ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

To understand the given instances and to draw conclusions from them, there were certain aspects which were taken under consideration, these aspects were understood on the basis of analysing users walkability, position, behaviour, setting of the place etc. To get an idea of how one experiances roughness in the given space.

*BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

Venetin Aghostin Sangar states an interesting analysis of how and why people perform the way they perform in social spaces in their thesis ‘Human Behavior in public spaces’.

She states that the environment influences the mind through a series of physical, social, cultural or sensory features. The need for safety , love, belonging and the need for self actualisation or esteem is what sculpts the human environment realm. She questions what triggers it and what are its aspects. Her research states certain Environment-Behavior models such as

Arousal Theory

Stimulus Load Theory

Behavior constraint theory

Adaptation Theory

Environment stress Theory

Perception & Cognition Theory.

This thesis would later in the research methodology elaborate on which of these models affect and are of concern for the given context of streets.

*MOVEMENT ANALYSIS

Throughout the narrative I have been focusing on the aspect of behavior, claims, practices, congestion but the start of this budding process is through experience and this experience is a sum of actions and movements. These movements or actions are a response to the environment which bothers me. This thesis is trying to locate what causes this, hence I’ve placed both Movement & Behavior analysis together.

To understand movement I have looked at various artists, travelers, commuters, hawkers etc. An interesting analysis done by Rudolf Laban, a choreographer and a dancer. He is considered a pioneer of modern dance. He categorized human movement into four component parts:

• Direction

• Weight

• Speed

• Flow

•

Each of those parts has two elements:

Direction is either direct or indirect

Weight is either heavy or light

Speed is either quick or sustained

Flow is either bound or free

Hence this study is termed as the ‘Laban Movement’. It acts as a medium to map or understand the pedestrian movement patterns and also how streets “A dance Floor” respond. There are various instances on the streets where people, instead of a force act or move on impulses, it could be anything from running to catch a bus or walking through a crowded patch with a hot cup of tea or it could just mean standing at a bus stand and listening to music. These impulses give rise to movements of a physical character.

Walking through these sites and observing the kind of activities that take place, I was able to figure out some sets of instances which govern certain movements and events on the streets

These instances could be explained with the help of behavior analysis by (SANGAAR 2007).

*Behavior Constraint Theory

This is where people begin to believe that what they do has no effect on the environment and that whatever happens is out of their control. This can result in a sense of despair and feelings of alienation about the environment. In dark and deserted streets people may alter their movement patterns or avoid such places altogether.

*Stimulus Overload Theory

The Stimulus Load Theory is based on the notion that people have a limited capacity to process environmental stimuli. When faced with an excessive amount of stimuli, or ‘stimulus overload’, people have a propensity to ignore some features and give more attention to those that are perceived as more important to the task at hand.