This document summarizes and compares two case studies of urban central nodes: Connaught Place in New Delhi, India and Central Place in Hong Kong. It provides details on the context and evolution of Connaught Place, originally envisioned as a plaza by British imperial planners in 1911. It describes how the land was acquired and layout planned, with colonnaded facades enclosing the circular area. The document examines the current state of Connaught Place and proposes principles and designs for improving multi-modal integration, equitable use of public space, and restoring street life through measures like dedicated bus lanes, cycle lanes, pedestrian zones and a streetcar system.

1. URBAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Analysis and comparison of two examples
in national and international context

2. Typology and Approach
• The typology of case study selected is of Urban Central
Node which incorporates Commercial-Economic and Socio
– Cultural attributes required in an Urban context
• The case studies selected shall reflect and analyse these
values [ their enhancement] with its adaptation over the
years.
• The selection is based on comparable demographic and
historic layers of the places
• The cause factor analysis of the changes are looked into
due scope limitation of the current work.
URBAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN ANALYSIS - Parvathi M, MArch,SAP 2016
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3. CASE STUDY
▫ Connaught Place, New Delhi, India
▫ Central place, Honk Kong
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4. Context and evolution of CP

6. How the Place came to being..
• Envisioned as a Plaza by the British Imperial, on shifting their capital
from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1911
• While planning out the residences of the British officers, need of a
separate market for the elite was realized. It was to be different from
the usual Indian markets like Chandni Chowk and Paharganj .
• Lutyens wanted two axes to terminate at the Viceroy’s House, that is
the present day Rashtrapati Bhawan.
• Axis 1 : To relate the British to the Muslim masses by providing a
direct axis to the Jama Masjid and the Red Fort, the capital of the
Great Mughal Empire. – Parliament Street
• Axis 2 : To relate the British to the Hindu masses by providing a direct
axis to the legendary capital of the Pandavas, Indraprastha. – Kings
Way
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7. URBAN LANDSCAPE DESIGN ANALYSIS - Parvathi M, MArch,SAP 2016
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LAYOUT AND LINKS

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10. Context and evolution of CP
• The Delhi Planning Commission envisioned a monumental
plaza ringed by hotels, shops and businesses dominated by a
railway tation at the intersection of Parliament Street and
Janpath This area was in close proximity to the existing village
of Madhoganj.
• This was second on the priority of the Planning Committee after
the Viceroy’s House as a expressive emblem of British progress
and power in India.
• Land of Madhoganj village was aquired to create this urban
node
• It was named after the Duke of Connaught to honour him on his
visit to Delhi.
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11. Context and evolution of CP
• According WH Nicholls, the architect member of the Imperial
Delhi Committee, there was a omnipresent need for uniformity
to endure a harmonious architectural effect.
• He proposed seven colonnaded facades to enclose the
circus,which was about 1100 feet in diameter.
• Robert Tor Russell was assigned to detail out the entire
structure, which he did on the lines which Nicholls had
advocated.
• Airy, stuccoed colonnades, punctuated by Palladian archways
to protect shoppers from rain and sun alike.
This was compared to Nash’s Regent Crescent, London and
Royal Crescent, Bath.
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15. New Subways will convert Outer Circle into a
high-speed non-stop Motorway….

16. Current state of our Historic City Centre…

17. Every inch of the original pavements has been “shaved” to
make MORE and MORE space for cars…

18. Pedestrians on Outer Circle are “illegally jaywalking culprits”
in the historic city centre….

19. Pedestrians on Outer Circle are “illegally jaywalking culprits”
in the historic city centre….

20. Street name, Location Width At-grade Pedestrian Crossing
Frequency
Market Street, San Francisco 40 M major thoroughfare Every 100 - 250 M
Huai Hai Road, Shanghai 30 M major thoroughfare Every 250 M
42nd St, New York 30 M major thoroughfare Every 250 - 300 M
Marylebone Road, London 40 M major thoroughfare Every 100 - 300 M
Outer Circle, CP, New Delhi 35 M major thoroughfare Every 170 – 300 M, but
NO at-grade crossing in perpendicular
direction
Thoroughfare “High Streets” around the World:
• All major cities around the world also have thoroughfare roads move through their
Historic City Centres, but traffic on these roads, although heavy, is expected to move
slow, and expected to STOP for pedestrians & cyclists to cross at grade.
• CP is a City Centre where Outer Circle is partly a Thoroughfare Road.

21. • Separating the pedestrian and public transport user to a different grade ensures that
traffic on Outer Circle will start moving even faster – in turn discouraging
pedestrian activity and in a short time, creating even more severe congestion –
as the flyovers of the city already have.
• Moreover, we have already seen in Delhi that subways are not safe and do not get
used. An especially in Connaught Place, where people actually desire to walk at
grade to “enjoy” the experience of the historic city centre at all times.
Disadvantages of converting Outer Circle into a
high-speed Motorway

22. Principle Goal 1: MULTI-MODAL INTEGRATION
(National Urban Transport + MPD-2021 Policy)

23. Current Situation
Buses do not integrate
with Central Park
Metro Station

24. All buses should be
re-routed to connect
to the central modal
Interchange point.
Proposed bus drop-off…

25. Pedestrians ONLY
Provide multiple
Pedestrian
“shortcuts” from
Metro Station to
Outer Circle

26. Pedestrians & NMV
At-grade movement
of all modes from
Central Metro
Station; Provide
Cycle parking/ rental

27. Cycle rental at Central Park Metro Station?

28. Hawker Zones
Central Park Area
becomes activated
through hawker
zones (replacing
parking) for round-
the-clock activity.
Replace extra
parking from hawker
zones to new
parking garages.

29. Shared Streets
Calm traffic shares
space with cyclists
& pedestrians.

30. Current mess due to parking on Middle Circle…

31. Streetcar
Streetcar system
provides a cheap feedercheap feeder
& distributor option& distributor option
from Central Metro
Station to Outer Circle
destinations.

32. Imagine a Streetcar on the wide Outer Circle Pavements…
…connecting to Metro Stations & New Delhi Railway Station

33. Imagine a Streetcar on the wide Outer Circle Pavements…
…connecting to Metro Stations & New Delhi Railway Station

34. Imagine a Streetcar on the wide Outer Circle Pavements…
…connecting to Metro Stations & New Delhi Railway Station

35. People waiting for the streetcar…

36. Principle Goal 2: EQUITABLE USE OF PUBLIC REALM
(National Urban Transport Policy)

37. 30 M Right-of-Way on radial roads –
currently fully occupied by cars

38. 30 M Right-of-Way on radial roads –
is enough to accommodate all users:
Cycle/ NMV Lane
On-street Parking
Hawkers/ Pedestrian spill-over

39. Cycle/ NMV Lane
On-street Parking
Hawkers/ Pedestrian spill-over

40. ~30 M RoW
30 M Right-of-Way is enough to accommodate all users:

41. Hawker Zone
+
HawkerZone
Street
Furniture
Cycle/ NM
V
Lane
Pedestrian
spill-over
Bus
Lanes

42. Principle Goal 3: RESTORING STREET-LIFE
(Traditional Indian Culture)

43. Barakhamba Road:
A great potential street -currently reduced to a thoroughfare…

44. Building setbacks: occupied by
parking & boundary walls for urination!

45. Building setbacks:
partly occupied by Metro Station exits

46. Building setbacks:
occupied by socio-cultural uses.
At-grade signalized
crossing
At-grade signalized
crossing
Designedhawkerzones Streetcar
VehicularEntry

47. Building setbacks:
occupied by parking!!!

48. Building setbacks:
occupied by public space!

49. 49Romi Roy
Current walking experience (dead boundary walls…

50. Romi Roy UTTIPEC
PROPOSED walking experience: street active with cultural uses

51. Romi Roy UTTIPEC
Building/ compound entries remain “gated & lockable”