Jane Jacobs approached cities as living ecosystems and emphasized the importance of mixed land uses, short city blocks, and old buildings to ensure diverse economic activity. She believed sidewalks must have "eyes on the street" through constant use to promote safety. Gorden Cullen introduced the idea of "serial vision" where the urban experience is a series of revelations that stimulates interest through contrasts. Jan Gehl categorized outdoor activities into necessary, optional, and social activities and stressed the importance of designing cities to support all three for vibrant public life.

1. URBAN DESIGN THEORISTS
Interpretation of various theories of urban design through their eyes
Rupika Yadav ……..21-09-2020

2. JANE JACOB
1916-2002
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF AMERICAN CITIES
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only
because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” ...

3. CITIES AS ECOSYSTEM
• Jacobs approached cities as living beings and ecosystems.
• Buildings , streets ,and neighbourhoods function as dynamic
organisms, changing in response to how people interact with them .
• Each element of a city –sidewalks ,parks , neighbourhoods,
government, economy-function together in the same manner as the
natural ecosystem.
• This understanding helps us to learn how cities work, how they break
down and how they could be better structured.

4. SIDEWALKS
• SAFETY –”eyes on street”
• MIXED LAND USE
3 Factors contribute to street safety :
1. A clear line between public and private
space .
2. The eyes of the neighbourhood must be on
the street/sidewalks.
3.The sidewalks and streets must be in
constant use .

5. SIDEWALKS
• CONTACT
• ASSIMILATING CHILDREN
• SOCIAL PEOPLE MEET ON SIDEWALKS
• STORES ,MOVIE THEATRES RESTAURENTS INCREASE
POSITIVE SOCIAL CONTACT
• IT CREATES A PUBLIC CHARACTER
• TRUST IS CRUCIAL FOR SIDEWALKS TO BE SAFE PLACES
FOR CONTACT
• GENERATORS OF DIVERSITY

6. SMALL BLOCKS
What: City blocks should be short
Why: They decrease travel distance (super-
blocks increase it)
How: 1) result in more intersections;
2) slow down cars.

7. . BUILDINGS FROM MANY DIFFERENT ERAS
• What: Buildings should be mixed
with regard to age and types
• Why: To ensure diverse economic
activity
• How: 1) Promote coexistence of
high-/low-income residents & jobs
2) Accept new, small-scale
construction and economic
changes.cheap space for workers
"Cities need old buildings so badly," Jacobs wrote in her
classic "The Death and Life of Great American Cities," "it
is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to
grow without them.”

8. WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
1. LACK OF PLACES TO SIT

9. WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
2. LACK OF GATHERING POINTS
Paris' Parc de la Villette (left) has seats that force people to sit in unsociable ways, and signs that ask
them not to climb on the sculpture. Though located along a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, this park at
Laguna Beach (right) has loads of activities, food, and places to sit. It is a busy, healthy gathering place.

10. WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
3. POOR ENTRANCES AND VISUALLY IN ACCESSIBLE SPACES
A dark or narrow entrance such as those that used to be at New York City's Bryant Park (left) keeps people out instead of
inviting them in. The same entrance (right), redesigned to be more inviting and open, has kiosks that sell coffee and
sandwiches, and the interior of the park is visible from the street.

11. 4. DYSFUNCTIONAL FEATURES
WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
Oftentimes features are designed simply to punctuate the
space, serving a use more visual than functional, instead of
encouraging activity to occur around them - as at this
waterfront park in Barcelona, left
Good features, such as the friendly gorilla at the
Berlin Zoo (above), encourage activity to occur
around them.

12. 5.
WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
PATHS THAT DON'T GO WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO GO
Paths that lead to nowhere are useless, as demonstrated at this Phoenix, Arizona park (left). The Luxembourg
Gardens in Paris, however (right), show the art of making a path that pulls people along it, or allows them to stop
and relax.

13. 6.
WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
DOMINATION OF A SPACE BY VEHICLES
There may be a lack of crosswalks, or streets that are
too wide, or lacking sidewalks.

14. 6.
WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
BLANK WALLS OR DEAD ZONES AROUND THE EDGES OF A PLACE
The area around a space is as important to its success as the design
and management of the space itself.

15. 7.
WHY PUBLIC SPACES FAIL ?????
INCONVENIENTLY LOCATED TRANSIT STOPS Bus or train stops
located in places where no one wants to use them are a good
recipe for failure.
A transit stop located in a busy, active place can
not only make that place better, but also
increase transit use.

16. GORDEN CULLEN
1914-1994
‘THE CONCISE TOWNSCAPE’
He gave the idea of serial vision ……..
Said URBAN EXPERIENCE is one of a series of revelations ,with delight and interest
being stimulated by contrasts

21. Known for its symmetry and order,.
Taj Mahal works on the principle of
serial vision in a slightly different
approach.
Different scales are put together to
form a composition.
different perspective is formed.
enthusiasm of the visitor who moves
forward in an intent to catch a better
glimpse after witnessing
the monument’s skyline as he or she
enters the city.
TAJ MAHAL

22. DISNEYLAND PARIS, UK
The park emphasizes on
disorder and asymmetry,
that one needs a map to
cover all the important spots
or take a tour guide along.
This also ensures that your
visit is bound to be
different each time you
choose a different pathway.
The park’s architects called
this principle as an ‘arrival
sequence’ wherein the
visitors thought of having a
choice on how to absorb the
essence and feel of the place.

23. JAN GEHL
LIFE IN BETWEEN BUILDINGS
A good city is like a good party – people stay longer than really necessary
because they are enjoying themselves.-jan gehl

24. 3 types of outdoor activities

25. ACTIVITIES AND THEIR RESULTANT