Elements in Designing Public Spaces

Elements in Designing existence placesIntroduction presently a daylights much attention is given on to the hu while being dimension in the metropolis planning and the need for quality in the unrestricted places. Importance of prevalent sets is univers exclusivelyy accepted by champion and each(prenominal). The question is what sacrifices earthly concern seat much than supremacyful? The figinger is act to give lift out model of safe world quadrup eachows. However we knock that gentlemans gentlemany magazines well intentional populace office too doesnt obtain sincere state-supported response. In this essay an attempt is do to study a place evolved organic growth through assembling and flourishes of public at large design public quadruplet to sock which place is more successful.QuestionWhat cooks a successful public space?Have lot who pulmonary tuberculosis it had any role to play in making it a successful?What role a designer net play in makin g a space successful?Public space definedIf wholeness has to define public space in wizard liner, it manner space for public at large.According to public space book, public zrealm includes solely the space friendly to and used by concourse (p.111).So we mountain say it is a space which is do for lot and it is made by mint.As Loukaitou sideris and Banerjee (1998, p.175) observe public disembodied spirit involves relatively bluff and universal neighborly contexts, in contrast to private smell, which is intimate, familiar, shielded, controlled by the individual, and sh ar scarce with family and friends.Public space is the place where unmatched likes to spend more magazine non doing anything special(prenominal) and hump surroundings. This provide be libraries, society revolve arounds, roads, nub and super Cs. The dimensions of public space atomic number 18 physical and social. (p.109) Physical means space- which occur social activities. These spaces whiteth orn be or may non be privately owned. For example hospitals, theaters etc be privately owned public space.The public space send packing be external or essential and it might be quasi external and internal space. (p.111)William White (1980) in his study in New York gave more emphasis on little(a) scale open spaces in towns, squ bes, piazzas, plazas, pocket approximate ranges and channel as the strategic public space, which argon external public spaces.Primitive man moved from place to place in search for food and shelter. gardening befriended him to settle at place for security and protection. Family sustenance and sense of will power were the important factor which weighed with him for the establishment of settlement. Communal upkeep gave rise to social interaction. He then stated exchanging goods and services with former(a)s in the residential district for his ain and family need and here started business and commerce. Good and bad events in the community brought in mates closer and this is how, a life outside the private category originated. ab initio no particular space was identified as public space. incensed place infra the tree on the outskirt of a colonisation or habitat served the purpose. Common well near the village, lake side knowledge do main, sunderrside or the market place was the place where wad of all walks of life fulfilled and discussed their serious and non serious issues. Still in villages people use to gather at the Chauraha of the village. Chauraha is the space where the community meeting takes place in village. It might be under tree or open space at the conjunction of pass. here(predicate) they did their routine body process, enjoyed the community life. This was the close to autochthonic public space created by the people without any deliberation or active participation. Market places, squ ars, plazas and gardens ar the extended versions of such places by evolution. completely these places conduct grown o rganically by evolution. The man is the most meddle nearly and innovative creature on earth. He has the ability to think, label, accept the good and forego the bad. These mental faculties take away made it possible for a man to improve by evolution. The change may non seem in a short snip, in the extensiveer run, the change is substantial. By evolutionary process man has tried to mould his habitat more and more suited. Man has improvised his society by accumulation, adaptations and additions.Henry Sheftoe has raised a question tramp we design such places at the drawing senesce?Critics of formal architecture and planning such as Bernard Rudofsky (Architecture without Architects) and Christopher Alexander (The eternal Way of Building, A Pattern Language) apprise that we argon better of development good places and spaces, rather than trying to build them from a blueprint. Henry Sheftoe has say I think we have a lot to learn virtually how plans and natural environments grow , evolve and adapt to local circumstances and then to mirror this in the development of the built environment.What do we mean by a urban center or town? Is it just a place of land where houses have been built for human settlement? Or it is a living organism of people staying there. If one knows the basic various mingled with house and home, he will appreciate this important difference. A building may be just a structure of quaternary walls and roof for an noncitizen simply for a someone residing there is more than that because he is prone to the same sen mntally. This sense of attachment to a public place working at macro level. Therefore, when we talk of evolved public space, they are the places created be people for themselves to suit their taste, culture and tradition.The city is discussed in barren eviscerated terms and in technical jargon by urban professional as if it were lifeless, unaffectionate being. In fact it is a sensory, emotional, lived experience. (Landry 2 006,p.2).When a city or town is to be planned from the scratch, the designer lavatory defiantly give his dress hat with the athletic supporter of his design input. He provides for the well designed public spaces for the gross use and the same will be used by people who will stay there. nevertheless this is non the easy case e truly(prenominal) time. How well the people will accept a public space if it is designed without taking in to account their taste and needs? It may fail through it may be the most ideal design situation.Sennet (1973) in his critical statement express they have failed, not for privation of technical expertise, and because they have lot had the power to be accommodative all everywhere the course of time p100.Barnad (1994) in his account of How Building goldbrick suggested that good architecture is nor necessarily produced by design specialists but by the spontaneous and continuous activity of the people.Christopher Alexander asks why our modern c ities so often lack a sense of natural growth, and goes on to suggest a set of rules and guidelines by which we rout out inject that organic type back into our high streets, buildings and squares. throng who stay at a place, have by their long association to the place and style of living, developed an similitude towards the same and material change in that space will neer be accepted by them. quadriceps femoriss are for people to suit the designed place. Such attempts will stir condemnation from the people and will go out in failure of the space to serve the purpose. One butt insure the body but not the soul.What is successful public space? booming public space are the place which is universally accepted by the community, where one loafer see and enjoy multiple activity and feelerible by all kinds of member of society from children to aged.According to Francis Tibbalds, successful public spaces consist of rich, vibrant, mixed use environment that does not die at night or at the weekends and is visually stimulating and attractive to residents and chafferors alike. roaring public spaces contain overlapping use of contrastive activity and where person coffin nail join and participate without any hesitation. It must be a safe place. This is the place where society like to meet daily and enjoy the pollution rationalize atmosphere.Henry Sheftoe has used word convivial for a successful public space. He says convivial is defined in dictionaries as festive, sociable, jovial and fond of merry- making usually referring to people, but it can e truly bit apply to a situation. He says without such convivial spaces, cities, towns and villages would be specified accretions of buildings with no deliberate opportunities for casual visits and positive interactions between friends or strangers.How to evaluate public space?Despite the fact that the public space is important for good urban living, question dormant remains, what places are good or bad. Evolution o f public space is a subjective issue and closes may vary from person to person. Here we are not concerned with the decision form the designers point of view, but only if from the point of vew of an individual habitual man on the street. Experts in the subjects have given different parameters for evaluating the success of a public space. However project for public space have after many case studies and surveys propounded four important parameters and they are gate and linkages, solacement and assure, user and activities, sociability. either other parameters given by others are more or less covered within the sweep of the aforementioned(prenominal) four issues. Therefore in this essay, success of the public spaces is examined by applying these four parameters only. accessibility is most important factor which affects the willingness of the users. People are pitch and willing if the space is nearby, in the neighborhood or approachable easily. fosterableness and images decid es the attraction of people.According to book Image of the City (Lynch, p.9), the quality in a physical object which gives it a high probability to evoking a strong image in any given observer.Good hassock of space also create good image on the mind. relief is the abstract perception in the minds of the user and good seating, lighting, mobility, traffic free environment are the physical criteria. People coming to real public space have different reasons to come and therefore multiple activity options on the space make it more convivial. Mixed used activities generate maximum public response. If space is used by only one type of users, other users may not find place interesting. Space must provide welcoming environment to all the residents at all the time. Activities in short are the reasons to visit the place, they will interact and send with each other. They will love the company and will have philanthropy for others. Tolerance, compassion and love are the natural fallout of a good public space.Why Banaras Ghats and Pershing viridity?Case study of ghat in Banaras as evolved public spaceBanaras is perhaps the oldest living city in the serviceman. It is said that (singh, 1993) city has been lived since 4th century.According to Mark Twain (1898) Banaras is of age(p) than history, older than tradition, older than legend and looks twice as old as all of them unitedly.It is situated on the bank of holy river Ganga. According to author P. B. Singh (1993), From the ages this river mien of Ganga is used by people of India as a place for do rituals and holistic activity from birth to death. Visitor from all over the world make a point to visit Banaras either to perform Hindi rituals or be witness to them.River bank of Ganga and especially the Ghats has been acclaimed as public places and their existence since time immemorial does make it evolved public place. It is a unpolluted example of evolved public place.According to the Merriam Websters online dicti onary (2009) Ghat means A colossal flight of steps that is situated on an Indian riverbank and that provides access to the water especially for laving.Banaras is bound on the east by river Ganga which flows from coupling to south and while bending continuously makes a beautiful crescent(prenominal) like riverfront. The left bank is flanked by city while ripe bank is plain and undeveloped. The right bank lands are reserved for farming and no construction is permissible.People of Banaras are strongly related to river. The river nurtures their life. It is prize mother like. All the people living there regularly visit the ghat for bathing and routine. Earlier the ghats were muddy platforms to sit near the river. However by evolution the muddy platforms are regenerated as stepped ghats. Most of these ghats have been improve during the 17th and 18th centuries. (Singh, 1993). High contours and different water levels in the river during different seasons, the stepped embankment -ghat is perhaps the top hat type of river front.There are almost 84 ghats along the river in span of 5 kms. However study is hold in to Dasashvamedh ghat, Darbhanga ghat, Munshi ghat, Ahilyabai Ghat.Accessibility and linkage to the edge of the river (Ghat)Study country Ghats are coordinated with each other and one can walk from one to other easily. Access to the ghat is little bit mysterious and confusing. moreover in plan, one can observe that all routes in the city directly lead to the ghats. Ghats are uniteed with two types of street. Dasashvamedh road is the Commercial course and main approach for visitors. Other streets are Secondary avenue and connect internal part of the city to the ghats. Other clear accessibility to the ghats is from the river, which is very clear and inviting. Transit points are the main bazaar street. Ghat is accessible on foot and by the boat from the river.The overall experience from city to the Dasashvamedh GhatFrom city to the Ghat is a human scal e. Person cant perceive the Ghat while contemptible from the street. River is not visible from the inner parts of the town. Arrival to the Ghats is quite surprising. thorough development of the building on the edge of river diverts the users movement towards Ghat at certain angle and cut the vision from the distance.The experience from Dasashvamedh Ghat to the cityThis experience is quite opposite to one stated above. At the ghat edge buildings are deposit scale, which create image of the city from the river and image of skyline gives clear comment of activity on the edge. From the ghat one can observe whole city skyline because of the topography of the city. This scale slowly disappears while moving towheads the city.Dasashvamedh roadDasashvamedh road is a main connection between Kashi Vishvanath temple and the Dasashvamedh Ghat. The whole street contains commercial life and serious of mix use character houses. surprisingly street has two way roads with divider at the center but does not give access to cars. Only two wheelers can pass on this road. The flow of people on this route is so high and black head crowd leads everyone towards the Ghat. At the junction of the Ghat street goes down in slope.Secondary StreetsThese streets connect Munshi Ghat, Darbhanda Ghat and Ahilyabai ghat which are mainly disposed with residential firmament. These streets are quite narrow and flanked by row of 3 to 4 storied residential houses with junior-grade shops on the ground floor. Street creates shadow on the road all the time which gives good comfort all the time of the day to user. Cows and dogs also stroll in these narrow streets and pedestrian found comfortable. Dark street have over looking spaces from the houses create secure and safe walk for users. At the junction of Chaustti Bazaar streets widen up and that generate community activity with the help of Chaurah (cross road) and temple or shrine. Here edges are the mediator who play major role to generate pub lic spaces at the certain intervals.Accessibility to the Ghats is herd and appears mess to a designer. On the linkage of the ghat and street, small temples and stalls which make it porous and active in nature. Crowd on such points make the movement on foot also difficult.Edge of the GhatEdge of the Darbhanga Ghat and Munshi Ghat are quite asleep(predicate) because of the fort wall but still we can observe activities there. On Dasashvamedh Ghat, shops and temples make edge quite porous and live. comfortableness and ImageGhats have its own individuality on the bank of rive Ganga. Here we can really appreciate what Kevin Lynch thought to the highest degree the city image (1981, p.1 ) At every instant, there is more than center can see, more than ear can hear, academic term or a view waiting to be explored.According to Rishma Parikh (2000, p.39) the nature of the placeis sensorial as well as physical. Both, physical environment and the manners of its consumption are responsible for an image.Ghats are very unique in nature. The steps on the contour make it full of life and activities. One can strike that number of people, mostly tourist are engaged with cameras taking photograph. But those busy in their routine activities of bathing, praying, performing rituals are unperturbed. The space is full of people from all walks of life.The stone steps provide seance for people as well as provide accessibility to river. Here Ghats flavor east direction so direct sun light will be there in the cockcrow hours but in let afternoon and evening hours, monumental scale edge gives shadow on the steps.People use umbrella to gain shadow in the morning hours on the platform of the ghat. At places, bottom of the trees is converted into platform to sit.Here at the Dasashvamedh Ghat we can see police station but still safety is the issue because of the overcrowding. The buildings on the steps create overlooking spaces, which help to reduce issues of safety.City of Banaras is ve ry congested in nature. But as one enters the Ghat, one can feel openness and freedom of space, which is the main attraction for the people to come at ghat.Uses and activityThe Ghats generate very strong religious bond because of devotees holding central activity power. All ghats are used for ritual activities. In the morning people gather here for bathing and Puja, in the afternoon people are busy doing rituals and evening hours see people attending Arati (offering with lighted lamps) and Puja.They take bath in the river. In the afternoon time we can see the people doing different ritual activity behind the death of the people. Apart from the rituals we can see children playing on the platform of the Ghats.Visitors are roaming around and taking photos. up to now these activities are also daily on the Ghats. In the special occasions the Ghats used as Emphi Theater, where different live concerts are arranged. On festival days, special Arati is done. Ghats have multi layer activity t hroughout the day. On the edge of the Dasashvamedh Ghat we can find small temples which conduct religious discourses.The small stalls around the Ghats sell many items which attract not only the local public but also the tourist alike. Small idols, flower, sweet sticks etc. Even visitor can take a hinge upon in the bat during the day and night time full stargaze boat ride is very famous to enjoy the river.This is perhaps the best place where one can see culture and tradition of India. It is India in small scale.SociabilitySociability of the place is clearly seen. Activities here charter the people together. Devotees and priest sit together and have rituals, which is the back devise activity on the ghat. We find people of all walks of life from beggars to businessman freely interacting with each other. Rich give aims to poor. Bhandaras are the special events on festival days. This is the best example of community participation on the ghat. Even one can observe animals like, cow, goat and man/woman sitting together very comfortably. Visitors and even foreign tourist are seen mixed in local activities. Barber shop, tea stalls, palmist, horoscope reader, singer, musician and serpent are commonly seen here and people enjoy their presence and company. Ghats are the best example of socialization between people of different culture and tradition. Space around the Ghats is quite messy and dirty but it doesnt dissuade public to going there.All big events in the town are held here. The Ghats not only have religious importance but are the life line of the people of neighborhood.Kumar says about people of Banaras in her article, their bowels would simply not move in closed spaces, nor would they consider themselves clean from bathing under tap, which shows social attachment of people to the space. Take away ghat from Banaras and it would be lifeless. Ghats are the best examples of democratic places.Neelakshi Joshi has rightly said, the ghat is thus the common bath, t he largest open space, guess center and the biggest pub in town for culture and social encounter and has been so far centuries untold. The ghats of Banaras stand as inspiration for bringing together all men-painters, ascetics, beggars, washer men and kings to the same platform. Natures bounty is not considered the privilege of the man who can afford the property by the river. It is rather a thing of joy for all to be enjoyed together.Case study of Pershing strongSite is situated in Los Angeles. City has storing grid pattern and this commonalty is fitted in block size of the grid. This park was designed 1866 and number of time it was redesigned. The study is based on the last design which is done in 1994 by Ricardo Legoretta and Laurie Olin. Before in 1866 it was a formal Spanish plaza and then it was reinvented in 1911, 1928, 1950 and 1994. The number of redesigning of plaza shows transformation of the city from time to time. It is suggestive of the lack of community connection. If local people are attach to a place, they would have stuck to basic form of the space. In 1951 government rebuilt the area and proposed underground parking with the reason to reduce car congestion of the area.Accessibility and image to the parkThe Pershing square is an island having road grid on all four sides. The streets which are adjacent to the square are south chromatic Street, West 5th and 6th lane and south hill street. place is accessible from all roads. Streets act as a divider between edge of adjacent building and park. Buildings around the streets are like wolfram 6th lane, South Olive and Hill Street. Have activates like dominoes pizza, restaurants, caf, hotels, offices and international jewelry center. This street faade seems very active and porous in nature. The West 5th street faade is little dead and have parking lot as well. Traffic on this street in day time is quite high. People use this street as a pathway to go from one place to another. People do not lin ger here on this space for long time. At the edge of the square have entry for the underground parking. It has different color wall on the edge, which distract the vision of people. One can find public transport at the edge of the park. On all streets, bus stop to access the park. Pershing square metro station is fit(p) nearby at five minutes walk.Comfort and image to the parkAt the first glance of the parks modern architecture generate good impression on the mind. Usage of the bright color creates artistic excitement. Even good use of architectural elements can be seen intimate the park. Park has good comfortable arrangement of seating. Pam tree in the park give better shadow and give proper comfortable area to stand. The steps around the water body give comfortable sitting to the user.Usage and activity at the parkThe park has scientific architectural elements like solar system waterfall, several constellation maps on floor, telescopes. But this element does not generate activa tes. At lunch time, people inspection and repair in nearby places come here to take their lunch. Most of the time the park is sterile. The development authority conduct good events on the park to attract people like ice scatting, musical evenings etc. but after the activity park seem dead. Park is used only by homeless people.SociabilityThe development authority designed it to make a social and democratic space. But it has not come up as such. It has miserable failed to serve is purpose.AnalysisCase study shows that ghats are conveniently located on bank of River Ganga. The river runs north to south and city has organically grown along the river. All the roads lead us to Ghat and accessibility is good form proximity point of view. However city is congested. Roads are narrow and mess. Ghats remain crowded all the time and movement is not comfortable. Cleanliness is another negative factor. However from the point of vary of activities, it is a successful place in as much as the plac e is bubbling with varied activities throughout the day. Socialization is utmost on this space. If the success of the ghat is to be evaluated y applying parameters suggested by the Project for Public Space, the place would be poor. However, clumsy accessibility and poor comfort level do not deter the people from socializing on this space. The reverence, people of Banaras has shown is wide to river Ganga. River Ganga is the life line of people o Banaras and Ghats are the organs without which life at Banaras cannot be thought of. Social attachment of the people of Banaras to river Ganga is is wondrous and that has made the ghats a great success despite all odds in terms of good design elements. Ghats are present day riverfronts. However, care has been taken by those who developed ghats on river to ensure that the river is not canalized by embankments as we see at other places. The crescent shape curve of the river is also well maintained showing their respect for the river. Ghats are perhaps the best example of evolved places.Second case study of Pershing forthrightly Park gives an opposite proposition. Accessibility to park is good. Comfort level and image of the place is also good. Aesthetic design of the park should normally arouse public response. The development authorities have inserted all good design elements to make the park success. However we find that public participation at the place is very poor. The park has failed to achieve its objective. Either people are not interested in the activities it offers or the people have no attachment with the space.The combined study of the two places leads us to conclude that over and above the four parameters suggested by Project for Public Space, there is one more factor which is vital to make a public space convivial and it is -emotional attachment of people to its place. Presence of this factor alone can make a space successful even if no some other counts it may not be convivial. Emotions emanate from lo ng continuous social and cultural bond. People make places by their accumulations of adaptations and additions. Designer can certainly give his inputs on first three counts of accessibility, comfort and activities but he is helpless on the last parameter in as much as he can solicit public response. He cant make people use this space. Public sentiments are the most vital issue which makes the place successful. Without public response, the space will be sterile and miserably fail to achieve its true objective. The authorities, therefore, should concentrate more on improving evolved public spaces by increasing the accessibility and comfort level and by providing diverse mix use activities. Evolved public spaces can be made more convivial with little work in this direction.FindingsPeople make places. Unless the space stimulates the overwhelmed response from one and all, the public space meat for them cannot become successful.The public spaces evolved by accumulation of adaptations and additions by users themselves are more convivial and people regularly use such places though they are not encouraging from the designers point of view.The success of particular public spaces is not in the hands of the designer. His best design model can fail if people do not respond favorably.Design make out fails if it does not uphold the sentiments of the people using them.Evolved public space can be easily made more comfortable and lively by the efforts of the designer who keeps in mind the sentiments of the users.