INTRODUCTION

~ “This place feels too filled-up for any more people to squeeze in, and yet anyone can find a foothold here. Some come here to display, others come as spectators. Even when bodies are still, eyes travel. Everyone seems propelled forward by the movement of all the others around them. In a crowd it isn’t forbidden to follow the gaze of another, to go where someone else may be going. It’s as if the entire city is out on the streets. If night were not to fall, the thought of returning home may not occur to people for days.”.

~ (Eleven Streets).

Streets are and have been for most of us places of varied activities, they consist of an array of events which blur its identity altogether, especially Indian streets. Uneven street edges, Construction in between streets, dug up sewers, potholes, garbage dump, collision of various activities and events and overall rigidity of emotions of oneself is what sums up understanding of this thesis. It started during my commute between Borivali link road & Dahanukar Wadi metro station where there were a lot of activities, rather abundant or overlapping events which affected this commute and at times made me feel disoriented or restless, it affected behavior and ability to move. The space felt overpowering that movement was governed by them

This commotion also enhanced the way one performed, overtaking, shifting to the wrong way just to get out of that congestion, revving through small patches or gullies formed through such traffc.

The factor to be considered here is that these were peak summers of May, so riding a motorcycle with helmet on was in itself a task, the continuous glare and humidity just added to the discomfort of the journey. There were instances where people were seen galloping and rushing in between roads and pavements due to various storefronts occupying the sidewalks, gutters being dug out, cows crossing the streets, milk vans unloading crates of milk bags onto the edges, etc.

To juggle through these events as well as maintaining the ride drained out the user and at times also created an image of these places. So it became inevitable for daily commuters to drive properly, people would rush through these streets as fast as possible, which lead to traffcjams,congestions,quarrels,rashdrivingas well as increased the possibility of accidents over this patch

Over a period of time such events took place on almost every street, similar pattern, the sidewalk condition, street edges either on or near. It interested me to ask. Why?. That a planned space like the Link Road is not able to adhere to such conditions? To occupy these events and activities, to allow such occurrences to prosper.Similar instances were recorded on Hanuman Road at Akurli, Kandivali. Here the street almost completely disappears due to overlapping instances and events.

Similarly on a street, where simple act of walking or driving is layered with such activities/ events nuances, which changes or defines its identity, allows newer possibilities to happen