dunbar before and after the industrial revolution. The high street in Dunbar was meant for much more than just trafďŹ c. Meeting, trading, hawking, busking, bear-baiting and public speaking bridged the gap between an urban place and movement.

The industrial revolution and the associated entry of modernism not only broke the bond but reserved the effect.

The movement now meant the motion of the vehicles and the urban spaces were mere empty spaces.

Historic structure 1.24 the revolution

1.23 dunbar, 1830

While Men tore apart the social factor associated with the traditional street, designers pushed it forward to 'Roads'.

Modern Structure

The traditional street patterns and the revolutionized urban streets were altogether a different setup. Traditionally the street united three aspects- circulation, public space and building frontages. The historic pattern of accessibility focussed on the centres of settlements.

The modernist movement reversed this system. The major streets became minor access routes. The accessibility distributed along the periphery. This was seen in the Grid pattern of streets.

The circulation was considered as a separate entity and altered by the transport engineers.

The above mentioned deconstructed nature of streets was clearly visible when the grid shattered into uid linear geometry.

The entire approach towards planning the town was centred on the motor cars. Motor routes and pedestrians were treated as two different chapters with the minimum intersections, nodes and easy direct thorough fare. Ultimately slicing off the interaction levels step by step.

The historical transformation from traditional streets assembled in street grids to modernist point blocks set in open space and then back to street grids again must be one of the most signiďŹ cant reversals in urban design history.(7)

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Sources : 7. Streets and Patterns; Stephen Marshall Image 1.23 : Streets and Patterns; Stephen Marshall Image 1.24 : Streets and Patterns; Stephen Marshall

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introduction

Industrial Revolution

history

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phase change in public spaces

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overview

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history

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phase change in public spaces

Rebirth of the Grids

The transition was clearly visible in Hulme, Machester from 1960 to 1980. In late 1990, the city revisited the historic grids and redefined the city in totality.

Since the early 1990s, movements such as New Urbanism have drawn attention to the problem of roads-driven 'disurban creation', and have taken the initiative towards solving it.

Compact, dense, mixed-use neighbourhoods are back in fashion, with a new breed of traditional-style buildings and street patterns to choose from. The street itself, once seemingly in terminal decline, has undergone something of a renaissance. Street grids are back in vogue.

After a few decades of urban development with curved streets, the benefits of orthogonal grids were realized. Where American streets followed gridirons, Europeans went along the organic street form. While the organic streets developed incrementally, they led to the city to be developed in lots, whereas the grids were laid in large chunks.

To a citizen in town, the organic street widths offered the function and hierarchy of usage while for the grid was always uniform to every mode of transport and each user group.

1.25 hulme, manchester 1900-1960

Even though the curved network was a tribute to the urban history, it was unable to accommodate the growing traffic needs and the high level of congestion that the cities were facing after the 1920s.

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Sources : Image 1.25 : Streets and Patterns; Stephen Marshall

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introduction

'Accordingly, the straight line became predominant in architecture and hence rectangularity in city planning--in other words, the gridiron scheme. Thus, quite naturally, the street, conceived of as a continuous perspective, mostly of similar units, became more important than the square. In the opinion of this period, utmost clarity suggests to the mind structural truth and creates automatically therewith aesthetic pleasure, which now actually became identical with mere intellectual satisfaction.' – Paul Zucker While the entire globe was facing this issue after the advent of the motor vehicles, 40 years down the line, planners began to understand the loss of blindly encouraging the technology.

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19th Century Garden Cities

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history

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phase change in public spaces

By the end of the World War II, originating with the garden city movement, the post war layouts were to do more than just end the mundane grid network.

They introduced street hierarchies, segregating traffic and creating arterial streets for residential neighbourhoods. These layouts responded to the contours and terrains, defined the drainage layout, retained the geometry of the curved street layouts and resolved street ends too. In a nutshell these 'pseudo-organic' networks were seemingly the perfect amalgamation of the two networks trying to compete with the heavy traffic and satisfying the pedestrians as well.

The irregular arrangement of streets must not be determined by whimsy but informed by all of the site's physical and cultural design constraints. It would be all too easy to sketch an irregular plan that was superficially pleasing but that lacked underlying organization.

1.26 garden city plan

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Sources : 6. Street Layout through Ages; J H Crawford [Article] Image 1.26 : www.tumblr.com

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introduction

A reaction to the 19th-century poverty comes with the Garden Cities movement, which responded to both deteriorating living conditions and the excessive width of streets.(6)

dimensions to an urban street 3

perceptual dimension

percep

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percept

The use and function of any public space is determined by the experience that it offers to anyone using the space. This perceptual aspect either enhances the space usage or negates it totally. A successful public space is strongly associated with the way it is being perceived by the citizens.

Perception involves gathering, organizing and making sense of the information about the environment. In a particular environment, even though the elements present maybe the same, but each individual reacts to it in a different manner and perceives it at varied levels.

While some might absorb the setting as a whole, few might choose to neglect a great deal of information. These differences depend on the age, gender, ethnicity, and lifestyle and physical, social and cultural environ that a person belongs to. park crescent portland place all souls church

regents street

the quadrant

waterloo place

The mental images and maps of places deďŹ ne the legibility of the urban environment to the citizens at large.

In case of an urban setup, Paths are the predominant elements in peoples images, with the other elements arranged in relation to the paths.

Certain paths deďŹ ne the city's image and if major roads or streets lack identity, the whole image is unclear and illegible.

For instance, the mental maps for londoners locate various 2.1 regents street, London other parts of London- such as the Mall, Piccadilly circus and the Oxford street -in relation to the Regents street. (Image 2.1) Paths in terms of pedestrian streets, roads, canals, transit lines all develop the connection between the person, his destinations and the journey. This makes the overall picture for a citizen while traveling through the city.

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Sources :

Image 2.1: Public Places Urban Spaces; Mathew Carmona

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perceptual aspect

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perception of spaces : mental mapping

2.3 amsterdam plan

2.5 amsterdam

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3/1 The legibility and imaging has been enlisted by Kevin Lynch in five segments- Paths, Nodes, Edges, Districts and Landmarks- all of which form a basis for the user to absorb what they see, feel and perceive.

For each of these physical elements talked above, the attributes that leave an imprint are· Identity : objects distinction from another · Structure : The position/ spatial relation of the object from other objects · Meaning/ Symbolism: Emotional or practical meaning of the object to the user or user groups.

An observers mind connects to anything that he sees in the three forms mentioned above and that is what the user carries forward even after leaving the object behind him.

2.4 rotterdam

Image 2.2: Redrawn from Image 2.3 : Redrawn from map published by J. Stodsdale in 1800 Image 2.4 : Google earth street view Image 2.5 : Google earth street view

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perceptual aspect

2.2 rotterdam plan

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percept

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mental mapping

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percept

The perception of the streets in particular, differs from a pedestrian to a driver and so does the usage of the street space. The usage of street for activities other than walking is specific to the cultural setting of the users of the street. This relationship between the environment and people is a result of complex interactions among cultural, physical and perceptual variables.

The pedestrians behaviour to any use of the street is based two major sets of factors- cultural and physical.

perceptual aspect

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pedestrians perception over street use

Any activity is primarily culturally - based, which includes all the unwritten rules and customs, traditions and habits, prevailing lifestyle and the definition of behaviour appropriate setting. The culture at some point might also include the level of technology accepted in the urban space in terms of availability of motor driven transport or transit lines etc.

2.6 culture over perception

2.7 multi perceptive usage

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The physical factors on the other hand support the underlying cultural rules and regulations. In case of Indian streets, the sidewalks are used for talking, buying vegetables, walking etc. But if physical factors of safety, climate and weather etc would not be supportive, these activities would be nullified with time.

The perceptual factor is considered in making these activities happening on the street a matter of high interest and a pleasurable doing. The latent functions of pleasure, delight, interest, exploration, ludicrous behaviour and the like. (8)

Like other organisms, people match their perceived characteristics of environment against certain needs, expectations, norms, desires and images. In this connection, walking is an interesting activity because it has remained essentially unchanged since the origin of our species. Unlike other travel modes, pedestrian behaviour is millions of years old and evolved in settings of a particular level of complexity. (8) Sources :

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8. Public Streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon Image 2.6: www.tumblr.com Image 2.7: www.tumblr.com

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The cultural variability plays a larger role in case of static pedestrian behaviour. In case of dynamic spaces, the perceptual aspect is also catalysed by the associational qualities of the space.

The dynamic spaces of movement require linear, narrow and winding so that they entice with hidden views and encourage walking, strolling etc; while static spaces need to be more static and wider, with frequent green spaces and seating areas so as to provide visual exploration and act as a platform for social behaviour.

Thus streets that seem excessively broad like the Champs Elysees in Paris, Dizengof Street in Tel Aviv or Paseo Colon in Barcelona, provide human interest through outdoor cafes, which narrow the pavement creating more appropriate pedestrian movement spaces.(8)

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percept

Pedestrian activities come under two broad headings dynamic such as walking, jogging, strolling and  static as sitting, standing.

2.8 champ elysees plan, paris

2.9 champ elysees view, paris

2.10 sidewalk café ,champ elysees

Sources : 8. Public Streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon Image 2.8: Google maps Image 2.9: www.devianart.com Image 2.10:www.masterfile.com

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perceptual aspect

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associational qualities of dynamic spaces

[

vendors

open shops

performers

shop windows very simple rythm

percept

traffic

very simple rythm

restaurants

enclosed and sheltered human space

open dining

signs

alleys

entrances

open machine space

open machine space

displays

displays

a. rue de rivoli, paris

open shops b. composite singapore, 1960

2.11 arcaded streets

Like in case of the effectiveness of arcades as pedestrian settings these interrelations are observed. Not only are the levels of complexity inside and outside the arcade very different, but the highly enclosed, sheltered and almost nurturant arcaded space; its uses, shops and restaurants; its very different spatial quality;

its enclosure and separation from yet visibility to traffic; freedom of movement and slow tempos,contrasted with the adjoining speed and linear flow of traffic- all provide a clear contrast in meaning.(8) Similarly, the raised sidewalks in Paris do more than provide different and appropriate perceptual experiences to the two classes of users: by putting the pedestrian above the ground rather than underground, they communicate meanings above relative importance, status and the like.(8) They set a context and define a situation and hence work in the associational realm as well as the perceptual one.(8)

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Sources :

2.12 raised sidewalk, paris

2.13 section_raised sidewalk

8. Public Streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon Image 2.11: Redrawn from Public streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon Image 2.12: www.wikipedia.com Image 2.10: Redrawn from Public streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon

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perceptual aspect

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associational qualities of dynamic spaces

[

percept

There is clearly a continuum of travel modes and conditions and associated complexity levels. For pedestrian spaces, the non visual senses are particularly important, since there is an opportunity to experience and appreciate them; while driving one tends to be isolated from those nonvisual variables.

The level of perception involved in the pedestrian or a motor driver varies due to the speed of travel. For the pedestrian it is free and exible while for the motor drivers perceive the environment in a constrained and 'tunnel' like vision.

Speed of travel inuences the perception of noticeable differences in the urban environment and hence the complexity. Driving is not only fast, but also requires concentration, leaving little time to appreciate the environment. Pedestrians thus have a much better awareness of places and clearer ideas of the meaning and activities of the city. The criticality of the slow pace movement allows them to perceive the setting around them fully.

5 min walk

5 min drive

2.14 speed and its noticeable differences

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Sources :

Image 2.14 : Redrawn from Public streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon

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perceptual aspect

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perceptions of pedestrian v/s vehicular spaces

[

percept

A street with arcades van provide the variety in complexity that could serve both the pedestrian and the motorists in contrast with the featureless long pedestrian underpasses that act like a hostile environ the pedestrian.

Speed also inuences the way a human mind can organize discrete stimuli into groups. At high speeds, elements are grouped into simple chunks, while at slow speeds more discrete elements are perceived. High speeds make a complex environ too chaotic and a simple environ interesting. At pedestrian speeds, the perceiver is free to explore the environment using all his sensory modalities.

An environment that is comfortably stimulating from a car becomes monotonously boring on foot, while what is interesting on foot becomes chaotic in a car. At high speeds one needs distant views, simplicity and a large scale, while at slow speed one needs small scale, intricacy and complexity.

Pedestrians need sudden changes in direction, short views hiding and gradually revealing other views, irregular rhythms, narrow asymmetrical spaces of high enclosure, generally high complexity, and a range of complexity. (8) Another factor that slightly alters this perceptual behaviour is the activity associated with the street.

Activities whether of work or pleasure also determine the level of complexity omitted and perceived.

Walking or driving for pleasure or work changes the mental state and hence the focus on the urban setting.

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[

Sources :

gradual curves regular and long views rhythms

a.motorists

sudden changes irregular rhythms in direction and short views

b.pedestrians

symmetry

wide road

narrow road

asymmetric

simple gradual buildings modulation and small complexity

complex sudden changes buildings and large complexity range

2.15 perceptual characteristics

8. Public Streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon Image 2.15 : Redrawn from Public streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon

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perceptual aspect

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3/1

perceptions of pedestrian v/s vehicular spaces

Functional Dimension

aspect

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It has been argued that a place to become a meaningful space, it needs to make a strong connection with the users, their personal lives and at the same time be democratic as well as responsive. Identifying five primary needs that people seek to satisfy in a public space are as follows.  Comfort: The length of time people stay in a public space is a

function and an indicator of its comfort. The dimensions of sense of comfort include environmental, physical and psychological factors.  Relaxation: Relaxation is a consequence to psychological comfort

but refers to an overall state where the mind and body are both at ease. Natural elements such as greenery, water features and separation from vehicular traffic help accentuate the contrast in the environ and hence relax.  Passive Engagement: 'The need for an encounter with the setting,

albeit without being actively involved'. What attracts people the most is other people's life and the activity that they bring. The most used and successful seating spaces are always next to pedestrian flow, allowing this sort of activities.  Active Management: A direct involvement of people and places.

Street art falls under this category. Musicians, street dancers, artists find public places as a very resourceful junction to perform.  Discovery: A desire for new spectacles and pleasurable

experiences compels one to discover new things and bring in a change. Festivals, parades, street theatre, lunchtime concerts, markets, society events etc bring in the required change in the daily usage of the space.

The functions of street may come to play within a community or neighbourhood are often ambiguous and purposefully undefined.

Hence the form of the street and the land use that it is placed within alters the usage of the street considerably.

Streets could be broadly categorized into three types and further sub types too.  Residential  Low-Medium rise buildings  Medium-high rise buildings  Commercial  Low-Medium rise buildings  Medium-high rise buildings  Interior Street environment  Mixed Commercial and Residential  Low-Medium rise buildings  Medium-high rise buildings

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Sources :

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functional aspect

aspects

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space to place

[

3/2 The replication of houses in this street relies upon the traffic inflow for potential place and link. The pedestrian movement in this area is localized near the public buildings that are inserted into this settlement, and that too if the space has access through an automobile.

The residential pattern of Cambria Heights is uniform across the landscape. Into it are inserted activity areas centred on specific community facilities such as schools, colleges, churches etc with shopping centres set along the major arterial roads.(4)

Space Quality: The link quality is high towards the cars and low for pedestrians.

Place quality is low for both the user groups. Private open spaces are not open to use for community. The strong symbolic sense of the individual houses lowers the community essence.

Uniform subdivision of streets and avenues is the primary reference of place and link within the entire street pattern. The function of this hierarchy of streets is mainly to define the access and entry points to the individual houses.

Circulation: Pedestrian circulation is limited to the children and the elderly directing to schools or churches. All other circulation needs are satisfied by the automobile, which consumes majority of the public space.

Activities: Individual activities are concentrated within the house premises, the private backyard being used for family gatherings leaving negligible socialization process on the street front. The public social activities that happen on the street are directed towards the shopping centres.

120 ave

121 ave

3.1 cambria heights context

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Sources : 4. On streets; Stanford Anderson Image 3.1 : Redrawn from On streets; Stanford Anderson Image 3.2 : Redrawn from On streets; Stanford Anderson

An environment so dominated by the automobiles requires change in the land use pattern to generate different activities, consequently improving socialization and the use of the street more democratically.

3.2 cambria heights plan

[

3.3 cambria heights street view

Image 3.3 : www.tumblr.com Image 3.4 : www.tumblr.com Image 3.5 : www.nytimes.com

3.4 identical residentials

3.5 street frontages

functional aspect

The kind of land use here into consideration is the low-rise, single family, street oriented residential area. Taking an example to explain this kind of street and its functional aspect, we consider Cambria heights, New York City.

aspects

[

residential street settings

[residential streets[

dimension

[

Circulation: Wide sidewalks emphasize the presence of the pedestrians and reduce the impact of the automobile towards the public oriented activities.

Tree lined dividers separate the opposite traffic flow.

broadway

Activities: A high density of pedestrian activity in relation to shopping and local residential areas is witnessed.

Pedestrian trips that were seen to be just along one block in the residential streets extended to 20 blocks in this setup. Individual random activities occurred along the street and were reinforced by the sitting areas on sidewalks and development of outdoor cafes. Goal directed activities such as shopping were confined within the indoor spaces while a few were spilling over the street fronts too.

Space quality: Link quality of this space is higher for pedestrians than automobiles due to lack of adequate parking. The place quality is enhanced for the pedestrians but low for the motorists. Ground level access to the commercial shopping spaces and first floor to restaurants extended the potential public space of Broadway.

The variety of land uses in this area reflected the use of the space and the activities that were generated due to the mixed setting. The place potential of the space grew in comparison with the residential setup mainly due to the dispersal of uses within a close proximity.

amsterdam ave

3.7 broadway street figure ground plan

broadway

amsterdam ave

3.6 broadway land use plan

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Sources : 4. On streets; Stanford Anderson Image 3.6 : Redrawn from On streets; Stanford Anderson Image 3.7 : Redrawn from On streets; Stanford Anderson Image 3.8 : Google earth street view Image 3.9 : Google earth street view

aspects

This is a setup with residential buildings with ground floor commercial space. The general context is a park along the Hudson River and a middle class residential neighbourhood on one side and institutions and lower class residences on the other.(4) This variety of uses within close proximity renders an opportunity for higher pedestrian usage than the earlier case. Connecting directly to midtown and downtown Manhattan through principal bus and subway routes improves the inflow of people to this section considerably.

3.8street view broadway

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3.9street view broadway

functional aspect

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mixed use street settings- broadway between 86th and 91st street, ny

[mixed use streets[

dimension

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aspects

This street is an example of a traditional main street of a small town with commercial facilities amidst a residential area. The linear configuration proved to be a car-oriented shopping street, but due to lack of parking it began to deteriorate.

It is at a junction of a working and middle class neighbourhood at the north and upper middle class at the south.

broad street

Space quality: The space quality for the pedestrian is achieved by providing a varying sidewalk width, thereby enhancing the public3.10 broad street; context place use along the store fronts. The passage for cars is suffice, but insufficient parking hinders the link quality.

Circulation: Being a principal retail street of Bethlehem, it has a long established arterial network. Directly adjacent is the expressway and the broad street only public transit route has its terminus here. So majority of the shoppers access this place through individual cars.

Heavy district automobile traffic and mass transport systems 3.11 broad street figure ground plan help the shoppers towards this zone .

Activities: The pedestrian trips are confined to one block only due to the concentration of residential usage around the street.

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Sources : Image 3.10 : Redrawn from On streets; Stanford Anderson Image 3.11 : Redrawn from On streets; Stanford Anderson

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functional aspect

[

[

commercial street setting- broad street, pennsylvania

the indian context

aspect

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[

the fort city of jaisalmer

[

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The visual character for the streets is the palatial grandeur of the facades, with the protruding zarokhas and terraces.

The streets too add to this visual order through the long pauses and subtle curves at street ends.

4.1 the city plan of jaisalmer

4.3 platforms and entrances

‘Jaisalmer streets are more than mere paths- they are public spaces too.’ The streets being more linear in form enhances the participatory action on the street. Certain elements such as the entry platforms and steps deďŹ ne the entrance to the house, transition between the residential and public space and act as a social stage in a crisp manner.

The protruding ornamented zarokhas are the secondary connections to the public front and the only source of socializing for the womenfolk as per social norms and customs. They successfully maintain the privacy as well as generate a publicness.

0

4.2 a street view

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Sources : Cover Page Image : www.tumblr.com 17. Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain Image 4.1 : Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain Image 4.2 : photos.suchit.in Image 4.3 : photos.suchit.in

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indian context

A blend of organic as well as grid street patterns is witnessed in this city together. For a pedestrian, the strategically placed squares within the street fabric act as mystery pauses.

aspect

The terrain of the city of Jaisalmer, along with the forts and the palatial structures encompassing the streets creates interesting street formats for a passerby. The height matrix around the streets is the only impediment to walking in the desert state of Rajasthan.

[fort city of jaisalmer [

indiancity

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the walled city of ahmedabad

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4.6 a cluster of houses led by a tertiary street

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4.7 a pol street view

Ahmedabad consisted of sectors with irregularly divided lands. Branched and irregular streets with dese, compact houses formed a typical cluster.

In this case too, the streets meant more than just routes. Communal activities were focused around these streets. Within a sector, a hierarchy of streets from primary to tertiary were observed each serving a different function and containing its own symbol in the minds of the people.

indian context

4.4 irregular street structure

6

aspect

0

Primary streets connect the heart of the city with the peripheral city gates, acting as major trade route. Due to which these streets were a host to high commercial activity, busy traffic and low pedestrian activity.

Secondary streets lay between the commercial linkages and private dwellings, hence were composed of mixed uses. The ground floor continued to form a link with the commercials while the floors above housed offices or residential usage. Theses routes also were more specialized even in the commercial segment. Streets for jewelery, clothing, grocery etc were all separate streets. Less vehicular movement, narrower streets than the primary ones, hence favouring more pedestrian usage and ease of access.

4.5 street hierarchy within a sector

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Sources : 17. Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain Image 4.4 : Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain Image 4.5 : Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain Image 4.3 : www.flickr.com

The third order was very localised, as they were either entrances to a cluster of houses or a community chowk.

Negligible commercial activity took place along these routes. Highly pedestrian in nature, these streets were completely acting as a community space than routes of movement. Intermediate chowks, courtyards, entrance steps and ‘otlas’ functioning all together as a space for the womenfolk to interact while performing daily chores.

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[walled city of ahmedabad [

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the city of jodhpur

[

3/3 Set amidst the hills, the city of Jodhpur deals with slopes and plains within the city form and street patterns.

4.8 hill terrain of Jodhpur

The mixed use helped the activity spectrum to widen through the citys main streets.

4.9 the city form

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Sources :

17. Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain Image 4.8 : Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain Image 4.9 : www.2weekbackpack.com

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Image 4.10 : www.haveliinnpal.com Image 4.11 : www.trekearth.com Image 4.12 : www.skytechgeek.com

4.12 public - semi private domain

4.11 sloped portion of Jodhpur streets

indian context

The main market streets of Jodhpur were the ‘Ubha Bazaar’ and ‘Ada Bazaar’. These streets were enveloped by buildings upto three storeys high with shops, temples and havelis lined up all along. The temples was an activity magnet for the early mornings.

But the active life of the street was retained throughout the day due to the commercial activities and during late evening due to the residentials on the above floors.

4.10 the sqaure

aspect

The variety and quality of space-light relationships in these streets are almost ethereal. As many traditional cities of India, the streets of Jodhpur are dynamic and interesting places for interacting and socioeconomic, socio-cultural and sociorelegious activities.

[the city of jodhpur [

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People have always lived on streets.

They have been the places where children first learned about the world, where neighbors met, the social centers of towns and cities.

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indian context

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aspect

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‘

- donald appleyard

the social street

democratizing

4

the urban social street

culture

4/1

Urban space has always been a place for the community rather than the individual, and public buildings, such as those for government, education, culture and commerce, play an important role in providing a focus for citizens and communities. They provide emotional attraction for both citizens and visitors, embodying political and cultural activities, giving signiďŹ cance and providing landmarks in time and space.(3)

[

4/1

spectra

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public spaces as a social stage

To facilitate these social interactions, public spaces were allocated in towns and cities in the form of squares, plazas, piazzas, market places etc. The functionality of open spaces as platforms for public has proven to be higher than closed spaces. Closed spaces often involve issues with powerclaiming, where authority of the space doesn't remain democratic, but a community or an individual tries to assert their power over the others. For instance, a church is public in nature, but the priest at some point of time considers it as his property and the functionality falls into his domain.

5.2 social life at agora

Since the ancient Greek agora, open public places have been at the heart of civilized urban life. (9)

While the public life for any individual involves open and universal social contexts, the private life caters to the more intimate, familiar and shielded social strata.

Over the years, the decline of this public realm has been observed as a concern to the social aspect of the humans owing majorly to the advent of mechanisation in our system of living. Many social and civil functions that traditionally occurred in public spaces have been transferred to private realms.

For instance, children visiting the gardens and parks for a play session ďŹ nd their portion of entertainment in the form of motion sensor gaming; walking down the street for a handful of groceries are now a motor driven venture.

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Sources :

2. Public Places Urban Spaces; Mathew Carmona 3. Future forms and Designs for Sustainable Cities; Dempsey, Mike Nicolas 9. Convivial Urban Spaces; Henry Shaftoe Image 5.1 : www.vespadiaries.com Image 5.2 : www.monkeymagic.net

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social street

5.1 scene of a piazza

The essential factor was that activities required people to communicate, which, at least, initially, meant being together in the same place at the same time The coming together of space and time facilitates an important dimension which has subsequently been taken as the essence of the 'urban' in a cultural sense. (2)

[

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spectra

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the urban social street

For the pedestrian, the connection between places is important and the public space is generated in this fashion.

A pedestrian's journey is rarely single purpose: on the way to somewhere else one could stop by for a sip of coffee, talk to a friend, enjoy the chaos, buy a few things or just watch the world around moving. This social dimension of the public space is a by-product of the movement on streets. The traditional urban grid represents a mechanism for generating contact, allowing maximization of the byproduct effect.

The social usage of the street is also determined by the building frontages that line the street on both sides. The land use along the streets infuses the activities 5.3 inner city streets happening within the building onto the street front. While places such as cafes, markets, restaurants, bars and pubs bring in life and vitality to the streets; parking, large scale industry, supermarkets and ats diminish the social usage of street.

Activity in any given setting is primarily culturally based in that it is the result of unwritten rules, customs, traditions, habits and the prevailing lifestyle and deďŹ nition of activities, appropriate to that setting.

For instance, in India, on one hand, the major roads seem to be treated as public spaces and the pavements used to dry grains, talking, working, or a wide variety of commercial 5.4 street frontages over street use activities; while on the other hand, streets in small residential areas such as pols and mahallas, they are used as semi-private spaces where only the residents have access and the rules of their culture apply to the functionality of the street.

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Sources : Image 5.3 : www.ickr.com Image 5.4 : www.treehugger.com

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social street

While the users of the streets are either pedestrians or motorists, the social aspect of the street function could be judged by majorly these two. The opportunities of social interactions exist once the car is parked for a motorist.

Motorists hence prefer a single, uninterrupted journey from source to destination and thus minimize the interaction to zero.

5.7 a street earns his living

Sources : 8. Public Streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon Image 5.5 : www.wheelchairtraveling.com Image 5.6 : www.tcpalm.com Image 5.7 : www.flickr.com Image 5.8 : www.flickr.com

Cultural variables are primary for any activity, including walking and others, occurring in streets.

It is the culture that structures behaviour and helps explain the use or non use of streets and other urban spaces. Thus the use of streets by pedestrians is primarily culturally biased and could be enhanced or inhibited by the physical setting in the space.

5.8 a point of relaxation

[

social street

5.6 roadside vendors/ eateries

[

4/1 The streets in India have activities intermingling with each other in a close juxtaposition. The streets are full of people in various costumes, not only walking and riding, but standing, sitting, sleeping, cooking, eating, shaving, fixing bicycles, doing laundry, playing, chanting, arguing, bargaining and even praying.(8)

5.5 sidewalk market, ladakh

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spectra

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the urban social street

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Public open spaces have been the most traditional concepts of making contactbe it close friends, acquaintances or fresh contacts. The low intensity contacts seem to be insigniďŹ cant in comparison to contacting close relations, but they are equally valuable and more complex form of interaction.

4/1

spectra

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establishing contact

The low intensity contacts are an impediment for relations to establish and contacts to grow. The best example of growth of relationships within strangers is the children playing on the street. An unplanned spontaneous reaction to play with whoever available around, generates a level of interaction that is seen to create a healthy childhood. The prerequisite for such an establishment to begin is to be in the same space and meet.

A short of exchange of words, brief discussion of politics, a few questions while sitting on the bench or walking down the road, stimulate what is seen as the lowest intensity of contact making and consequently forming the basic stepping stone to the world of socializing.

Discovering how others work, behave, dress, respond, progress and deal is what our mind analyzes when we step out into the open. Thus, a person we have often met or seen on the street becomes a person we 'know'.

5.10 an acquaintance

Experiencing other people represents a particularly colourful and attractive 5.11 close friends opportunity for stimulation. Compared with experiencing buildings and other inanimate objects, experiencing people, who speak and move about, offers a wealth of sensual variation. No moment is like the previous or the following when people circulate among people.(10)

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Sources : 10. Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl Image 5.9 : Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl Image 5.10 : Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl Image 5.11 : Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl

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social street

5.9 a modest contact making

If the activity between buildings is missing, the varied transitional forms between being alone and being together have disappeared.

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spectra

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role of activities

People are attracted to people. People and human activities attract more people. Given a choice between an evening stroll on a deserted street and a lively street, people tend to choose the lively street.

The analysis was based on an investigation of where pedestrians stopped on the walking street and what they stopped to look at.

Fewest stops were noted in front of banks, offices, show rooms etc and dull exhibits of , for example, cash registers, office furniture, porcelain, or hair curlers. (10)

5.13 people love watching people

Conversely, a great number of stops were noted in front of shops and exhibits that has a direct relationship to other people and to the surrounding social environment, such as newspaper kiosks, photography exhibits, film stills outside movie theaters, clothing stores and toy stores. Even greater interest was shown in the various human activities that went on in the street space itself. All forms of human activity appeared to be a major interest in this connection.

(10)

Considerable interest was observed in both the ordinary events that 5.14 a larger frontyard take place on a street-children at play, merely people walking byand in the more unusual instance- the artist with his easel, the street musician, street painters in action and other such small and large events.

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Sources : 10. Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl Image 5.12 : Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl Image 5.13 : Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl Image 5.14: Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl

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social street

5.12 festivities attract activities

The flourishing business of sidewalk cafes and outdoor restaurants along pedestrian street is an example of the interrelationship of the activities with human behaviour. The attraction analysis performed on stroget, Copenhagen is an illustration of the importance of activities to the pedestrian.

street democratics

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According to Donald Appleyard, democratic streets are the those streets that have a meaning for people, invite access to all, encourage use and participation, are loved and are well cared for by their users. People rely on the streets for much more than just routes of movement. Social life, interaction and learning occur along these streets. But a matter of growing concern is that these streets are being 'privatized' these days, denying the rights of access, use and enjoyment. The basic qualities that livable streets must pertain are lost nowadays.

Decline in Street Democracy

6.1 new york in 1940's

The Grid pattern of streets deďŹ ned the boundaries for public and private worlds for both the urban and the rural form and distributed land as a whole. The lively organic streets of Europe inuenced the other parts of the world and provided a public character to the streets to them. Even when the streets were overcrowded and polluted, they began to gain the attention of the public at large and were more democratic than our streets today.

With time, the environmental issues with the streets began to prop up and remain unresolved even today. People began moving to the suburbs in search of a better quality of life, leading to the decline in the public culture.

6.2 the scene of the suburbs The rise of mass transit systems, increasing speeds in transportation and mass production of automobiles fueled up this gradual decline of the public realm.

Taking people away from the street life by shortening distances and time began to become a lifestyle.

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Sources : Cover page Image : This way to better streets; CABE Image 6.1 : www.tumblr.com Image 6.2 : www.readeraredevelopment.com

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decline in street democracy

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The concept of democracy on streets is a plural of the larger picture of 'Publicness'. It stands as a foundation for democratic streets that recognize one's right to access public spaces.

Kevin Lych argues about the five basic public space rights as presence, action, appropriation, modification and disposition, stating thereby that people should not only have access to a public space, but also freedom to use, change and even claim the space as well as transfer their rights of use and modification to other individuals.(8) Hence, the ingredients that go into making democratic streets are enlisted below.

Use and User Diversity While the designing of streets is generally for the purposes of driving or walking, a democratic street is the one that demands a proportionate mix of different user groups and activities.



The failure of the concept of pedestrian malls is an example of the same.

While it was catering to the teenagers and elderly, the motorists trying to access the place found it undesirable and chose other shopping options.

6.3 pedestrian mall: anti-democratic

6.4 san fransisco: democratic

Similarly, the concept of the woonerf as a deliberate attempt to create a street space encouraging a diverse user group turned out to be a major success.

Accessibility 'A space is said to be 'open' when it is publicly accessible'.

A fenced area along the waterfront cannot fall under the category of an open space.

Degree of publicness is crucial for classifying a public space. Physical barriers and indirect entries create a mental note for the user that tends to pull them back from the public space rather than an invitation to access the space. 

6.5 barrier free streetscape

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Sources : 8. Public Streets for Public Use Image 6.3 : www.visualizenashua.com Image 6.4 : www.fineartamerica.com Image 6.5 : www.walkinginfo.org

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street democratics

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equality

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ingredients into street democratics

Participation/Modification

Streets need to undergo modification of different kinds to fit the changing activities and the needs of the citizens or users. Direct participation of street users in the design and management processes helps people establish an ongoing attachment to the street.(8)

4/2

6.6 movable street furniture When users are provided with tools to modify the street use according to their needs and convenience, it adds another element of attachment to the street democracy .Such as providing movable furniture is an example of the above.



True and Symbolic Control

Control over the street front or perceptual control over it, both work in favour of democracy.

Streets turn out to be successful as public social gathering spaces when all the users feel a sense of control over the space and consider it as their responsibility to maintain it and enjoy it.

At the same time streets fail when people perceive them as a belonging of the city and they seem to controlled by none. 

Traffic Management

Studies reveal that speed of the traffic is an important impediment in determining the street democracy in terms of attachment and detachment from a space.

6.7 traffic management

For instance, in case of residential streets, fear from the speed of the automotive restricts one age group to use the sidewalks.

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Sources : 8. Public Streets for Public Use Image 6.6 : www.agrowingobsession.com Image 6.7 : www.sf.streetsblog.org

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street democratics

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[

equality

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ingredients into street democratics

not be lost.

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Safety/ Security A pedestrian walking down the street tries to assess the hazards that a street possesses before deciding whether or not it is usable. This sense of security needs to be catered to while trying to attain a democratic street. 

High crime rates have a degrading effect on the street satisfaction levels. While achieving this security, the freedom should be particularly

Ground Floor-Street Relationship For democratic streets, social connection is linked with the ground floors of buildings. For the street to be more public in nature, the ground floor land use should be 'alive' spaces.



Activities with mundane uses such as banks, garages, storage spaces, offices etc should not directly face the public frontage of the street.

Commercial setups at the ground floor level often attract both pedestrians and motorists, tempting them to pause and experience the various facets the street has to offer.

Comfort Comfort involves adequate shading from the sun during the hot summers and proper solar access during cold months. Adequate and comfortable seating space for users adds the element of comfort.



6.9 mundane streets

Ecological Quality Air, noise and pollution affect the psychological perception 6.10 environ comfort and quality of the street space. People don't realize when they get detached to a place due to factors of noise chaos and pollution.



38

[

Sources : 8. Public Streets for Public Use Image 6.8 : www.guardian.co.uk Image 6.9 : Google maps Image 6.10 : www.sactoriver.blogsot.com

[

street democratics

6.8 street crimes

[

equality

[

ingredients into street democratics

as market places

streets

5

market culture

market

5/1

[

Historically, the markets have been the foci for the emergence and development of cities and towns. The global picture of markets was varying according to the culture and environmental conditions of the space.

7.1 oriental coffee house in damascus

While central asia and china had covered markets, the Arabs had souks, Romans with Forums and various market squares and street markets in Europe, all displaying different spatial formats, but similar fashion of trading. The goods sold were majorly food items and essentials.

The trade routes for the transportation of such produce have been instrumental in creating communities in the form of villages and towns along the way. In some countries, the market is still the hub of the city. It is a place for engagement, creating a buzz with its richness in activity, sound, colour, smells and experience. The market is transient, ever changing and is intrinsic to the urban landscape.(11) Traditionally people used to come to the market to socialize as well as buying of essential goods.

39

[

Sources :

7.2 the ‘Straight’ street, Damascus

11. The Market Place and Space; Lynne Mesher [Article] Image 7.1 :The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss Image 7.2 :The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss

[

market culture

Market spaces have a diverse historical context that can be scraped back to reveal the market as a necessity to the survival of the city and the hub of the community. Our needs for market space have changed as our social behavior has become more restrained by our lifestyles, turning the market into a destination for a tourist experience rather than an essential activity of the day, with our need for sustenance now fulďŹ lled with the convenience of the supermarket and online shopping.(11)

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traditional concept of markets

[

the embedded culture in bazaars

[

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market

the case of the islamic bazaars ‘ Religions govern man’s relationship with both God and his fellow men ‘

Mohammed introduced principles into the tribal life of the muslims, in a manner that they could build public relations, live in a society and earn a living. One of these principles that fall into trade affairs was proportionality into retailisation. He also adviced the acceptance of blood money instead of revenge. ‘ He urged his followers to show solidarity by making charitable donations.’

The Koran and Sunna not only regulate the fundamental spiritual and social questions, but also attach importance to a lot of daily life activities which are individually seemingly trivial, but sum up into a greater good.

7.3 relations at bazaars, Cairo

The five pillars of Islam hold their importance in the bazaar functionalism too : To testify to Unity of God To pray five times a day To abstain temporarily from eating or drinking To give alms To make a pilgrimage to Mecca

    

These rules have a crucial influence on the life in the bazaar, especially since many of them concern practical aspects of trade, industry and finance.

Under the Unity of God

Muslims are encouraged to enjoy earthly pleasures, but are extorted always to remember that life on earth is merely a transitional stage in the road to God.(12) For the religion of Islam, Men could be both rich and poor in a society, but unlike the capitalist ideas, profit can never be the end.

7.4 the close relation of bazaar and religion Koran preaches the followers of Islam to earn their wealth in an honest manner and give a part of it to the needy. Business and morality were very closely knit.

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Sources :

12.The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss Image 7.3 : The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss Image7.4 : The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss

[

market culture

To the muslims, human relations were preached by Mohammed and these were actively implemented throughout their course of life in every chore that they performed.

[

the embedded culture in bazaars

[

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market

the case of the islamic bazaars

Theft, greed and exploitation, ostentation, hoarding, speculation, creating monopolies, prostitution, astrology, drug dealing and fortune telling as well as begging- unless in dire need are sinful and therefore frowned upon.(16)

Under the principle of giving alms

Payment of annual tax- the zakat is an important rule . This benefits the poor and the needy and also the debtors, tax collectors and travelers. The amount of zakat is left to the honesty of the owner.

The general attitude to life in the bazaar is based on the high ethical standards, centering around the concept of jiwar.

7.5 the ‘khan-el- khalili

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[

Sources :

12.The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss Image 7.5 : The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss

[

market culture

The Koran is particularly strict in its prohibition on interest. Mecca followed a practice of debts, wherein the debts doubled with interest if not paid in stipulated time. A number of establishments came up in order to return to the original prohibition. Here, the lender received a proportionate share of the firm’s profit instead of interest. This made the trade and transactions fair and just for the all involved Men.

[

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The 16th century dutch markets were seen to be placed in and around the municipal sheds according to the goods they sold.

Butchers had an exclusive shed to protect the meat, while the fish sales happened in the open.

The Fanueil Hall in Boston in 1742 followed the English tradition of open arcaded markets on the ground floor with municipal offices on the upper floors. The combined market and town hall were built around many cities across the globe.

7.11 Les Halles, Paris

circa 1800

7.7 fanueil hall, boston 1742

Markets were enclosed only during the 1780s, when a member of the French royal family rented gardens to create the wooden Galeries de bois du Palais Royal. This concept began spreading over other parts of Europe, and streets began to be covered with metal and glass roofs such as the Saint Huberts gallery, Brussels. (13) 7.8 Galeries de bois du palais royal

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[

Sources :

7.9 st. hubert gallery

Later in the nineteenth century, large, beautiful iron hubs were built to house markets in the centers of all major cities (15).

While this trend began in London, it was Paris, in the period between 1853 and 1930, that built the largest, most important and spectacular facilities in Europe, Les Halles, which was later imitated all over Europe.

circa 1950

circa 1700

7.6 16th century Dutch markets

In 1823, Alexander Stewart opened a dry-goods store in New York, which in no time turned into the largest retail store in the world. And thus emerged the concept of department stores. Paris also was influenced by this concept.

circa 1900

circa 1600

7.10 center market house, Washington

[

13.2012 Best Mid-Late 20th Century Enclosed Shopping Mall: Mall of America; www.streets.mn 14. www.pps.org Image 7.6 : www.siftingthepast.com Image 7.7 : www.thebardofboston.com Image 7.8 : www.publishing.cdlib.org Image 7.9 : www.wdl.org

The Second World War brought about a major transformation in the setup of traditional market places.

Modernism in urban planning either eliminated the traditional markets or restructured them for different purposes. Les Halle's disappeared totally. What came up next were places like Covent Garden in London and Washington's central market. The Les Halle then became a place that staged elegant stores and big brands inviting tourism along with locals.

7.12 covent garden, london

A few cities retained their original format of traditional markets and renovating them, attracting more tourists and local shoppers. Boqueria, in Barcelona is one example of an 18th century market remodelled recently, opening it up to the street.

The proliferation of the automobiles by this time modified the shopping centre to be fully adaptable to the needs of the new technology. The Country Club Plaza is considered to be the first one in this regard with facilities of off-street parking, gas stations etc.

7.13 Boqueria market, Barcelona

market culture

The Roman Forum was too functioning on similar grounds like the Agora, but they also seemed to have more specialized good markets such as the Forum Boarium dedicated to the cattle trade.

As the Romans traded towards the east in countries like China and India, a similar market culture developed there.

Shopping streets began to be ingrained into the urban setup of Europe.

The market house in 1823 in Philadelphia was a development to combine all food items under one sturdy roof for ease to buyers and sellers. It also created the conditions for synergism, the merchandising phenomenon that occurs when vendors benefit from selling in proximity to one another.(14) Center Market was one of the largest market houses in the country when it was built, with over 666 stalls covering 57,500 square feet of floor space . It was known for its remarkably high ceilings, surmounted by skylights and adjustable ventilator panels, which provided indirect light as well as fresh air.

market

For the greeks, the market and all other important activities were placed next to the Agora. The agora acted as both the public market as well as a gathering space.The mode of social and cultural exchanges at the beginning of the urban area was the market streets and places.

circa 1820

[

evolution of the market

14. www.pps.org 15. The Role of the Central Public Market in a Twenty-first Century Metropolis;maría elena ducci Image 7.10 : www.commons.wikipedia.org Image 7.11: www.victorianparis.wordpress.com Image 7.12 : www.flickr.com Image 7.13 : www.boqueria.info

[revolution in shopping [

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built layout and the bazaar

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in the Islamic layout of houses and streets, the semi-private place in the house called the haram is the connection to the bazaar on the street.

The distinction between the internal and external, private and public, male and female domains is the key to understanding the structure of an oriental city and by analogy the bazaar.(12) The street facades are remarkably unadorned due to two main reasons - the streets reflect the equality of all Men to God; secondly, plain walls demarcate the family’s private domain.

The bazaar is the heart of the city. The shops are less than 2 sqm, opening on the street. Behind them are either the offices or workshops. Shops are closed like cupboards with several wooden flaps.

The ritual purity of goods was probably a crucial factor right from the beginning.

Shops selling candles, books, incense and perfumes settled around the Friday mosque. In Baghdad, the tanners, potters, butchers, smiths and gunpowder sellers were situated on the periphery not only for the smell, noise and dirt, but also for the risk of fire was high. Money changers and lenders were in the center.

the growing competition from machine made clothing had a significant impact on the traditional textile market and hence radically altering the structure of the islamic bazaar

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Sources :

8.1 typical fabric shop in Fez

Cover Page Image : www.tumblr.com 12.The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss Image 8.1: The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss

[

malls and bazaars

market

the case of the islamic bazaars

[

market

In a contemporary world of ours, while on one hand we are in need to better technology to provide us with extra comfort, status and ease at home and work, we still thrive to socialize through all possible means as a basic instinct within us.

While comparing a Mall and a Bazaar with qualities that sustain them both, we first look at with a contextual view. Be it in USA, Europe, Asia or any distant island, the Mall is the same everywhere. Free of context, similar stores, same brands but just varying in the magnanimity. Whereas, the bazaar is an attraction in each city, for the tourist as well as the locals. It is this shopping that a tourist looks forward to while visiting a new place. And for the local, the visual appeal, the enjoyable chaos, the variety that flows in every week is a boost to the shopping stimulus.

The built form character of a mall remains monotonous and constant throughout the globe. A box structure with an atrium in the center after the entrance, with shops on all sides facing the atrium, a cinema hall on the upper floor and a food court on the uppermost floor. While for the bazaar, every city has its own cultural sentiment that governs the functionality of the bazaar. The streets can never be the same in any town, the buildings enclosing the bazaars define their character and provide an altogether new experience for the pedestrian who travels through it.

the grand bazaar in istanbul is a covered bazaar with 67 streets, several squares and public spaces functioning since the 15th century. This bazaar has survived various natural calamities, but trade has never ceased. The reason for this the peculiar ethics of Islam.

8.2 plan of Grand Bazaar, Istabul

goods ranging from jewellery,leather goods, furniture to carpets 8.3 the uncovered portions

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[

Sources :

Image 8.2 : www.istanbultrails.com Image 8.3 : www.flickr.com Image 8.4 : www.allinstanbultours.com

[

8.4 the covered sections

malls and bazaars

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co-existence of the shopping environments

[

market

For both the Mall and the street bazaar, the user group is a pedestrian, the bazaar encompasses an element of mystery for the pedestrian. The linear form guides a pedestrian throughout the bazaar and at the same time compels one to reach the other end to fulfil his anxiety. While for the Mall is like a deck of open cards once in the atrium. The path is fixed and directioned from the very beginning leaving a narrow route from source to destination and thus cutting down on the experiential value.

The activities supported by a Mall are fixed once all the shops are sold. A change in the space functioning is a rare event. Being a lifestyle store, these malls offer their services only to the elite class of the society and all activities cater to their whims and fancies. The bazaar on the flip side, even though a little unhygenic, includes activities where each citizen could participate. The culture of the street setup governs the placement of activities, unlike the Mall.

8.5 a mall in instanbul

8.6 the monotonous interiors

shopping is seen as an activity that involves leisure along with an agenda at times. For earlier when shopping referred to buying food and groceries too, it was that time when women used to step out their households and indulge into social activity along with buying essentials.

Nowadays with the luxury being attached to the shopping concept. The revolution of shopping has brought about a change in the women’s role in shopping. Shopping values now combine both fun and work. But somehow, the fun quotient has exceeded the work part.

The nature of the shopping malls all over the world, provides a complete lifestyle experience. Offering a dozen bars, restaurants, cafes, cinema halls makes it a package deal once one enters into it.

The problem here is that, far from being a mere monument to the freedom of consumer choice and to the market economy, the Mall of America could be seen to be actively constructing an image of what life ``should'' be all about, namely consumerism, regardless of the less savoury connotations of a consumerist lifestyle. (16)

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[

Sources :

[

16.Towards a theory of shopping: A holistic framework; Helen Woodruffe-Burton, Sue Eccles, Richard Elliott Image 6.5 : www.100lonelyplaces.com Image 6.6 : www.flickr.com

malls and bazaars

[

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co-existence of the shopping environments

In a Society becoming steadily more privatized with private homes, cars, computers, offices and shopping centers, the public component of our lives is disappearing. It is more and more important to make the cities inviting, so we can meet our fellow citizens face to face and experience directly through our senses.

Public life in good quality public spaces is an important part of a democratic life and a full life.

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malls and bazaars

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market

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Jan Gehl

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analysis via case studies 6

ostergade.copenhagen

case study 6/1

[

1500

1962 copenhage n began pedestrianizing the streets keeping in mind the 9.4 First Pedestrianization 1962 public domain Stroget to start with.

9.1 Copenhagen in 1500s

1728

casestud

fortified city of copenhag en formed from the settlements of 12the century

6/1

1973

Fire of 1728 burned down onethird of the city Amelionbor g palace became the centre of the city

After stroget’s successful pedestrianiza tion, rest of the city streets were also pedestrianize d 9.2 Fire of 1728

9.5 the further streets and squares

1996

1888 2nd battle of copenhag en in 1807 led to destruction of most of the city Denmark 9.3 the 1888 destruction became a constitutional monarchy New neighbourhoods formed and old expanded

By this time 96 sqm of area was made car free.

40% of area was walking streets and 60% for resting and enjoying life.

9.6 the entire plan executed

[

public spaces-public life; jan gehl

Sources :

public spaces-public life; jan gehl

1965

1950

1900

Copenhagen realized the invasion of cars as a rapidly growing disease to the public and social life of residents as early as 1962 and began pedestrianizing streets and squares to bring back the losing street life

47

ostergade stroget

[

timeline of events in copenhagen

[

www.goingtocoenhagen.com

Cover page Image : www.tumblr.com Image 9.1 : www.wikipedia.org Image 9.4 : Are Pedestrians Invisible in the Planning Process? ; Lars Gemzøe Image 9.2 : www.wikipedia.org Image 9.5 : Are Pedestrians Invisible in the Planning Process? ; Lars Gemzøe Image 9.3 : www.tantjohanna.se Image9.6 : Are Pedestrians Invisible in the Planning Process? ; Lars Gemzøe

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[

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stroget : the longest pedestrianized street

casestud

city hall square

Nygade

Frederiksbergadde

Vimmelskaftet

Gammeltorv square

Amagetorv

Ostergade

Kings New Square

the various streets and squares that make up the entire pedestrian stretch of stroget are mentioned above. All of these hold traditional cultural values too.

9.7 city hall square

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[

Sources :

Image 9.7 : www.trekearth.com Image 9.8 : Google street view Image 9.9 : www.wikipedia.org

ostergade stroget

Stroget is the longest pedestrian street in the world.

Linking City hall square and Kings New Square, it makes up for a total of 3.2 kms.

Located in the heart of the city, it functions as a shopping street with branded stores, traditional markets and outdoor cafes.

9.8 king’s new square

9.9 gammeltorv square

[

The scope of goals is wide as this stretch provides a variety of land uses as mentioned above. With a few cultural recreations, institutions and offices among commercials.

Intensity of goals Dominance in land use by commercials. 65% commercials, 14% mixed uses and others being negligible. Hence the intensity is dilute Context movement This street has been pedestrianized in 1962, hence the movement is limited to the people and cyclists. No private cars or public transport is allowed to enter this area. Hence, context movement is said to be weak.

6/1

9.10 street views

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[

Sources : Images 9.10 : Google street view

ostergade stroget

Scope of goals

[

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context_land use pattern

[

[ 5

4

3

2

1

Spatial Hierarchy In this case, the spatial hierarchy is not seen significantly. The entire stretch of stroget is merely 11 m in width and so are all connecting streets Link Qualities Being the heart of the city, access and connection to the other parts of the city has been very strong and necessary.

9.11 stork fountain

Street Enclosure A very strong sense of place is offered by this street as it opens up into squares where carnivals, parades and festivals take place and routine activities such as shopping and eating happen on the street itself.

9.13 view from kings new square

9.12 street view

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Sources : Image 9.11 : www.mindcrime.org Image 9.12 : Google street view Image 9.13 : Google street view Image 9.14 : Google street view

ostergade stroget

6/1

casestud

[

built form characteristics

9.14 stork fountain

Place qualities A very strong sense of place is offered by this street as it opens up into squares where carnivals, parades and festivals take place and routine activities such as shopping and eating happen on the street itself

[

[ Automobile conflict

from the time between 1920 and 1962, this road faced automobile conflict, but currently the street acts as a linear public space.

Local traffic 9.15 street side cafe

The traffic has been under tremendous control by the planners in Copenhagen and is restricted to a few roads so as to let the pedestrians rule.

Pedestrian flow

The pedestrian flow is converging in nature along the entire stretch of stroget and from both main links of the squares 9.16 late evening view

9.17 the squares circulation

9.18 pedestrians on the street

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Sources : Image 9.15 : Google street view Image 9.16 : www.mindcrime.com Image 9.17 : www.mindcrime.com Image 9.18 : Google street view

ostergade stroget

6/1

casestud

[

circulation

[

[

9.19 the copenhagen carnival

Activity Location The activities in itself being too wide spread generate both open and enclosed activities.

The commercials promote enclosed shopping activities, while parades, festivals etc give the aspect of open participation by the public at large.

The cafes, restaurants and eateries offer equal opportunity for enclosed and open activities

9.20 street music shows

9.21 roadside cafes

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[

Sources : Image 9.19 : www.underthedanishsun.blogspot.com Image 9.20 : Google street view Image 9.21 : Google street view Image 9.22 : www.virtualtourist.com

ostergade stroget

Activity types Group ,individual and structured activities are offered by this street.

Shopping is an individual activity promoted in full swing by the commercial dominance. Group activities include all the outdoor cafes, squares.

Copenhagen carnival is one of the few cultural activities happening here

6/1

casestud

[

activity setting

9.22 pedestrian activity support

[

[

6/1

casestud

On 17 November 1962, Copenhagen’s main street, Stroget was pedestrianised.

This conversion was hotly debated at the time.

In the 1950s and 1960s, existing cycle paths were in many cases removed in order to make space for more cars.

The citizens protested saying ‘ We are danes, not italians, we love our cars’.

Then the energy crisis in 1973 hit Denmark hard. Car-free Sundays were introduced in order to save fuel.The number of deaths rose, especially amongst children on their way to and from school.

• limiting the number of parking spaces (charges for on-street parking are relatively high)

• reducing the number of lanes on several main routes into the city and using the space for bus and cycle lanes instead • restricting through traffic

• while developing the suburban train, bus and bicycle networks.

[

Sources :

850

409

287 1750

53

Cultural Events

1657

Evening activity

5900

Pedestrian

ostergade stroget

[

process of reclamation

[

Image 9.23 : Public spaces and Public life; Jan Gehl Image 9.26 : Public spaces and Public life; Jan Gehl Image 9.24 : Public spaces and Public life; Jan Gehl Image 9.27 : Public spaces and Public life; Jan Gehl Image 9.25 : Public spaces and Public life; Jan Gehl

market street san fransisco

case study 6/2

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timeline of events in San Fransisco

The first settlement by the spanish with 40 different tribes

[

6/2

10.1 san francisco 1775

Market street went into decline suburban attitudes, separation of automobile spaces began

10.2 Grids planned in 1848

10.6 Fox theater demolished

Radical new plans for reclaiming the market street began Plan for Monorails and sunken hanging gardens came up

10.7 new conceptuals

10.3 Resolved grid issues

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 hit San Francisco 3 days of raging fire 514 blocks destroyed Everything on Market street burnt

The Embarcadero freeway as a solution to save the Market street, compounded the troubles in 1950 Another earthquake in 1989 replaced the unfriendly overpass with a public plaza 10.4 earthquake destroyed SF

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[

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[

market street

10.5 street with cars

Invasion by ships from boston into spanish lands and missions.

Gold was discovered.

Huge Influx of immigrants

Jasper O’Farrell resolved the issue of the street patterns in the N-S Spanish grid and the NE-SW Yerba Buena grid with the 120 ft wide Market street.

casestud

Electric street cars replaced the cable cars, cars replaced the horse-driven buggies On-street parking began

10.8 Embarcadero freeway

Cover Page Image : Walking, Bicycling and Public Space on Market street; San Francisco Planning Dept Image 10.1 : www.zpub.com Image 10.5 : www.spur.org Image 10.2 : www.zpub.com Image 10.6 : www.spur.org Image 10.3 : www.spur.org Image 10.7 : www.spur.org Image 10.4 : www.spur.org Image 10.8 : www.spur.org

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context_land use pattern

[

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casestud

Intensity of goals In a close proximity, even though there is varied land use, the commercial and hotel industry dominates this commercial district signiďŹ cantly.

Electric Street Cars

Context Movement Provision of a spectrum of access modes, through trams,buses, bicycle routes, cars and pedestrian walkway, the context movement is very strong

Various access modes

55

[

Sources : All images : Google street view

Pedestrian Walkway

Entire Market street

Bicycle route

Automobile access

Bird eye view

[

market street

el

li

s

st

re

et

Scope of goals The market street provides a variety of land uses in this commercial district area and hence the scope of users is widened. With mixed uses in terms of hotels and commercials , commercials and institutions and commercial complexes, the user group is broadened.

[

el

li

s

st

re et

Link Qualities This street being a connecting link between north and south grid, holds a central importance.

Place qualities offering activities ranging from shopping, eating, festivals, parades, dance, art and music, the place qualities are four fold

activities offered

hallidie plaza

Street enclosure With the change in the street widths, the volumetric change in also observed. Buildings are majorly limited to g+2 structures to meet enclose a better street space.

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[

Sources : All images : Google street view

[

market street

Spatial hierarchy The 120 ft wide market street follows a spatial ranking along both the grids that it is linked to. The connecting street networks are not more than 82 feet wide.

6/2

casestud

[

built form characteristics

[

6/2

automobile conflict the density of automobiles is high during weekdays and weekends, but is not affecting the density of pedestrians/cyclists.

casestud

[

circulation and activity setting

Local traffic The traffic constitutes various modes such as individual cars, trams, buses, bicycles and pedestrians.

Pedestrian flow the pedestrian flow is converging in nature. Along the 5 km stretch of the market street, the highest pedestrian density is witnessed in this particular section through both ends of the street

Cyclists

Spontaneous

Cultural Pedestrians

Planned activity

Cable car

Seating at plaza

activity types the varying land use as well as the mode of access defines the activities generated in the area.

This zone offers all sorts of activities- group, individual, structured and random. activity Location The activities in itself being to wide spread generate both open and enclosed activities.

The commercials promote enclosed shopping activities, while parades, festivals etc give the aspect of open participation by the public at large.

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[

All images : Walking, Bicycling and Public Space on Market street; San Francisco Planning Dept

market street

Automobiles

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what made the street public- friendly

casestud

The approach towards reclaiming the street for public use along with accommodating various modes of access was through providing quality spaces and satisfying all the users of d space by treating them as equal stake holders...

...even though the busiest street of san francisco, considered as the favourite walking street

ease of walking

trees

towards a quality public space

adequate seating sidewalk conditions

cleanliness

safety from vehicles

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[

Sources :

[

All images : Walking, Bicycling and Public Space on Market street; San Francisco Planning Dept

market street

Quality :  Ground floor facade  Sound and Noise  Presence of Private vehicles  Trees  Uncelebrated monuments  Dealing with waste

analytical comparison

case study 6/3

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[

urban form and context

6/3

el l

is

st re et

organic street pattern copenhagen

grid iron layout san francisco

market st

stroget

built form character

stroget on one hand provides a variety of land uses in a close proximity to the user while the market street has a predominant commercial setup.

The stroget has less access modes after the pedestrianization, while the market street accommodates public as well as private modes along with walking.

el

li s

st

re

et

market street being far wider provides more opportunity to the users of the space. Stroget is an inner city street dedicated to the pedestrian.

Market street has been developed as a street, with landscape, proper paving and street elements making it more acceptable as a public space Stroget on the other hand has a pleasant environ for the pedestrian due to its volume.

120 ‘

36 ‘

59

[

Sources :

analytical comparison

casestud

context

the urban form

[

stroget doesnot experience any kind of automobile conict or issues with local trafďŹ c clashing with the public life On the other hand, Market st experiences issues with balancing the modes of access and needs to re design and maintain the street.

market st

Automobiles

Pedestrians

Cyclists

Cable car

stroget

activity setting

Spontaneous

Seating at plaza

Cultural

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analytical comparison

circulation

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casestud

[

[

circulation and activities

activities at both the streets are more or less on the same lines. Spontaneous, cultural planned activities take place in both the places. Shopping and eating are the core activities

[

[

consclusion

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casestud

In the course of development, evolution and growth, all that Man aspires is to easy his life and comfort his surroundings successfully. This is an instinct present in Mankind as a whole. The importance for his basic needs for food, shelter and water is incomplete until his urge to socilaize remains dormant. The society is where expresses his desires, growth and aspirations.

And an Urban setup is a one manifestation of his dreams. Urban form and the human form hold a symbiotic relation with each other. Neither of them can function without each other. Before technology deviated our lifestyles, urban spaces were the physical platforms for the social events.

Participating in a public gathering or engaging into a conversation with a close friend compelled one to step out of their private dwelling. It was both a necessity and a source of leisure to get together at the same space at the same time.

But science and technology presented a novel dimension to the functioning of our system. It outweighed the essence of these urban spaces and today what we witness in our streets and squares is a consequence of our dependance on the newly found source.

Even with the hundreds of shopping malls that are cropping up, these bazaars maintain their uniqueness and charm through the tradition that they hold on to.

These bazaars are the categoric examples of expressing the intangible notion of culture in a tangible form.

We cannot undo the effects of development and can neither nullify the technochanges and go back to being a nomad. But at the same time, we can neither throw ourselves away in the hands of automated objects. Hence we come up with the need to ‘NEGOTIATE’ between two powerful forces that govern our living and our urban format.

Our streets face the overpowering of the automobiles. Construction of narrow sidewalks ‘sidelined’ the Man from the street. But after about a century of living with automotives, we need to pause and look back on what have we lost. We have diminished the symbiosis that existed. ‘ Democratic Street’ is the answer to our losses. A street that not only accepts the technology but provides an equal space to stage ‘publicness’ needs to the concept of contemporary urban spaces.

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conclusion

Even while all the streets hold the ability to host public activities, the highest degree of social interactions are seen at street Bazaars. These bazaars along the street edges are not only the first forms of trade, but also sustain the culture and tradition of the setting that they are placed in.

‘

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‘

Jan Gehl

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conclusion

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casestud

The social changes of our era can help explain the dramatic increase in urban recreation – premium public spaces, with their diversity of functions, multitude of people, fine views and fresh air obviously have something to offer that is in great demand in society today.

conceptual

design

7

linking road mumbai

sitestud

7/1

[

[

7/1

r oa

d

location and access

ll

old khar

e pat ai lbh

national college

railway colony

bandra station

Located in Bandra, West, Mumbai.

Linking road is a total stretch of 3.6 km majorly comprising of a commercial complexes, formal and informal.

This road has convinient access through public transport.

1.3 km from Bandra Railway station 1.1 km from Khar railway station and the entire stretch has a total of 11 bus stops

The linking road in Bandra has been a destination for shoppers of all strata.

Falling even under the checklist on tourist shopping spots in Mumbai, India, this street needs redevelopment and reclamation in terms of its ‘publicness’ more than any other street in Mumbai. The colonial Mumbai is also a host to many street markets such as this one, but due to its colonial planning, the wide streets and sidewalks still supports the growing population and is sufďŹ ce for the needs of the pedestrian as well as motorist.

Being one of the most expensive suburbs of Mumbai, this suburb needs to concentrate on its public activities and life as much as its private life.

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linking road

r d national college

swami vivekanand road

ha

khar sv road

t vit

road st.there sa

sitestud

ing i nk

old khar 9th road

mixed use

Scope of goals Referring to the range of activities available to the street users, this street has a wide scope of goal as it constitutes commercial, mixed use, residential, institutional and relegious land use.

Intensity of goals In this case the intensity of goals is concentrated as the various zones are located in close proximity and a choice is provided to the user Context Movement referring to mode of access to the choices available on the street.

Predominated by cars during the weekdays and pedestrians during weekends

Automobile route

Pedestrian Motion Bus Stop

linking road

vitt

h

ha b l a

relegious

sitestud

commercial

il

institutional

7/1

ad

residential

[

ro g n i ink

[

context_land use pattern

Auto-rickshaw stop

64

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Sources :

[

[ a’

a

7/1 Spatial heirarchy an evident ranking in the street pattern is observed.

Even thought the built form maintains a regularity, the street width deďŹ nes a hierarchy.

sitestud

[

built form characteristics

9.0 m

7.5 m

primary street

section through the stalls and shops

Informal Stalls

Pavement

Carriage Way

Patwardhan Park

ROW

Link qualities the link qualities are moderate for this road, as the emphasis of the linear nature is through its volumetric enclosure but it doesnot act as a speciďŹ c connector between two distinct goals.

Place qualities this space articulates activities in terms of shopping and eating majorly. Hence providing a potential for place that could be tapped.

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Pavement

Formal Shops

Pedestrian Potential This street holds a high density of pedestrians round the week even though the activities are limited to commercials.

[

linking road

Street Enclosure along the road, the ratio of facade height to street width is regular and facade articulation is uniform. Hence a strong street enclosure.

[

[

landmarks

1 33rd road

7/1

ad

d 3r

ro

3

d

h 35t

3

roa

4

sitestud

2

6

6

4

Commercial setups cannot survive without concentrated pedestrian ow. Permeable street/block structure encourages easy pedestrian access.

Activity magnets such as large stores, compact markets attract large number of pedestrians.

3

2

1

process of concentrating pedestrian flow

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[

linking road

ld road watrefie

5

26th roa d

5

[

[

circulation

automobile conflict 54

lbh th a

311

vit

72

23

oad gr kin lin el pat ai

208

150

4

88

sitestud

121

Local traffic the traffic constitutes of 64% cars, 15% two wheelers,19% autos and 2% heavy vehicles at the peak hour. Thus making the automobile a partial substitute of the pedestrian realm.

67

[

Sources :

the volume of automobile flow along with the density of parking ,hinders the density of pedestrian usage.

The bifurcated street provides scope for more pedestrian ease than the thorough traffic lane. the anti-street attitude is evidently visible in this case. while the automobiles not only occupy the street area, but at the same time also create a sense of ownership over the road, making the presence of the pedestrians feel unsafe and sidelined from the main stream

Pedestrian flow

the pedestrian flow is converging in nature as it concentrates the pedestrians from adjacent streets and directional as shopping is a major activity.

[

linking road

532

43

102

7/1

i ha

Bus Stop

te pa ing ink ll roa d

Activity Location

el pat ai d

oa gr kin

lin

[

Sources :

lbh tha

68

enclosed open

vit

the activities on the street is dual in naturecompletely enclosed in buildings as well as oriented towards street usage.

The shops and malls encourage conďŹ ned activity zones while shopping stalls open the spectrum of view

Activity types the activity typology here would fall into the category of both group and individual structured activities.

Shopping is an individual activity but well deďŹ ned while eating at a restaurant or attending college is a group setting with clear aims.

Random activities such as strolling, reading etc are not in focus at all.

[

linking road

Pedestrian

7/1

lb tha vit

Pauses

[

sitestud

[

built form characteristics

[

ai

lbh

Encroachment

Stalls

Entrance

tha

Shops

vit

Eateries

tel

pa

oad gr

kin

lin

conclusion Being a permeable street offering varied choices of access, legible with the activity patterns and physical layout, offering variety of land uses makes the street a potential public space and requires certain interventions that could enhance public activity along with other uses that are prevalent

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linking road

The Linking road is said to be a commercial street majorly.

This street offers various pockets of informal commercials and at the same time invites big brands in the formal setup.

Along certain stretches, shops have been extending their space onto footpaths, hence generating a larger spectrum of customers.

7/1

sitestud

[

activity setting

conceptual proposal

concept 7/2

65

[ Sources :

[

stalls food stalls

sidewalk

0.00 m

sect c

sidewalk

[

conceptual proposal

prototype for stalls

sect a

the shopping stalls

design

the food stalls

+0.150 m

section

sect b

section

0.00 m

plan

sidewalk

[

plan

stalls

plan at 0.00m

7/2

[plans at street level [

conceptual

[

section a

section b

section c

66

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[

conceptual proposal

7/2

design

[

sectional vuews

[sectional views

conceptual

[

67

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[

conceptual proposal

[

[

design

views

7/2

[3 dimensional views [

conceptual

[

The linking road street market along with the island on the road, has a potential to be a successful public place majorly because of the shade along the roadside.

To generate the sense of ownership among all users of the street front requires efforts towards development at the urban level.

From Macro planning to consideration and sensitivity into the minor things that support different users in terms of function and perception has been incorporated into the design.

existing site view

Macro planning includes allocation of spaces for shopping , eating and seating activities along with a prototypical design for the stall.

Seating in terms of free furniture and ďŹ xed furniture allows participation of the public into altering the environ around them to suit their usage.

The already existing plantations provide enough shade and a composed environment for walkers.

Cleanliness maintenance in a public property does alter the degree of usage, hence provision of adequate number of trash cans near food stalls and seating areas.

The closed Patwardhan Park’s edge functions in favour of the design on the street side.

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proposed site view

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conceptual proposal

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design

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views

[existing and proposed [

conceptual

[

References

[

7/2

Cities full of symbols; Peter J M Public Places Urban Spaces; Mathew Carmona

source

Books and E-bboks

Future forms and Designs for Sustainable Cities; Dempsey, Mike Nicolas On streets; Stanford Anderson History of Urban Form; A.E.J Morris

Streets and Patterns; Stephen Marshall Public Streets for Public Use; Anne Moudon Convivial Urban Spaces; Henry Shaftoe Life Between Buildings; Jan Gehl

The Market Place and Space; Lynne Mesher [Article]

The Bazaar: Markets and Merchants of the Islamic World; Walter M Weiss, Kurt-Michael Westermann The Role of the Central Public Market in a Twenty-first Century Metropolis; María Elena Ducci [Article] Towards a theory of shopping: A holistic framework; Helen Woodruffe-Burton, Sue Eccles, Richard Elliott Indian City in the Arid West; Kulbhushan Jain, Minakshi Jain History of the Market Square; Monika Tomaszewski

Coexistence and Conflicts between Shopping Malls and Street Markets in Growing Cities: Analysis of Shoppers’ Behavior; Rajagopal,Professor of Marketing and National Researcher, EGADE Business School Spatial Dynamics of Marketplaces; I C Istek, Center for Spatial Information Science, University of Tokyo

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bibliography

Street Layout through Ages; J H Crawford [Article]

[

References

[

7/2

source

Walking, bicycling & public space on market street; San Francisco Planning Department Urban Design: Streets and Squares; Cliff Moughtin

Streets as Public Space: Street ModiďŹ cations that Stimulate Social Gathering Livable Streets; Donald Appleyard

Death and Life of Great American Cities; Jane Jacobs

Reclaiming city streets for people Chaos or quality of life?; European Commission

Social interactions in urban public places; Caroline Holland, Andrew Clark, Jeanne Katz and Sheila Peacez

Woonerf Revisited; Stephen Schepel

Feasibility Study of Pedestrianization in Shopping Areas of Hong Kong; Li, Chi Mui Phyllis Are Pedestrians Invisible in the Planning Process? Copenhagen as a Case Study; Lars Gemzøe What the Pedestrian Wants; Ekim Tan, Delft University of Technology Public Spaces and Public Life; Jan Gehl Changing street Life; Jan Gehl Image of the City; Kevin Lynch

Webpages www.streets.mn www.pps.org www.gridchicago.com www.copenhagenet.dk

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[

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bibliography

Streets as Places- Using Streets to Rebuild Communities; Project for Public Spaces