Final Project Architecture theories & urbanism

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1.1 ASSIGNMENT INTRODUCTION
In thisProject2, isfocusingonthe study of two citiesbasedona local cityand a foreign
Asiancity.The city ischosenbasedonthe firstassignment (OmoideYokochoShinjuku,
Tokyo) andthe site giveninStudiomodule (MedanPasar,KualaLumpur).The assignment
requirementincludes analyzing basedonthe pattern of social activities andtype of
‘contact points’forbothcities andconducta comparisonon the similarityanddissimilarity
betweentwocities.Basedthose points,acomparative essaywithminimum2000 words has
to presentedinrelationstoJahnGehl notionsof usingof publicspace inan urbancontext.

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1.2 OMOIDE YOKOCHO SHINJUKU, TOKYO
Locatedon the westernside of ShinjukuStation,Omoide YokochoalsoknownasMemory
Lane,is a small lanewaylinedwithsmallyakitori barsbearingalongingforthe daysbygone.
Exploringthe depthsof the streetisa journeytounravelingthe emotions, memoriesand
identityof the pastas itcreatesa contrastingsense tothe surroundingmodernurban
context. The historyof the streetstartedrightafterworldwar twoin the late 1940s.
Throughoutthe time,there issome impactful eventwhichbringshuge changestothe street
and itshapedthe streetfroma destroyedsite toa transitpointduringwar, to a black
marketduringeconomycontrolledera,tobusinessdevelopmentperiodand now the
redevelopmentstime.

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1.3 MEDAN PASAR, KUALA LUMPUR
Medan Pasaralso knownasOldMarket Square was the place to be for tradersa there were
facilitieslikebanks,textileshops,grocers, andtraditionalmedicinalhalls.Itwasnotonlya
marketbut alsoa gamblinghauntthat wasfrequentedbythe workingclass. Inthe late
1800s Yap Ah Loy controlledalarge part of the businessesthatthrivedinthe market,
buildinghisempire onthe manytinminesinKualaLumpur.However,the firstresident-
general of the FederatedMalayStatesFrankSwettenhamdemolishedthe marketin1882, as
he was appalledatthe conditionsof the unkemptwoodenhutsandstalls. Yaprebuiltthe
marketplace usingproperconstructionmaterialsandresumedhisreignuntil hisdeathin
1885. The flourishingmarketwasthenrelocatedbySwettenhamtoa new site,where the
currentCentral Market is,and the oldmarketplace was transformedintoanew trade
square. MedanPasar inthe moderntimesisjustlike manyotherroads,apicture of tall
buildingsandrefurbishedoldshophouses. The three-storeyshophouseswere builtin1920s
afterthe relocationof the marketand now housescafes,trinketshops,cheapboutiquesand
mobile phone stalls.

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2.1 STREETSCAPE AND CONTACT POINT
2.1.1 Back alley
In MedanPasar the back alleyisusedas a service lane, parkingareaformotorcycles,and
alsoa smokingareaforsome white collarworkersthusnecessaryactivitiescanbe
identifyatthe areabut the contact intensityisrelativelylow compare tothe backalley
of Omoide YokochoShinjuku.The distinctionbetweenbothsite’sbackalleyisthe scale
and the type of activitieshappeninginthe backalleywhichbringthe differencesinterm
of the contact intensityandtype of contact point.InMedan Pasar the back alleyisnot
celebratedandthere isnospecial activitiesoccuraround.Onthe otherhand the back
alleyinOmoide Yokochoisthe mainfeaturesof the street where alotof foodstallsis
foundandit serve the needsof people thusthe contactpointandcontact intensityis
highercompare to MedanPasar.
2.1.2 Five footwalkway
In MedanPasar area, the intrusionof the businessesinto five footwalkway whichhas
smallerscale withhighintimacythusitfurther increase the passive contactbetweenthe
pedestrianandthe shopowners asthe passengerswalkthroughthe narrow space.
Oftenpersonal contactpointisfoundalongthe walkwaybut the contact intensityis
lowerdue tothe limitedspace of the five footwalkway.Compareto the Omoide
YokochoShinjuku.This similarintimatespace isfoundinsidethe area.Althoughthere is
no intrusionof the businessesactivities,yetthe similareffectoncontact pointisfound
inside the tinyalleywaywhere mostlypersonal contactpointandacquaintance contact
happened. The differencesbetweenfive footwalkwayandthe alleyway

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2.1.3 Pedestrianwalkway –cover/ uncover,roadwidth,boundaries,
Comparedwiththe Omoide YokochoShinjukuthe contactintensityalongthe pedestrian
inMedan Pasar area islowerdue tounshelteredpathway where people normally avoid
stayingunderthe hotsun. In Omoide YokochoShinjuku the coveredwalkwayprevent
the climate impactwhich ensure abetterwalkability atall time, notonlythatbut isalso
encourage people to pause duringthe journeywhere passive contactpointcould
happen.
2.1.4 Vehicle road configurationeffectonpedestrianpermeabilityandcontactpoint
In termof the effectof the vehicle pathconfigurationonthe pedestrianwalkabilityand
contact pointinMedan Pasar, the vehicularroadisnarrower withslowertrafficas
compare to the Omoide YokochoShinjuku.Thisallow more walkabilityforuserto
circulate betweenspaces without beingcuttingoff inbetweenthe blocks thusthere is
no congestedsituationoccurwhen people wanttocrossthe road thus there noforming
of temporarycontactpoint.Asin the Omoide yokocho Shinjuku the widevehicle with
fastertrafficspeedwhichformatemporaryboundaryas the vehicle startmovingthe
pedestrianisforcedtowaitat the junctionandthisbecame a temporary contact point
whichformedatthe junction.

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2.1.5 Openspace
The scale of the publicspace inMedan Pasar issignificantlargercompare tothe Omoide
YokochoShinjuku.The large openpublicspace providesachance to heldtemporary
eventswhichallowthe formingof higherintensity collectivecontactpoint.Onthe other
handthe Omoide Yokochothere isnolarge publicspacesavailablearoudthe areathusit
doesnotprovide sufficientspace toheldgroupevents orcausingthe site lackof
collective contactpoint.
2.1.6 Transportationhub
nearto the transithubwhichincrease the contactintensity yetthe onlydifferences
betweentwotransit pointisthe travel distance fromthe site inMedanPasarthe
walking distance islongerthusthe pathwaytothe transithub disperse the pedestrian
footprintresultinginlowercontactintensity.

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On the otherhand,in Omoide YokochoShunjuku, the entrance of the undergroundtrain
stationisrightbeside area andsurroundedbyplentyof businessesanditgeneratesa
constantpedestrianactivitiesthusitincrease the humandensityof the area.In
conclusion,the transportationhubnearbyinboth areaincreasesthe contactpointand
intensitybutthe differentintravel distance between the transportationhubandthe site
are the mainfactor whichseparate the bothsite intermof contact intensity.
2.1.7 Type of Businessesgenerates humanactivities
The type of businessesinMedanPasaris didnotcontribute intermof creatingcontact
pointsdue to the businesseshaslittletonorecreational value orhistorical valuewhich
resultinginlowoptional activities.Incontrast,the Omoide YokochoShinjukuhas
preserveditrecreationalvalue throughthe relationbetweenthe historiesof the site and
the businessesthatoperate inthe areawhichhelpstoattract people thusahigher
numberof contact pointscan be identityalongthe area.

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2.2 Activity
Necessaryactivities –conductedaspart of a person’sobligations,occupation,etc
Optional activities – conductedwhenappropriate conditionsare metoftenatthe
participant’s
Leisure.
Social activities – conductedwheneverhumaninteractionsoccur,regardlessof
conditions
and time.
Those formsof outdooractivitiesdefinedbyJanGehl are usedtoexplainthe relationof
humanactivitiesonusingpublicspace in MedanPasar.The diverse communitiesand
functionsof the areain the Medan Pasar provide adifferentkindof activities.
2.2.1 Necessaryactivities
Due to the MedanPasar is surroundedbymanyhot spotsuch as LRT stationsat Masjid
Jamek,Dataran Merdeka,Central Market,andKasturi walk.Differentnecessaryactivities
formedaroundthe these whichincludesreligious,transit,corporate andbusiness –themed
activitiesyetthe intensityislowdue topeoplebarelyknow eachother.InMedanPasar,
circulationispurposefulandnecessarywhichnormallytheseactivitieshaslow contact
intensity,atmostacquaintance level encounters,andalsohave lowerpossibilitytodevelop
intomore intense level.
Otherformsof necessaryactivitiesfoundatMedanPasarsuch as the businessactivities
conductedinthe 5-footwalkways,where the shophouse ownerextends theirbusinesses
illegally.However,accordingtoJanGehl, sometimesthisincreasesthe possibilityforthe
social activities tooccur,as well asthe formingof contact points.A more intimate contact
pointscan be identifyinthe walkway,asthiskindorintimate scale of the space allow people
to deliberatelystopandinteractindifferentlevel whichdependsonthe type of pedestrian
for example the local userhave ahigherpotentialtorise the contactintensitylevel asthey
mightacknowledge eachother. Besides,MedanPasaralsoisa spotfor people towaitfor
bussesafterworkinghour a temporarycontactpointisformed at thistime.

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At Omoide YokochoShinjuku,necessaryactivitiestypicallytake inthe formof pedestrian
walkingtoand fromthe foodstall or the undergroundtrainstation.The streetisa mix
betweenthe commercialandbusinessareascoupledwiththe extremelytightstreetswithin
the district,pedestrianswouldoftenwalkthroughthe streetwherethe low intensity
intimate oracquaintance contactis foundalongthe streetwhere itisa hangoutplace for
white collarworkersafterworkinghour.
Eventhoughthe intrusionof the businessesactivitiesdidnothappenedlike inMedanPasar
yetthe highnumberof contact pointisachieveddue tothe extremelytightspacesin
relationwiththe foodsellingactivitiesalongthe streetandthe transportationhub islocated
aside.
2.2.2 Optional activities
Medan Pasaris surroundedbytouristhotspot,thusthe contactintensityandnumberof
contact pointisreliesonthe frequencyof optional activities.AsJanGehl mentioned,
optional activitiesishighlydependentonthe conditionsof the site,bothmeteorological and
physical.Thiseffect manifestsitself withhow differentusergroupstravel the site andalso
the placementof necessaryactivities.
In MedanPasar the optional activities orrecreational activitiesisnotsignificantdue tolack
of attractionand itsituatedinthe middle of othertourismhotspotwhichcausingthe human
trafficto disperse outinsteadof assemble inthe site. People usuallypassbythe Medan
Pasar to getto otherdestinationsthroughoutthe day.Onlyincertaintime optional activities
iscan occur such as smoking,andsittingandrestingonbenchprovidedinthe MedanPasar.
On the otherhand,Omoide YokochoShinjukuitself isatourismhotspotandalsois a popular
recreational place forthe local thusitensure the constanthumantrafficat the same time
maintainthe contactintensity.

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2.2.3 Social activities
Social activitiesoccurathotspotsthroughoutMedanPasar. Alongthe areapeople pausing
and stopawhile purchasinggoodsandtakingphotosingroupsor inpairseventhoughthe
contact pointislowin the area.This kindof activitiesisconsideredasinformal nature.While
social activitiesare typicallyoccurat a specificareayetsocial activitiesisnotlimitedwithin
an area or specificspace.Thiskindof interactionisformedaspeopleare willingtopause
understrongsunlightanduncomfortable environmentforchattingordiscussion.
Social activitiesin OmoideYokochoShinjuku alsooccurincertain area.In these areas,other
type of activitiesalsocan be found.Thishighlightedthe social activitiesismostlyhappenin
composite intersectionsareawhile the social activitiesinMedanPasarisconcentratedon
the plaza.
The difference intermof social activitieslevelbetweenbothsitesisthe intensitylevel.In
Medan Pasarthe social activitiesisslightlyhigherdue toitprovideslargerspace for
collective socialactivitiestooccuras people hangoutina largergroupin certaintime ina
day.In contrast,Omoide YokochoShinjukudoesnothave anysufficientspace tocaterlarger
groupsocial activitiesandmostof the group activitiesare conductedinside the tightspaces
inthe shopswhenpeople havingmeal together.

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CONCLUSION
As conclusion, itisobvious thatJanGehl’stheory aboutthe relationship betweenthe
physical environmentquality andthe occurrence of outdooractivitiesisindeed undeniable.
From the analysis above, itcanbe seen that mostof the activity occur undera favorable
condition whichwhenthe individual feelcomfortable andinvited. Besides, the rate of
occurrence of contact also depends onthe intensity of activity onsite. Spaceswithahigh
intensity oftenprovoke more contactbetween people.

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References
Jan Gehl. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 20017, from http://www.pps.org/reference/jgehl
Chan, D. (2007, March 02). Medan Pasar the hub of KL in the 19th century. Retrieved
November 28, 2017, from https://www.thestar.com.my/news/community/2007/03/03/medan-
pasar-the-hub-of-kl-in-the-19th-century/
B. (2016, December 03). Three Types of Outdoor Activities. Retrieved November 27, 2017,
from https://betterplacesbetterlife.wordpress.com/2016/12/03/three-types-of-outdoor-activities/
Jayatilake, K. (n.d.). Chapter Review of Life Between Buildings by Jan Gehl. Retrieved
November 26, 2017, from
https://www.academia.edu/13448521/Chapter_Review_of_Life_Between_Buildings_by_Jan_
Gehl?auto=download
Jan Gehl - Life Between Buildings - Human Activities. (n.d.). Retrieved November 25, 2017,
from https://sangaaa.weebly.com/blog/-jan-gehl-life-between-buildings-human-activities