Solids and voids an analysis of need for open space

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SOLIDS AND VOIDS - An Analysis of Need for Open Space
SOLIDS AND VOIDS – An Analysis of Need for Open Space
A DISSERTATION
Submitted by
Geeva Chandana. B
311211251011
In partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the award of the degree
of
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
ANNA UNIVERSITY
MARG INSTITUTE OF DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
SWARNABHOOMI
Velur Village, Cheyyur Post
Kanchipuram District
Tamil Nadu - 603302
APRIL 2015

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DECLARATION
I declare that this Dissertation titled
“SOLIDS AND VOIDS – An Analysis of Need for Open Space”
is the result of my work and prepared by me under the guidance of
Mr Jyothiram.G and that work reported herein does not form part of any other
dissertation of this or any other University. Due acknowledgement have been
made wherever anything has been borrowed from other sources.
DATE:
SIGNATURE OF THE CANDIDATE
NAME: GEEVA CHANDANA.B
ROLL NUMBER: 311211251011

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BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
Certified that this Dissertation forming part of Course work
AR2452, Dissertation, VIII semester, B.Arch., entitled
“SOLIDS AND VOIDS – An Analysis of Need for Open Space”
Submitted by Ms. Geeva Chandana.B Roll No. 311211251011
to the Department of architecture, MARG Institute of Design and Architecture
Swarnabhoomi, Anna University, Chennai in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the award of Bachelor Degree in Architecture is a bonafide
record of work carried by her under my supervision.
Certified further that to the best of my knowledge the work reported herein does
not form part of any other dissertation.
DATE: SIGNATURE OF THE SUPERVISOR
NAME : Ar. Jyothiram.G
DESIGNATION : Associate Vice President,
CR Narayana Rao (Consultants) Pvt Ltd.
EXTERNAL EXAMINER HOD, MIDAS PRINCIPAL,
MIDAS
DATE : DATE: DATE:

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ABSTRACT
Open space is defined as all open space of public value. The term 'open space' covers
green space consisting of any vegetated land or structure, water, path or geological
feature within and on the edges of settlements, and civic space consisting of squares,
market places and other paved or hard landscaped areas with a civic function. Some
space may combine green and civic space elements, but one type or other will usually
predominate. Open space can serve different needs depending on its size, location,
accessibility, landscape design and facilities. Open space can be divided into public and
private open space. Open space that is accessible to the public on a constant and
regular basis, including for designated daily periods, is defined as "public" and Open
space that is not publicly accessible or is available only to limited users and is not
available to the public on a regular or constant basis is defined as ―private‖.
1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In the present scenario, Life is often filled with tension and uncertainty. Public
space are an essential ingredient to the sustainability of cities for political, social,
economic, public health and biodiversity reasons. However, the dominating trend
observed by many is one of shrinkage rather than expansion of the public realm. And
nowadays such open space not handled or cared properly and so they are becoming
garbage points. Private space are also not given importance, thereby spoils the comfort
of the resident mainly due to compact dwelling.
2. METHODS OF ANALYSIS:
Study consists of,
a) Types of open space and its importance in a human being's life.
b) Types of various public space, its importance and benefits.
c) Evolution from history.
d) Factors that influence open space.

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e) Functionalities, preferences and needs, physical comfort etc.
f) Some case studies of open space.
3. CONCLUSION:
The conclusion is that the physical and functional attributes of public space
influences the enjoyment, sociability and also the sense of security and climatic
comfort of users. Thus Public and Private Space are important in any kind of
settlement. Open Space are important for Urban Space.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The joy and sense of fulfillment that comes along with the successful
completion of any task is incomplete without thanking all those people
who made it possible with their guidance and constant words of
encouragement.
I am extremely thankful to Mr. Jyothiram.G , Associate Vice President,
CR Narayana Rao (Consultants) Pvt Ltd. for their guidance and
encouragement.
I am also thankful to Ar. Deepika. V, internship coordinator, Mr. Sridhar
Rajan, DEAN, MIDAS with their valuable guidance, constant
encouragement, simulative discussions and keen interest evinced
throughout the course of my project. The help and advice rendered by
them are extremely responsible for the successful completion of my
dissertation.
Most importantly, I would like extend my sincere heartfelt gratitude to my
Parents.
I would like to thank my classmates and friends for their support and
constant encouragement throughout my course.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER NO TITLE PAGE NO
ABSTRACT 4
LIST OF FIGURES 9
1 INTRODUCTION 13
1.1 In general about the public open space 13
1.2 Evolution of public space from ancient to present time 13
1.2.1 History of Urban Square - A case study of Yogyakarta,
Indonesia 15
2 SOLIDS AND VOIDS – GENERAL 19
2.1 TYPES OF PUBLIC SPACE
Types of Public Space in
2.1.1 Urban 19
2.1.2 Suburban 24
2.1.3 Rural 25
3 NEED FOR PUBLIC SPACE 26
3.1 BENEFITS OF PUBLIC SPACE 35
3.1.1 Social benefits
3.1.2 Environmental benefits
3.1.3 Economic benefits
3.2 FEATURES OF PUBLIC SPACE 37
3.2.1 Characteristics of a public space
3.2.2 Physical & functional qualities of public space

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CHAPTER NO TITLE PAGE NO
3.2.3 Factors influencing public space
3.3 PEOPLE‘S PREFERENCE 44
3.3.1 Human Needs and comfort in Public Space
4 CURRENT SCENARIO OF PUBLIC SPACE IN INDIA 47
4.1 Urban 47
4.1.1 Public space in modern cities 48
4.1.2 Analysis of Low Income areas in Cities 54
4.1.3 Case Study of an Indian City – Bangalore 58
4.1.4 Temple as a Social Public Space in India 75
4.2 Suburban 78
4.3 Rural 80
5 PLANNING FOR REJUVINATING PUBLIC SPACE 84
5.1Challenges for Public space 87
5.2Organization for Public space 88
5.2.1 Project for Public space (PPS)
5.3Policy Implication 93
6 CONCLUSION 94

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LIST OF PICTURES
Fig-1. Greek Holy gardens and Agora’s, Rome
Fig -2 Example for” Alun Alun”
Fig-3 The Edge in Williamsburg, Manhattan
Fig-4 Key plan of Yogyakarta city
Fig-5 View of Yogyakarta from the northern square
Fig-6 View of Yogyakarta now
Fig-7 - 9 Figures showing various activities happened inside the square
Fig-10 & 11 Figures showing the present activities
Fig-12. Example for public parks and gardens
Fig13 Example for private gardens
Fig-14. Example for amenity green space
Fig-15 Example for play space for children and teenagers
Fig-16 Example for sports area
Fig-17 Example for pathways or side walks
Fig-18 Example for civic space
Fig-19 Example for churchyards & cemeteries
Fig -20. Illustration of a Suburban settlement
Fig – 21 Ariel View of Neyveli Township
Fig -22. A street in Indian village

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Fig -23. Example of a temple and a tree as the space for public gathering
Fig.24 Queens Square, Bristol
Fig. 25 – 30 For Illustration
Fig-31 Figure showing attributes that make public space great environments for people
Fig-32. Example for showing types of public space
Fig-34 Example for showing types of public space
Fig. 37 A Street in Kolkata
Fig. 38 Example for Indian Streets
Fig. 39 & 40 Example for Shopping mall in India
Fig-41 Modern city space open & closed
Fig-42& 43 Religious ceremonies and community participation
Fig- 44& 45 Civic space
Fig- 46 Community space for social interaction and communication etc.
Fig-47 Pathways or side walks
Fig. 48 & 49 Dharavi slum in Mumbai
Fig. 50 Population Chart of various cities from 1991 - 2011
Fig. 51 & 52 Example for public Space used by people as dwelling areas

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Fig. 53, 54 & 55 Chandigarh City
Fig-56 Cubbon park, Bangalore
Fig-57 Lalbagh garden
Fig-58 Lake at the kempe gowda time
Fig-59 Sankey tank
Fig-60 Parade ground,M.G road
Fig-61 K.R. market, Bangalore
Fig-62 Russell market, Bangalore
Fig- 63 Commercial street, Bangalore
Fig-64 Brigade street, Bangalore
Fig-65 M G road, Bangalore: Construction work for building the metro line.
Fig-66 M G road, Bangalore: Lush Green Boulevard before construction of Metro
started. A neighborhood that was famous for its greenery.
Fig-67 Boulevard at MG road, Bangalore now. 2 leveled, landscaped stretches.
Fig-68 Organized events at the boulevard calling for active public participation.
Fig-69 Example for temple architecture
Fig. 70 Example of a township planning in Gurgaon
Fig. 71 Illustration of amount of public space in a suburban region
Fig. 72 Example of suburban area developed near tourist location – Ooty, Tamil Nadu
Fig. 73 A village gathering near temple

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Fig. 74 Example for Village Market
Fig.75 Example for Village Panchayat
Fig.76 Example for village street
Fig 77 Example for village street
Fig. 78 Example for village festival
Fig. 79 Comparison of Urban, Suburban and Rural
Fig-80 A lively urban neighborhood
Fig-81 Animating the public realm by creating attractions, activities, protection from
weather, density, space for diverse user groups, and urban living rooms
Fig-82 When it comes to the well-being of the user, the quality of the space is key.
Fig-83 PPS Logo
Fig-84 Illustration for using space efficiently
Fig-85, 86, 87 Wall art in MADRID 2010
Fig-88 Public involvement.
Fig-89 The Visual Effect Created For The Visual Comfort On Unused Blind Façade
And Open Walls.Open Walls In Berlin, 2011
Fig. 90 City of Jodhpur

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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 IN GENERALABOUT PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
Public space are the space where the collectively of a city can meet and interact. Public
space include public parks, squares, gardens if publicly accessible, sidewalks, streets,
plazas, city halls and other forms of gathering places.
A public space may be interpreted as space concerning people as a whole, which is
accessible and open to all, provided by public authorities for the use of people in
general.
1.2 EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC SPACE FROM HISTORY TO PRESENT TIME
The historical evolution of open space started in ancient times. Many works of research
and historical descriptions give evidence of the public space. It was from the Greek
Holy gardens and agora‘s, Rome used consciously by their ancient cultures- such the
Egyptian, the Mesopotamian, then the Greek and Roman- in their settlements.
Fig-1. Greek Holy gardens and Agora’s, Rome

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Then the history of squares, large central open lawn squares named as ―Alun Alun‖
which was common to villages, towns and cities. It will be the only part of palace that
was publicly accessible and that too only during special occasions.
Fig -2 Example for” Alun Alun”
And the present public space transformed to a big public gathering space and more
developed version with landscapes, waterscapes etc.
Fig-3 The Edge in Williamsburg, Manhattan

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1.2.1 HISTORY OF AN URBAN SQUARE (A case study of Yogyakarta,
Indonesia):
 The purpose is to show the value and meaning of public space over its history.
 The focus of research will take place on traditional public space within the
historic part of the city, called Alun-alun.
 It is located in front of the palace of Yogyakarta, the center of the city
 Alun-alun takes form as a square open space that covers area of 310x280sq.m
 These space have been existed since 1755 and now have been struggling in
finding their form and function within recent urban development.
 These traditional open space will be selected to explain the transformation of
public space due to their rich character thru long history.
Fig-4 Key plan of Yogyakarta city
 The representation of Alun-alun strongly showed the king power over his
subjects.

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 Alun-alun was the only part of palace that was publicly accessible only during
special occasions; there was a restriction of access and uses.
Fig.5 View of Yogyakarta from the northern square
Fig-6 View of Yogyakarta now

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 Alun-alun was central to both physical and cultural lives of its people. It had a
more civic in nature although this was mostly symbolic
 Arena for delivering opinion and demand to the king
 Arena for public activities sponsored by the realm
 Arena for religious ceremonies
Fig-7 - 9 Figures showing various activities happened inside the square

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 And now the city has grown and their people still supports the role of the space
as a center of culture and tourist attraction
fF
Fig-10 & 11 Figures showing the present activities

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2. SOLIDS AND VOIDS - GENERAL
2.1 TYPES OF PUBLIC SPACE:
Public space depends on the density of population in a particular region. Since
urbanism is the main cause for the reducing open space. Thus types of space can be
discussed on three categories,
i. Urban
ii. Suburban
iii. Rural
2.1.1 URBAN
Public space consist of outdoor environments, which generally give relief from urban
hectic life. These places are sidewalks, streets, parks, city halls, squares, plazas, and
other forms of gathering space. They are generally vegetated, and place where civic,
cultural and social activities occur. Public space are a mirror of social values, customs
and culture and are a reflection of the interaction between physical, social, political and
economic realities.
The types are:
1. Town squares
2. Entertainment
3. Market square
4. Pathways
5. Parks
 Public parks and gardens: Areas of land normally enclosed, designed,
constructed, managed and maintained as a public park or garden. These may be
owned or managed by community groups.

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.
Fig. 12. Example for public parks and gardens
 Private gardens or grounds: Areas of land normally enclosed and associated
with a house or institution and reserved for private use.
Fig13 Example for private gardens

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 Amenity green space: Landscaped areas providing visual amenity or separating
different buildings or land uses for environmental, visual or safety reasons and
used for a variety of informal like picnics etc.
Fig-14. Example for amenity green space
 Play space for children and teenagers: Areas providing safe and accessible
opportunities for children‘s play usually linked to housing areas.
Fig-15 Example for play space for children and teenagers

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 Sports areas:
Fig-16 Example for sports area
 Green corridors: Routes including canals, river corridors and old railway lines,
linking different areas within a town or city as part of a designated and managed
network and used for walking, cycling or horse riding or linking towns and
cities to their surrounding countryside or country parks.
Fig-17 Example for pathways or side walks

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 Civic space: Squares, streets and waterfront promenades, predominantly of hard
landscaping that provide a focus for pedestrian activity and can make
connections for people for wildlife.
Fig-18 Example for civic space
 Burial grounds: Includes churchyards and cemeteries.
Fig-19 Example for churchyards & cemeteries

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2.1.2 SUBURBAN
Open space in Suburban areas are similar to that of the Urban context, where the
density is less thus space constrain is less. There are lot more walkways and play
grounds than defining them as Squares, Parks or playgrounds.
Fig -20. Illustration of a Suburban settlement
Fig – 21 Ariel View of Neyveli Township

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2.1.3 RURAL
In rural areas the settlement is totally different from that of Urban and Suburban. There
is no classification of space as parks, squares or gardens; instead the entire space is
treated as one. In this context, the public space are the places for gatherings, like trees,
market place, temple or tanks. Even the streets have great value in this kind of
settlement.
Fig -22. A street in Indian village
Fig -23. Example of a temple and a tree as the space for public gathering

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3. NEED FOR PUBLIC SPACE
Public space is all around us, a vital part of everyday urban life: the streets we pass
through on the way to school or work, the places where children play, or where we
encounter nature and wildlife; the local parks in which we enjoy sports, walk the dog
and sit at lunchtime; or simply somewhere quiet to get away for a moment from the
bustle of a busy daily life. In other words, public space is our open-air living room, our
outdoor leisure centre.
It is estimated that each year well over half the UK population – some 33 million
people – make more than 2.5 billion visits to urban green space alone.1 Not
surprisingly, people become attached to these parks, gardens and other open places, and
appreciate them for what they offer culturally, socially and personally. In research
carried out for CABE, 85 per cent of people surveyed felt that the quality of public
space and the built environment has a direct impact on their lives and on the way they
feel.2 But having access to public space is not all that matters – just as important are
the planning, design and management of that space.
GENERAL:
 The Economic Value Of Public Space
A high-quality public environment can have a significant impact on the economic life
of urban centres big or small, and is therefore an essential part of any successful
regeneration strategy. As towns increasingly compete with one another to attract
investment, the presence of good parks, squares, gardens and other public space
becomes a vital business and marketing tool: companies are attracted to locations that
offer well-designed, well-managed public places and these in turn attract customers,
employees and services. In town centres, a pleasant and well-maintained environment
increases the number of people visiting retail areas, otherwise known as ‗footfall‘. A
good public landscape also offers very clear benefits to the local economy in terms of
stimulating increased house prices, since house-buyers are willing to pay to be near
green space
• The positive impact on property prices
Many cities are also now seeing that the redevelopment of high-quality public space
aids the regeneration of an area, with commercial property prices increasing in those
locations. There is evidence too that a well-planned, well-managed public space has a
positive impact on the price of nearby domestic properties. In the towns of Emmen,
Apple doorn and Leiden in the Netherlands, it has been shown that a garden bordering
water can increase the price of a house by 11 per cent, while a view of water or having
a lake nearby can boost the price by 10 per cent and 7 per cent respectively. A view of a

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park was shown to raise house prices by 8 per cent, and having a park nearby by 6 per
cent. This compares with a view of an apartment block, which can reduce the price by 7
per cent.7 A similarly positive picture emerges from Dallas, where many residents cited
the public green space running behind their back gardens as a major factor in their
decision to move to the area. Sixty per cent of these residents believed that the value of
their homes was at least 15 per cent higher because of the presence of the green space.
Half of the people who did not have green space at the back of their homes said they
would prefer to have this kind of communal green area close by, even though that
would mean less private open space. Almost all residents valued these public green
space highly and most used them for recreational activities regardless of whether or not
their homes backed on to them
Fig.24 Queens Square, Bristol
• Good for business
For retailers, a good-quality public environment can improve trading by attracting more
people into an area. It has been shown, for example, that well-planned improvements to
public space within town centres can boost commercial trading by up to 40 per cent and
generate significant private sector investment.6 Urban design improvements undertaken
as part of a wider strategy can have even more dramatic results. In Coventry, improved
pedestrianisation, a new civic square, clearer signage and better placement of street
furniture have made the city centre a much more attractive place to be, as has the
introduction of CCTV and radio security schemes, and an alcohol-free zone. As a
result, footfall in the town centre has risen by 25 per cent on Saturdays, benefiting local
trade tremendously.

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• Being close to public space adds economic value
• Small businesses choosing a new business location rank open space, parks and
recreation as a number-one priority.
• In 1980, 16 per cent of Denver residents said they would pay more to live near a
greenbelt or park. By 1990 this figure had risen to 48 per cent.
• In Berlin in 2000, proximity to playgrounds in residential areas was found to increase
land values by up to 16 percent. In the same study, a high number of street trees
resulted in an increase of 17 per cent in land values.
• Lease rates of properties facing Post Office Square in Boston, Massachusetts,
command a 10 per cent premium over those without a park view.
• Municipal investment in Union Square, New York, in 1985 stimulated private housing
investment in the area. Restoration of the park helped to stabilise commercial and
residential property values adjacent to the park. Apartments with a park view command
a higher price than those without.

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• The Impact on Physical and Mental Health
‗Obesity already costs more in public health terms, and will overtake smoking as
Britain‘s biggest killer in 10-15 years if current trends persist‘. There is growing
concern about the health of the nation and particularly that of our children and young
people.
A variety of research has identified these startling facts:
20 per cent of four-year-olds are overweight, and 8.5 per cent of six-year-olds and 15
per cent of 15-year-olds are obese. This increase in obesity is linked to ever more
sedentary lifestyles and a reduction in outdoor activity. Evidence shows that adult
patterns of exercise are set early on in life.14 Inactivity breeds inactivity, so a lack of
exercise when young can in turn create problems in adulthood such as diabetes and
heart disease. It is not just the nation‘s physical health that is at risk: there are concerns
too about people‘s mental well-being, given the stressful lives that many now lead.
Each year the economy loses millions of working days through stress-related employee
absence. Clearly these problems need to be addressed. Access to good-quality, well-
maintained public space can help to improve our physical and mental health by
encouraging us to walk more, to play sport, or simply to enjoy a green and natural
environment. In other words, our open space are a powerful weapon in the fight against
obesity and ill-health.

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• The Social Dimension of Public Space
Public space are open to all, regardless of ethnic origin, age or gender, and as such they
represent a democratic forum for citizens and society. When properly designed and
cared for, they bring communities together, provide meeting places and foster social
ties of a kind that have been disappearing in many urban areas. These space shape the
cultural identity of an area, are part of its unique character and provide a sense of place
for local communities.
• Promoting neighbourliness and social inclusion
The open space near our homes give us a valuable place to socialise with our
neighbours, whether chatting over the garden fence or meeting in the local park.
Gardens and allotments, for example, can provide an especially good community focus
and an opportunity for small, personal interactions: in the West Midlands, allotments
have been shown to encourage cross-community and cross-cultural ties.36 On a larger
scale, community gardens and city farms bring people together from different ages and
cultures, and thus help to create a real sense of neighbourhood.36, 37 Once again,
however, quality counts: the better the design of the space in question, the better the
quality of the social experience. In this regard, it has been found that big, bland space
on housing estates fail to offer the same opportunities for social cohesion as more
personal space.
• A venue for social events
One of the benefits of high-quality public space is its potential as a venue for social
events. Well managed festivals and other events can have a very positive effect on the
urban environment, drawing the community together and bringing financial, social and
environmental benefits. They can, in particular, reintroduce the kind of civil society that

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has been lost in too many of our urban areas. One good example is the annual New
Year‘s Eve ‗First Night‘ festival in Boston, US, which has established itself as a key
feature in the city‘s calendar; business people who were initially sceptical about its
potential now see the festival as a major boost for their companies, and the city‘s
artistic community also benefits. To encourage events like these, along with their spin-
off benefits, cities need to plan the physical layout of their public space with festivals
and other social activities in mind.
• Public space generates community cohesion
Public space are not just empty voids. Typically, they are filled with both soft and hard
landscape elements to help shape their character. What we put into our public space is
just as important as the space itself. One example of the good creative use of public
urban space comes from Aachen in Germany. The street life of this historic city has
been enhanced by a long-term strategy to enliven its civic space, making use of its
fantastic array of carefully situated fountains and sculptures. Public art depicts daily life
in Aachen and makes historical references, but at the same time is fun to look at and
interact with, appealing to adults and children alike. Meanwhile, sponsorship of these
artworks allows many of the city‘s family-run businesses and larger corporations to feel
that they have a direct stake in the quality of the public environment. The result is a city
with a unique identity, one to which residents positively respond.

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• Green space are well used
There is evidence to show that people use their local public space more, and are more
satisfied with them, if these include natural elements: a green and pleasant space is
generally, therefore, a well-used space. A study in Chicago found that people living in
apartments tended to use nearby public space more if they were ‗natural‘ than if they
were man-made. This increased use of the green space led in turn to a greater amount
of socialising among neighbours – initially as they met while simply pausing to sit, and
later to deepen social ties.
• The social value of trees, plants and „natural areas‟
A view of trees is, along with the availability of natural areas nearby, the strongest
factor affecting people‘s satisfaction with their neighbourhood. Having somewhere to
grow flowers and vegetables also significantly affects feelings of community. How and
where these natural areas are located is important. It has been found, for example, that
if green space are surrounded by housing or are in some way a continuation of the
home environment, then they are shared by residents and are unlikely to suffer from the
kind of maintenance problems that arise when there is a lack of perceived ownership.
Large open space, on the other hand, do not often generate such positive community
feelings. It is most beneficial, therefore, to provide small natural areas close to housing,
providing opportunities to grow flowers and vegetables.
• Movement in and Between Space
One of the fundamental functions of public space is that it allows us to move around –
on foot, by bicycle, by car, motorbike or public transport. A key objective of public-
space design and management is therefore to reconcile the needs of these often
conflicting modes of transport. Well-designed streets and public space encourage
walking and cycling, and have the power to make our environment a safer one by
reducing vehicle speeds and use. ‗Home Zones‘ have begun to demonstrate the benefits
of redesigning streets for shared use by residents and pedestrians, not just cars.
• Value from Biodiversity and Nature
The significant increase in hard surfacing and the reduction in green space lead to
higher temperatures in towns and cities than in the surrounding countryside. This is
known as the ‗heat island effect‘. Vegetation – whether in public space or private
gardens – can help to redress this imbalance. It brings many important environmental
benefits to urban areas, including the cooling of air and the absorption of atmospheric
pollutants. Vegetation also provides an opportunity for people to be close to ‗nature‘,
with the associated positive impact that this can bring in terms of mental health and the
simple pleasure of experiencing trees, birds, squirrels, ladybirds and other wildlife in an
urban situation.

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• The „park breeze‟ and air quality
The difference in temperatures between parks and that of surrounding urban areas gives
rise to a ‗park breeze‘ – a gentle wind which blows from the park out to the adjacent
buildings. Poor air quality in a town may be ameliorated by the fresh air blown out
from the parks. Indeed, air even in small parks has on the whole been found to be purer
than that of its surroundings despite being close to heavy traffic. This depends,
however, on the layout of the town and wind direction.
• Trees cool air and provide shade
A study of four urban areas on Merseyside revealed that the greatest influence on their
ecology was the proportion of green space, particularly trees. The places with the
greatest number of trees had better carbon-storage capacity and a lower level of surface
water running off into drains (allowing sewers to cope better with water-flow and
minimising flood problems). Moreover, the temperature was 7°C cooler where
vegetation cover was 50 per cent compared to areas where the vegetation cover was
only 15 per cent. Research in Tel Aviv similarly points to the benefits of trees: it was
shown that the presence of trees resulted in a cooling of the air temperature of between
1°C in a heavily trafficked street to 4°C in the smallest (0.15ha) garden. The Tel Aviv
study also found that the shape of the green area had an impact on cooling, and that the
cooling effect could be felt up to 100m from the site. Cooling can be facilitated by even

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a small space – parks of only one or two hectares have been found to be two degrees
cooler than surrounding areas. Trees also have the benefit of providing shade on hot
days and in sunny climates.
Fig. 25 – 30 For Illustration
• Nature and wildlife amongst the urban fabric
The current debate about housing, and whether it should be on brownfield or greenfield
sites, often centres only on the buildings themselves and not on the external
environment. However, there is clear evidence to show that brownfield sites offer many
opportunities for wildlife in the city – they can, in fact, provide more wildlife habitats
than the agricultural countryside. Aside from the intrinsic value of having nature in our
cities, urban wildlife habitats also provide a focus for local communities, who often
become very attached to them. At Clifton Backies in suburban York, for example, there
is a 12ha stretch of scrubby woodland with clearings which contains a diversity of
flowers (such as betony, pepper saxifrage and great burnet), birds and other wildlife.
This green urban fragment is so highly valued by the community that, when bulldozers
arrived to obliterate it, local people stood – literally – in their path and saved it.

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3.1 BENEFITS OF PUBLIC SPACE
SUMMARY:
3.1.1 SOCIAL BENEFITS:
• Public open space and historic and cultural sites in our communities make up
the heritage of the people.
• Life is often filled with tension and uncertainty, parks and preserves can provide
the opportunity for escape and relaxation
• Community identification can lead to more social interaction through
community and family activities which promote a sense of a common heritage
interesting and diverse recreation areas and
• Scenic open space have a special ambiance and attractive qualities.
3.1.2 ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:
• Healthy natural systems play an important role in environmental and ecological
protection.
• Freshwater and tidal wetlands filter and process polluted water, and buffer
developed areas from flooding.
• Forested areas remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby mitigating
the threat of global warming.
• Trees and parks in urban settings reduce noise, lower temperatures in the
summer; reduce the consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels for pollination,
recycling, nitrogen fixation and homoeostatic regulation.
3.1.3 ECONOMIC BENEFITS:
• Open land, scenic and historic sites and the availability of recreation are
important to the state‘s quality of life and thus are a primary factor in attracting
and retaining economic investment.

36
• The most rapidly growing states in the country use quality of life to attract
growth.
• State can compete in the global economic marketplace by retaining its natural
and cultural assets.
• Retaining open land can be the least costly approach to environmental
protection.
• Targeting development through careful land use planning and redevelopment of
areas already served by existing infrastructure, thereby protecting open space
areas, makes economic sense for local governments and helps revitalize urban
areas.

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3.2 FEATURES OF PUBLIC SPACE
Public space may be a gathering spot or part of a neighbourhood, downtown, special
district, Waterfront, or other area within the public realm that helps promote social
interaction and a sense of Community. Examples include space such as plazas, town
squares, parks, marketplaces, public commons and malls, public greens, piers, special
areas within convention centres or grounds, sites within public buildings, lobbies,
concourses, or public space within private buildings. As with all categories of Great
Places, it is important to identify what sets a space apart from others space to qualify it
for a Great Space designation. Public Space must be at least 10 years old.
3.2.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF PUBLIC SPACE INCLUDE:
1. Promotes human contact and social activities.
2. Is safe, welcoming, and accommodating for all users.
3. Has design and architectural features that are visually interesting.
4. Promotes community involvement.
5. Reflects the local culture or history.
6. Relates well to bordering uses.
7. Is well maintained.
8. Has a unique or special character.

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3.2.1 GUIDELINES OF A PUBLIC SPACE:
A good public space should consist of:
 Features and elements
Landscape features, usage of space, proper purpose, utilization of space
according to the existing topography, vistas or geography, incorporation of art
in that space.
 Activities and sociability
Activities to attract people and encourage social interaction, provision of
comfort and safety to people gathering and using the space,
 Unique qualities, traits, and characteristics
The unique quality or feature of that particular space, any commitment to
maintain the space and to keep it a usable space, sense of importance of public
about the space, history of the space, contribution of that space to a sense of
community.
3.2.2 PHYSICAL & FUNCTIONAL QUALITIES OF A PUBLIC SPACE
Public places generally have physical and functional conditions, which favorably
or unfavorably influence social interaction, people comfort and security, which
attract people to the settings. The physical and functional qualities of a public space are
related to the physical amenities, the activities, the accessibility conditions, the
location characteristics of the public space and the surrounding land uses that
support or not the activities developed in places and that will influence in their capacity
to promote social interaction, comfort and livability.
Any well-designed public space must be qualitatively functional. It must provide
a set of physical conditions, which can encourage participation, people use and public
life. Studies have shown that public space that are dynamic and highly visited by
people are settings where people are able to engage passively with the environment by
looking at others, offer many sitting space, are accessible for people; contain public art

39
and natural features such as water fountains, waterfalls, etc. These and many other
functional and physical attributes give character to public space and influence people‘s
behavior, experience and well-being in those public space.
The development of positive public space requires active community
participation; a clear redesign program based on people‟s needs; and an appropriate
management programs to coordinate attractive events and activities in the public
space and active public uses in the surrounding area. The main goal is people‟s
satisfaction in public space.
Fig-31 Figure showing attributes that make public space great environments for people
3.2.3 FACTORS INFLUENCING A PUBLIC SPACE
There are a lot of factors that influences the different types of public space.
i. Climate plays and important role in the public space. Climatic conditions like
sunlight, wind, rain etc. have a profound effect on the design of a public space.
Many urban designs and renovation processes of public space are developed
with little consideration of environmental factors such as wind direction, sun
intensity, and temperature. The consequences of this lack of consideration are

40
creation of unpleasant streets for people and climatically unfavorable public
space that are located on inappropriate sides of buildings. This attitude has
created many uncomfortable outdoor space that are not providing comfort and
satisfying people‘s physical needs.
ii. Culture in that particular area where the space is been constructed also will
have a profound effect on the public space. Like in rural areas the design of all
these will be different and in urban areas it will be different.
iii. Planning system of a public open space will have an important influence, on its
use and type.
KEY POINTS IN DESIGNING PUBLIC SPACE:
We should design a space in consideration with how and who all going to use the
space.
 ―It‘s very important for sellers to have a fixed place to sit, have quality goods
that are fresh and delicious to serve their customers, especially their familiar
customers. I think they just need to renovate the market to make it more
spacious and clean, not to completely tear it down and build a new one.
Customers also prefer to shop in old markets because it‘s more convenient and
cheaper.‖

41
 Addressing the needs of our children.
Putting aside critical issues of access to quality education and health care — issues
of great importance but beyond the scope of this book — let us consider another
basic need and human right of children: quality recreation. Children, like the young
of all species, need to play. Play builds the body, teaches social skills and
confidence, allows experimentation and encourages creativity, and thereby prepares
children for their role in the adult world. And of course, unlike watching television,
a passive activity associated with obesity
 Enabling socializing and exercising for adults
Running, jogging, stretching, walking forwards and backwards. Aerobics, tai chi,
football, ballroom dance. Chinups.Meditation. Socializing. Relaxation.

42
 Ensuring healthy and safety places for elderly.
Some people come to parks to make money, and others to avail themselves of the
goods and services that the former provide. Parks and other open space are
enjoyable places to eat, drink, and shop; to stretch one‘s legs while sitting on a low
stool overlooking a lake or watching aerobics, talking to friends, gently fanning
oneself with the fans provided by the cafe owners; to watch others, to be part of the
social life of the city.

43
 Play for all ages
The presence of the elderly in public space — walking, playing badminton,
practicing meditation and tai chi, ballroom dancing, or selling snacks — enriches
the surroundings. Even if they had nothing to offer we would have a moral
responsibility to care for them. How much greater the justification, the need, to act
in the interests of the elderly by preserving their cherished meeting space.

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3.3 PEOPLE‟S PREFERENCES
The preference for public space by human beings is mainly due to two concepts
which are helpful in understanding how people use public space. These concepts are
sociability and public life, which will be described as followed. Sociability in public
space is based on people‘s need to affiliate and interact with others. This affiliation
involves people participating in a supportive social system in order to acquire
psychological comfort. Sociability not only increases vitality in public space but also
allows people to connect and to exchange information, which are important issues that
are examined in this research. Sociability is also related to the public life of a place,
when the urban environments are uncomfortable, unused, or lack many physical
amenities, for example, sociability in public space diminishes. Although in this research
sociability is discussed separately from physical, functional, security and climatically
issues, it cannot be fully understood if viewed in isolation from these factors.
Therefore, socialization occurs in a setting when activities in the public space, the
physical amenities, security and climate conditions are favorable for attracting groups
of people, for example;
Once people satisfy their basic needs, such as survival and security, people feel the
need to belong and become member of a group or set of groups, which will provide
affection, support and identity for them. Specifically affiliation needs that encourage
people to gather in public settings will depend on the characteristics of individuals and
groups, and therefore will be manifested differently. In terms of design it is important
for designers to not assume that the layout of environments will dictate specific social
patterns and sociability.
Another important concept is the notion of public life, which is related to
sociability in public space. Public life involves bonding different and diverse people
together for good or bad. It also defines people‘s roles in the community in order to
become members of groups to make social or political statements. The character of
public life will depend on the setting‘s characteristics: the activities, the culture of
people that interact in it, and the time activities take place. Public life offers relief from

45
daily stress, provides opportunities for relaxation, entertainment and social contact.
Public life offers the possibility of bringing diverse people together and becoming a
realm where people can express and proclaim their freedom.
3.3.1 HUMAN NEEDS AND COMFORT IN THE PUBLIC SPACE:
One of the main goals of public space is ensuring the satisfaction of
human needs. Knowing people‘s needs and preferences and what the public space
offers to people are key issues for understanding what makes a space great place for
people, what attracts people to these settings, and on the other hand, what factors have
created unused public settings. Therefore, it becomes important for designers to
understand the users‘ preferences and needs in the public space.
Fulfilling human needs represents a very important goal in the urban design field.
Research has demonstrated that successful space are those, which fulfill the several
human needs. These needs are:
1) Comfort
2) Relaxation
3) Passive
4) Active engagement
5) Mystery and discovery
Comfort is related to the need for food, drink, shelter from the natural elements, and
rest. Comfort deals with the relief of sun and provision of shade in the case of public
space. Social and psychological comfort can be achieved through promoting a sense of
security and by reducing threats to safety. Relaxation in public space can be achieved
through quiet atmospheres, through visual and physical seclusion from the rest of the
urban environment, through the sensory stimulation from natural elements, and will

46
depend on the levels of stimulation and noise, separation from the vehicular traffic and
pedestrian flows.

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4. CURRENT SCENARIO OF PUBLIC SPACE IN INDIA
4.1 URBAN
Across different cultural practices, the perception and meaning of public space varies
significantly. ‗Public space‘ has dominated discourse on the nature of space with
community and state ownership, its counterpart being ‗private space‘. Traditionally,
they have been viewed as polar opposites — public space being defined as areas that
are acknowledged, well known and open to all, compared to private space that holds
special interests for specific group. The city‘s occupants regardless of their
backgrounds or incomes should be able to enjoy the facilities provided by public space.
Public space is thus deemed to be able to exhibit and embody the diversity in a city,
stemming from its accessibility to one and all. Economic globalisation generates
market forces that destroy the existing urban fabric and construct de-contextualised
places of consumption. With growing privatisation such as themed shopping malls and
corporate high-rise offices and hotels, many urban centres become luxury commodities
that compete with each other by intense competition to attract foreign investments
as well as the local and global cosmopolitan elites. These developments severely
damage existing complex public space as they inevitably destroy much of the sensitive
social linkages and heritage of gap space and the sites of critical deep histories that lie
in the materiality of traditions. Furthermore, notwithstanding the dramatic projects of
aesthetic experimentation by international star-architects, the overall generic similarity
of these projects in cities can be easily substituted for each other.
Over the last few decades, the rise of some practices has threatened to erode much of
public space. The most prominent of these practices is the expanding privatisation of
public space, exemplified in the transformation of open fields into high intensity
exclusive areas. The advent of globalisation has created a significant impact on quasi-
public space such as shopping malls and private gardens. With privatisation and
regulatory measures being applied so evidently now, it is increasingly obvious that
much of current public space is no longer easily accessible to the general public. In the
bid to spur economic development, market forces that prioritise profit generation are
allowed to construct de-contextualised venues of consumption in its place, such
as Disneyland theme parks. Their physical appearances may look similar to traditional
public space, but in reality they are greatly restrictive and diminished in affordability,
accessibility and social meaning. In the meantime, the widespread usage of Information
and Communications Technology (ICT) has empowered various groups and individuals
around the world to persist in contesting the subordination of public space. In doing so,
they have effectively demonstrated the urgent need to redefine public space from its
current situation. Jeffrey Hou in his recent book entitled Insurgen
Public Space has identified many case studies where public space has been actively
contested.

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PUBLIC SPACE IN MODERN CITIES
THE STREET
Traditionally, streets are social gathering space for the city, where activities have
encouraged interaction between groups of citizens. Children use them as safe places to
play. Informal markets are set up along roads, which add to the liveliness of the area.
However, many of these streets are now destroyed to make way for new redevelopment
and to facilitate the automobile.
Fig. 37 A Street in Kolkata
Fig. 38 Example for Indian Streets
SHOPPING MALL

49
Malls today are commoditized and dedicated to the display of wares to be hawked at
the highest profit possible. The mall has become a one-dimensional venue meant
exclusively for shopping and the sale of goods. This was not the original intention, as
Victor Gruen, the pioneer in the design of shopping malls, emphasised the provision of
adequate public space that would encourage a sense of shared community. Open and
resting areas as well as other non-commercial activities would facilitate interaction
between users of the mall.
Fig. 39 & 40 Example for Shopping mall in India
Today, the idea of public space cannot be guaranteed as it can only be gained through
struggle and contestation. It is only via the responses and intentional occupation of a
space that it can be made public.

50
Since ancient times, a city square – be it agora, town hall square or market square –
has been a public space: A Centre of public, political and social life in European towns,
a place of sociability where citizens could gather, for discussions, for spending their
leisure time, etc. More recently, however, we can observe that many city squares have
been reconstructed, remodeled, aestheticized, privatized and commercialized. Their
space has been divided and organized to support consumption rather than other forms
of public life. These processes have changed not only the appearance of the squares,
but also life on them.
Fig-41 Modern city space open & closed
 The squares have been developed; rubbish has been taken away, buildings
restored, benches installed.
 Another one, all squares are open physically they are easily accessible; they are
at the crossroads of streets and ―hubs‖ of the flows of transport, people, goods,
lights and sounds of cities. And they are not accessible to everyone; cameras,

51
police and private security are watching and selecting those who ‗deserve‘ to be
allowed into these space, and will ‗ kick out‘ those who do not deserve.
Fig-42& 43 Religious ceremonies and community participation

52
Fig- 44& 45 Civic space

53
Fig- 46 Community space for social interaction and communication etc.
Fig-47 Pathways or side walks

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4.1.2 ANALYSIS OF LOW INCOME AREAS IN CITIES:
The excess urbanism in cities has not only resulted in reducing public space, but also
has increased the slums in major cities, which in turn makes living difficult and many
public space inhabitable.
Fig. 48 & 49 Dharavi slum in Mumbai
Percentage of Public space are directly propotionate to Population. Thus if the
population of a city is less, there is more possiblity of having open space. The economy

55
of a city also influences the open spacein it. The quality of open space depends on its
occupants. Thus due to high urbanisim, public space such as parks and streets are
turned into dwelling are of the poor. So the efficiency of the space is reduced and they
become dump yards and non usable areas. This scenario in India can only be changed
with a proper masterplanning in which the low income sector should also be given
space for living. Because public space is an asset for both High income and Low
income group, and a city comprises of both. Thus before planning the public space, all
these factors should be considered.
Fig. 50 Population Chart of various cities from 1991 - 2011
Fig. 51 & 52 Example for public Space used by people as dwelling areas

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Whereas cities with proper urban planning can achieve a good quality of open space.
EXAMPLE: CHANDIGARH
The idea of building Chandigarh was conceived soon after India's independence in
1947, when the tragedy and chaos of Partition, and the loss of its historic capital
Lahore, had crippled the state of Punjab. A new city was needed to house innumerable
refugees and to provide an administrative seat for the newly formed government of re-
defined Punjab. •Chandigarh was regarded as a unique symbol of the progressive
aspirations of the new republic and the ideology of its struggle for independence.
It aimed to provide a generous cultural and social infrastructure and equitable
opportunities for a dignified, healthy living even to the "poorest of the poor".
The near vacuum of indigenous expertise needed to realize this dream prompted the
search for Western skill. Yet, conscious of the specificities of their situation, the search
was narrowed to "...a good modern architect who was not severely bound by an
established style and who would be capable of developing a new conception originating
from the exigencies of the project itself and suited to the Indian climate, available
materials and the functions of the new capital. "The Chandigarh Project was, at first,
assigned to the American planner Albert Mayer, with his associate Matthew Nowicki
working out architectural details. Le Corbusier's association with the city was purely
fortuitous, a result of Nowicki's sudden death . Corbusier continued to be associated
with the city as the principal ‗architectural and planning advisor‗ till his death in1965
The city plan is laid down in a grid pattern. The whole city has been divided into
rectangular patterns, forming identical looking sectors, each sector measures 800 m x
1200 m. The sectors were to act as self-sufficient neighbourhoods, each with its own
market, places of worship, schools and colleges - all within 10 minutes walking
distance from within the sector. The original two phases of the plan delineated sectors
from 1 to 47, with the exception of 13 (Number 13 is considered unlucky). The
Assembly, the secretariat and the high court, all located in Sector - 1 are the three
monumental buildings designed by Le Corbusier in which he showcased his
architectural genius to the maximum. The city was to be surrounded by a 16 kilometre
wide greenbelt that was to ensure that no development could take place in the
immediate vicinity of the town, thus checking suburbs and urban sprawl. While leaving
the bulk of the city's architecture to other members of his team, Le Corbusier took
responsibility for the overall master plan of the city, and the design of some of the
major public buildings including the High Court, Assembly, Secretariat, the Museum
and Art Gallery, School of Art and the Lake Club.

57

58
Fig. 53, 54 & 55 Chandigarh City

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4.1.3 CASE STUDY OF AN INDIAN CITY
PUBLIC SPACE IN BANGALORE: PRESENT AND FUTURE
PROJECTIONS:
This is about the growth of Bangalore from a fort city to a large metropolis.
This section studies public space in Bangalore since the colonial period. It describes the
origin of many of Bangalore‘s public space and traces their history to the present times.
It also describes the issues and problems facing public space today and draws
conclusions regarding ways to address them.
Today Bangalore is India‘s fifth largest city and one of the fastest growing. It
has a population of around 5 million and is a true cosmopolitan city. However it had
modest beginnings and the origin of ―Bengalooru‖ is lost in history. Though several
artefacts have been found dating back to 900 AD and even earlier Bangalore in its
present context was founded when a mud fort was built at ―Bengalooru‖. Kempe
Gowda I, a feudatory of the Vijayanagara Empire, built it in 1537 AD and made it his
capital.
STRUCTURE OF THE CITY:
After independence the two cities were merged and both types of public space,
traditional and colonial, became familiar to the citizens. Traditional families continued
to prefer the Pete area, which supported their life style, while the more westernised
citizens found the cantonment area to be more to their liking. In spite of the differences
between the public space of the two cities one can draw parallels between them – for
example the parade ground was similar to the maidan, spatially at least. Likewise the
bazaar street was similar to the mall in function, if not spatially. The two old nuclei
though, did not merge because of Cubbon Park and the Administrative Complex, which
separated them. Hence even today Bangalore can be called a bi-nuclear city, although
this distinction is becoming blurred. Rao & Tewari felt that Bangalore‘s bi-nuclear

60
character was an advantage and should be maintained without letting them fuse, with
Cubbon Park acting as a green buffer.
After independence most foreigners owning property and living in the colonial city left
Bangalore either with or after the British troops left India. Many Anglo- Indians also
migrated to England or Australia because they felt insecure after the departure of the
British. The density in the Cantonment area though, continued to rise after
independence, in spite of the presence of large public open space, the racecourse, golf
club, and spacious grounds attached to clubs, colleges, schools and other institutions.
Even until the 1960‘s Bangalore retained its ―Garden City‖ image as a result of which it
became popular with retired people and others who wanted a quiet and green city to
live in. Many people who wanted to escape from the hustle and bustle of other
metropolitan cities decided to settle down here. In the 1970‘s land allocated for
recreation was 8% of the city land. It was the highest among metropolitan cities of
India. The years that followed saw several works aimed at beautifying Bangalore.
Parks, public buildings and hospitals were built. It seems that this romantic image of
Bangalore faded quickly and as early as the 1970‘s Hassan laments that the rapid
industrialization and increase in population had damaged the beauty of the city, with
slums proliferating in many areas2. Bangalore registered record growth during this
decade and as a result land prices escalated. Developers bought land and high-rise
apartment and commercial buildings started replacing the bungalows. In 1889, open
space was four times the built up area. By 1980 the built up area was four times the
open space area. Many of the public space that exist today are a legacy of the colonial
period. The streets and bazaars of the Indian city continue to function in a similar way
as before independence. South Parade has transformed into M.G. Road but continues to
be a fashionable shopping and business street. Cubbon Park and Lalbagh Garden are as
popular as ever. With the changes in urban structure and demography of the city have
come some changes in recreational activities, which have implications for the types of
public space and their uses in Bangalore.

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RECREATIONAL USE OF PUBLIC SPACE IN BANGALORE:
Streets have always been important public space in Bangalore. M.G. Road and
Avenue Road are some of the popular streets for shopping and recreation. Bangalore is
also known for its flowering trees. In the 1950‘s and all people were used to walking on
the tree-lined streets of Bangalore was a common habit for the retired officers and
others, both in the evening and the morning. Even today one sees many senior citizens
taking morning walks and younger people jogging on Bangalore‘s avenues and parks.
Bangalore has many playgrounds and sports fields, some more organized and
structured than the others. For example the facility in Madhavan Park has a skating
rink, basketball courts, a running track and soccer and cricket grounds, whereas some
of the others are just open fields or maidans where several groups are playing different
games, mostly cricket and soccer. These look chaotic but each group is following their
respective matches and games as if they were the only ones on the field. Several of the
schools and colleges, especially those run by the government, allow the general public
to play on their fields on holidays and after they close for the day.
While recreational uses have changed over the years, for the most part the traditional
public space types of parks, gardens, streets, markets, and maidans continue to serve
the needs of Bangalore‘s residents. However, the changing demography and people‘s
life style has resulted in new needs, which are not being fully met by the traditional
public space, especially in the Central Business District (CBD). At present semi-public
space such as shopping malls and open-air cafes are catering to these new needs. Also
the quality of many public space has deteriorated due to overcrowding or lack of
management. As a result they no longer cater to the needs of people. This calls for a
careful study of the existing public space types to identify the needs that are being met
and the needs that should to be catered to and the implications for future use of public
space.

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PUBLIC SPACE TYPES IN BANGALORE:
Traditionally parks and lakes have catered to the city‘s need for being close to
nature, and streets and markets have catered to the need for urban life and interaction
with people. Temples and mosques have served religious people and senior citizens,
whereas maidans have been used by children to play. These traditional uses of public
space continue even today. However these traditional space are not fully meeting
today‘s needs, especially those of the lower income groups, the nationalists and young
professionals and teenagers.
The urban public space existing in Bangalore can be broadly categorized into those that
cater to people‘s needs to be close to nature, such as parks and lakes, and those that
cater to people‘s urban life needs, such as streets and markets. The following are some
of the traditional types of public space existing in Bangalore today:
PARKS AND GARDENS:
Today Bangalore has many parks and gardens, of these two of the most important
parks in Bangalore are Lalbag Garden and Cubbon Park. Though they are city parks,
Cubbon Park is patronized mostly by people from the Pete area and the CBD and
Lalbag Garden by residents of the southern suburbs like Basavangudi and Jayanagar.
People in the northern suburbs go to Sankey Tank. Because people scorn public
displays of affection, many teenagers and newlyweds like spending time in relative
seclusion in these parks. A walk through some of the more isolated spots of these parks
reveal couples, who look like they would go into a Bollywood style song sequence any
minute.

63
Fig-56 Cubbon park, Bangalore
Fig-57 Lalbagh garden

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LAKES:
The lakes of Bangalore were the main source of water during Kempe Gowda‘s time.
These were slowly forgotten as modern methods of water supply were used. They have
a pleasant impact on the climate of the city and provide a habitat for flora and fauna.
Rapid urbanization has led to deterioration in the quality of the lakes due to increase in
impervious surface area. Many of the lakes were and still are associated with religious
festivals like Karaga and Ganesh Chaturti. Besides this several lakes have boating
facilities and are very popular on holidays. Many lakes have also developed gardens
along their banks, which is used by people for relaxation, and active and passive
recreation. It is unlikely that more lakes will be developed in Bangalore but intense
pressure will continue to be exerted on the city authorities to maintain and improve the
lakes that remain. These lakes will continue to be great resources for the city for
recreation and along with the parks and gardens will serve people‘s urge to be close to
nature and maintain Bangalore‘s garden city image.
Fig-58 Lake at the kempe gowda time

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Fig-59 Sankey tank
TEMPLES AND MAIDANS:
Temples and maidans were important public space in the Indian city. The agrahara
pattern of neighbourhood planning that was adopted in some parts of Bangalore placed
the temple or temple square as its nucleus. Many of these temples had a lake or a
garden attached to them. These became important public space. The temples even today
usually have space around the sanctum sanctorum where devotees can bask, meditate or
socialize. The Indian city also had a few maidans interspersed within the city. These
were open grounds like ‗the commons‘ and were used for several purposes. Some of
these maidans are still used in the same ways. Maidans are usually used by certain age
groups – mainly teenagers to play cricket and football or by middle aged or senior
citizens for their morning or evening walks. They do not provide play areas for
toddlers, which are usually found in neighbourhood gardens. Congregations and
carnivals are also held in the maidans. The Parade Ground on M.G. Road, though not
strictly a maidan, could be grouped in this category. It is an open field of levelled dirt,
which is used as a ceremonial space and also as a parade ground by the defence
services. This space has great potential to be integrated along with Mahatma Gandhi

66
Garden, Chinnaswamy Stadium and M.G. Road forming a green city centre for
Bangalore.
Religious space will continue to be important community space. They are not truly
public space but will cater to the human interaction needs of their respective
communities. Religious space will continue to be developed throughout the city.
However it is unlikely that traditional maidans will be replicated, although single-use
and multi-use recreation facilities will continue to be developed such as cricket
grounds, soccer fields, basketball courts, swimming pools and children‘s playgrounds.
Some of the existing maidans are being converted into neighbourhood parks. This trend
will continue although some of the maidans will be preserved and will continue to be
open space for pick-up games. This will result in segregation of incompatible uses such
as active recreation of teenagers, from the active recreation of adolescents, and passive
recreation of middle aged and senior citizens.
Fig-60 Parade ground,M.G road

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MARKETS:
The older markets of Bangalore continue to be used in the same way as a century ago.
Small shops are still commonly seen today with neat piles of goods surrounding the
proprietor as he sits in the middle haggling with customers. K.R. Market and Russell
Market are the two most important markets in Bangalore. Over the last two decades
internalised, Singapore style shopping malls have also proliferated throughout
Bangalore, more often in the city centre rather than in the suburbs as in America. These
space range from semi-public to strictly private depending on the extent to which the
owners screen entry. Many of these malls are arranged around central interior space,
which often try to replicate a square, plaza, street or courtyard. These atriums are
actually highly controlled indoor space, which act as buffers between the street and the
individual shops. Many malls have tried to extend the street or link the street to these
interior space in a superficial way, creating a sort of theme park atmosphere. However
in practice these actually present another layer to filter out undesirables, the entry being
the first filter between the street and mall, and the atrium being the second filter
between the atrium and shops. This will be further discussed in the following chapters.
For now we can conclude by saying that these space are not really public in nature and
hence do not satisfy people‘s public space needs, especially that of the lower income
groups. The lower income groups and teenagers prefer shopping from vendors,
especially when they hang out in markets and streets. The traditional neighbourhood
and city markets will continue to cater to people‘s need for human interaction but will
become increasingly congested over time. However these space do not cater to the
human interaction needs of teenagers and young upwardly mobile professionals. Their
needs are being currently met by the semi-public space mentioned earlier. This calls for
a study of people‘s urban life needs and revaluation of existing space, drawing
conclusions for development of future public space to meet these needs.

68
Fig-61 K.R. market, Bangalore
Fig-62 Russell market, Bangalore

69
STREETS:
The Street is one of the most important public space in Bangalore. It is used as a place
to do business/trade, to work/manufacture/provide a service, to socialise, and in some
cases to live. New uses are introduced on streets and sidewalks, ―often temporary
sometimes permanent‖.
The streets, especially M.G. Road and Brigade Road no longer cater to people‘s need to
linger. Over time the city has tried to convert its small town boulevards and avenues to
freeways and major arterial roads. The street as a public space is in real danger of
extinction in the city due to this. The rapid urban sprawl that has occurred in Bangalore
has resulted in pressure on the CBD‘s infrastructure and has led to congestion. As the
entertainment and social hub of the city, the CBD has suffered as a result, and one can
no longer take a leisure stroll along the shop-lined avenues. This trend will continue
over the years with increased congestion on the streets, eroding their quality as public
space. The streets will be reduced to the function of circulation, especially in the CBD
area and the old Pete area. Their public space function will have to be catered to by
new types of public space, which will have to be developed adjacent to the streets to
decongest them and provide respite for people to relax and linger.
Fig- 63 Commercial street, Bangalore

70
Fig-64 Brigade street, Bangalore
SPONTANEOUS PUBLIC SPACE:
Certain urban space acquire new uses and activities in response to the needs of their
users, becoming important public space. These are spontaneous public space.
Spontaneous space are never really designed but take on a life of their own due to
market forces and people‘s needs. This introduces activity into the space, lending it an
image and thus converting an anonymous space into a ‗place‘. Since they are
spontaneous in nature they are never lacking in activity. Easy accessibility and a
suitable functional mix usually characterize such space. In Bangalore spontaneous
space crop up at nodes (strategic points within a city), near institutional buildings,
religious buildings, and around landmarks. These space accommodate vendors and
hawkers, street performers and street theatre.
―Bylatas‖ or folk theatre is very popular even today in the villages of Karnataka;
―Bylatas‖ were common in Bangalore right up to the 1960‘s10. The ―Bylatas‖ are
spontaneous public space. Sheds are built in a couple of hours in some parts of
Bangalore, mostly in the inner city and the labour colonies, where this art form is

71
popular even today and performances are held on weekends or during religious
holidays. There is a need to encourage such spontaneous activities. The circus and
consumer fairs are other types of spontaneous, temporary public space, which are set up
on open grounds and maidans. The circus was very popular in Bangalore, but the
frequency of circuses coming to town has reduced over the last two decades.
Exhibitions are still very popular in Bangalore especially home consumer fairs
showcasing home appliances and furniture. Some of the larger fairs have an amusement
ground with Ferris wheels and other rides and food stalls. Many dried up lakes are also
used for political rallies, as fair grounds, or by children to play cricket.
Fig-65 M G road, Bangalore: Construction work for building the metro line.

72
Fig-66 M G road, Bangalore: Lush Green Boulevard before construction of Metro
started. A neighborhood that was famous for its greenery.
Fig-67 Boulevard at MG road, Bangalore now. 2 leveled, landscaped stretches.

73
Fig-68 Organized events at the boulevard calling for active public participation.
ANALYSIS:
In conclusion Bangalore‘s rapid urbanization has led to congestion in the
city and pressure on its infrastructure. Bangalore was essentially a small town, which
has grown rapidly. Thus streets and public space, which were designed for a much
smaller population, are now being subjected to enormous pressure by urban
development. The unquenchable thirst for land for development has led to many public
space being eliminated. This has resulted in reduction in percentage of land devoted to
open space and deterioration in the quality of the public space. Streets which once had
only horse drawn carriages and bicycles commuting on them have to bear the burden of
today‘s high-speed automobile traffic. The narrow streets of Bangalore have not been
able to cater to this and roads have been widened to the extent possible, in some cases
leaving no space for a sidewalk. This has adversely affected street life and eroded the
potential of streets as quality public space as well. The demand for land for
development has led to encroachment into other public space.

74
As Bangalore grows, parks and gardens will continue to be developed in the form of
neighbourhood gardens and ―regional parks‖ (city parks). These public space will cater
to people‘s need to be close to nature. The lakes on the other hand will continue to
deteriorate due to developmental pressures and silting and they are unlikely to be
replicated in other areas. However continued pressure from citizen groups and
neighbourhood organizations will result in existing lakes being preserved and their
quality improved over the years. The streets and markets will continue to become
busier and congested over the years and will be reduced to circulation. They will no
longer serve as places to linger and hangout, especially in the CBD and the old pete
area. It is here that serious rethinking needs to be done to evolve new forms of public
space, which can cater to people‘s need for human interaction and urban life. This
problem is especially relevant in the CBD area where a real potential exists to create
such a public space for human interaction. Bangalore today lacks a central public space
to host festivals and concerts, a space to demonstrate and protest, a space for teenagers
and lower income groups to hangout.

75
4.1.4 TEMPLES AS A SOCIAL PUBLIC SPACE IN INDIA:
The design of public places in contemporary Indian cities has either been based on a
rather alien baroque concept of Parks & Garden" or medieval European and modernist
idea of public squares and plazas". The idea of public places as seen in different regions
of India, in its history has still not been typified or analyzed. For example the temple
complex of Chidambaram or Padmanabhanpuran not only house the place of worship
but due to their sheer size, spatial organization and articulation of built form, behave
like small cities or parts of a city which supports a range of social intercourse. The
temples in south India due to the socio-political characteristics of the region have
usually enjoyed an unbroken relationship with the immediate and neighbouring
communities in terms of its symbolism, usage and patronage.
Spatial proximity of retail activities to public places is common in most parts of the
world, in the historical and the contemporary times. The location of Agora of Greece or
Friday Mosques of the Middle‐East or Cathedrals of the Medieval Britain was at first
public gathering place then later on transformed into commercial centres of the town.
In the South Indian context, the religious public places exemplify this phenomenon at
its most. The research investigated such spatial association between Hindu temples and
the retail activities within the context of Chennai (previously called as Madras) city of
Tamil Nadu state.
Tamils have a great association with the Hindu temple throughout history and until now
and the temple has played a significant role in their cultural history. These masterpieces
of architecture and urbanism, the South Indian temples, have been forgotten from the
face of the country and it is important to realise that a careful attention has to be paid,
in terms of conservation and urban planning for significances of and issues at these
temple locations. The relationship between the public place and the retail activity, as far
as the temple locations of Chennai are considered, is rather unplanned, a second‐order
design endeavour and chaotic. The South Indian temples are socially valid and eventful
public places and offer an effective place of sociability in the everyday life in the
context of Chennai city.

76
*The temple tanks (or kunds) are defined as reservoirs and tanks with steps, and are
associated with the temple. Tanks are water‐bodies, usually 15‘‐20‘ deep, and are
protected by an enclosure or wall, with steps all around used for bathing and
performing sacred rituals (Raman, 2002: 33); the embankment‐walls are constructed
usually of granite slabs or brick.
The temple spatial planning is an axial composition of open space and built forms, the
art of tropical place making. The temple is more than an architectural masterpiece and
is a significant urban element. In the traditional worldview, every settlement was seen
as a micro‐cosmos with the temple at the centre. Mostly, the temples have a particular
urban configuration with the central core with the temple and open space, a tank at a
reasonably close location, four car‐streets circumferential to the temple and the four
streets on cardinal directions integrating the car‐streets to the adjoining streets.
Fig-69 Example for temple architecture
The relationship between the temple locations and the commercial land use, have two
distinct patterns accordingly to the syntactic values. On one hand the scale of

77
commercial land use directly co‐relates with the syntactic values, i.e., the higher the
syntactic value the higher the scale of commercialisation. On the other hand,
surprisingly, they do not co‐relate with each other, i.e., although lower the syntactic
values, few temples have higher the scale of commercialisation. The historic temple
settlements induce a multi‐centre effect in the city therefore, the city‘s organisation is a
combination of pre‐British morphological units and the over‐layered, street‐structural
pattern of the British and contemporary phases.
Characteristic values:
 Local and global integration values.
 Predominant land use.
 The presence of tank inside the temple premises.
 Associative landmarks.
 Connection streets.
 Presence of transportation landmarks.

78
4.2 SUBURBAN
Suburban are areas in-between urban and rural. They are not densely populated, thus a
quality in open space can be achieved easily in these areas. Suburban areas in India also
includes the Social Economic Zones (SEZs), townships and other gated communities
which gets developed near a city or near any economically developed areas. These
areas also get developed near places of tourist attraction, transport nodes or near places
with natural resources. Thus the town planning is not as difficult as the Urban and
maintenance of these areas are comparatively easy, which promotes the increase in
public space. And since most of the suburban areas serve for a particular community of
people with similar occupancy, the characteristic of the open space can be well defined.
Fig. 70 Example of a township planning in Gurgaon
Fig. 71 Illustration of amount of public space in a suburban region

79
Fig. 72 Example of suburban area developed near tourist location – Ooty, Tamil Nadu

80
4.3 RURAL
Rural areas are places with surplus open space. In rural areas there is no space allocated
as public space. The space apart from private will be considered as public. Thus there
will be a possibility of lush flora and fauna in those regions. The important public space
will be the space for public gathering such as trees, government buildings, temples,
markets and panchayat areas.
Fig. 73 A village gathering near temple
Fig. 74 Example for Village Market

81
Fig.75 Example for Village Panchayat
Fig.76 Example for village street

82
Fig 77 Example for village street
Fig. 78 Example for village festival

83
COMPARISON OF URBAN, SUBURBAN AND RURAL PUBLIC SPACE IN
INDIA (BASED ON POPULATION)
Fig. 79 Comparison of Urban, Suburban and Rural
NOTE
This chart illustrates the amount of public space in urban, suburban and rural areas.
Where the X-axis denotes the areas and the Y-axis denotes the amount of open space in
numbers. This chart is for illustration purpose only. It doesn‘t comprises of any facts or
values.
INFERENCE FROM CHART:
As the population increases there is a fall in amount of Public Space. Thus urbanization
forms the major cause for reducing public space. And a successful public space can be
achieved when its properly designed in master planning.
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
URBAN SUBURBAN RURAL
AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE (ILLUSTATION)
AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE
(ILLUSTATION)

84
5. PLANNING FOR REJUVINATING PUBLIC SPACE
Fig-80 A lively urban neighborhood
Increasing energy costs and the growing expense of personal automobiles have led to a
renaissance of inner cities. Now there is a growing demand for attractive, animated,
beautiful urban settings offering a variety of uses and lively neighborhoods.
Once in urban settings, people who used to live in car-dependent areas re-discover the
advantages of direct contact and interaction with others. It is quite likely that the
dramatic technological developments in recent years, instead of depleting social capital,
may have actually spurred people to engage in more direct communication and
personal contact. As living in inner cities becomes more popular, architects, planners,
designers, and all those involved with city-building have a tremendous opportunity to
re-imagine cities and have a significant impact on the cultures and environment of the
world‘s metropolitan areas.

85
Fig-81 Animating the public realm by creating attractions, activities, protection from
weather, density, space for diverse user groups, and urban living rooms.
When we talk about animating public space, we have to consider several aspects that
matter in the planning process. It is essential that attractions and destinations are
offered that compel people to use public space and to stay longer than they perhaps
originally intended. There must be a variety of activities addressing different user
groups at different times a day. The objective should be to use the public space 24 hrs
per day. Space need to be mot only flexible but adapted to local environmental and
cultural conditions. These space need to be at home in the places they are located if the
public is to feel at home in them.

86
Fig-82 When it comes to the well-being of the user, the quality of the space is key.
Architects and planners need to create public space that are themselves active
participants in developing the cultural and aesthetic character of a place. Aside from
program mandates, ―soft‖ factors such as beauty, emotional experience, and variety of
setting are essential in creating a high-quality urban space.
In our society we often talk about quantities, time lines and budgets, but the task of
the architect and planner goes beyond metrics. Should create space that encourage
interaction and exploration.

87
5.1. CHALLENGES FOR PUBLIC SPACE
 Public space are short nowadays.
 In the central city, amount of public space can be count on the fingers. Most of
them are small and crowded.
 Public space were commercialized, social stratification exist. Some places were
occupied illegally for private use.
 In the new urban areas, public space are not designed properly.
 Life in the urban areas is stuffy due to lack of green areas and open public
space.
KEY FACTORS AFFECTING PUBLIC SPACE:
 Poor Urban Management
 Law Enforcement problem
 High land price and public space occupation
 Planning and design problems
 Weak Community participation in planning and reserving public space

88
5.2. ORGANIZATION FOR PUBLIC SPACE
5.2.1 PROJECT FOR PUBLIC SPACE:
Fig-83 PPS Logo
Project for Public Space (PPS) is a nonprofit, educational and
technical assistance organization with an international reputation for its success in the
creation of livable communities. Since 1975, PPS has worked in more than 2500
communities, 50 US states and 40 countries around the world, helping people to plan,
design and manage successful public space. With each community, PPS builds local
capacity and pursues systemic change using our resources, facilitation processes and
expertise.
PPS is recognized internationally for our success in helping communities enhance their
unique sense of place, promotive active, healthy lifestyles, foster contact between
diverse populations, and work towards environmental sustainability. Public and private
organizations, federal, state and municipal agencies; business improvement districts;
the private sector; neighborhood associations, chambers of commerce, charitable
foundations and other civic groups have all worked with us to transform their parks,
downtowns and neighborhoods.

89
The PPS staff brings a wide variety of professional skills and years of experience
working around the world on a vast array of public space. PPS‘s staff is trained in
environmental design, architecture, urban planning, urban geography, urban design,
environmental psychology, landscape architects, engineering firms, transportation
consultants, retail planners and community organizations.
PPS is the only organization we know that can systematically explain what makes great
places work and achieve one. In a recent Urban Land Institute article describing the
best places in the United States, four out of the ten listed were PPS projects.
PPS‟s APPROACH:
It involves looking at, listening to, and asking questions of the people in a
community about their problems and aspirations and then working with them to create
a vision for the place, encouraging short term, and often experimental improvements.
Based on their work, PPS has developed a Place Diagram: What makes a Place Great?
This chart outlines the major attributes of well-functioning places along with the
intangible qualities that people use to positively describe them as well as the elements
that can be used to measure their success. The major attributes outlined on the chart are
Sociability, Uses and Activities, Access and Linkage, and Comfort and Image,
considerations that consistently surface as community improvement necessities.
Fig-84 Illustration for using space efficiently

90
PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK:
 PHASE 1- Public Involvement Program
 PHASE 2- Concept Plan Development
PUBLIC VISUAL LANDSCAPE

91
Fig-85, 86, 87 Wall art in MADRID 2010

92
This is all a part of doing public involvement or community participation. It makes
sense looking a wall art rather than an unused one.
Fig-88 Public involvement.
Fig-89 The Visual Effect Created For The Visual Comfort On Unused Blind Façade
And Open Walls.Open Walls In Berlin, 2011

93
5.3. POLICY IMPLICATION
 Strengthen urban governance by developing effective urban management tools
for an efficient, effective, transparent, and equitable government
 Strongly enforce planning and construction law, especially on the new
developed areas.
 Strongly involve community in urban planning
 Strengthen community consolidation by developing public awareness,
organizing common activities such as consultancy for family care, street
environmental protection, cultural activities etc.

94
6. CONCLUSION
The physical and functional attributes of public space are able to influence the
enjoyment, the sociability of space and also the sense of security and climatic comfort
of users in such public space. The development of public space will depend on the
existence of social interaction and therefore, space should provide conditions for
sociability to happen because it increases the sense of community in people. Public
space should satisfy the needs of comfort, relaxation, passive and active engagement
and also fulfil the need for mystery and discovery. That security and climatic comfort
mentioned above are determinants of the enjoyment and number of visitors of the
space. The literature study also indicates that many factors influence the social life and
vitality of public places, and that these factors are also linked together to create its
success. Designers should be more knowledgeable about these, and there is a great need
to incorporate these theories into their design tasks.
Cities are becoming ecologies of surplus that can only yield a politics of the fittest,
with the collision of bodies in public space reduced to a game of appropriation of the
commons, based on pathologies of envy, suspicion and resentment. Public space
becomes a synonym for collective privatism and social antagonism rather than social
agonism and civic formation. This condition of «situated multiplicity » is far removed
from the condition I have described. It cannot yield any sense of the commons without
sustained effort to improve social well-being and justice. People have to enter into
public space as rightful citizens, sure of access to the means of life, communication and
progression. Without this guarantee, now so severely tested by market society and
related forms of corporatism, interventions in public space will amount to no more than
tinkering on the edges. The social capacity that grows from an active public sphere -
nourished by state-protected welfare, high quality public services, a vibrant public
culture, and public space for the many and not the few - cannot be left to fortune, now
so intoxicated by the excesses of the market.

95
“OPEN SPACE ARE IMPORTANT FOR AN URBAN SPACE “
AS, “ CHARACTERISTICS OF SOLIDS ARE DEFINED BY VOIDS.”
Fig. 90 City of Jodhpur

96
REFERENCE & BIBLIOGRAPHY
VENSON, K. Publics and the City. Oxford
Public Space. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
Hayden, D. The Power of Place,
https://www.planning.org/greatplaces/space/characteristics.html
http://www.pps.org/
http://www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2050-public-space-community.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_space
"Conclusions of the International Seminar on the Planning of Collectively-Used Space
in Towns", in: Monumentum (Louvain), Vol. 18-19, 1979, pp. 129–135
Mitchell, Don. 2003, The Right to the City: Social Justice and the Fight for Public
Space. New York: The Guilford Press.
http://healthbridge.ca/images/uploads/library/Public_Space_How_they_Humanize_Cit
ies.pdf
www.jrf.org.uk/sites/files/jrf/2050-public-space-community.pdf
https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/sites/.../the-value-of-public-space.pdf
http://nextcity.org/daily/entry/how-much-public-space-does-a-city-need-UN-Habitat-
joan-clos-50-percent

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