Influences of Architecture on Public Spaces

(A case for Nashik City)

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

By
Soumya Prakash Nimani
PRN: 2007017000091536
Nashik (May 2019)

VIDYAVARDHAN’S INSTITUTE OF DESIGN ENVIRONMENT AND

ARCHITECTURE
NASHIK, MAHARASHTRA

I
II
 CERTIFICATE

Influences of Architecture on Public Spaces

(A case for Nashik City)

A Thesis presented to
VIDYAVARDHAN’S INSTITUTE OF DESIGN ENVIRONMENT AND
ARCHITECTURE
(IDEA)

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
for the academic year 2018-19 of YCMOU.

___________________________ ___________________________

Signature of Guide Signature of Candidate

___________________________

Signature of Principal

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to my subject guide Sachin Gulve
sir for all the support and guidance he has provided to me to complete my project
report successfully.

I also extend my sincere gratitude towards our principal Vivek Patankar Sir and our
director Vijay Sohoni Sir and my college and the library staff for having given me the
opportunity to learn and be a part of this college.

I also extend my gratitude to Shantanu Autade Sir, Pooja Khairnar Maam and Yasmin
Dandekar Maam for guiding me during the process.

I would like to thank my parents who helped me to complete this research and thesis.

I would also like to thank my sister Pooja Nimani for giving her valuable time and
guiding me in my thesis.

Last but not least I would like to thank my friends Mayur Deore, Kunal Chopra, Yash
Sethi, Jay Khivansara and Richa Mandora for helping me in completing my thesis
research.

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Index

List of figures …………………………………………………………………………………………..VIII

Introduction ..……………………..…………………………………………….…………………....01

Chapter 1: Public Spaces in City Level Context ………………………………………....03

1.1 Evolution of Cities

1.2 Planning of Cities

1.3 Urbanization

1.4 Development of Urban form

1.5 Indian Urban Form

1.6 Growth of Cities

1.7 Character of City

1.8 Background of Public Spaces

1.9 What is the role of public space in a city or an urban scape?

Chapter 2: Spaces and Places ……………………………………………………………………11

2.1 Spaces

2.2 Discussion of Spaces and Places

2.3 Urban Space and Places in Urban Spaces

2.4 Public Places

2.5 Public Places in Urban Spaces

2.6 Public Places in Indian context

2.8 Indian psychology regarding public places

2.9 Western influence on Public Space

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2.10 Categories of public places

Chapter 3: Public Places ……………………………………………………………………………19

3.1 Public Spaces Literature review

3.2 Public Place as Social Space

3.3 Society and Space relation

3.4 Need of Social space in urban space

3.5 How public space can redefine the cultural, social, economic and health factors in a city
and its surrounding?

Chapter 4: Type of Social spaces in City ……………………………………………………23

4.1 Type of Social spaces in City

4.2 City level importance- Ahmadabad river banks

4.3 City level urban parks – Shivaji park, Mumbai

4.4 Locality - nodes and junction

4.5 Public building and monumental plazas - India gate, Delhi.

4.6 Museums and memorial- Gandhi ashram, Ahmedabad

4.7 City square and cultural spaces- Pragati Maidan, Delhi

4.8 Bazaars and market streets- tripola bazaar, jaipur

4.9 Water front places - kankaria lake, Ahmedabad

4.10 Mall and shopping centre - Salt Lake City Centre, Kolkata

4.11 Religious spaces - pushkar, rajasthan

4.12 Ancient heritage monumental spaces

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Chapter 5: Public Places ………………………………………………………………………………69

5.1 Benefits of Public Space

5.2 Successful Public Space

5.3 What are the factors which can be taken in consideration that would affect the nature of
public space?

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………………….74

Bibliography and References ……………………………………………………………………..XIII

Case of Nashik city …………………………………………………………………………………....XIV

6.1 History of nashik city

6.2 Development and growth of nashik city

6.3 Character of nashik city

6.4 Architecture

6.5 Activities performed on the ghat.

6.6 Why there is need of public space in a city that is developing and has great future?

Design Proposal ……………………………………………………………………………………XXIII

1. Design solution justification

2. Brief

CASE STUDY 1: JAWAHAR KALA KENDRA – CULTURAL CENTRE OF JAIPUR CITY.

CASE STUDY 2: BHARAT BHAVAN (‘INDIA HOUSE’) – BHOPAL CITY.

3. Site Analysis

4. Process

5. Drawings

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List of Figures

Figure 1: The Roman settlement of Londinium, c. AD 200, which developed into the modern
metropolis of London

Figure 2: The Mall at Central Park, New York City, in 1902.

Figure 3: Percentage of urban population by region, 1950-2050

Figure 4: Landscape Architecture Urban Spaces artistic and functional public plazas the Grafton
Village Square

Figure 5: Sabarmati Riverfront project: Gujarat

Figure 6: the sun house gallery for privately owned public space

Figure 7: common plaza between built forms

Figure 8: public space design camp - Moon Park

Figure 9: Virupaksha temple, Karnataka

Figure 10: Red fort, Delhi

Figure 11: Delhi Street market

Figure 12: Varanasi ghat

Figure 13: Godavari river ghat, Nashik

Figure 14: Sabarmati river front, Ahmedabad

Figure 15: plan of Sabarmati river front, Ahmedabad

Figure 16: sit outs at Sabarmati river front at Ahmedabad

Figure 17: illustration of activities on open public grounds

Figure 18: Shivaji Park, Mumbai

Figure 19: illustration of activities on open public grounds

Figure 20: plan of shivaji park at Mumbai

Figure 21: Public activity at Shivaji park, Mumbai

Figure 22: chart for Elements of city Image – Application to Urban Public space

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Figure 24: Qutb Minar, Delhi

Figure 25: Plan showing the strong Axial Geometry of the design of Rajpath with India gate
forming a major pivot

Figure 26: India gate and public activities around it

Figure 27: Plan of Gandhi Ashram (Sabarmati Ashram), Ahmedabad

Figure 28: Gandhi Ashram (Sabarmati Ashram), Ahmedabad

Figure29: Commercial retail centre, Select Citywalk, Delhi

Figure 30: Plan of Pragati Maidan, Delhi.

Figure 31: The structure in the complex are representative of exhibition structure and
pavilions, adjacent to the Historic Purana Qila, sprinkled with many lawns, courts and plazas

Figure 32: A typical section of a mall road in the hills

Figure 33: A typical Cross section of a High street market

Figure 34: Masjid Moth, Delhi- a view of the street without weekly market

Figure 35: Masjid Moth, Delhi- an area that transforms into a temporary weekly market

Figure 36: A typical cross section of a traditional mixed land use market

Figure 37: The many modes of transport fignt for space on the road flanked by the numerous
pedestrian and small-venders amidst the buildings of the ‘pink city

Figure 38: illustration of activities of water front

Figure 39: The changing nature of the threshold along the waterfront.

Figure 40: The development of the ring around the lake attempts to maintain the natural fabric
and density of the existing site while simultaneously generating new sets of activities

Figure 41: section showing the activities in river front of Kankaria Lake

Figure 42: The redesigned edge around 4.8 km circumference of the lake's perimeter which
includes many recreational activities for the larger city.

Figure 43: salt lake mall as public space

Figure 44: Plan of salt lake mall

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Figure 45: The religious monument in a traditional town is the core whose influence creates a
ripple of activities around the town. They are also a focus or axis to enhance directional logic

Figure 46: The religious monument in a traditional town is the core whose influence creates a
ripple of activities around the town. They are also a focus or axis to enhance directional logic.

Figure 47: The Jagannath Rath Yatra

Figure 48: Christ Church, Shimla

Figure 49: One of the many ghats which surround the edge of the lake.

Figure 50: The bazaar street along the ghats.

Figure 51: The 52 ghats around the Pushkar Lake were at one time represented by the houses
of nobility of Rajasthan-Gujarat region and are still clearly demarcated.

Figure 52: The cross section of the major street to the lake enhances the feeling that this town
is like a spectator bowl where everyone is watching the other

Figure 53: Sangameshwara Temple and Galganath Temple at Pattadakal, Karnataka Badami
Chalukyan Empire, 500 BC UNSECO World Heritage Site

Figure 54: Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu Chola Empire, 10th century AD
UNSECO World Heritage Site

Figure 55: Illustration of Raathas

Figure 56: Shore temple of Mahabalipuram, Tamil nadu. Pallava Empire. 7th century AD
UNESCO World Heritage site

Figure 57: Image of Godavari Ghat

Figure 58: Map for Growth of Nashik

Figure 59: Zoning of Nashik

Figure 60: Rock cut Architecture – pandavleni

Figure 61: Residential Architecture

Figure 62: Contemporary Architecture of institute

Figure 63: Wada Architecture

Figure 64: Topography of Nashik

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Figure 65: Godavari River Ghats

Figure 66: Temples of Nashik

Figure 67: deepdaan

Figure 68: Rituals at River Ghat

Figure 69: Kumbh mela nashik

Figure 70: Kumbh mela nashik

Figure 71: Elevation of Jawahar Kala Kendra

Figure 72: Inspiration of Jawahar Kala Kendra

Figure 73: Plan of Jawahar Kala Kendra

Figure 74: Layout of Jawahar Kala Kendra

Figure 75: Layout of Jawahar Kala Kendra

Figure 76: Plan of Bharat Bhavan

Figure 77: Section of Bharat Bhavan

Figure 78: Circulation of Bharat Bhavan

Figure 79: view of Bharat Bhavan

Figure 80: view of Bharat Bhavan

Figure 81: Map showing Site

Figure 82: Map showing Site

Figure 83: Map showing Site image of 2005

Figure 84: Map showing Site image of 2009

Figure 85: Map showing Site image of 2011

Figure 86: Map showing Site image of 2012

Figure 87: Map showing Site image of 2015

Figure 88: Map showing Site image of 2018

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Figure 89: Illustration showing Built mass of surrounding area

Figure 90: Illustration showing Road networks of surrounding area

Figure 91: Illustration showing Traffic of surrounding area

Figure 92: Illustration showing Images surrounding area

Figure 93: DP map showing surrounding area

Figure 93: Plan showing Red and Blue Line according to DP map

Figure 94: Illustration showing Design process

Figure 95: Illustration showing Design process

Figure 96: Illustration showing Design process

Figure 97: Illustration showing Design process

Figure 98: Illustration showing Design process

Figure 99: Illustration showing Design process

Figure 100: Illustration showing Design process

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Introduction

Now a day’s more attention is given on to the human dimension in the city planning and the
need for quality in the public spaces. Importance of public spaces is universally accepted by
one and all. The question is what makes public space more successful? The designer is trying to
give best model of good public spaces. However we find that many times well designed public
space also doesn’t generate good public response. In this report an attempt is made to study a
place evolved organic growth through accumulation and flourishes of public at large design
public space to know which place is more successful.

In any city, the architecture is usually a defining feature in understanding the identity of the
space - it becomes a part of the conscious attempt at what the city projects itself to be.
Architecture is mostly associated with that which is 'built'. But a city is almost in an equal
measure defined by that which is 'unbuilt'. People see cities as buildings and streets, but we
need to see cities as the sum of its multitude of spaces and people's interactions in them as a
reflection of their culture.

We know that an active and vibrant public space is an integral part of a city. It replaces and to
an extent also substitutes for the traditional idea of community. It is where social interactions
happen, festivals and celebrations take place, where an exchange of ideas and commodities
occur, and in fact where cultures are allowed to live and mix in each other. It has been said
that a good public space is to be similar to being the foreground of our public institutions -
parliament, courts, universities, municipalities, government institutions, and neighborhood
schools - where we interact with each other and deal with the government. Good spaces serve
as a stage on which the daily drama of a city's public lives is enacted. They provide a unique
window into the socio-cultural fabric of the city - they are indicators of how citizens interact
and engage in the public domain.

Good urban public spaces are understood as areas in a city where social interactions and
economic exchanges taking place give birth to a strong sense of community and commerce;
where friends meet, strangers interact and lovers romance; where the homeless or the
dejected ponder deeply over what to do next, kids run around and have endless fun; and also
where political demonstrations, religious processions and cultural celebrations take place.
They are accessible, have a friendly environment and there are trees to provide shade, there
are benches to sit and safe places to walk. The place is safe for old people and women, and
largely speaking these places become the melting pot of various cultures within the society of
the city or the neighborhood. Vibrant public places are both democratic and equal in nature;
they do not differentiate between people on the basis of religion, caste or economic criteria.

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These places belong to the homeless, who spend the nights sleeping on streets, as much as
they belong to the millionaire who comes here, in his Mercedes. These places belong to and
are easily accessible to everyone.

Open public spaces not only form the image of city and the way it is perceived but also
become places where people interact under a collective identity. With the emergence of
constant degradation of the quality of open public spaces emerges the necessity to understand
why open public spaces are not able to fulfill its role in our society. The open public spaces aid
the betterment of human life in today’s hectic life. Thus there is a requirement of studying this
topic so as to realize the importance or the need of development of humanity.

The study will undertake a critical visual and physical survey of various public spaces in India to
evaluate the various aspect governing their design, function and location. Initial concern will
be based on the studying the open public spaces around the world and compare and contrast
it with the public spaces in the India. The understanding of urban open space will need to take
in account its Physical, social and symbolic dimension simultaneously. The study is not limited
to one or two case studies, but a number of relevant examples are selected such as public
spaces around cinema halls, community centers, landmarks, parks etc. The study will also deal
with the performance of various functions to be carried out by open public spaces in term of
design and location. The study will also deal with a number of issues related to open public
spaces relevant in Indian context like: Accessibility, Appearance, Circulation, Problem faced.

This study is focus on urban open public spaces in contemporary context only. The term open
public spaces have wide range. Hence it would be essential to narrow down the fields and deal
with specific array of open spaces. Due to complexity of the topic the study will be limited to
specific delineation of the examples. Due to the limitation of the time the case studies are
done to extent to explain the related topic in the research. Author has also depended on
secondary and even tertiary sources of information, for research material. This study based on
the personal observations, photographs and literature review.

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 1
Figure 1: The Roman settlement of Londinium, c. AD 200, which developed into the modern metropolis of London.

2
Figure 2: The Mall at Central Park, New York City, in 1902.

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Figure 3: Percentage of urban population by region, 1950-2050

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Figure 1 source: www.britannica.com/topic/urban-planning
2
Figure 2 source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/urban-planning/
3
Figure 3 source: The National Academies Press www.nap.edu/read/12860/chapter/9

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Chapter 1: Public Spaces in City Level Context

1.1 Evolution of Cities

"To change life, we must first change space" —Henri Lefebvre, French writer, philosopher and
educator.

With the industries, traffic jams and sleek buildings, cities are often seen as new developments
in history. In fact, the origin of cities goes back thousands of years and passes through at least
three distinct phases.

1.1.1 The first phase - River Valley Civilization

A small number of major river valleys in different parts of the Eastern Hemisphere played a
critical role as cradles of civilization: it was here that all the “original” or “foundational”
civilizations – those which did not owe their development to other, older civilizations –
emerged. The great civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley and China all
belonged to this category. River valleys offer areas of well-watered, fertile soil which, because
of their very high agricultural productivity, can give rise to large human populations
concentrated in a comparatively small area.

With reference to figure no.1, from small agriculture based settlements in river valley
civilizations to larger centers for merchants, crafts people, traders and government officials.

With reference to figure no.1, The physical form of medieval and Renaissance towns and cities
followed the pattern of the village, spreading along a street or a crossroads in circular patterns
or in irregular shapes, though rectangular patterns tended to characterize some of the newer
towns.

1.1.2 Phase two - Industrial revolution

In both Europe and the United States, the surge of industry during the mid- and late 19th
century was accompanied by rapid population growth, unfettered business enterprise, great
speculative profits, and public failures in managing the unwanted physical consequences of
development. Giant sprawling cities developed during this era, exhibiting the luxuries of
wealth and the meanness of poverty in sharp juxtaposition. Eventually the corruption and
exploitation of the era gave rise to the Progressive movement, of which city planning formed a
part. The slums, congestion, disorder, ugliness, and threat of disease provoked a reaction in
which sanitation improvement was the first demand. Significant betterment of public health
resulted from engineering improvements in water supply and sewerage, which were essential

4
to the further growth of urban populations. Later in the century the first housing reform
measures were enacted.

Also during the Progressive era, which extended through the early 20th century, efforts to
improve the urban environment emerged from recognition of the need for recreation. Parks
were developed to provide visual relief and places for healthful play or relaxation. Later,
playgrounds were carved out in congested areas, and facilities for games and sports were
established not only for children but also for adults, whose workdays gradually shortened.
Supporters of the parks movement believed that the opportunity for outdoor recreation would
have a civilizing effect on the working classes, who were otherwise consigned to overcrowded
housing and unhealthful workplaces.

With reference to figure no.2, New York’s Central Park, envisioned in the 1850s and designed
by architects Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted became a widely imitated model.
Among its contributions were the separation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, the creation
of a romantic landscape within the heart of the city, and a demonstration that the creation of
parks could greatly enhance real-estate values in their surroundings.

With reference to figure no.2, As the grandeur of the European vision took root in the United
States through the City Beautiful movement, its showpiece became the World’s Columbian
Exposition of 1893, developed in Chicago according to principles set out by American architect
Daniel Burnham. The architectural style of the exposition established an ideal that many cities
imitated. Thus, the archetype of the City Beautiful—characterized by grand malls and
majestically sited civic buildings in Greco-Roman architecture—was replicated in civic centres
and boulevards throughout the country, contrasting with and in protest against the
surrounding disorder and ugliness. However, diffusion of the model in the United States was
limited by the much more restricted power of the state (in contrast to European counterparts)
and by the City Beautiful model’s weak potential for enhancing businesses’ profitability.

1.1.3 Phase three- After Second World War

After World War II a number of European countries, especially France, the Netherlands,
Germany, and the Soviet Union, undertook the building of new towns (comprehensive new
developments outside city centers) as governmental enterprises. Concerned with what they
regarded as too much density within urban areas, governments constructed these new towns
as a means of capturing the overspill from cities within planned developments rather than
allowing haphazard exurban growth.

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In Asia the emerging industrial economies of the post-World War II period produced large,
densely populated, congested metropolises. Some Asian governments addressed the problems
of rapid expansion through massive construction projects that encompassed skyscraper office
buildings, shopping malls, luxury apartments and hotels, and new airports. Many developing
countries, however, are still preoccupied with political and economic problems and have made
little progress toward establishing an environmental planning function capable of avoiding the
insalubrious conditions that characterized Western cities in the 19th century.

1.2 Planning of Cities

Planning of cities i.e. urban planning is concerned with the ordering and design of settlements,
from the smallest towns to the world's largest cities. Beautiful cities are the result of dense,
long lasting systems of prohibitions and guidance about building sizes, uses and features.
These allowed substantial freedoms, yet enforce styles, safety, and often materials in practical
ways. Many conventional planning techniques are being repackaged using the contemporary
term, smart growth.

1.3 Urbanization

Cities play an important role in all our lives today and in the years ahead. After the industrial
revolution, urban centers grew rapidly and over the past 50 years there has been an explosion
in the growth of cities, both in their numbers and in their size - this is called "urbanization".

Today, the most rapid urbanization is taking place in countries in Asia, Latin America and
Africa. Cities have always been at the center of economic growth, technological advances and
cultural production. But their rapid growth has also brought negative things: urban violence
and poverty, homelessness, overcrowding and health problems, pollution and waste. Cities
have had a great impact on our lives and on world civilization in general. They are becoming
more and more important as their sizes and numbers grow

With reference to figure no.3, Cities have always been at the center of economic. Because of
the growth there is technological advances and cultural production seen in the cities. But their
rapid growth has also brought negative things: urban violence and poverty, homelessness,
overcrowding and health problems, pollution and waste. Cities have had a great impact on our
lives and on world civilization.

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1.4 Development of Urban form

Cities have developed by the process of accretion, a very additive and spontaneous growth,
responding to the immediate demands of increasing population.

The growth was irregular in form, sensitive to change in habits and dynamic in character.
Different aspects can determine the form of the city in different contexts. These aspects can
be introduction of gunpowder (Star Shaped city in Renaissance period, transportation network
(Mumhai or economic pattern (New York, Manhatten).

Thus the urban forms are a mosaic of human functions, logical interrelated patient piecemeal
growth designed in such a way that every individual act is always helping to generate longer
global patterns.

Analyzing the spatial order of the city is pointless without considering the factors social,
economical political out of which spatial order has arisen and an urban fabric la created. What
la important to remember is that all that factors are mutually inter-dependant, each arising
out of each other. They are accurate reflections of their times and eras which may have
thrown either one or the other into prominence.

For the most part, cities have grown as a result of three things: "economic growth", "natural
increase" and "rural-urban migration". As the city grows, its organization becomes more and
more complex and the needs and demands of people change. The question that remains to be
answered is how we can transform the disadvantages of cities into advantages for its
inhabitants.

1.5 Indian Urban Form

The concept of "Indian” across the world and even across history has been open to much
theorizing. Leaving aside the conventional notions of region and geography, economics,
religion and caste and even politics and demography, a prime question has been: how do
Indians perceive themselves? What characteristics can we attribute to the notion of "Indian"
to explain what the term encapsulates?

Ideas like a growing economy, a strong education system, emerging services and technology
hubs, jugaad, the varieties of crafts, the quintessential Bollywood, strength of the family unit,
the lure of the new-age television industry and reality shows reflecting aspirations of millions
of urban poor, a daily negotiation of the modern through traditional values, the acceptance of
“sab chalta hai" attitude and above all a labored survival, are to name only a few of the many
characteristics that make for the term "Indian”. They are mainly characteristics of what has

7
been defined by sociologists as the “soft power" of a nation. For casual observers, the vibrancy
manifests in the sheer numbers of people, colors, and traditions as an organized chaos and
begins to be a reflection of what they perceive as Indian. Indian democracy and its
demonstration in the public domain plays a key role in determining what the important
identities are of being Indian just as much as the multi-religious secularities do in our society.

Indian ideas of social space, and what is an accepted number of people before a space could
be considered "crowded" is also an interesting framework with which we can evaluate the way
we use our spaces-these in turn go hand in glove with cultures and rituals enacted in a non-
familial sphere, where many events, festivities and processions happen in the company of
complete strangers who establish a bond of shared space.

1.6 Growth of Cities

For the most part, cities have grown as a result of three things: "economic growth", "natural
increase" and "rural-urban migration".

As the city grows, its organization becomes more and more complex and the needs and
demands of people change. The question that remains to be answered is how we can
transform the disadvantages of cities into advantages for its inhabitants.

Every evolving city is a coexistence of permanence and change. Spatial dynamics is where
'space' pertains to that of the physical configuration and of perception, like an electro-
magnetic field, where space is subject to change when affected by external forces. In case of a
city, there are different factors as forces which include city processes in change or the passage
of time modulated by cultural rules.

Time as a Factor of Change... Time, and the very passage of it, makes the city a continuously
changing phenomenon. Time is a fourth dimension which completes the idea and the reality of
the physical 3-dimensional city volume.

Culture as a factor… This encoded set of for is encoded set of rules is created by these
variables, according to rapport, reflect ideals contributing to aspects like lifestyles, roles,
behavior and built form and thus link them to culture as an integral ruling body of ideas
created by a society of men.

Culture can be defined as: a persistent set of ideas, or more elaborately as the concepts,
habits, skills, art, instruments etc. of a given people in a given period of civilization. Hence,
culture in its basic form, is time bound, and the terms 'culture', cultural period', or 'cultural
rule' are also pertaining to that particular period of time.

8
Thus, urban form and space, when culturally conceived, are subject to change, with change in
cultural rule. Moreover, under the impact of cultural overlaying on the city, the urban fabric
has a coexistence of both permanence and change.

1.7 Character of City

The city, as one finds it in history, is the point of maximum concentration for the power and
culture of a community. It is the place where the diffused rays of many separate beams of life
fall into focus, with gains in both social effectiveness and significance.

The contrary views which are being seen more and more frequently in today's context are due
to the major influence and rash copying of "western" life style on the minds of the younger
generation, rather than an intellectual base for this type of change.

Thus these lifestyles are seen to sometimes be self-contrary in nature. Different classes of
people are guided by their own desires and this single minded following of their own wishes
without interaction with others, leads to a number of problems.

What makes a great city, are the public spaces within it. Cities in history are remembered for
their public spaces, the Greek Agora, the Roman Forum, the European squares and Indian
‘chowks’. The experience of ‘public’ is the experience of a city. This is as true for the visitors as
for her inhabitants. In fact, public spaces have great value for the inhabitants than the visitors,
as these spaces contribute greatly to enhance the experience of lived reality.

1.8 Background of Public Spaces

The cities of India have had a traditional settlement as an urban core, which developed during
the medieval period under the reign of the Hindu and then the Muslim rulers in the ancient
times, at the beginning of civilization, the Harappa Mohenjo-Daro cities were well planned.
There public square was raised on a mound with different structures like the Great Bath,
Assembly Hall etc., forming a vitality of public spaces open to all. But later, when aristocracy
came in to the picture, class differences led to differentiation of spaces. The people belonging
to the Royal patronage and Brahmins would enjoy large open leisure gardens, geometrically
set out, within the palace boundary. This was not open to the general public. These spaces
were used for formal assembly or performances by dancers, religious rituals etc. they would be
grouped around ornamental elements that served as a symbol of the State at that time. They
sometimes served as parade grounds as well.
For the lower classes, the place of congregation was the temple courtyard. People of the same
faith and belief would meet and interact. This again was formal in nature to some extent

9
owing to the sanctity temple traditions and rules. Also, during the visit of the King, the space
would be closed for the public. Market places were another place which formed a public
square. They did not have any definite character, yet were popular users owing to the users
and the function. These bazaars would line along the streets creating a character of its own.
During festive times, these streets were decorated, lighted up for processions. Hence, the
character was moldable.

1.9 What is the role of public space in a city or an urban scape?

Public spaces play a fundamental role in the configuration of cities and in urban quality.
Streets, squares and parks “soften” the urban landscape and especially in very densely
populated cities, public spaces become vital for urban life. Public spaces also host innumerable
cultural, political, religious and commercial activities and provide the community with both
work and infrastructure. Legal frameworks and declarations of fundamental rights often
neglect public spaces. They must be recognized as a public service, like water and sanitation,
and as an essential part of the Right to the City for all urban residents.

The production of inclusive, quality, accessible and safe public spaces constitutes a tool
through which cities can work to reduce levels of inequality, particularly as these are spaces
that make it possible to reduce socio-spatial segregation and to increase social cohesion
between citizens. This helps to explain the importance of local governments’ role in the
planning, management, and administration of public spaces.

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Chapter 2: Spaces and Places

Spaces and Places Space and place are two common terms that we come across in our
everyday life. They are the two basic components of our habitat. We live in space; we are
attached to a place. Space changes with the moment of Sun, place changes with the
movement of human being.

2.1 Spaces

We experience space as sky, landscape, or in the spread of the cities we perceive the built
space of a street, the enclosed space of a room. Space is a three dimensional geometry and it
is also a perceptual field, human societies are also spatial phenomena, its existence is
experienced through realization of space. Experience of space is the foundation, based on
which we frame spaces.

Space in concrete terms, can be understood as an all inclusive envelope a container of things,
experienced only in our ability to move. Space is therefore, of necessity a hollow, limited
externally and filled-up internally. Thus, the act of Architecture, essentially, becomes that of
carving out a portion of this undifferentiated entity and making that portion a concrete
identifiable reality.

2.2 Discussion of Spaces and Places

Although conceptually 'space' and 'place' are distinct phenomena, in experience their
meanings often merge with each other. However we feel or know or explain space, there is
always some sense or concept of place. It is only in the context of 'space' that we became
intensively aware of place. Place is security, space is freedom.

Space is given by the ability to move and an 'object' is the purpose for movement. If we
consider place as special kind of object, we experience space as the distance that separates or
links places. Space becomes relative location between objects of places. And on a more
abstract level, space is the area defined by a network of places.

Space and place share a relationship that is both distinct and interdependent on each other. In
general we can say that space may provide context for the place, but derives its meaning from
particular places,

11
 4
Figure 4: Landscape Architecture Urban Spaces artistic and functional public plazas the Grafton Village Square

5
Figure 5: Sabarmati Riverfront project: Gujarat

6
Figure 6: the sun house gallery for privately owned public space

4
Figure 4 source: www.vandewalle.com/graphics/galleries/

5
Figure 5 source: www.sabarmatiriverfront.com

6
Figure 6 source: www.holidaygenie.com/house

12
 7
Figure 7: common plaza between built form

8
Figure 8: public space design camp - moon park

7
Figure 7 source: www.archdaily.com/category/plaza

8
Figure 8 source: www.archdaily.com/568188/designcamp-moonpark-dmp

13
2.3 Urban Space and Places in Urban Spaces

City is the man's one of the greatest achievements of civilization. A city is the sum total of
countless features and places of nooks and crannies of vast spaces and intimate spots, an
admixture of the public and private domains, of landscape expressing the spirit of community
and homes for the comfort of individuals.

The form of this city is determined by the multiplicity of decisions made by the people who
live in it. Therefore it symbolizes the evolution and development of a culture over a period of
time. It definitely imprints a sense of identity on the culture and place.

City is shaped by the people, their culture, social attitude are reflected through this city, the
urban spaces.

With reference to figure no.4, we wish to clarify the concept of urban space without imposing
aesthetic criteria, we are compelled to designate all types of space between buildings in towns
and other localities as urban space. This space is geometrically bounded by a variety of
elevations.

2.4 Public Places

A public space is a social space that is generally open and accessible to people. It may be a city
level converging spot or part of a neighborhood, business district, historic precinct, waterfront
spaces or other area within the public realm that help promote social interaction and a sense
of community. Possible examples may include spaces such as city plazas, town squares,
marketplaces, high streets and malls, city level parks and public greens, water Edge Boulevard
and spaces, open spaces within public buildings or public spaces within private buildings.

By its very definition, the word public is understood by its relationship to the word ownership-
the important question here to be asked is if the word "public" implies owned by “all” or
owned by "none". Though the word public is most commonly associated with 'people at large’
or a community. With reference to figure no.5, it is seen.

Public is as much physicality as it is a set of social conventions. Hence a public space is

generally considered a social space which is open and accessible to all people in the city. So,
"who owns what" is generally understood as an important predetermining factor of the
"public" space in a city. At the level of state machinery the public space is understood to be
the responsibility of municipalities and local authorities, but many times these are also under
the purview of archaeological societies, private trusts and even corporate bodies. They are
usually defined by equal access to users across all sections of a society, irrespective of

14
economic and social status. Most large-scale open spaces in a city tend to be public in nature-
roads, parks, water bodies being some of the major types.

2.5 Public Places in Urban Spaces

a) Private place internal space, shielded from weather and environment is an effective symbol
of privacy. External space is seen as open, unobstructed space movement in the open air may
be semi-private or public. The space which sets strong barriers either physical or visual to the
stranger or the person other than the owner to use can be termed as private place. Example is
seen with reference to figure no.6.

b) Common place - The concept of boundaries becomes more prominent if it is accessible to

certain group of people Place may restrict the entry of some people The character or function
of the place may be such that only few people belonging to locality and or particular
community may use that place. Example is seen with reference to figure no.7.

C) Public space- Any place open or otherwise where people go to, in order to entertain relax or
generally to seek fulfillment of their social need and supplement the deficiency of the house
and work environment. Any in uses not only plazas, chowks, monuments, parks, sea sides,
maidans but also open space along a busy area, or for that matter, railway platforms and Bus
stops are all public places of sorts. Example is seen with reference to figure no.8.

So the spaces can be classified by Character of space which it has, and also by means of
Function of the space, and it is also differentiated by User of the space

2.6 Public Places in Indian context

In contemporary India there exist mainly two kinds of influences on public places. These
influences and their difference are clearly identified by behavior of people at that place, these
are traditional and western. To understand what the traditional influence is we need to
understand Indian traditional concept of public place.

2.7 Indian traditional concept of Public Places

In the Indian traditional context, there are only two types of places for the collective.

A sacred place is a grand expression of community participation. Indian culture traditionally

loves celebrations feasts, fairs, festivals. Example is seen with reference to figure no.9.

15
 9
Figure 9: virupaksha temple, Karnataka

10
Figure 10: red fort, Delhi

11
Figure 11: Delhi Street market

12
Figure 12: Varanasi ghat

9
Figure 9 source:picssr.com/search/hampi+virupaksha+temple/
10
Figure 10 source: www.thenational.ae/world/asia/
11
Figure 11 source: www.123rf.com/photo_39860062_delhi-india
12
Figure 12 source: www.thoughtco.com/indias-varanasi

16
Like the festivals, there are periodic events like fairs that for the duration of their existence
transform public spaces into places. Here the 'public place' is liberated from a fixed area. If
come into existence and then vanishes after the time duration is over.

Ganapati festival is the best example. In this festival every gali, or nukkad is turned to public
place where people can come and interact. The public space gets converted into public place.

Waterfronts, from ancient times with Indian culture in general. The civilian developed the
bank of the river. The Ghats and riverfronts are very popular public places. It provides direct
contact with nature i.e. water. Example is seen with reference to figure no.12.

Market places, this is the most important primary kind of public space. And it is of secular
nature. All the communities can use this place. The main activity was shopping. Though there
were different sub streets for specific items, e.g. for goIdsmith, for garments, for utensils, for
vegetables, but all this was available at one particular area. In many old cities this was the
main area both physically as well as imaginably, the community could easily relate to a bazaar.
Example is seen with reference to figure no.11.

2.8 Indian psychology regarding public places

Indians have very different view to look at public place. The majority of public spaces or
community spaces are religious in nature. Religion was the main factor in the life of average
Indian.

The process of ritual sanctification in India seems to occur only effectively with isolated objects
or environments and does not seem to cover relationship between them.

That means we Indian recognize the house as sacred, temple as sacred, the shop as sacred but
not the street which joins all this. That's why we found dumps of garbage even in front of
temples. The public place is treated with the same way.

Indians believes in place making rather than space making. The activities cannot be organized
or restricted by creating geometrical configuration. Geometrically formal spaces could not
always make a sense of place. The people's response to a place is often mixed. Even when the
spaces are structured on formal geometric articulation, the patterns of activities and actual
functional use can drastically deviate from the intended meaning of the space. It is the human
angle that brings about the sense of place. The nature of connectivity of the space making
elements is important.

17
2.9 Western influence on Public Space

In spite of enormous western influence in our urban life, the people of India have accepted
certain guidelines only to a point.

Indians have resisted the straight jacket approach to building our cities. Indians have not
accepted the geometrical configuration of the western, Indians rather love organic
development.

Though there also exists the western influence. The public places like, Parks Playgrounds,
Cinema, Restaurants, exhibition places have developed which doesn't catalyze direct
interaction with strangers.

We have accepted the concept of landscape but where ever it was not transferred to suit our
environment to create comfort e.g. shade from harsh sun etc it became in vain. This is the
reason why the concept of plaza -completely paved area doesn't become so popular here.

2.10 Categories of public places

a) First order public place this is the public place having city level importance. This public place
which serves very important role in city life also gives identity to the city .e.g. Ghats on
Godavari is first order public place it is religious place situated in heart of the city. The mother
Godavari provides livelihood to the heart of the city, it has all included many people. No one is
restricted from using this place. The streets of old Nashik is so arranged that they all slope
toward the river.

b) Second order public place

These are such public places which has importance next to the first order public place. It
doesn't act as the identity of the city but citizens came here from all over city. E.g. City Level
Park

c) Third order public place

These are public places which are important in that particular locality which it is situated. E.g.
Neighbourhood Park

18
Chapter 3: Public Places

3.1 Public Spaces Literature review 13

Public space and its meaning in urban neighborhoods

Public space is “the stage upon which the drama of communal life unfolds” (carr, francis, rivlin,
& stone, 1992, p. 3). Scholars argue that public space at neighborhood level plays a significant
role in people’s everyday life; it is an everyday space of community (gallacher, 2005).
According to madanipour (2010, p. 107), “public space is intertwined with everyday life in
neighborhoods” In such a way that it is directly related to the quality of day-to-day social life.
Public space concerns not only the physical but also the social and psychological dimensions
with a significant overlap among them. The physical dimension refers to the physical
environment or “provision” of public space which provides a setting for social interaction,
whereas the social dimension refers to the “use” or activities occurring in the space (carmona,
tiesdell, Heath, & oc, 2010). The psychological dimension relates to the perception of public
space, which may be expressed in terms of how people interpret the space and give
“meaning” to it, and how such meaning helps develop a sense of community. The meaning of
public space thus has a strong relationship with its physical and social dimensions. Studies
have shown that the physical setting of public space can influence its meaning for social
interaction and fosters a sense of Community (see david, enric, & david, 2002; dempsey, 2009;
garcia-ramon, ortiz, & prats, 2004; peters, 2011).

Sense of community in urban neighborhoods

According to schwirian (1983, p. 84), urban neighborhoods are “distinguished from a

residential area by the degree of social organization among the residents”. The neighborhoods
have been developed as a means of creating areas of greater social interaction and enhancing
neighborliness and thus, are linked with the notion of community (gregory, johnston, pratt,
Watts, & whatmore, 2011). Rogers et al. (2009, p. 326) define sense of community as “the
extent to which any member [of a neighborhood] feels connected to and committed to others
in the community, which bears on a sense of security and belonging”. Mcmillan & chavis
(1986, p. 9) Propose four key elements of sense of community: a) membership - a feeling of
sense of belonging and emotional safety; b) influence - reflecting ability to change each other

13
Chitrakar, Rajjan. (2016). Meaning of public space and sense of community: The case of new neighbourhoods in
the Kathmandu Valley. International Journal of Architectural Research. 10. 213-227. 10.26687/archnet-
ijar.v10i1.807.

19
in community; c) reinforcement and need fulfillment - suggesting that needs are met through
mutual cooperation; and d) shared emotional connection - the sharing of belief and
commitments by individuals. Sense of community is a key psychological construct that the
residents of urban neighborhoods build over a period of time (nasar & julian, 1995). It is about
a feeling of belonging to the neighborhood that an individual develops during the period of
residence. The length of residence thus becomes important in fostering a sense of community,
in addition to neighborhood association and mutual cooperation. Sense of community is thus
also an individual factor (francis, giles-corti, wood, & knuiman, 2012), and the physical design
of neighborhood alone cannot necessarily foster it (garde, 2011).

Relationship between meaning of public space and sense of community14

Carmona et al. (2010) argue that neighborhood’s socio-cultural character is enhanced in a due
course of time through a time-thickened experience, in which there is an important role of
social process that includes social interaction and cultural assimilation (rogers &
sukolratanametee, 2009). Public space facilitates this process in providing an appropriate
physical setting. According to rappoport (2002), neighborhood does not necessarily involve
neighboring, suggesting that social contact and interaction do not happen in the absence of a
common ground. Public space offers this common ground and facilitates the processes of
social exchange and interaction among neighbors. Public space is thus a meaningful social
territory (Abu-Ghazzeh, 1996), and people give meaning to it for its role in social integration
(Peters, 2011). It remains a key design feature of an urban neighborhood with a potential to
offer place attachment. This suggests that the design of physical environment should consider
a better provision of public space to encourage social interaction through its use and thus, to
build a meaning of place (Abu-Ghazzeh, 1996, 1999). The design of the built environment has a
direct impact on the development of social relationships. In the context of urban
neighborhoods, studies reveal a strong association between the quality of public space and
sense of community (Francis et al., 2012; Kashef, 2009; Lund, 2002; Rogers &
Sukolratanametee, 2009; Talen, 2000). This paper maintains that social interaction in public
space is one of the significant environmental factors associated with the creation of the sense
of community. Such a social process helps neighborhood residents in acquiring a meaning of
public space, which is an outcome of participation and interaction in the physical space over a
period of time.

14
Chitrakar, Rajjan. (2016). Meaning of public space and sense of community: The case of new neighbourhoods in
the Kathmandu Valley. International Journal of Architectural Research. 10. 213-227. 10.26687/archnet-
ijar.v10i1.807.

20
3.2 Public Place as Social Space

Social spaces within the city are the places where local people gather, converse and rub
together creating the intangible vibe and attitude of the city which you will long remember.
The social space is the spatial implications of social institutions and is studied by socialists and
geographers.

The concept of social space, which we understood as being at once physical and conceptual.
Social space is the realm in which the cultural life of society is enacted, but it is not a form of
container of a virtually neutral kind, designed simply to receive whatever is poured into it.
Instead, space is secreted by the society. It is produced by the pattern of social interaction, but
also imposes itself on its users and thus spaces society. Space encourages and discourages
certain forms of interaction and gives form to social structures and ideologies.

3.3 Society and Space relation

It is obvious that space has significance for everyday life; surprisingly; in historical and
sociological studies of everyday life the spatial dimension is generally missing or at best is
taken for granted ( Franzen 1992, 39).

To study the relationship between society and space the city needs to be recognized as both a
physical and a social entity and urban theory and practical need to connect these (Hiller and
Vaughan 2007; Franzen 1992; Olsson 1998). According to Franzen, society could be studied
spatially through the buildings of the city. The buildings include most of the important
activities in society and though the buildings and the activities some of the basic foundations
of the societal structing of space become salient in a concrete, materialized form. It is argued
that space affects the structure and character of daily life as well as political – economical
outcomes ( Franzen 1992, 38)

The built forms and arrangements of volumes that shape everyday social life in the city.

The spatial structure of the Indian cities reveals an intense and compact arrangement of
buildings and structures, containing and compressing the open white spaces that constitute
the public realm of the city. The central area of buleshwar market in Mumbai shows how
dense urban blocks are arranged efficiently along main streets and side alletways.

The juxtaposition of Paharganj in old Delhi, the formal circular layout of Connaught place and
other twentieth century free standing building blocks makes evident the different spatial logics
and scale of this multi-faceted city. The Jayanagar and Bhunashankari district of Bangalore,
surrounding a central park, demonstrate the regularity and fine grain of a well-planned city.

21
3.4 Need of Social space in urban space

To get interact with the other people or strangers who belongs to the same or different
cultural background.

To get a space where one relaxes can feel its own extension of life, where he can recreate.

A social urban space is necessary to imbibe different standard of the people together without
any differences.

Interaction between human being and the built environment, as architecture is an extension of
human to the environment.

Space that is used, and which feels emotionally nourishing.

To get socializing in an individual world.

3.5 How public space can redefine the cultural, social, economic and health
factors in a city and its surrounding?

Quality of urban life is essential for cities to prosper. Cities that improve the quality of life for
their citizens experience higher levels of prosperity; they are also likely to find themselves
more advanced in terms of sustainability. Such cities strive towards social equity by increasing
access to the urban commons and public goods, preventing private appropriation and
expanding the scope for improved quality of life for all. Cities that have a strong notion of the
‘public’ demonstrate a commitment to an improved quality of life for their citizens by
providing adequate street space, green areas, parks, recreation facilities and other public
spaces. Ultimately, public space systems can only be sustainable if adequate resources are
available for their creation, expansion, management and care. A sustained flow of such
resources can only, in the final analysis, come from a city’s own income. In turn, such income,
generally in the form of taxes, derives from economic expansion and increased property
values. Economic expansion comes from investment and investment depends on such factors
as mobility, safety and attractiveness. This is the virtuous public space cycle.

Raj Kumar -Assistant Professor, Accurate Institute of Architecture and Planning, Greater Noida, UP, India. Overview:
Social Spaces in Urban Areas : International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) Volume: 04
Issue: 04 | Apr -2017 e-ISSN: 2395 -0056

22
Chapter 4: Type of Social spaces in City

4.1 Type of Social spaces in City

Open/Semi-covered Space: An urban space that is open and accessible to all, regardless of
gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. This also often misconstrued to mean
other things such as gathering place, which is an element of larger concept of social space.

Example – Parks and Open Green grounds

Religious and socio-cultural space: In the period of globalization and mass migration world
cities have become multicultural, but constituent cultures do not always act in unison. Urban
spaces act as an arena in which different lifestyles interact and complete. Ethnic enclaves may
be found on the periphery and in the city center, as a result turning the inner city into a social
periphery.

Social Space in Commercial Areas: The indoor shopping mall as urban space – following the
tradition of the great domed building of the past and the enclosed Bazaar – the covered street
of stores in the Islamic world – milan’s 19th century.

Galleria, an indoor space replaces an outdoor urban space: Mall defines a piecewise concave
surface enclosing a protected pedestrian area full of contrasting details – both visual and
tactile – and potted plants. Parts of the information field. In many of today’s cities, an indoor
mall may be the only urban space in which high density human interaction is possible in the
absence of cars. This proves our points about

The need for information and interaction;

The psychological safety of a pedestrian realm.

The indoor mall separates urban space from parking, which is free and conveniently near.
Open markets or weekly bazaars.

Recreational space Discotheque/bars: discotheque or pub culture in urban cities is no doubt,

relatively new, wherein by and large the well – off sections of society visits for a drink or too.
The elite class, which gets influenced by western ideas and lifestyle.

A large section of youthful era socializing at nights, night time daily life has become a main
activity in almost all urban centers of India. Nightlife in Indian deviates from new music to pub
hopping.

Amusement park, Cinema hall.

23
Community/civic spaces: Also known as public places which are favorable environment for
public Engagement is vital for meeting a growing societal need for interaction. In urban
Environment, such as town halls, Courthouses, parliamentary precincts, and city squares,
continue to fulfill important functions in the local governance of a city. These are the engines
for successful city growth and sustainability.

4.2 City level importance- Ahmadabad river banks

Political dominance – Politically dominating space for high class people or government
employee.

Open space – The central vista at India gate, green beautifully landscaped reflected the civil
service hierarchy. For all the working class of people as users.

Commercial spaces – Connaught place, the commercial centre the central business district. A
mixed proportion of open and covered space.

Recreational space – Creates identity of the city

But the idea of Public spaces is not just restricted to parks and gardens. They are a series of
spaces ranging from a shared water tap to the courtyard of a mosque, to local bazaars and
chowks which work from micro to macro levels. Even amongst architects, the most favored
element of any design will be a courtyard or meeting space where all the social activity
traditionally takes place in the Indian context.

Human beings are social by nature. The psychological impact of public places is crucial in
deciding the behavioral patterns of citizens and their quality of life. Many public plazas are
known to be unsuccessful when surrounded by monotonous glass facades that reflect heat or
due to their large intimidating scales. A vibrant and successful public space is the one which
draws the greatest amount of people to participate. Here are formed friendships and
community bonds, a sense of civic and cultural identity, an experience of a city.

Especially in urban environments, where skyscrapers reign and concrete is the main building
material of choice, a dash of colour, a community attraction or public art installation can make
a huge difference in the city. Consider Bryant Park in New York City, an urban park in the
middle of Manhattan. It is a convenient space for employees and tourists alike to take a break
and hang out among planted flowers and tree-lined paths. Art installations are another
example of how public space can liven up the city

24
 15
Figure 14: Sabarmati river front, Ahmedabad

16
Figure 15: plan of Sabarmati river front, Ahmedabad.

17
Figure 16: sit outs at Sabarmati river front at Ahmedabad.

16
Figure 14 source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com
16
Figure 15 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.
17
Figure 16 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

25
Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad

Sabarmati Riverfront is the area along the lifeline of Ahmedabad, the river Sabarmati. The river
which had decayed and become dead for a long time has been restored under the initiative,
Sabarmati Riverfront Development along the guidelines provided by HCP Design, Planning and
Management Pvt. Ltd. The project was taken up to connect the river and the people by
rehabilitation and relocation of certain communities living in life-threatening conditions along
the river bed. It is now a 10.4-km long walkway open for public use, offering water sports and
amusement activities. Development is seen with reference to figure no.14 and its plan is seen
with reference to figure no.15

The riverfront has now become a prominent feature in the city's public urban space more
because of its novelty and awe quotient. It has the potential, with time, to eventually integrate
itself deeper into the fabric of the city. Example of sitouts on river front development is seen
with reference to figure no.16.

4.3 City level urban parks – shivaji park, Mumbai

City level parks and maidans are one of the key components that contribute towards the
making of a good city, in addition to the other urban infrastructure. These maidans and city
level parks provide considerable environmental and micro-climate benefits, provide a strong
visual relief within the maze of concrete jungle around; they are a potent social, recreational,
cultural and political canvas, not only for the residents of the city but also for visitors and
tourists. They are accessible to all and allow for sports, walking/jogging, leisure, political,
cultural and sporting events, etc. These places are the breathing spaces functionally and
morphologically, often forming an oasis of bliss, comfort and leisure while the fast paced
hustle-bustle of the city happens all around. The larger city level parks may also be
alternatively classified and border in the category of urban forest, like the Aarev Forest in
Mumbai and Delhi Ridge, which is seen with reference to figure no.17.

In fact, some public spaces like the Central Park in New York, Hyde Park in London, the Maidan
in Kolkata, Shivaji Park and Azad Maidan in Mumbai, Ramlila Maidan, India Gate greens, Nehru
Park and Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, etc. are so interwoven with the life of these cities and their
citizens that these places have become visual and cultural symbols of these cities. City level
parks and maidans form a key component of the urban landscape plan of a city and if planned
well, can add immense value to enhancing the overall quality and livability index of their
neighbourhoods. Urban parks, gardens and natural landscapes are better known for their non-
commercial and intangible benefits rather than market or tangible gains.

26
 18
Figure 17: illustration of activities on open public grounds

19
Figure 18: Shivaji park, Mumbai.

20
Figure 19: illustration of activities on open public grounds

18
Figure 17 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

19
Figure 18 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

20
Figure 19 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

27
The city level parks are more about being an environmental breather, micro-climate,
landscaping, greenery, a possible small lake/water body in some cases. In contrast, the
maidans as a typology are large expanses of open space overlooking the city, replete with
layers of history, politics, demonstrations, protests, cultural and religious celebrations,
sporting activites and events. There is a strong identity and connection between the
availability of such maidans as urban public spaces and the core city areas of capital cities.
These maidans form arenas where the political-democratic functioning and its mechanism of
dialogue (view) and protest (counterview) are played out. Ramlila Maidan of Delhi, Lal Chowk
of Srinagar or Azad Maidan of Mumbai, are classic examples of such spaces where the
populace have gathered in the past for expressing their dissatisfaction with their respective
existing political regime and demanding that their needs be respected.

These city level parks and maidans are owned by the public authority and this makes every
individual using such spaces feel a sense of ownership and belonging. Here, everybody,
regardless of their cast, class, religion or any other such differentiation, meet as equals, which
is seen with reference to figure no.18. Another interesting feature about these spaces is that
different types of people come here on different times of the day based on their respective
conveniences. In the morning people come to exercise; in the evening, it is full of families, with
children running around all over and enjoying various levels of organized and unorganized
sport; as the day progresses it becomes a meeting place for the elders, a space for leisure for
the hard-working professionals, and dating spots for young lovers. In fact at night, some of
these convert into venues of cultural celebrations and lavish Indian weddings. Even the
vendors around these spaces change according the time of the day. Morning-time vendors sell
health drinks, hot tea and snacks, while the children-focused toys and balloon-walas appear in
the evening. Perhaps, some of the key success factors of these parks and maidans are that
these are centrally located, easily accessible, close to busy government, commercial and
residential areas.

The designs of these spaces are both by conscious thought and chance. Hence, within the
detailed design of these spaces, there will be places to sit and relax, which may be informal,
such as steps, low walls or formal arrangements like benches, seats, lawns, adequate trees to
provide shade, greenery, etc

With reference to figure no.19.Contemporary city planning in India has not been able to
ensure that these open public spaces are protected, well maintained and their functionality
enhanced within existing cities, while also attempting to create more such new spaces within
new neighbourhoods. One of the aspects that the modern day city planning has neglected the

28
most is the adequate planning and controls for creation of enough parks and maidans. Instead,
valuable land parcels, at times from existing open spaces and parks, are chopped up and sold
to private and public establishments, with little concern towards protecting longterm public
interest. Another serious challenge facing contemporary cities is that while many cities
undertake public infrastructure projects within core city areas (metro rail, flyovers, subways,
parking, public institutions), many a times the open spaces - parks and maidans-fall an easy
prey to the continuous pressure of development on urban land.

Most international cities, across US, Europe and China have a formal urban forestry and
greenery policy and execution strategies in place which are well respected and non-negotiable
against the pressures of growth and development/urbanization. There is a lot to learn from
cities like Singapore and many upcoming Chinese cities where the system of open spaces
parks, forests, greenery and urban landscape is given an equal, if not greater, cognizance as
compared to the buildings and architecture. The key differentiator is that they realize the long-
term value and benefits of keeping a strong focus on per capita open space and per capita
green cover, which deliver immense value to the liveability index of any city.

Amongst contemporary Indian cities, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Bengaluru are the most
notable exceptions as some of the greener cities, as there is an inherent con focus by the
administration toward improving urban open spaces, parks green covers, etc.

Shivaji Park, Mumbai

Situated in a high profile, Marathi dominated, traditionally residential area in Dadar, Shivaji
Park with an estimated area of approx. 27 acres, is one of the largest parks in the space
starved city of Mumbai. Named after the warrior king of Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Shivaji, it
has his statue on the western side of the park and multiple clubs and gymkhanas along its
edges. Shivaji Park holds a special place in the political history of Maharashtra - right from the
pre-independence days, through the 1960's when Maharashtra state was formed, till today, it
has been the hot bed of state level Marathi politics. Plan of city development around the park,
is seen with reference to figure no.20.

Shivaji Park is considered to be the cradle of Indian cricket. Home to eight cricket clubs, it is a
mecca for budding cricketers. In addition, its accessibility from all sides, large walkways all
around, low kerbs, street furniture and shade providing trees, all contribute towards making it
an extremely vibrant social space, for the residents in the neighbourhood and the city at large,
Activities can be seen with reference to figure no.21.

29
 21
Figure 20: plan of Shivaji Park at Mumbai

22
Figure 21: Public activity at Shivaji park, Mumbai

21
Figure 20 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.
22
Figure 21 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

30
 23
Figure 22: chart for Elements of city Image – Application to Urban Public space

Dana Lyn Dougherty : March, 2006 Alexandria, Virginia in unpublished works in this research Embodying the city:
identity and use in urban public space has explored how urban public spaces can be created to reflect the vitality of
the city by embracing the culture and the people who reside in it.

23
Figure 22 source: Kevin Lynch, in his study, Image of the City (1960)

31
4.4 Locality - nodes and junction

The physical or spatial qualities of a space play a large part in creating a space’s identity.
People recognize and use spaces based on these qualities, and these qualities also help to
form and reinforce emotional connections. A chart be seen with reference to figure no.22.

Paths: Paths create movement in the city, Kevin Lynch, in his study, Image of the City (1960),
found in his study that paths, namely streets, were the predominant features in people’s
image of the city. Streets give people a sense of direction in a city, and thoroughfares with a
certain character or destination are particularly important: “Paths with well-known origins and
destinations had stronger identities, helped tie the city together. . . .” (Ibid., 54) The city is
observed from paths, and citizens access various areas of the city through paths. Paths are
important because they lead users to a space, and an identifiable path lends an expectation to
the approach to a space.

On a site scale, a space that is located on a prominent path will not only attract more users,
but is likely to figure prominently in the overall image of the city due to its relation to the
primary path. Some spaces benefit from having multiple access points from multiple paths.

Paths within a space are also important to that space’s identity. Paths determine where people
go and often provide a sequential pattern of movement through different areas of the space,
often increasing the memorability of a particular place.

Edges: Edges mark boundaries. They separate one section of a city from another. Lynch calls
edges “lateral references.” He uses the Charles River in Boston and Lake Michigan in Chicago
as examples of edges that help to define the images of those cites. At the site scale, edges are
the elements that bound the space, creating a sense of enclosure and communicating to the
user that the site is a defined and separate space. Edges are also defined by the interfaces
between sections of a site that are differentiated by changes in materials and/or character.

Districts: Districts are recognizable sections of a city that often have a distinct character. Lynch
found in his research that people found districts “an important and satisfying part of the
experience of living in the city.” (Ibid., 67) Districts are defined by “thematic continuities” such
as building types and facades, residents, uses, and topography (Ibid.). At the site scale, districts
are those areas within a public space that have a particular consistent character. An entire
space could have a specific character, often defined by the character of the surrounding
neighborhood, or subspaces within a site can have specific characters or qualities, that often
also have a clear coordinating spatial structure.

32
Nodes: “Nodes are the strategic foci into which the observer can enter, typically either
junctions of paths or concentrations of some characteristic.” (Lynch 1960, 72) When applied to
the scale of the public space, nodes are the places within the space where activities are
focused. These could be the entrances to a site or specific areas within it where people go for a
particular activity: a court to play basketball, a bench in the sun. Nodes bring people to the site
for the activities that can be done there. Nodes also bring a sense of identity when a space
becomes known for those activities.

Landmark: Landmarks can help a space reflect the city in two ways: they can be physically
within the public space, or they can be viewpoints from a space. The landmark that is
physically on the site can become a connection from the space to the city—a point that may
eventually become synonymous with the city.

Dana Lyn Dougherty : March, 2006 Alexandria, Virginia in unpublished works in this research Embodying the city:
identity and use in urban public space has explored how urban public spaces can be created to reflect the vitality of
the city by embracing the culture and the people who reside in it.

33
4.5 Public building and monumental plazas - India gate, Delhi.

The urban precinct has always been defined by the presence of a main public square or plaza,
which is the core of the power systems thriving in that space and time. Historically, public
spaces have been the nucleus of the embodiment of these political-cultural domains. Vast at
times, and of a human scale at different times, these places often reflect the architecture,
culture and political reality of that particular period and many times are also associated with
and share a direct physical connect with the monument and built fabric of the space. They
form the foreground/background for the overall setting of the monument, and have an
original functionality and specified usage associated with it.

The history and politics which led to the formation of this space overlaid by the many
transformations that the city-space may have undergone over the interim years (at times
hundreds of years), now defines the current reality and character of these public spaces.

From a European city planning reference point, the city plaza was the open urban public space
(city square) where the political, religious and legal bodies building the administrative anchors
of the main city formed the three cornerstones. Most colonial cities were planned around a
city square with the power centres and public institutions around it. The plaza or the city
square would historically serve as the military parade ground, witness to political rallies and
city-level cultural celebrations. The Trafalgar Square in London, the Zocalo Square in Mexico
City and the Tiananmen Square in Beijing are typically the most prominent examples of city
squares or plazas. The Durbar Square in Nepal is also another classic example of a public
square which is the pivot between the religious hub and the palace complex. The larger city
usually surrounds these spaces and grows outwards from these.

In the context of historic Indian towns (both Hindu and Mughal references), these spaces were
mostly formed at the junction of the royal fort/palace, the city level mosque/temple on one
side and the main city-level bazaar street running on the other. The Red Fort, Jama Masjid,
Chandni Chowk precincts, built in the early 17th century, and the main square within the
Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan are classic examples of spaces formed at junctions. This typology is
also seen during the British period in India and exemplified by the building of the new British
capital in Delhi in the early 20th century through the Rashtrapati Bhavan-India Gate axis.

Some of these spaces have evolved with time with a few layers of contemporary city-level
development around them. Their functionality has been transformed over the years and the
space has now become an inherent part of an overcrowded yet still functioning old city core,
e.g. Teen Darwaza, Ahmedabad and Red fort, Jama Masjid in Delhi.

34
 24
Figure 23 : Puri, Odisha

25
Figure 24: Qutb Minar, Delhi.

24
Figure 23 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

25
Figure 24 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

35
Some of these spaces are struggling to keep pace with the evolving, fast moving world around,
showing traces of its past at the core, although the parts around have evolved/transformed
with contemporary overlays. Some aspects of these places remain static whereas some are
transformed beyond recognition, e.g., Charminar, Hyderabad, can be seen with reference to
figure no.23.

While we study these city plazas/ squares, the main focus is not on the monuments or the
ruins of the built but on the history and story attached to the built and hence the formation of
the public space around it in context of its current functionality. These spaces tell us many
stories, interwoven in the rich history of their respective cities-stories of war and peace, of
kings and fiefdoms, of religion and culture, of mutinies and massacres, and of freedom,
celebrations and commerce. Can be seen with reference to figure no.24.Such spaces can be
found across the length and breadth of India in towns with historic precedents of varying
scales and imbued with regional variations.

The built fabric becomes a backdrop for the activities in that space-almost theatric in nature.
In a contemporary context, these spaces form a pivot or a background, against which the
drama of everyday modern life of the city takes place. These places may have transformed due
to the daily hustle and bustle of the fast-paced modern city around-primary transport routes
and traffic, commerce and retail (both organised and unorganised)-but they still form a part of
the key tourist attractions within the city. These spaces may also have city-level political/
cultural events organized in them.

It can also be noted that many a times there is a challenge managing these spaces in terms of
crowd control, security, general cleanliness and order, restoration, conservation, etc. due to
the multiple government agencies and stakeholders involved. Consequently, these spaces and
the buildings/ monuments face various levels of decay and deterioration, and due to poor
management the spaces are unable to function as beautifully and actively as they can in the
overall scheme of the city. Many times, the change and impetus required to maintain and
sustain these historic plazas are minor policy level decisions, and only a limited focused
intervention in the area is needed to reactivate it, as in the case of the Kala Ghoda precinct,
Mumbai. They do not require large monetary inputs and with only some conscious thought
and slight impetus, have the inherent ability to regenerate their own usefulness and vigour.

36
 26
Figure 25: Plan showing the strong Axial Geometry of the design of Rajpath with India gate forming a major pivot

27
Figure 26: India gate and public activities around it.

26
Figure 25 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

27
Figure 26 source: www.vivid.travel.com

37
India Gate, Delhi

Originally called the All India War Memorial, the India Gate is located on the Rajpath, on the
eastern edge of the ceremonial axis of New Delhi. Formerly called Kingsway and now known as
Rajpath, this area is part of the political precinct of New Delhi. Plan can be explained with
reference to figure no.25.

India Gate is a memorial to the soldiers of the undivided British Indian Army who died in the
First World War. It has witnessed many political rallies, processions and national events. The
annual Republic Day parade starts from Rashtrapati Bhavan and passes through the India Gate
to reach the Red Fort. A large expanse of lush green lawns around the structure, serves as a
picnic spot. It belongs to everyone and people associate with it for any kind of celebration-be it
kite flying on Independence Day or India winning a world cup match. Serving as a respite on a
hot summer day to offering a cool breeze late at night, it carries a perennial festive air around
it. It is as much a part of the collective memory of families in the city as it is a statement of
nationhood. Activities can be seen with reference to figure no.24.

4.6 Museums and memorial- Gandhi ashram, Ahmedabad

Walk through any major city around the world and you’re likely to come across a memorial or
monument built to both honor lives lost and celebrate notable historic achievements.

Whether they’re towering structures with cascading water features in the middle of square or
small statues on a nondescript corner, memorials and monuments are part of the very fabric
of cities, holding a significant place in urban policy and design.

They can range from crowded public tourist attractions to peaceful respites for reflection amid
urban chaos, but many have become iconic features that help shape the character of a city

American artist and designer Maya Lin, best known for her controversial design of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., once wrote about the importance of creating a
monument that complements its built environment, rather than “combats” it.

“The idea of destroying the park to create something that by its very nature should
commemorate life seemed hypocritical, nor was it in my nature. I wanted my design to work
with the land, to make something with the site, not to fight it or dominate it. I see my works
and their relationship to the landscape as being an additive rather than a combative process,”
Lin wrote in an essay published in the New York Review of Books.

38
 28
Figure 27: Plan of Gandhi Ashram (Sabarmati Ashram), Ahmedabad.

29
Figure 28: Gandhi Ashram (Sabarmati Ashram), Ahmedabad

28
Figure 27 source: www.architexturez.net

29
Figure 28 source: www.architexturez.net

39
Gandhi ashram, Ahmedabad

The memorial museum is located in the ashram where the Mahatma lived from 1917 to 1930.
Housing his books, letters and photographs, this modest and humanly scaled memorial uses
brick piers, stone floors and tiled roofs to find a contemporary expression for the spirit of
swadeshi.

The commission was the architect's first important work in private practice. In order to reflect
the simplicity of Gandhi's life and the incremental nature of a living institution the architect
used modular units 6 meters x 6 meters of reinforced cement concrete connecting spaces,
both open and covered, allowing for eventual expansion. Space can be explained with
reference to figure no.28.

The modular simplicity of the structure is continued in the use of basic materials: stone floors,
brick walls, wooden doors and louvered windows devoid of glass, and riled roofs. The units are
grouped in a consciously asymmetric manner to be analogous to the Indian village with its
pathways and seem- ingly randomly placed buildings and its meeting points; in this instance
the central water court. Plan can be explained with reference to figure no.27.

The initial construction con-sisted of 51 modular units. Some of the units are enclosed by
walls; the exhibition spaces so created counterpointed by areas for rest where the visitor can
sit. Since its inauguration by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963 the units have been added to, extending
the existing pattern.

4.7 City square and cultural spaces- Pragati Maidan, Delhi

City squares and cultural spaces are one of the significant public spaces in an urban
environment. They act as the nucleus of a larger neighbourhood and strengthen the heart and
soul of a city. Long before the concept of malls became prevalent, these were the thriving
commercial centres which to this day remain a bustling, flourishing destination attracting huge
crowds of shoppers, tourists, and people who just want to be an audience to the world in
action.

Urban squares are open spaces surrounded by buildings and other structures within a city.
They serve as a stabilizing force especially in contemporary crowded cities. They are open
public spaces which reflect the city’s identity and the communities' cultural background. Since
the medieval times, these are the spaces where people of the community gathered and "urban
life" took place. As the fundamental component of the city structure, urban squares contribute
to the image and prestige of the city and are intrinsically tied with its authority.

40
Public squares provide its citizens a space to relax, sit, read a book, play games, meet with
friends, etc. in the urban city environment. The activities are neither predefined nor limited in
the urban squares. Public squares can also be used for ceremonies, rituals, political activities,
musical events, even theatre, and as marketplaces.

Cultural haats (markets), such as Dilli Haat, a Delhi Tourism and Dastkar joint Initiative, are
more inclined towards the cultural and economic aspect of the city squares. Here, a diverse set
of cultural activities take place relating to seasons, festivals and also contemporary arts, which
also facilitate income generation for the people. They become allied with handicraft and
regional variations of production and are elaborate versions and part components of the older
market squares which would have existed in older settlements.

Cultural events lead to the formation of another typology of cultural squares like the Sufi
festival of Nizamuddin Basti in New Delhi, traditional Urs in towns like Ajmer, Phool Walon ki
Sair in Mehrauli, New Delhi. These events give a definition to the space where they take place
frequently, associating that function to that space and encouraging more such events to take
place there. Though these spaces are defined by these cultural activities, they are not an
exclusive domain limited to that activity only. Sometimes the association of the place with the
event remains, even after the event changes its locations and relocates elsewhere.

Exhibition spaces such as the Kala Ghoda Precinct in Mumbai, where every year the Kala
Ghoda Festival takes place, the open spaces act as an arena with the historic buildings as the
backdrop. The Pragati Maidan in Delhi is another example where exhibitions take place
regularly round the year. These are spaces in the urban context where the notion of
"spectacle" is celebrated in a specifically designed manner and in many ways related to the
industrial revolution both in terms of objectification of the product to be viewed as much as
the structure which it is viewed in.

'The Historic City' has always been characterized by the idea of a city plaza which also acts as a
cultural complex. In the contemporary, post-industrial city, these can be differentiated into
distinct typologies as a result of master plan design and allotment of space. Hence in the new
context the idea of the city plaza and its cultural complex begins to change.

City plazas like Cyber Hub, Gurgaon act as a break-free space for the people working in the
offices of a large metropolis-primarily migrants, nuclear families, and transit travellers-
becoming an important part of the work force. They can be seen as modern day reincarnations
of the British idea of “promenade” where they connect activities through commerce,
recreation and dining. Space can be explained with reference to figure no.29.

41
 30
Figure29: Commercial retail centre, Select CITYWALK, Delhi.

31
Figure 30: Plan of Pragati Maidan, Delhi.

Figure 31: The structure in the complex are representative of exhibition structure and pavilions, adjacent to the
32
Historic Purana Qila, sprinkled with many lawns, courts and plazas.

30
Figure29 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

31
Figure30 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

32
Figure 31 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

42
Cultural complexes, like Connaught Place, are characterized by open colonnade, wide
walkways, a central park and some wonderful sitting spaces. They are characterized by
transition zones between the retail and recreation and as a scale are much larger and less
individual than the city plaza. They are not to be confused with the cultural areas identified
with auditorium and theatres but are rather like large open air amphitheatre-type spaces
bound together with alternate functions. Over the past six decades, while we have undertaken
building and expansion of our contemporary cities, city level plazas and squares as public
places have been our biggest loss. Since every square inch of public land has been monetized
and sold to private developers for residential/commercial/ business development, the
provision and design of these city level spaces in our city master plans have taken a huge
beating. Malls have become the new-age alternative of these cultural spaces and we, as a
society have started believing that the small plaza space in front of every mall that our
developers build, is enough to cater to the modern city's city-level public and cultural spaces.

Though an active prerequisite in smaller towns and cities, the communitylevel space in larger
urban areas is becoming more fragmented—but there are attempts to reclaim public space in
the city for community-level activities through pedestrianization, public art installations and
initiatives like Raahgiri and Equal Streets, to name a few. The effort to reconcile the scale of
larger cities with the need for accessible cultural space is an interesting challenge which
manifests itself strikingly across many places in India.

Pragati Maidan, Delhi

The traditional fair format transforms into a formalized urban level space for exhibitions. As
one of the largest venues for exhibitions and conventions, Pragati Maidan in Delhi hosts major
events at a national and international level. It was built to commemorate 25 years of India's
Independence in 1972 and the layout was designed by Raj Rewal. It is an example of how a
public event triggering the formalization of a space, with time, gets absorbed into the fabric of
the city. Plan can be explained with reference to figure no.30.

Most of the iconic structures were built by prominent architects, representative of the spirit of
modernism prevalent in the period it was built. Structure can be explained with reference to
figure no.31.

43
 33
Figure 32: A typical section of a mall road in the hills

34
Figure 33: A typical Cross section of a High street market

35
Figure 34: Masjid Moth, Delhi- a view of the street without weekly market

33
Figure 32 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

34
Figure 33 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

35
Figure 34 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

44
 36
Figure 35: Masjid Moth, Delhi- an area that transforms into a temporary weekly market

37
Figure 36: A typical cross section of a traditional mixed land use market.

36
Figure 35 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

37
Figure 36 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

45
4.8 Bazaars and market streets- tripola bazaar, jaipur

A market or a 'bazaar' is a public space primarily devoted to the selling and trading of goods. It
is not only a space where transactions of a monetary nature occur, but also a central place for
social and community interactions. Market places are the networking hub of any urban centre
and contribute to the economy and identity of the place. Apart from being a physical marker
of the wealth of a town it is also a symbolic marker of the strength and resilience of the
community. In older towns the presence of the Market Street or bazaar may be traced back to
the original conception of the historic town. They triggered development due to their location
on trade routes, and exchange of support with the citadel complex inclusive of religious
landmarks. Even today, in many instances, these main city bazaars echo the triangle of political
power, religion and economics which governs many urban areas. Typical section of a mall road
in the hills can be explained with reference to figure no.32.

Successful bazaars have traditionally been a combination of both wholesale and retail. They
would have sections allotted to different wares and the mundane, every day articles of daily
consumption would be equally available as the exotic wares from other traders and travelers.
These markets are colorful and vibrant cultural landmarks in the city, and are equally
important for the resident as well as the tourist. They serve a functional purpose to the city in
terms of availability and consumption of latest goods, but they are also a part of the story of
the city for the visitor who wants to experience the zeitgeist of that space.

The high profile markets in the elite areas of the older city, over the years, have transformed
into the main high street markets and the main shopping zone of the city, eg. Hazratganj of
Lucknow, M.I. Road of Jaipur, M.G. Road of Bengaluru, T.T. Nagar of Chennai or Karol Bagh,
Connaught Place and Lajpat Nagar of Delhi, etc. They have had to continuously evolve in terms
of wares, buildings and infrastructure. The evolution of infrastructure over time becomes a
physical challenge and a struggle, mainly because many of these were designed in a non-motor
able era, but today, after decades (and in some cases even centuries), these narrow roads
have to deal with cycles, rickshaws, autos, two-wheelers, cars, tempos and buses and a sheer
inadequacy of road space and parking space stares at us as a stark reality. The architecture has
over the periods also evolved, and is reflected in shop sizes, frontages, branding, facades and
street elevations. The evolution of wares is a relatively simpler phenomenon, as most of these
shops are rented and the fashion/brands of the day keeps pushing the older ones out-the new
order continues to replace the older one. The bazaars in the not-soelite areas of the old city
have more often evolved into wholesale markets, with all the shops in a particular street
dealing in only one type of ware. These markets are predominantly in larger cities, and act as

46
the wholesale/hub market, which distributes wares to all the smaller towns and villages in the
region, like Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazaar in Delhi, Johri Bazaar in Mumbai, etc. A typical
Cross section of a High street market can be explained with reference to figure no.33.

Apart from dedicated public spaces in the city, many towns also have makeshift markets along
the roads which operate as 'weekly street bazaars' – Som (Monday) / Mangal (Tuesday)/ Budh
(Wednesday) / Shani (Saturday) bazaar depending on the day on which they are set up. These
temporary, affordable, enterprises cater to the daily needs, mass produced goods, street food,
and are strong representatives of an informal economy within the formal structures of the city.
Many areas within traditional cities till date have successful weekly bazaars. It can be
explained with reference to figure no.34 and 35, Masjid Moth, Delhi- a view of the street
without weekly market, Masjid Moth, Delhi- an area that transforms into a temporary weekly
market.

The ideas of 'mela' and 'numaish' are also small city equivalents of the exhibition | and cultural
spaces of the large city which will usually be associated with the central market place. This is
mostly a bi-annual or annual affair, and is set up in one of the maidans. They are connected to
the market because they provide a platform for produce and handicrafts from the smaller
villages around, which are through their economy tied up with the local town. Once set up
they may stay for at least a month and this becomes a big regional level socio-cultural
commercial event, as in the case of the Camel Fair at Pushkar and the Numaish at Aligarh,
These bazaars and market streets are characterized by a sense of energy and bustle which is at
first glance suggestive of chaos. But usually there are predetermined hierarchies which exist,
amorphous definitions of place logics and time schedules that operate and allow multiple
stake holders to comfortably and efficiently co-exist within the same space. This chaos could
then be interpreted as multiple patterns superimposed and regulated by complex
interdependencies, negotiations and dialogue between multiple stakeholders of that space.
This is typical cross section of a traditional mixed land use market with reference to figure
no.36.

In contemporary times, many of these market places have been re-incarnated in their new
avatar of malls and shopping complexes. Through their design they attempt to recreate the
multiplicity of functions inherent in traditional market places. These new-age commercial/
retail developments by private enterprise, whose success relies so much on footfalls and
convertibility, would any day be envious of the high footfalls and commercial success of these
otherwise chaotic, dirty and nonair-conditioned markets. Many cities which are expanding on
the outline of a master plan also have neighbourhood markets which are meant to cater to the

47
daily requirements of nearby residents. With time many of these markets grow as per the
location logic of the area and acquire an ambience as per the demand of the catchment area
around it and become localized magnets. Sometimes these markets also grow beyond their
envisaged scale and size due to the development of major transport networks and accessibility
as we can see in the South Extension Market or Khan Market in New Delhi. These market
places and bazaar streets which are active through their density of usage, range of purposes,
synchronicity with religion, culture and modern-day fashion, are commercially strong hubs of
their region, and are representations of democratic public spaces, deeply embedded and
adding immense value to the city's cultural fabric. The economics, multiplicity and vibrancy of
these public spaces are their ultimate strength.

Tripola bazaar, jaipur

Closely located to the City Palace with boundaries drawn between Chhoti Chaupar and Manak
Chowk, Tripolia Bazaar is one of the main historic shopping destinations of Jaipur. It is part of
the fabled pink city elevation and skyline with shops providing an interesting symbiosis
between the traditional household and travelling sightseer. The many modes of transport
fights for space on the road flanked by the numerous pedestrian and small-venders amidst the
buildings of the ‘pink city’ with reference to figure no.37.

4.9 Water front places - kankaria lake, Ahmedabad

Through the history of human civilization, towns and settlements have almost always been
founded around water bodies. The key reason for the river valley to be the ideal location for
early human settlements was water and its importance in human life. Rivers provided water
for drinking and living, suitable climate and fertile soil around for farming, basic transportation
and an ecosystem that became a good source of providing food.

The importance of ports for transportation of goods across the world became one of the key
factors in the growth of large cities around the main ports of all continents. While commerce
was the mainstay of the port towns, tourism and leisure was the mainstay of other smaller
towns along coastlines. Historically, most cities started growing out of settlements which were
anchored along the shores of a river, sea or a large natural lake. Water attracts people,
provides a focal point in the city for the day-to-day fundamentals of life as well as a backdrop
for celebration and rituals, recreation, fishing, tourism, etc. Hence we find the world's greatest
cities, built around rivers, large lakes and along coastlines.

A Waterfront is defined as the stretch of land or part of a town which runs along the
waterbody. Lakes, canals, rivers, seas and bays support large cities that share a common space,

48
and few stretches of this shared space is developed either naturally or by design as urban
waterfront public spaces. Vibrant public waterfront spaces become the signature of great
cities. Cities across the world, with a sea/ bay view have realized that the value of their
harbour area increases with the increase in public access to the waterfront. Formal
development of any waterfront as part of the city planning started in a big way around 1960-
70s across American and European cities, and over the years added immense economic and
sociocultural-tourism value to these cities.

From a Western standpoint, successful waterfront public spaces would constitute of a visual
access to the waterfront enhanced by multiple corridors and access points, accessibility of
waterfront for pedestrians, physical linkages from the urban core areas and commercial hubs,
retail promenades, tourism, recreation and cultural activities. Successful integration of the
development and built form with the adjoining waterfront creates vibrant public and safe
spaces where the landscape forms a natural setting for the occupants and city dwellers to
appreciate and enjoy.

In the Indian context, water is sacred, revered and has significant metaphysical importance
within our socio-religious framework. For Hindus water is a purifier-considered to have
spiritually cleansing powers, life-giver- dictating the cycle of life and death, and destroyer of
evil. Most Hindu religious celebrations and rituals involving key life events from birth to death
all revolve around water. Holy places are usually located on the banks of rivers, coasts,
seashores and mountains and Hindus hold the rivers in great reverence. The rivers are
generally female divinities, food and life bestowing mothers. As per Hindu beliefs, there are
seven sacred rivers which are worshipped - Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Narmada,
Sindhu, and Kaveri.

The Ganges, also known as the Ganga, being the most sacred and revered, its water is used in
worshipping rituals right from birth till death and if possible a sip is given to the dying. Hindus
believe that bathing in the Ganges on key religious festivals or immersing a dead person's
ashes in the river will provide them a place in heaven. The river is considered self-purifying and
with a dip in the sacred river, the mind, body and soul supposedly attain purification. So the
development of accessible spaces, in the form of'ghats' have established themselves as
important typologies across many towns on the banks of these sacred rivers. These ghats serve
as threshold spaces between the flowing waterbody and the built fabric of the developing
town beyond.

There are innumerable Indian cities and towns built along rivers, big lakes and coastlines. The
sociocultural, functional and experiential value of the public spaces along the waterfronts

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across Indian cities can be considered very different from the widely recognized and
celebrated Western model. It is important to perceive these waterfront spaces from an Indian
gaze. A comparison of the public spaces along the ghats of Benares and the banks of River
Ganges, with the waterfront development and public spaces along River Thames in London,
beautifully highlights this contrast. The myriad activities (and the chaos/disorder) that occur
every day along the ghats-ritualistic bathing of the pilgrim, cremation of bodies, reading of
horoscopes by astrologers, chanting of Brahmin priests, boatloads of tourists taking pictures
and the very famous Ganga aarti-collectively form a beautiful socio-cultural-religious mosaic,
which is in sharp contrast to the well-manicured, well-designed, orderly and clinical,
waterfront developments of the Western cities. This is best exemplified in the words of the
famous Indian architect Charles Correa, when he says "In the context of Benares, this tableau
along the ill-defined, amorphous banks of the river becomes a metaphor human condition and
makes you reflect on the metaphysics of life". Periodic festivals and events are also related to
and depend upon the presence of water-Ganapati Visarjan, Durga Puja. Chhath Puja, Kumbh
Mela are just a few examples of the main annual religious rituals and festivities that happen
along the water edges of our cities. With reference to figure no.39 changing nature of the
threshold along the waterfront.

The public space around the edge of the waterbody becomes an important space within the
public domain of the city. The formation of these spaces is mostly a factor of its natural
geographical setting, at times sensitively accentuated by good design interventions, while at
other times left alone as an amorphous organic edge. These spaces can be classified into
various categories depending on the type of waterbody, and each type has its unique
geographical, functional, cultural and environmental factors which define the water-city edge.
Illustration shows water front activities with reference to figure no.38.

Many of our cities are geographically built around large, city-level natural lakes and the city
edges along these lakes are developed as Lakefront Development. These lakes are a source of
drinking water, visual relief, tourism, day-to-day recreation and relaxation activities and have
walkways and public spaces along the lakefront. Kankaria lake (Ahmedabad), Bhojtal (Bhopal),
Powai Lake (Mumbai), Nainital Lake (Uttarakhand) and Hussain Sagar (Hyderabad) are few
examples of city-level urban lakefront spaces.

Cities built along the seashore have Seafacing Promenades and Beachfront Spaces as two
distinct typologies of public spaces along the edge of the sea. Prominent examples being
Marine Drive and Worli Seaface (Mumbai), Panjim City Centre, Chowpatty and Juhu Beach
(Mumbai), Marina Beach (Chennai), etc.

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Figure 37: The many modes of transport fignt for space on the road flanked by the numerous pedestrian and small-
38
venders amidst the buildings of the ‘pink city’

39
Figure 38: illustration of activities of water front

38
Figure 37 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.
39
Figure 38 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

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 40
Figure 39: The changing nature of the threshold along the waterfront.

40
Figure 39 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India.

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Cities along the river have Ghats and Riverfronts as two distinct typologies of public spaces.
Riverfronts are predominantly formal design interventions and their dialogue with the river is
visual, while the Ghats are more intricate spaces within the city, and their dialogue with the
city is experiential; few examples of ghats being Haridwar, Benares, Allahabad, Kolkata, Nashik,
etc. The Ahmedabad Riverfront or the Sabarmati Riverfront is probably India's only city-level
long term masterplan-driven integrated riverfront development. This major design
intervention undertaken in the last few decades has given some observable results and has
spatially enhanced the city.

Over the past few decades, the development across most Indian cities has turned its back
towards its rivers and has been detrimental to the large-scale negligence and decay of our
rivers and as a society we have practically failed to take even the basic care of our natural
assets. Rampant urban development, encroachment across flood plains, lack of environmental
sensitivity, untreated sewage disposal into city water bodies, indiscriminate garbage dumping,
and the various religious rituals which result in large-scale immersions of statues of deities
collectively contribute towards high levels of water pollution in our water bodies. There is a
huge societal ignorance and insensitivity towards general hygiene and cleanliness related
issues which can easily be considered as a national challenge for which we are yet to find a
serious solution.

Kankaria lake, Ahmedabad

Being the biggest lake in the city, Kankaria Lake was built in the 15th century by Sultan
Qutbuddin. It was redeveloped under an initiative by the local government and designed by
HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd. with the primary objective of their brief
enhancing recreational potential by improving public facilities, preserving historic buildings
and encouraging overall development within the precinct. It has a small island in its centre,
Nagina Wadi, which has a summer palace and a fountain. Having a zoo, a museum and a
garden for kids in close proximity, Kankaria Lake is growing to become one of the most
important pedestrianized spaces in the city.

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 Figure 40: The development of the ring around the lake attempts to maintain the natural fabric and density of the
41
existing site while simultaneously generating new sets of activities.

42
Figure 41: section showing the activities in river front of Kankaria Lake

Figure 42: The redesigned edge around 4.8 km circumference of the lake's perimeter which includes many
43
recreational activities for the larger city.

41
Figure 40 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India
42
Figure 41 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India
43
Figure 42 source: ahmedabadtourism.in/kankaria-lake-ahmedabad

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4.10 Mall and shopping centre - Salt Lake City Centre, Kolkata

Shopping malls has been transformed from a component of city to the prerequisite of
urbanity. Malls not only serve as the iconic center of city but also provide physical spaces for
social activities, as a result shopping malls has replaced every aspects of urban life. However,
city center should also function as a “place”,where “everybody occupies its place”. Shopping
malls, corporation plaza are increasingly popular destinations for the public. Of course, none of
these privately owned or management places are truly public, even it is dedicated for public
use. There is a presumption of publicness in these privately owned public spaces, but in reality
they are in public realm. The concept of public life is inseparable from the idea of a “public
sphere” and the notion of civil society, where the affairs of the public are discussed and
debated in public place. In addition, public life is also derived from our desire for relaxation,
social contact, entertainment, leisure and simply having a good time. These activities are not
necessary carried in a public space, but a neutral ground. It must be a place where people may
come and go as they please, in which none of them are required to play host, and all feel at
home and comfortable.

The neutral ground should be accessible for the general public and does not set formal criteria
of membership and exclusion. Planner, architects all too commonly ignore the importance of
neutral ground and the kinds of relationships, interactions, and activities to which it plays host.
The neutral ground provides a place where bring people together. It is important to the unity
of neighborhoods, cities and societies.

The concept of public space has been around for a long time and many theorists have
attempted to analyze what makes a space public. The idea of a space where all are welcome,
and where ideas and thoughts can be freely shared minus social issues such as racism, classism
and genderism sounds almost utopian, but it is what is needed for true public space. With the
advent of the globalized western shopping mall, this concept of public space has been tested
as these privately run institutions promote themselves as the new town squares or public
space in which to come and be with friends and community.

The Open Mall – City Centre – Salt Lake by Charles Correa

Charles Correa’s design for the Salt Lake City Centre, Kolkata was built in 2004. It is an
exceptional conversation between two distinct traditions of shopping- the traditional open
markets of Indian streets on the one hand, and the controlled box of the American style mall
that has stormed Indian cities over the last few years.It a new entertainment and shopping
centre by the developer, Ambuja Realty, which extends the City Centre brand.

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 44
Figure 43: salt lake mall as public space

45
Figure 44: Plan of salt lake mall

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Figure 43 source: https://charlescorreafoundation.org/
45
Figure 44 source: //i0.wp.com/architecturelive.in

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Correa’s design is about a sociable connection between the mall as a shopping space, and the
city in which it stands. The American model of the mall is of a completely sealed box which
keeps the city out. It thrives on turning its back on what is out there. Airconditioning is the
most direct expression of this attitude. Outside air may not flow freely through indoor space.
The barrier to air is also felt as a barrier to our own movement. The ventilation system, we
unconsciously note as visitors, is also subtly about the ease with which people’s movement
may flow in and out of a building along with air. Since we know that conditioned air is much
more expensive, ventilation also becomes an issue about inclusiveness. Plan can be explained
with reference to figure no.44.

At Salt Lake City Centre, Correa has kept the air conditioned spaces deeper inside so that what
greets the visitor is always the embrace of open space and penetrable built form which pulls
you in. As in Kala Akademi, Panaji, he literally dissolves the idea of central control by having
multiple entries and a highly penetrable environment. To the manager of the facility, this
openness must certainly be a headache. However, one man’s headache is in this case, the
delectation of most visitors. And whether it is a retail space or an artplace, visitors and
dwellers are its reason for existence. Pity, that this simplest of arguments is so little supported
by much of the architecture in our cities and towns today. Public space can be explained with
reference to figure no.43.

4.11 Religious spaces - pushkar, rajasthan

Religion and rituals are the key cornerstones of the human consciousness and deeply
embedded in our psyche. They influence and define society at large at a subconscious level,
which is even more apparent in traditional societies. The main citylevel religious places are
centres within the city that anchor their respective faiths, support and propagate religious
activities during rituals and festivals and satisfy the basic human needs in terms of emotional
security, community and social interaction. They are used on a daily, weekly and event basis.
Religious architecture and spaces around them represent the physical space in which people
often try to get closer to the divine. There is a distinct attachment and bond that develops
between people and their religious settings, and the architectural features and spatial
attributes of the place play an influencing role in strengthening this attachment. They are
important community spaces as much as they are reflections of hegemonies inherent in the
city.

In a multicultural country like India, religion has always been an integral part of our cities and
urban spaces, influencing each other and always strengthening community building and
integration, and at times even being the reason for conflict. Historically, the power triangle of

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 Figure 45: The religious monument in a traditional town is the core whose influence creates a ripple of activities
46
around the town. They are also a focus or axis to enhance directional logic.

Figure 46: The religious monument in a traditional town is the core whose influence creates a ripple of activities
47
around the town. They are also a focus or axis to enhance directional logic.

46
Figure 45 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India

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Figure 46 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India

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politics, religion and administrative centre formed the core of the city, with the main church,
mosque or temple occupying a key focal point in the city space. As cities grew, there formed
multiple religious centres within the large cities, while smaller cities still continued to get
defined by the presence of the predominant religious structure. The recognition of religious
centres and their assertion within large cities has become a symbol of reinforcing religious or
cultural identity in the public domain. A deeper understanding of the interplay between the
important religious places and the urban environment may be a key factor in understanding
future global cities, especially when polarization along religious lines has played a major part in
shaping global politics, and secularism has also become akin to a religion. The religious
monument in a traditional town is the core whose influence creates a ripple of activities
around the town. They are also a focus or axis to enhance directional logic can be explained
with reference to figure no.45 and 46.

The strong connection between urban space and religion can be enlightening when we
carefully observe the ways in which religious movements, ideas and practices circulate in
contemporary cities Furthermore, as spatiality is part and parcel of the constitution of religion,
religious ideas and opinions about religio profoundly affect our understandings of space and
place. Such a perspective on religion goes beyond the supposition of urban theory that religion
is peripheral to the discussions on the urban condition. Contrary to perspectives that
envisioned the modern city as a secular space, contemporary cities around the world display a
wide variety of religious movements, ranging from mosques, temples and churches, to name
the most obvious. They directly affect the senses within the urban scape, be it through the
Muslim soundscapes, the tactile turning of the Buddhist prayer wheel, the fragrance
associated with the offerings to the gods and their devotees in temples, the savoury langars of
gurudwaras, or the joyous fervour of the Christmas spirit. They all also express themselves in
the visual realm through the branding and consumerism which they all evoke.

Religious spaces are formed and reinforced as a result of people's activities around a particular
space or city. In India, religion and culture are so deeply intertwined, that the dominant
religion of a particular place often spills over into the community or public spaces and the
cultural fabric of the area specific in the city. The connection between religion and mythology
also adds another layer to the palimpsest, and the history of the city at an archaeological level
begins to be tied up with the legends associated with the space – these further manifest into
what is considered as "authenticity" of not only physical objects but also rituals and activities.
Various kinds of religious spaces are created as a result of the typology and functionality of
space and the interrelationship with the religious centre.

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 48
Figure 47: The Jagannath Rath Yatra .

49
Figure 48: Christ Church, Shimla.

48
Figure 47 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India
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Figure 48 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India

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Temple streets were formed as a part of the commercial development around the temple
catering to the needs of the people visiting the temple. The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai has
led to the peripheral development of the entire market around it with functions associated
with that of the temple. Today, the market is adding immensely to the experience of the place.
The relationship between commerce and religion cannot be underplayed as together they are
responsible for the synergy of many urban spaces. This can be explained with reference to
figure no.47.

Historic temple towns were formed as a result of either a large religious centre or multiple
sacred spaces in the town, which the devotees consider sacrosanct. These multiple spaces
accentuated peripheral development around them, which have made the entire town to be
associated with religion. The social hierarchies, cultures of regionalism, economic
sustainabilities all create intricate networks of interrelationships and complex webs of mutual
dependencies, which sustain and evolve the morphology and raison d'etre of the town.
Tirupati, Shirdi, Katra, Ajmer, Vrindavan and Haridwar are some prevalent examples of such
towns, where most/all the activities of the people in the city revolve around religion and the
associated tourism.

Ghats came up as a result of the strong religious connotation of a river flowing through a
particular city. The ghats of Varanasi came up because of the river Ganga flowing by the city.
The daily activities of the residents as well as the ritualistic activities of the visiting tourist, has
always been centred around the ghats, creating a beautiful mosaic of multilayered activities
and accelerating development around it, adding to the holistic experience of the place.

Religious events, of a recurring nature, which may be of a massive scale at times also play a
vital role in the creation of religious spaces. Allahabad experiences most of its religious crowds
during the Kumbh Mela, which takes place at the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna,
Saraswati. The Kumbh Mela happens every 3 years, by rotation between Allahabad, Nashik,
Haridwar and Ujjain. The Poorna Kumbha, which takes place every twelve years in Allahabad is
considered as one of the largest religious gatherings in the world demonstrating how some
events lead to creation of spaces, on the banks of the river dedicated for the mela. The overall
experience of the religious place, its physical form and attributes, activities and surrounding
spaces for associated public activities, all come together to form an overall sense of place and
an emotional bond between people and the place, against a canvas of religion. The physical
setting and strong 'spirit of place' create an aura of sacred, while adding to the beauty and
vibrancy, enhancing the cultural quotient of these associated public spaces. This can be
explained with reference to figure no.48.

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 50
Figure 49: One of the many ghats which surround the edge of the lake.

51
Figure 50: The bazaar street along the ghats.

50
Figure 48 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India
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Figure 49 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India

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 Figure 51: The 52 ghats around the Pushkar Lake were at one time represented by the houses of nobility of
52
Rajasthan-Gujarat region and are still clearly demarcated.

Figure 52: The cross section of the major street to the lake enhances the feeling that this town is like a spectator
53
bowl where everyone is watching the other.

52
Figure 50 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India
53
Figure 51 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India

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Pushkar, Rajasthan

Pushkar Lake is a natural catchment area for the rainwater of the surrounding mountains. This
water source in the desert of Rajasthan gave rise to this town supported by the associated
myths and legends relating to Brahma. It is an important Hindu pilgrimage because of its
association with prayers to one's ancestors, and though visited throughout the year it is
specially active during the months of September October associated with shraaddh, an annual
ritual prayer for one's ancestors.

It also comes alive at the time of the annual Pushkar fair,when artists - both Indian and
foreign, station themselves at the ghat and perform cultural arts. It is known for its religious
fervour, festivities and the camel, cattle fair that takes place along the sidelines of this annual
gathering in the month of October-November. This can be explained with reference to figure
no.49 and 50.

Apart from the buying and selling of livestock, it holds many competitions inspired by regional
crafts, interests and local traditions.

One can see a melting pot of many cultures originally intrinsic to the area but now even global
in nature. Dance, music and songs, both pan-Indian and Western find space at this event. The
extent to which this cultural exchange takes place is evident in the number of foreigners who
choose to make Pushkar their home forever. Many foreigners marry and settle in Pushkar
adopting its culture and lifestyle, which gives Pushkar a cosmopolitan air. Plan and section can
be explained reference to figure no.51 and 52.

4.12 Ancient heritage monumental spaces

Many public spaces in historic cities are recognized and associated with a corresponding
historical monument. In the evolving fabric of many traditional cities, these monuments are
interwoven with and embedded within the fabric of the city, with a transformed functional
usage pattern around the complex as previously discussed. There are also many instances
where the historic monuments are'frozen in time'. They are mostly outside the city limits or
within a protected area around the city, and may be found as a complex of fort ruins, relics of
historic towns, ancient temples, etc., which attract a large group of people primarily on their
own merit. These places are then activated by the tourists who visit it as well as the directly-
linked livelihoods and allied cultural activities associated with the space. Their scale may be
large enough to develop and sustain a significant urban area.

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Figure 53: Sangameshwara Temple and Galganath Temple at Pattadakal, Karnataka Badami Chalukyan Empire, 500
54
BC UNSECO World Heritage Site

th
Figure 54: Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu Chola Empire, 10 century AD UNSECO World Heritage
55
Site

54
Figure 53 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India
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Figure 54 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India

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The Indian subcontinent consists of some of the oldest and most racially, culturally and
naturally diverse civilizations of the world. Indian history spans centuries of settlements and
resettlements, conquests, wars, rise and decline of empires. Territories annexed by the
Mughals, the Mauryans the architecture of the Cholas and the Hoyasalas, the legacy of the
Palas, the Pallavas and even the lesser known Rashtrakutas and Vardhans, etc., have majorly
contributed to the rich culture, heritage and architecture of modern India. Across the length
and breadth of India, one may find innumerable remnants of this history, frozen in time,
associated with various historic periods and empires in the past. Many of these places have
kept alive the recognition value of the site's historicity and even created conditions for
continued growth.

The archaeology of these public spaces is a continuous reminder that these were complex and
multi-use places. The physicality and tangible entity of these spaces in the urban fabric of the
city is equally important as their historicity and cultural identity. The sense of space they exude
is reinforced by the physical remnants and spatiality within the historic precinct. These spaces
are witness to both the sacred and the mundane of their ancient times. They would have at
points in history been both politically charged and important in the cultural landscape of the
period. Today, the crowds that throng these places are drawn by both the physical ruins and
the ideas of the era they represent,they belong both to the selfie culture of the present which
wants to say to the world, “been there, done that" as well as to the history enthusiasts. The
surge of the visitors depending on the times of the day, the annual holiday calendar, and the
seasonal variations creates patterns for usage of the space and is responsible for bringing
these spaces to life in a manner which is sometimes reminiscent of their original glory. It then
becomes important to understand the permanence of the public spaces from the transience of
its visitor. The foreground, the forecourt, the entrance and connection with the road, all
become integral to the scale of the space-these maybe empty, landscaped, or paved
experiential spaces where the monument is the focus. They may even act as viewing galleries
for the ruins and remnant structures.

Across the world, such places of historic and cultural importance (which could be a building,
city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) are recognized as World
Heritage Sites and are listed by UNESCO as being of special cultural or physical significance.

The World Heritage Sites represent one or more of the below mentioned criteria:

"represents a masterpiece of human creative genius and cultural significance;"

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"exhibits an important interchange of human values, over a span of time, or within a cultural
area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town
planning, or landscape design;"

"to bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization

which is living or which has disappeared;"

"is an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural, or technological ensemble or

landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history;"

"is an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, landuse, or sea-use which is

representative of a culture, or human interaction with the environment especially when it has
become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;"

"is directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs,
with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance."

There are more than a thousand such sites which have been granted this status across the
world. Of the potentially hundreds of such locations across the country, India currently is
home to 35 World Heritage Sites of cultural and natural importance (27 cultural, 7 natural, 1
mixed). However, for a country with such an extravagant history, can we only pride ourselves
on being home to less than a hundred sites of historical importance? And remain ignorant of
the architectural and archaeological value of many other such sites in India that remain vastly
underestimated and under-recognized?

Within India, there are controls and heritage and conservation regulations which determine
the current condition, maintenance and tourism value of many of these precincts. Various
Central and state agencies, like ASI, INTACH, etc., are responsible for the ground-level upkeep
and conservation efforts of these places. Most of these historic precincts are places of national
importance to our country, being storehouses of our rich cultural heritage. And though some
of them are recognized across the world and protected as (or aspire to be) part of the UNESCO
World Heritage Site, there are many which are slowly decaying and becoming lost in oblivion.
The development around many of these monuments grows in an ad hoc manner, conservation
efforts are largely piecemeal and mediocre, and there are limited tourist management and
crowd control measures. Consequently, these places with immense historic and cultural value
that can bring a lot of international recognition and tourism need to be preserved and
promoted at a more active level, and with a much more coherent and sensitive approach.

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 56
Figure 55: Illustration of Raathas

th
Figure 56: Shore temple of Mahabalipuram, Tamil nadu. Pallava Empire. 7 century AD UNESCO World Heritage
57
site

56
Figure 55 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India
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Figure 56 source: Gupta Archana and Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, Celebrating Public Spaces of India

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Chapter 5: Public Places

5.1 Benefits of Public Space

Social and national belief- makes sense of belongingness

Improve public health - health wellbeing and development

Improve the environment- brings landscape and unbuilt in between built spaces

Indirect employment- stage artist, actors and artist

Cultural benefits- presentation of culture and art forms

Presentation- art, sculpture and other forms

Recreational- break from busy life

5.2 Successful Public Space

The parameters of successful public spaces

Location:

Important urban open public spaces were invariably either centrally located or along major
movement and visual axis. Other were located at urban nodes or edges.

Accessibility:

”The freedom with which a person can walk about and look around is a very useful guide to
the civilized quality of an urban area.”

Sir Colin Buchanan. (Reshma, Study Of Major Urban Active Open Public Spaces, 2006)

It is important to ensure that we provide choice in access to different activities, resources,

information and places for all sectors of community. By accessibility we mean that an open
space should be physically and visually accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, background
of income. A successful open space is easy to get to, and get through; it is visible both from a
distance and up close.

A place should first and foremost be physically accessible. The success of a place depends on
its location in the city and its connectivity to various transport systems. We observed that a
good place can either be a destination or can lie in route to something or both. If the place is a
destination, it is the important that the place be reached by wide variety of transport. If the

69
place is in route then it should strengthen the continuity of movement from adjacent places.
Sometimes a place is successful because it is both a destination and it lies in route to lot of
places. An example of this is the India Gate. It is no doubt a destination place but lots of people
simply visit it while going from one part of the city to another.

For a space to be used it should be visually accessible, that is the people need to see it. An
open public space should be discernible from outside and each component should be visually
linked to the other. It’s because of this factor that most sunken courts in spite of good
landscaping are hardly used. It is very important to keep people and activities at street level.
An example where visibility of a place made a difference to the popularity of the place is
Bryant Park in New York. Initially the entrance to the park was dark and narrow and kept
people out. The same entrance when it was redesigned proved to be more inviting and open.
The new entrance has kiosks that sell coffee and sandwiches, and the interior of the park is
visible from the street. Accessibility does not only mean that the open public spaces should be
reachable and visible, it also means that people have the freedom to use that space.

User friendliness

An open public space needs to be user friendly. It needs to provide comfort in terms of
climate, physical activities and amenities. Any place must provide the opportunity to enjoy
good weather and adequate protection from bad weather. Climate varies from place to place
and so should open spaces in that climate.

A good example of this is Connaught Place. The covered corridor along the shops provides
much needed shade during the summers. Planting trees is the simplest way of providing
shade. The kind of trees to be planted is also very important. Placement of trees is also
important because trees can cause visual barriers. Architectural features such as corridors,
semi-covered spaces such as pergolas, etc. can also provide shade. Protection from sun can be
provided by shadows of the surrounding structures. Ideally, sitting should be physically
comfortable. It is more important, however that it be socially comfortable and also offer a
wide range of choices. The sitting should also face an active area otherwise it will not be used.
Other than benches and chairs, secondary seating in the form of steps, ledges should be
provided. Steps in particular prove to be popular seating. It is imperative to make available,
basic facilities like drinking water and toilets in any open public spaces.

Sociability:

Sociability is an important concern in the design of open public spaces. The degree and nature
of social interaction depends on the scale of the place and the activities within it. Movement,

70
group formation, density are closely related to the spatial organization of the space. The
configurations of physical space can facilitate and encourage the possibility of meetings and
encounters that enhance the vitality of public life. (Reshma, Dissertation, SPA library, New
Delhi, 2006, p. 38)

Security is an important issue for the life of public places. People feel free to interact in an
environment in which they feel safe. The number of women, children and elderly users is a
good indication because they are the most vulnerable groups.

Activities:

Perception of and behaviour in an open public space is intimately linked with its activities.
Human activity brings about a noticeable difference to an environment. A place may be
centrally located and prominent but it is not recognized as a public place without human
activity to proclaim it. Even for adults, architectural features of a space, unless they are unique
and obvious, are less memorable in themselves than vital activity that happens in it. People
invariably collect where other people are; they sit in places where they can observe what is
happening around them. Even when one comes to a park for solitary contemplation one
prefers to sit, alone perhaps, but near to the scene of activity. Apart from making it more
interesting, activity can also make place safer. Open public spaces host a wide range of things
to do. Sitting, watching people walking, shopping, eating and drinking are common to most
places. They may also have specialized activities such as games, sports, performances,
concerts, festivals, public gatherings and demonstrations.

For activities to be pleasurable, they must happen in safe, clean and attractive environments
that not only allow but also encourage them. Therefore we need an environment which is not
simply well organized, but poetic and symbolic as well. It should speak of the individuals and
their complex society, of their aspirations and their historical tradition, of the natural setting,
and of complicated functions and movements of the city world. Such a sense of a place will in
itself enhance very human activity that occurs there

Essays, UK. (November 2018). Cities And Open Public Spaces Cultural Studies Essay. Retrieved from
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/cities-and-open-public-spaces-cultural-studies-
essay.php?vref=1 .

71
Successful public space are the place which is universally accepted by the community, where
one can see and enjoy multiple activity and accessible by all kinds of member of society from
children to aged.

According to Francis Tibbalds, successful public spaces ‘consist of rich, vibrant, mixed use
environment that does not die at night or at the weekends and is visually stimulating and
attractive to residents and visitors alike’.

Successful public spaces contain overlapping use of different activity and where person can
join and participate without any hesitation. It must be a safe place. This is the place where
society likes to meet daily and enjoy the pollution free atmosphere.

Henry Sheftoe has used word ‘convivial’ for a successful public space. He says ‘convivial’ is
defined in dictionaries as ‘festive, sociable, jovial and fond of merry- making’; usually referring
to people, but it can equally apply to a situation. He says ‘without such convivial spaces, cities,
towns and villages would be mere accretions of buildings with no deliberate opportunities for
casual encounters and positive interactions between friends or strangers’.

How to evaluate public space?

Despite the fact that the public space is important for good urban living, question still remains,
what places are good or bad. Evolution of public space is a subjective issue and decisions may
vary from person to person. Here we are not concerned with the decision form the designer’s
point of view, but only from the point of vew of an individual common man on the street.
Experts in the subjects have given different parameters for evaluating the success of a public
space. However ‘project for public space’ have after many case studies and surveys
propounded four important parameters and they are ‘access and linkages, comfort and image,
user and activities, sociability’. All other parameters given by others are more or less covered
within the sweep of the aforesaid four issues. Therefore in this essay, success of the public
spaces is examined by applying these four parameters only. Accessibility is most important
factor which affects the willingness of the users. People are ready and willing if the space is
nearby, in the neighborhood or approachable easily. Comfort and images decides the
attraction of people.

According to book ‘Image of the City’ (Lynch, p.9), ‘the quality in a physical object which gives
it a high probability to evoking a strong image in any given observer’.

Good comfort of space also create good image on the mind. Comfort is the abstract perception
in the minds of the user and good seating, lighting, mobility, traffic free environment are the

72
physical criteria. People coming to certain public space have different reasons to come and
therefore multiple activity options on the space make it more convivial. Mixed used activities
generate maximum public response. If space is used by only one type of users, other users may
not find place interesting. Space must provide welcoming environment to all the residents at
all the time. Activities in short are the reasons to visit the place, they will interact and
communicate with each other. They will love the company and will have sympathy for others.
Tolerance, compassion and love are the natural fallout of a good public space.

5.4 What are the factors which can be taken in consideration that would affect
the nature of public space?

Location

Accessibility

Sociability

Activities

They are accessible

Safety in the place

People are engaged in activities there

The space is comfortable and has a good

It is a sociable place: one where people meet each other and take people when they come to
visit

73
Conclusion

The combined study of the above places leads us to conclude that over and above the four
parameters suggested by Project for Public Space, there is one more factor which is vital to
make a public space cheerful and friendly and it is -emotional attachment of people to its
place. Presence of this factor alone can make a space successful even if no some other counts
it may not be cheerful and friendly. Emotions originate from long unbroken social and cultural
bond. People make places by their accumulations of adaptations and additions. Designer can
certainly give his inputs on first three counts of accessibility, comfort and activities but he is
helpless on the last parameter in as much as he can ask for public response. He can’t make
people use this space. Public sentiments are the most vital issue which makes the place
successful. Without public response, the space will be too poor in quality and miserably fail to
achieve its true objective. The authorities, therefore, should concentrate more on improving
evolved public spaces by increasing the accessibility and comfort level and by providing diverse
mix use activities. Evolved public spaces can be made more convivial with little work in this
direction.

Findings:

1. People make places. Unless the space stimulates the overwhelmed response from one and
all, the public space meat for them cannot become successful.

2. The public spaces evolved by accumulation of adaptations and additions by users

themselves are more convivial and people regularly use such places though they are not
encouraging from the designer’s point of view.

3. The success of particular public spaces is not in the hands of the designer. His best design
model can fail if people do not respond favorably.

4. Design exercise fails if it does not uphold the sentiments of the people using them.

5. Evolved public space can be easily made more comfortable and lively by the efforts of the
designer who keeps in mind the sentiments of the users.

74
Bibliography and References

Books

Gupta Archana and Gupta Anshuman, 2017, Mapin Publishing, ‘Celebrating Public Spaces of
India’.

Lynch, Kevin. Mass.: Technology Press, 1960, ‘The Image of the City’. Cambridge,

Research Journal PDF’s

Raj Kumar -Assistant Professor, Accurate Institute of Architecture and Planning, Greater Noida,
UP, India. Overview: Social Spaces in Urban Areas : International Research Journal of
Engineering and Technology (IRJET) Volume: 04 Issue: 04 | Apr -2017 e-ISSN: 2395 -0056

Chitrakar, Rajjan. (2016). Meaning of public space and sense of community: The case of new
neighbourhoods in the Kathmandu Valley. International Journal of Architectural Research. 10.
213-227. 10.26687/archnet-ijar.v10i1.807.

Zepf, Marcus.(2000), “Dialectical Identity in Urban Public Spaces.” Landscape Design, no. 295

Elham Rahely Namina , Hamed Najafpour and Hasanuddin Lamita, Vol.3, No.2 (June 2013),
‘Public Places and Spaces and Social Urban Interaction’ International Journal of Current
Engineering and Technology ISSN 2277 – 4106

Ar. Bhagyalaxmi Madapur Volume IV, Issue X, October 2017, ‘Urban Public Spaces in Webbed
Cities’ International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), ISSN 2321–2705.

Ivan Siláči , Ľubica Vitková , (2017) IOP Publishing ’Public Spaces as the Reflection of Society
and its Culture’ doi:10.1088/1757-899X/245/4/042009

Articles

Essays, UK. (November 2018). Cities And Open Public Spaces Cultural Studies Essay. Retrieved
from https://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/cities-and-open-public-spaces-
cultural-studies-essay.php?vref=1

Yang Lisa, September 10th, 2015, Reasons Why Public Space is Important,

https://culturedays.ca/blog/2015/09/10/top-five-reasons-public-space-important/

Essays, UK. (November 2018). Elements in Designing Public Spaces. Retrieved from
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/architecture/importance-of-public-spaces.php?vref=1

XIII
XIV
Case of Nashik city

1. History of Nashik city

Archaeological evidences indicate that Nashik, located on the banks of holy river Godavari, was
inhabited since the stone Aryan saga Agasti was the first Aryan to live on the banks of
Godavari. The mention of Nashik is seen on the caves of Jabalpur years ago. Nashik also get its
name by its geographical location. Earlier it was a place situated on the hillocks which are
called as 'Navshikhas'. River Ghat can be explained with reference to figure no.57.

No one knows when the city of Nashik came into existence. It is stated to have been present
even in the Stone Age. Lord Ramchandra along with wife Sita and brother Laxman settled
down in Nashik for the major time of their “Vanwasa”. According to the mythology, Laxman
cut the nose (“Nasika” in Sanskrita) of “Shurpanakha” and hence the city got the name
‘Nashik’.

During the freedom struggle of 1857 Nashik was the center of activity. Nashik proudly stands
and mention in pre-independence history with names like VEER SAVARKAR Revolutionary
ANANT KANHARE, DR. AMBEDEKAR with his mass satvasraha to enter the Ram Mandir.

There are age old temples, the architecture of which displays the life of the eras in which they
were built. There is the Sivshasta Kumbh mela held after every 12 years which pulls devotees
from all over the country. Nashik also has the Infant Jesus Shrine that brings people from all
over to this place. Particularly during the fair held every year.

2. Development and growth of Nashik city

The British took of the Nashik during Nashik Municipal was banned in 1965 and Nashik became
a full-fledged district in 1869 As the Mumbai bhusaval Rail track was laid in 1861 Nashik was
Railway Map as Nashik road'. Nashik Road-Deolali Municipality was formed in 1952.

The beginning of the 20th century ushered the concept of industrialization and with the onset
of Sugar factories, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., and particularly the M.I.D.C. (Maharashtra
Industrial Development Corporation). The apparel of Nashik has changed from just a holy city
to that of an industrially progressive town. Development and Growth can be explained with
reference to figure no.58 and 59.

Thus, NASHIK a place with history, culture, tradition, has blended with modernity, industry
progress, cherishes an essence of its own. Nashik is a religious place in itself, the holy river
GODAVARI flowing through the heart of the city has brought it a distinction of a holy place.

XV
 58
Figure 57: Image of Godavari Ghat

59
Figure 58: Map for Growth of Nashik

60
Figure 59: Zoning of Nashik

58
Figure 57 source: https://nashik.gov.in/
59
Figure 58 source: http://sdmahajan.tripod.com/nasik_globalayan.htm
60
Figure 59 source: http://sdmahajan.tripod.com/nasik_globalayan.htm

XVI
Nashik has started its development on banks of River Godavari. This development was as a
religious town with several temples built by Peshwas . In British raj the Sharanpur area was
developed and slowly the city started expanded to its west.

After independence and after the formation of MIDC industrial Estate the city has expanded its
boundaries towards Mumbai and Pune highways. Development and Growth can be explained
with reference to figure no.58 and 59.

Nashik is one of the oldest cities pioneering in copper and brass utensils. The tambat
community (Kansaras) who migrated from Gujarat some 350 years ago contributed in bringing
fame to this trade. Yeola is famous for silk Paithani.

The Government of Maharashtra declared its Industrial dispersal policy in 1962. Satpur was
declared as an Industrial area in 1963. Nashik was thus an obvious choice as Mumbai-Pune-
Thane belt was getting saturated. Nashik is one of the fastest developing cities in the State of
Maharashtra. Nashik a religious place for ages is now, emerging as a fastest growing industrial
and commercial Centre of North Maharashtra.

3. Character of Nashik city

Nashik is having a very strong religious background. It has developed as religious town in its
early ages because of the various one of religious event happened here. Nashik has
Trimbakeshwar the one of the ‘JYOTIRLINGAS’ Out of twelve in India at Trimbakeshwar.

It holds kumbamela after every 12 years. Thus the city around the Godawari River can be
termed as a religious place but the development happening at very fast rate towards Mumbai
is totally new and no unique quality of development.

Thus a new comer can very easily identity the two different parts of city. The development
which is growing at very fast rate towards Mumbai has changed the character of city and
Nashik is started recognized as industrial town.

This industrial growth brought the contract in Nashik city. A Cosmopolitan atmosphere is
gradually creeping in Nashik. An evening drive at college road in Nashik reveals the extent to
which has changed over last twenty years.

CITYSCAPE

The older quarters of the city are peculiar to many similar cities of Maharashtra such as Pune,
Satara and Kolhapur. It is characterized by the wadas (a housing typology, wada would mean a
courtyard house), narrow, shaded, winding streets, peculiar projections onto the street,

XVII
streets swelling into a chowk (public courtyard) and the vibrant and active bazaar (market)
streets leading towards the river (in many cases). Streets are identified by the goods they sell
and still attract large number of buyers from the city and more so from adjoining towns and
villages.

The planned areas of CIDCO

About 396 Ha of land area of the city has been planned and developed by City and Industrial
Development Corporation (CIDCO). This area (originally a part of Morwadi and Untwadi
villages) abuts the two industrial areas of the city viz. Satpur and Ambad and is home to a large
number of residents who work in the industries. Since the area is planned as a single exercise it
has a peculiar visual character and a unique community mix.

New development: sprawling single residences and apartments

Areas like College Road, Mahatmanagar, Savarkar Nagar, KatheGalli, Jail Road, Jaibhavani
Road, Indira Nagar, Pipeline Road could loosely be categorized as the newly developed outer
areas of Nashik. Quite a few prominent educational institutions are located in these areas and
so are the modern day restaurants, coffee shops and hangouts of the young. Most of the
construction in this zone has happened in the past 3 to 4 decades and comprises individual
houses and multistory apartments. Almost all retail malls and multiplexes in the city are
located in this zone.

4. Architecture

Rock-cut architecture

Rock-cut caves called Pandavleni Caves relating to Hinayana Buddhism are located near
Ambad, about 10 km from the city center. The caves are believed to be carved out between
1st century BC and 3rd century AD. There are 22 caves which comprise of chaitya and vihara
with varying levels of carving and detail. This can be explained with reference to figure no.60.

Temples of nashik

The city is home to hundreds of temples and shrines notably at the Ghats near Ramkund
(which is the stretch of the river considered holy as it changes its course from westward to
southward). The Kalaram Temple, The Naroshankar Temple and the Sundernarayan Temple
are most significant architecturally, all built in black basalt stone. Trimbakeshwar temple is 30
kms from Nashik. This can be explained with reference to figure no.66.

XVIII
 61 62
Figure 60: Rock cut Architecture – pandavleni Figure 61: Residential Architecture

63
Figure 62: Contemporary Architecture of institute

64 65
Figure 63: Wada Architecture Figure 64: Topography of Nashik

66 67
Figure 65: Godavari River Ghats Figure 66: Temples of Nashik

61
Figure 60 source: https://nashik.com/pandavleni-caves-nashik/
62
Figure 61 source: author
63
Figure 62 source:https://collegedunia.com/college/14917-sandip-institute-sitrc-nashik
64
Figure 63 source: http://nasikproperties.com/about-nasik/nasik-cityscape.php
65
Figure 64 source: https://www.trawell.in/nashik /nashik-trimbakeshwar-brahmagiri-hill
66
Figure 65 source: https://sandrp.in/2017/12/24/godavari-river-of-nashik/
67
Figure 66 source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trimbakeshwar_Shiva_Temple

XIX
Traditional wada typology of old Nashik

The old city's hosing quarters primarily comprise of the wada typology. These are built-to-edge
courtyard houses with rooms built a central (multi-activity) courtyard opening onto a street.
This typology is a fine example of climate control and resulted into the peculiar urban form of
narrow shaded streets and public courtyards. This can be explained with reference to figure
no.63.

Contemporary residential architecture

The urban form of outer Nashik used to be dominated by (generally) well-designed two story
independent houses. As land costs soared these have been replaced by either row houses
(houses with common side walls) or multistory apartments. The last decade has witnessed a
trend of clusters of multiple buildings with a mix of typologies served by common amenities
like a club and a swimming pool. This can be explained with reference to figure no.61.

Contemporary institutional and public architecture

There are a few architecturally notable public buildings in Nashik like The Nashik Municipal
Corporation Administrative Headquarter, The KusumagrajSmarak and The DadasahebPhalke
Memorial at the foothills of Pandavleni Caves. Some of the recent projects comprising
educational campuses and corporate buildings have demonstrated reasonable architectural
flair at par with national and international architectural trends. This can be explained with
reference to figure no.62.

5. Activities performed on the ghat.

There are various different types of activities which take place on the Godawarighat
throughout the year. Being the central core of the city, all of them are quite important.

They can be very widely categorized as:

Religious activities

Social activities

Commercial activities

Service activities

Recreational activities

XX
Religious activities.

The main and important activity in the stretch lying from Victoria Bridge to GargeMaharaj
Bridge is religious one. There are in all 30 to 36 main temples, each having its own identity, its
own festivals to celebrate various religious activities carried out are:

Carrying out last rites

As mentioned earlier, Nashik is a holy place to carry out the last rites: the people from a radius
of 400 to 500 km come to perform it. Generally, the activity is carried out in the morning but
one can perform the Pooja at any time of the day.

Deepdan

In the evenings, the lamps are left in the Ram Kund and other areas, also town as 'Deepdan'
The lamp is blown and put in to the small light bowl called as 'Orona' and left in Ram Kund. To
see these lamps going along in the flowing water is a good vision.

Every day there are very few lamps left in the river but on the day of 'KartikaPoornima', there
is almost a series of blown lamps floating In not only Ram Kunda but in nearly all Kundas. On
this day, there are so many small blown lamps floating in the entire river bed, the vision one
cannot express it but one should really experience it. This can be explained with reference to
figure no.67 and 68.

Being Godavari, a sacred river, it is always worshipped. There are two services or Poojas which
are prescribed for the Brahman men called Vedokta' in which the verses from the Vedas are
recited and the other for Brahmin women and for all PKflrlms called as "Pumokta', in which the
texts from the Puranas are recited.

Kumbh mela history

The 'Kumbh Mela' starts from the myth of the fight between the Gods and the Demons. To get
Amrut, the Gods and the Demons churned the RatnakarSagarwitht he 'MandrachalParvaf and
'SarparajVasukt as rope. After getting the AmrutKalasha, a dispute arose between them.
Meanwhile. Indra's son stole the 'Kalasha' and was stopped at four places and some drops
from this AmrutKalasha fell at these places amongst the four places, Nashik is one of them and
the others being Ujjain, Haridwar and Allahabad. This can be explained with reference to figure
no.69 and 70.

XXI
 68 69
Figure 67: deepdaan Figure 68: Rituals at River Ghat

70
Figure 69: Kumbh mela nashik

71
Figure 70: Kumbh mela nashik

68
Figure 67 source: https://twitter.com/NashikNewshttps://hiveminer.com
69
Figure 68 source: author
70
Figure 67 source: http://www.developmentchannel.org/2017
71
Figure 67 source: https://kumbhmela2015.maharashtra.gov.in/1035/Home

XXII
The Kumbha was saved by Guru and the sun and the moon helped in the process. Hence
Kumbh Mela is related to planetary conditions. As per this reason when the planet Jupiter
enters the sign of the Lion. Kumbha Mela occurs as per the local history during the Kumbha
Mela, Godavari's water has so special purifying power that even the sacred rivers, the Ganga.
The Narmada, the Yamuna and the Saraswati came to wash in the Godavari. Kumbha Mela al
so known as Sinhastha year occurs after every 12 years.

Climatology

The climate in Nashik is quite pleasant and moderate. The year in Nashik could be divided into
four seasons. The cold season from December to February, followed by the hot season from
March to May and the monsoon from June to September followed by the post-monsoon
season during October to November. The annual rainfall for the area during January 2013 to
December 2013 was 798.02 mm. i.e. average monthly 66.51 mm. The monthly maximum
rainfall recorded during the month of June 2013 is 236.0 mm. The minimum Temperature
recorded in the month of January is 4.4 and maximum temperature recorded in the month of
May is 410C. The area is very humid during the south-west monsoon season. In the post-
monsoon, in cold and summer season, air is generally dry. The summer season is the driest
period of the year with relative humidity between 30 and 35 % in the afternoons. The sky is
heavily clouded during the monsoon season. During rest of the year, the sky is mostly clear or
lightly clouded. The winds are generally light to moderate with some strengthening in the wind
force during the latter part of the summer season and in the monsoon season. In the post-
monsoon season, winds are light and variable in direction, northeasterly in the morning and
easterly in the afternoon. In the cold season, winds blow from directions between south-west
and north-west in morning and between north and east in the afternoons. In the hot season,
winds are from directions south-west and north-west. Some of the storms and depressions
from the Arabian sea in the latter half of summer and post-monsoon season affect the area
causing widespread rain. Thunderstorms occur in the latter half of the hot season and in the
post-monsoon season.

Demographics-

Nashik is the fifth largest city in Maharashtra in terms of population after Mumbai, Pune,
Nagpur and Thane. According to the Census of India, 2011, Nashik had a population of
1,486,053. Males constitute 782,517 of the population and females 703,536. Metropolitan
Nashik population was 1,561,809 in which 821,921 were males and 739,888 were females.
Nashik city had an average literacy rate of 89.85%: male literacy was 93.40%, and female
literacy was 85.92%.

XXIII
Design proposal

1. Design solution justification

How cultural institutions produce, create and develop public space, is a pressing question.
Public space, as it is understood here, means both the physical space where citizens can freely
gather and meet and the metaphoric space, synonymous of freedom of expression and
speech, where everybody can dialogue and debate. Public space must provide the opportunity
for a non-regimented exchange of opinions and the enjoyment of basic civil rights.

Cultural institutions are precisely involved in these two dimensions. By opening their doors
and presenting programs in the heart of the city, they invest public space and transform it into
an area open to circulation of ideas, creativity and debates, where artists are welcomed to
present their singular view on our society. At the same time, they serve as institutions for
education and reflection, discourse and entertainment. Designed as open spaces where ideas
and artistic disciplines come together, mix and mingle, they also re-create public space inside
their walls by encouraging debates and discussions. While the organization of artistic events in
public space is getting more and more challenging due to the increase of security constraints,
cultural institutions present an interesting alternative as new open spaces which encourage
the circulation of ideas and exchanges among citizens.

There are some auditoriums, halls which are helping to maintain the culture of Nashik but
these centers are not used for the purpose they are established for. Also, these centers are not
clubbed with any public area because of this utility reduced to the great extent which is not
helping citizens for communication and it is discouraging for the exchange of culture.

There is a need for a center which will cater social and cultural needs of the citizens of the
Nashik which will provide facilities and will maintain the environment of art and culture.
Because of this center, people of all level can communicate with each other and can exchange
their culture. It will create an identity and a feeling of unity in citizens which will help in the
growth of the city.

The cultural space serves as multi nodal activity areas for the entire community offering
shopping, recreation entertainment and other socio cultural activities for a region. It is an
organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be
neighborhood community, arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or
activist-run. It is very necessary to educate and make people aware of their culture.

XXIV
Having 'cultural centres' is one effective way of preserving our culture and encouraging people
to evolve their original life style and will attract people in the public space.

2. Brief

The aim is to design a platform that will allow people from different backgrounds to gather,
collate and share their culture. Simultaneously, it has to serve the purpose of a community
centre for the neighborhood. The uniqueness of the site is derived from its proximity to the
centre of city connecting old Nashik and new Nashik. To compliment the Godavari River of the
city, the built should portray an integrated chip planted on a carefully planned circuit
landscape that defines the pedestrian circulation within the site. The building both
symbolically and literally shall reinforce its identity by connecting to the public. The built form
is thus used as a tool to establish a strong character for the site and the surrounding areas.
Good comfort of space also create good image on the mind. Comfort is the abstract perception
in the minds of the user and good seating, lighting, mobility, traffic free environment are the
physical criteria. People coming to certain public space have different reasons to come and
therefore multiple activity options on the space make it more convivial. Mixed used activities
generate maximum public response. If space is used by only one type of users, other users may
not find place interesting. Space must provide welcoming environment to all the residents at
all the time. Activities in short are the reasons to visit the place, they will interact and
communicate with each other.

XXV
Case study 1: Jawahar Kala Kendra – cultural centre of Jaipur city.

Jawahar Kala Kendra is an arts and crafts centre located in the city of Jaipur. The centre is
important not because of the nomenclature but its close association with the city of Jaipur
itself. The centre was built in the year 1986 and the construction completed in 1991. The
centre was launched by the state government to provide space to the cultural and spiritual
values of India and display the rich craft heritage. The centre is dedicated to the late prime
minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru. This can be explained with reference to figure no.71

This cultural centre for the city of Jaipur, is dedicated to the memory of India's great leader
Jawaharlal Nehru. Ideas for the building, sited in an open field near the university in a new part
of the city, formed in Correa's mind; but it was not until 1986 that the concept for the building
was finalized.

Concept

The centre is an analogue of the original city pIan of Jaipur drawn up by the Maharaja, a
scholar, mathematician and astronomer, Jai Singh the Second, in the mid-17th century. His city
plan, guided by the ShiplaShastras, was based on the ancient Vedic madala of nine squares or
houses which represent the nine planets (including two imaginary ones Ketu and Rahu). Due to
the presence of a hill one of the squares was transposed to the east and two of the squares
were amalgamated to house the palace. This can be explained with reference to figure no.72.

Correa's plan for the Kendra invokes directly the original navagraha or nine house rnandala.
One of the squares is pivoted to recall the original city plan and also to create the entrance.
The plan of Jaipur city based on the nine square Yantra in which one square is displaced and
two central squares combined. The squares are defined by 8m high wall, symbolic of the
fortification wall along the Jaipur old city.

Inspiration

The plan of Jaipur city based on the nine square Yantra in which one square is displaced and
two central squares combined. This can be explained with reference to figure no.72.

Ground plan of the Nat-Mandir in Konarak (left). Corresponding to the divisions of the Yantra
of the Nine Planets or Navagraha (right). The symbols of the yantra are: square = Venus; bow =
Mercury: snake = ketu; triangle = Mars; lotus = the sun, at the centre; sword = Rahu; crescent =
the moon: circle Jupiter;

XXVI
 72
Figure 71: Elevation of JAWAHAR KALA KENDRA

73
Figure 72: Inspiration of JAWAHAR KALA KENDRA

74
Figure 73: Plan of JAWAHAR KALA KENDRA

72
Figure 71 source: http://hiddenarchitecture.net/jawahar-kala-kendra/
73
Figure 72 source: http://hiddenarchitecture.net/jawahar-kala-kendra/
74
Figure 73 source: http://hiddenarchitecture.net/jawahar-kala-kendra/

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 75
Figure 74: Layout of JAWAHAR KALA KENDRA

76
Figure 75: Layout of JAWAHAR KALA KENDRA

75
Figure 74 source: http://hiddenarchitecture.net/jawahar-kala-kendra/
76
Figure 75 source: http://hiddenarchitecture.net/jawahar-kala-kendra/

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Broad activities

The centre has been made in eight blocks

Administration, Museums, Theatres, Library, Arts display room, Cafeteria, Studio.

The centre is frequently occupied with artists and arts loving people. Many exhibitions and
performances by local artists are displayed at the centre. The annual festivals of classical dance
and music are held in the centre. The centre hosts many workshops of dance and music.

Inferences

The buildings are a contemporary metaphorical replication of the basic plan of the city of
Jaipur, based on the vastupursh mandala. The architect in his attempt to create a brand image
for the historical city has tried to get the essence of the existing form but superficially.

The traditional architecture of Jaipur has not been tackled well.

The place has an amazing interplay of light, shadow and colors, evoking emotions in the user
and invites him to move further.

The spaces flow as a narrative and changes the moods of the user, but the overall circulation
lacks of continued covered corridor, which makes the place unusable during summers and
rains.

The open air theatre is only good to look at; it is enclosed by the high walls which create
acoustic and ventilation problems at the time of crowd.

The high walls with no fenestration in the façade makes the building enclosed and does not
open up to the city. However within the building the activities are different but combine to a
mixture of various cultural activities happening individually.

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Case study 2: Bharat Bhavan (‘india house’) – Bhopal city.

In the late 1970s, the Government of India launched an initiative to build in every state capital
an institution to celebrate the cultural and creative output of the nation. Although the scheme
was largely unsuccessful, one shining example remains: Bharat Bhavan (‘India House’), located
in Bhopal.

Built into a hillside which slopes down toward a lake, a series of terraces and courtyards
comprise the complex. Upon entering, the visitor has the choice of following the path of
terraces cascading down to the lake, or descending to the three courtyards which provide
access to the majority of the cultural facilities. These include contemporary art galleries, a
museum of tribal art, an auditorium, a library of Indian poetry, a print shop, and a studio for an
artist-in-residence. From the courtyards, wide glass-paneled openings to the buildings ensure
the arts program is both literally and figuratively accessible to all. At the bottom of the site sits
an amphitheater, where open-air performances take place with the lake forming a natural
backdrop.

Rather than importing the “sealed boxes” of European architecture, necessitated by the colder
Western climate, instead Correa created “open-to-sky spaces.” He observed that “in a warm
climate, the best place to be in the late evenings and in the early mornings is outdoors, under
the open sky.” The sunken courtyards at Bharat Bhavan provide shade from the scorching
midday sun, while the raised terraces offer refreshing air and space at cooler times of day. This
climate-control solution was lifted directly from India’s architectural history, inspired by the
courtyards and terraces of the Red Fort at Agra.

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 77
Figure 76: Plan of BHARAT BHAVAN

78
Figure 77: Section of BHARAT BHAVAN

79
Figure 78: Circulation of BHARAT BHAVAN

77
Figure 76 source: https://www.archdaily.com/791942/ad-classics-bharat-bhavan-charles-correa
78
Figure 77 source: https://www.archdaily.com/791942/ad-classics-bharat-bhavan-charles-correa
79
Figure 78 source: https://www.archdaily.com/791942/ad-classics-bharat-bhavan-charles-correa

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 80
Figure 79: view of BHARAT BHAVAN

81
Figure 80: view of BHARAT BHAVAN

80
Figure 79 source: https://www.archdaily.com/791942/ad-classics-bharat-bhavan-charles-correa
81
Figure 80 source: https://www.archdaily.com/791942/ad-classics-bharat-bhavan-charles-correa

XXXII
The outdoor spaces at Bharat Bhavan are physical manifestations of the concept of “Empty
Space,” a recurring theme both in India’s visual culture and, in particular, its philosophy. Away
from the activity within the buildings, the courtyards provide a contemplative void, enhanced
by the placing of sculptures in their center. religious architecture, including “the sun temples
of Mexico” and the Hindu temples of Bali “with their ritualistic pathways up the hillside.”

The long-term success of Bharat Bhavan is largely due to its enduring popularity with local
residents. The courtyards create communal public space, with the steps around their
peripheries providing articulated seating for residents to meet and socialize. The terraces have
proven popular with families, who spend their evenings promenading down to the water’s
edge and enjoying the cultural offerings of the complex.In creating a building well-suited to the
needs of contemporary society while making use of familiar architectural motifs, Correa
manages to reconcile modernity with tradition; a significant step towards his goal of
establishing a distinctly Indian Modernism.

Inferences

This project is a great example of responding to the site.

The terraces and open-to-sky spaces bind the built mass into an experiential walk for the
visitors.

Courtyards act as important tools for place-making.

The project is a success as a public space, and becomes active in the evening with families and
visitors from the neighborhood.

Site is entirely pedestrian. However, universal access is a problem due to the many stairs.

Here as well, the nature of public space created is inward looking, with volumes containing the
inside from the outside.

Activity in the night can be credited to the various events that the place hosts.

Materials used for cladding - brick and red sandstone - lend a character to the building.

XXXIII
As per Jawahar Kala Kendra plan Areas

As per Bharat Bhavan plan Areas

XXXIV
XXXV
 82
Figure 81: Map showing Site

83
Figure 82: Map showing Site

82
Figure 81 source: Google Earth
83
Figure 82 source: Google Earth

XXXVI
 84 85
Figure 83: Map showing Site image of 2005 Figure 84: Map showing Site image of 2009

86 87
Figure 85: Map showing Site image of 2011 Figure 86: Map showing Site image of 2012

88 89
Figure 87: Map showing Site image of 2015 Figure 88: Map showing Site image of 2018

84
Figure 83 source: Google Earth
85
Figure 84 source: Google Earth
86
Figure 85 source: Google Earth
87
Figure 86 source: Google Earth
88
Figure 87 source: Google Earth
89
Figure 88 source: Google Earth

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 90
Figure 89: Illustration showing Built mass of surrounding area

91
Figure 90: Illustration showing Road networks of surrounding area

90
Figure 87 source: Illustration done by author
91
Figure 87 source: Illustration done by author

XXXVIII
 92
Figure 91: Illustration showing Traffic of surrounding area

93
Figure 92: Illustration showing Images surrounding area

92
Figure 87 source: Illustration done by author
93
Figure 87 source: Illustration done by author

XXXIX
 94
Figure 93: DP map showing surrounding area

95
Figure 93: Plan showing Red and Blue Line according to DP map

94
Figure 87 source: Illustration done by author
95
Figure 87 source: Illustration done by author

XL
Location

Site is located near Chopda lawns, Gangapur road, Nashik.

It has Godavari River to its Southern side of the site, which goes to Panchvati and further other
areas. This can be explained with reference to figure no.81and 82.

Godavari meandering through the center of Nashik, provides the city a mesmerizing
intersection of land and water of about 13 km, along both the banks of the river. There is rise
in settlement along the bank of the river from the 2005 to 2018. This can be explained with
reference to figure no.83 to 88.

Increase in no of residential plots alongside the river.

Site is situated alongside the river number of trees are increased over the years.

Character

The open quality of the site is located in the fast growing area connecting Gangapur road and
makhmalabadh.

The site has slope in one side, towards the direction of the Godavari River.

The site is located in lush green and peaceful surrounding.

Road

Site is abutted by 24m wide road which connects to main Hanumanwadi road which is 18 m
wide.

Hanumanwadi road connects to the Gangapur road which is one of the main roads of the city.

Traffic movement

Site is surrounded by medium traffic roads. Hence there is less noise pollution around site
which will help in creating pleasing Environment.

Traffic node

Chopada lawns, indraprashtha hall are located at two opposite corners of node. This node
becomes crowded on the days of function.

Traffic is increased in this area, as this road connect to city as well as hanumanwadi road.

XLI
Strength

Site is located 300 m away from city area , as site is located near the city area it is easily
approachable for more public.

Natural elements like existing trees, and river are important for good public space atmosphere.

Godavari river- scenic views of the river.

Good accessibility to the site 24 m wide road and 15 m wide road . lesser traffic problems will
be faced by the people, because of good width of the road.

Different existing levels, can make natural playful environment.

Two way traffic.

Weakness

No particular architectural character in surrounding area

No pedestrian access. Lack of street furnishing.

Lack of physical access to the river.

Built environment can be disturbed by the noise created by vehicles from the adjacent 24m
wide road.

Opportunities

Stronger pedestrian connectivity to surrounding.

Improved parking conditions.

Spaces should be organized in such a fashion that, all spaces get seceric view from all the sides.

Existing vegetation can be continued, which will be merge builtup environment with
surrounding nature.

Threats

Lack of strong pedestrian environment and character for local resident.

Lack of visible safety program and crime prevention.

Undeveloped adjacent plots generates risk.

XLII
 96
Figure 94: Illustration showing Design Process

97
Figure 95: Illustration showing Design Process

96
Figure 94 source: Illustration done by author
97
Figure 95 source: Illustration done by author

XLIII
 98
Figure 96: Illustration showing Design Process

99
Figure 97: Illustration showing Design Process

98
Figure 96 source: Illustration done by author
99
Figure 97 source: Illustration done by author

XLIV
 100
Figure 98: Illustration showing Design Process

101
Figure 99: Illustration showing Design Process

100
Figure 98 source: Illustration done by author
101
Figure 99 source: Illustration done by author

XLV
 102
Figure 100: Illustration showing Design Process

102
Figure 100 source: Illustration done by author

XLVI
Design Process

With reference to figure no.94,

Starting with zoning with required built area, having those built mass directing forces towards
the central focal point, i.e amphi, and from there the forces are directed towards the river. But
in this illustration the focal point is only considered and the character for built mass is not
been developed.

With reference to figure no.95,

In this illustration the built mass directing forces towards the river, with having the Interaction
of spaces between the built form through the courts developed in between the built, the built
form developed around the existing trees. But there is no defined access and path for public
for multiple activities.

With reference to figure no.96,

In this illustration the built mass directing forces towards the river, with having the main entry
axis with the forces, are directed towards the river. Where the public are directed in two
different directions with reference to the activities from the centre. But still there is no defined
access and path for public for multiple activities.

With reference to figure no.97,

In this illustration the built mass directing forces towards the river, with having the main entry
axis with the forces, are directed towards the river. The court of entry to cater such a large
number of mass of people coming together for certain activities. Where the public are directed
in two different directions with reference to the activities from the centre. And generating
water front activities by responding to current Red line area and attracting more public for
such activities.

With reference to figure no.98,

In this illustration the built mass directing forces towards the river, with having the main entry
axis with the forces, are directed towards the river. The court of entry to cater such a large
number of mass of people coming together for certain activities. Where the public are directed
in two different directions with reference to the activities from the centre. Having this court in
circular form to guide people to various activities, whichever they choose to. And developing a
skin in front, to visually block the view inside to the user while entering the site through the
planned path way.

XLVII
With reference to figure no.99,

In this illustration the built mass is developed in consideration with the Unbuilt around it. The
path ways and the courts have been developed in that pattern. The structure is wrapped by
the skin to maintain the micro climate of the structure. And also to bind the whole centre in as
one structure and keeping it separate from the other public activities. With the help of the skin
developed around the built form, green pockets have been developed to enhance the
experience of the user. And having these spaces covered with shading devices to respond to
the micro climate.

With reference to figure no.100,

In this illustration the green spaces and the built form with reference of path ways in between
them is shown.

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XLIX