INTRODUCTION

TO
URBAN SPACES
CONTENTS

1. URBAN DESIGN
2. URBAN SPACE
• open Space vs. Urban
• Types of public spaces
• Types of urban space :
streets,squares,precincts
3. Theory of kelvin Lynch
4. Elements of urban design
• Building
• Transport
• Landscape
• Streets
• Public spaces
5. Prehistorical cities in Urban Spaces:
• Greek cities
• Roman cities
• Medieval cities
• Contemporary citites
WHAT IS URBAN DESIGN?

• Urban design is concerned with the arrangement, appearance and

function of our suburbs, towns and cities.

• It is both a process and an outcome of creating localities in which

people live, engage with each other, and engage with the physical
place around them.

• It involves the design and coordination of all that makes up cities and
towns.
WHAT IS ‘URBANSPACE’ ?
• ‗Urban Space‘ –Public Spaces within cities, created
through
arrangement of buildings and other built elements.
• Related to concept of ‗Public Realm --Public
Spaces, available for free use.
• Focus of ‗Urban Activity‘
• Self contained Island India Habitat Centre, New
• Either related to neighboring spaces or may be Delhi
interconnected.

New York‟s Washington School

Square ,Bangalore
URBAN SPACE is actual
physical enclosure or its
strong articulation by urban
forms.
e.g. In a plaza, we must be
Street in Walled City, OAT, sufficiently enclosed on all sides
so that our attention focuses on
‘OPEN SPACE’ VS. ‘URBAN SPACE’
• ‗Open Space‘ – Areas of greenery in or near the city -- natural, park-like
• ‗Urban Space‘ – Public Spaces within cities, created through arrangement of
buildings and other built
elements.

TYPES OF ‘PUBLIC SPACE’

EXTERNAL PUBLIC SPACE as pieces of land that lie between private landholdings
such as public squares, streets, parks, stretches of coastline, rivers. Open spaces lie
between the private landholdings.

Sector-17 Plaza, Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi Fatehpur Sikri square

INTERNAL 'PUBLIC' SPACE or public institutions such as libraries, museums, town
halls, train or bus stations, hospitals and post offices.

Allahabad. Public library Bangalore Majestic Bus

Station

EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL ‟QUASI-PUBLIC' SPACE :

Places such as university campuses, sports grounds, restaurants also form part of the
public realm, if only nominally, because their owners and operators retain rights to
regulate access and behavior there.

The Oberoi Udaivilas Udaipur, Indian Institute of Management,

TYPES OF ‘URBAN SPACE’ :STREETS,SQUARES,PRECINCTS
STREETS (Roads,Paths,Avenues,Lanes,Alleys) :
Corridors of Space, Channels (Paths); A public thoroughfare in the built environment, a
public parcel of land
adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact,
and move about.

Streets: dynamic
spaces with a sense
of movement
„street‟
Squares: denotes
static a
delimited
spaces withsurface
less
characterized
sense of movementby an
extended area lined
Jaipur with buildings on
City either side.
Eg: streets of
large
cities
Photo: Dubai

Eg: Traditional community

living Photo: Khambatt,
 1 1
2
1

For street- width : length>= 1:5

axis dominating
For square: width: length<1:3

1
>5
TYPES OF ‘URBAN SPACE’ :STREETS,SQUARES,PRECINCTS

In urban design , urban

space varies from small
courtyards to grand urban
plazas depending upon
their scale and activities.
TYPES OF ‘URBAN SPACE’ :STREETS,SQUARES,PRECINCTS
Squares / Piazza / Plaza / Place: „Three elements‟ of URBAN
Reservoirs of Space, Rooms (Nodes), SQUARE
Square--planned open area in a city, Surrounding structures, floor and the
originally rectangular in shape; Imaginary sphere of the sky above
‗hardscapes‘ suitable for open markets,
Classification of Squares
music concerts, community gatherings, • Closed Square – Space self contained
political rallies, and other events that • Dominated Square – Space directed
require firm ground. • Nuclear Square – Space formed around a
centre
Plaza–a Spanish word describes an open • Grouped Squares – Space units
urban public space. At times of crisis or combined
celebrations, it was the space where a • Amorphous Square – Space unlimited
• Squares doesn't represent only one pure
large crowd might gather.
type, but very often bears the
characteristics of two of these types
Piazza--an open square in a city, found in
Italy. The term is roughly equivalent to the
Spanish Plaza.

Place–French equivalent of ‗plaza, piazza.

The Closed The Dominated
Square Square

Closed Square Place des Vosges, Paris, France

Notre Dame Cathedral,
Paris

Courtyard of Udaipur City Palace Gateway of India,

Complex Mumbai
The Nuclear
Square

Donatello‟strian figure
eques Padua, CHARMINAR IN
Piazza del Italy HYDERABAD
Santo in
The Grouped
Square:

QUTUB
COMPLEX
TYPES OF ‘URBAN SPACE’ :STREETS,SQUARES,PRECINCTS
What is a „Precinct‟ ?
General usage: Area around a place or a building, which is enclosed by a wall
British usage: Area in a town/city, which is closed to traffic
American usage: One of the districts into which a city is divided for election purposes
A well-defined large urban zone that includes several urban spaces but has
certain consistent visual or use characteristics

Capitol Complex
Palace Complex,
Fatehpur Sikri

Lincoln Centre, New

York

Lincoln Centre, New York – –A series of broad

plazas which act as forecourt settings for the
buildings that enclose them.
TYPES OF ‘URBAN SPACE’
“Spatial Structure "of city:
Is given by the hierarchy and connections between series of like & unlike spaces.

Linkages between various urban spaces, and, linkage of the space to a special building
placed within or around the space plays in establishing the movement pattern within the
space.
TYPES OF ‘URBAN SPACE’
• Urban thinker Kevin Lynch was able to establish a notation
of city elements that matched peoples perception.
• They are identified as:
• Districts
• Paths
• Edges
• Nodes
• Landmarks

• Other elements those can be identified in urban context are

• Landscapes and
• Accessory features.
How can we relate urban form to one building typology?

ST.PETERS,R
OME

Districts/zone
s

paths
Nodes

landmarks

Edges

...........Elements in urban
 Kevin Lynch five elements of city planning:
PATHS
• Definition: The streets, sidewalks, trails, and other
channels in which people travel.

• Importance:
• They organise the mobility.
• pattern of street network is
what defines a city and
makes it unique.

• Characteristics of Paths
• They are defined by their physical dimension, size
,shape and character of the buildings that line them.
• They range from grand avenues to intimate
small paths.
 NODES
• Definition: A common point where two or more roads meet to
form a junction or square.
• The strategic focus points for orientations of squares
and junctions.
• spots in a city into which an observer can enter, and
which are the intensive foci from which the person is
travelling.
• Importance:
• to increase the perception of an active, urban corridor
and to encourage more walking.
• Strengthen the emphasis on alternative mode use in the
corridor.
• Contribute to the overall vibrancy, safety, and desirability of the
area.
• Characteristics of nodes:
• These nodes should occur where single uses or a
combination of uses lead to higher levels of pedestrian
activity,
• Pedestrian nodes should include such furnishings as
drinking fountains, trash cans, and benches to increase the
users‘ senseof comfort. Seating should be arranged to
accommodate groups of people
• Careful thought should be given to the amount of seating
provided because too much unused seating may detract
from the goal of creating an active area
 EDGES
•Definition: They are boundaries between two
phases, Bodies of water (such as an ocean, river,
or lake) Landforms (such as mountains and hills)
Manmade structures (such as buildings, railroad tracks,
walls, or highways)
•Importance:Functionality and usage of the spaces
are clearly defined by edges..
•Characteristics of edges:
• Acts in a space by stopping it,more or less
penetrable,or they may be seams, lines along
which two regions are related and joined together.
• Street edges need to be oriented and/or adjusted for
maximum light on the space between buildings, and
not just for interior penetration, in order to
encourage active street life
Edges that are seen from building to
street
DISTRICTS
• Definition: Areas characterized by common
characteristics, these are the medium to large areas,
which have some common identifying character.
• Characteristics:
• Distinctive physical characteristics might include
‗thematic continuities‘, such as texture, space, form,
detail, symbol ,function and building.
• The presence of these and other similar attributes
reinforce a district‘s fabric, cohesiveness, and identity
• Good planning makes for liveable neighbourhoods,
a safe and healthy community, and a sustainable
economy
IMPORTANCE OF ZONING
• Zoning helps in creating identity to the place, security
and
enrich private and social behaviour.
 LANDMAR
KS
• Definition: external points of orientation,easily
identified objects– towers, spires, hills are distant
and are typically seen from many angles and
from distance, over the top of smaller elements.
• Other landmarks – sculptures, signs and trees
are primarily local being visible only in restricted
localities and from certain approaches.
• Importance: Functionally prominent structures
have a major influence on the aesthetics of
their immediate urban landscape; location
,function of open spaces and landscape
furniture.
• Physical Characteristics: some aspect that is
unique or memorable in the context.
ELEMENTS OF URBAN DESIGN
Urban Design involves the design and coordination
of all that makes up cities and towns:

• BUILDINGS

• PUBLIC SPACES

• STREETS

• TRANSPORT

• LANDSCAPE
 BUILDIN
G
IDENTIFICATION:
• Buildings are the most pronounced elements of urban design.
• They shape and articulate space by forming the street walls of
the city.
• Well-designed buildings and groups of buildings work together
to create a sense of place.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Variation in building height,
volume and the way in
which buildings are
grouped together
• Contour
• Facade Design-main doors
/openings, other
fenestration, material, etc.
 ROL
•E:Height & Contour define sense of enclosure and visibility
• Openings lead to spatial structuring
• Facade Designs animate & personalize urban space
• Building forms are guided by specific uses of buildings.
• As they have an impact on the streetscape, it is important that their
forms respond to their surroundings.
EXAMPLE:
Developments along Orchard
Road, however, have shopping
podiums with high-rise towers
set further away from the road.
This gives a sense of openness
to the tree-lined pedestrian
mall, that has become a
signature feature of Orchard
Road.
 PUBLIC
SPACES
IDENTIFICATION:
• Great public spaces are the living room of the city - the
place where people come together to enjoy the city and
each other.
• Public spaces make high quality life in the city possible -
they form the stage and backdrop to the drama of life.
• Public spaces range from grand central plazas and
squares, to small, local neighborhood parks.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Promotes human contact and social activities.
• Is safe, welcoming, and accommodating for all users.
• Has design and architectural features that are visually
interesting.
• Promotes community involvement.
• Reflects the local culture or history.
• Relates well to bordering uses.
• Is well maintained.
• Has a unique or special character.
 ROL
E: spaces can be grand central
• Open
plazas and squares, or small, lush
pocket parks. They can also be soothing
sanctuaries amid the urban hurly-burly
or packed with people.
• These spaces let you soak in the sun,
enjoy the lush greenery and interact
with fellow city dwellers at these open
spaces.
• These open spaces also act as
landmarks and unique setting for events
and celebrations.
EXAMPLE:
Parks like Gardens by the Bay and
the plaza in front of Cathay Building
and School of the Arts (SOTA)
provide respite in our high-rise city
environment.
STREE
TS
IDENTIFICATION:
• These are the connections between spaces and places, as well
as being spaces themselves.
• Other pedestrian networks include pedestrian malls,
promenades, covered walkways and link-ways, through-block
links and overhead linkages.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• They are defined by their
physical dimension and
character as well as the size,
scale, and character of the
buildings that line them.
• The pattern of the street
network is part of what
defines a city and what
makes each city unique.
 ROL
• E:
Well-connected pedestrian networks to
allow people to move easily and
comfortably within the city, and facilitate
the use of public transportation.
• It connects open spaces, points of
interest and parks, and can be at
different levels, allowing you to
appreciate the city from different
perspectives.
EXAMPLE:
Walking to the Esplanade from City Hall MRT takes only about 15
minutes via the City Link underground pedestrian network. The
link-way is also lined with shopping and dining options.
 TRANSPO
RT
IDENTIFICATION:
• Transport systems connect the parts of cities and help shape them, and
enable movement throughout the city.
• They include road, rail, bicycle, and pedestrian networks, and together
form the total movement system of a city.
• The best cities are the ones that elevate the
experience of the pedestrian while
minimizing the dominance of the private
automobile.
CHARACTERISTICS:
The balance of these
various transport systems
is what helps define the
quality and character of
cities, and makes them
either friendly or hostile to
pedestrians.
 ROL
• The
E: location of car parks and drop-off points affect the way vehicles
navigate their way around the city.
• It also influences how pedestrians experience the city.
• It is important to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic to avoid
causing danger and conflict to pedestrians.
EXAMPLE:
The drop-off point at Mandarin Gallery used to be located in front of the
buildings along the main Orchard Road pedestrian mall. This mix of
vehicular and pedestrian traffic was not ideal, and caused disruptions to
pedestrians. After Mandarin Gallery was refurbished , the drop-off point
was relocated to the side, along Orchard Link. This opened up the front of
the development for activity generating uses and also provides
pedestrians with a safer and more pleasant environment.
 LANDSCA
PE
IDENTIFICATION:
• It is the green part of the city that weaves
throughout, in the form of urban parks, street trees,
plants, flowers, and water in many forms.
• Green spaces in cities range from grand parks to
small intimate pocket parks.
• The landscape helps define the character and
beauty of a city and creates soft, contrasting spaces
and elements.
CHARACTERISTICS:
• Levels, Flat or Sloping
• Pattern
• Surface texture
 ROL
• E:
Level moulds scale, give directionality, focus,
emphasis.
• Texture suggests (supports / prohibits) nature of
activity – pedestrian, vehicular / slow, fast
• Pattern moulds movement paths, gives direction
• Landscape plays an important role in our urban
design, and developments are encouraged to
provide greenery (on the ground or skyrise) in
the city.
• Other than its environmental benefits—
helping to clean the air and mitigating
the urban heat island effect—greenery
can help shape the streetscape,
reinforce the character of a place, and
make the public spaces more
comfortable by providing shade
EXAMPLE:
The sky terraces at Parkroyal Hotel at
Pickering Street allow hotel guests to enjoy
greenery at new ‗heights‘.
URBAN SPACE :CITIES
The phenomenon of urbanization is due to the growth of cities, both
because it has increased the number of inhabitants and the new economic
activities conducted there.
URBAN SPACE : GREEKCITIES
Greek City Planning and Design Planning and Design
Principles
principles
The ancient forGreek
planning and designing
civilization cities.
had established PATTERN
•City form were of two types: OF
•Old cities such as Athens had irregular street plans ATHENS
reflecting their gradual organic development.
•New cities, especially colonial cities established
during the Hellenistic period, had a grid-iron
street plan
•Certain things were common among cities:
The overall division of spaces in 3 parts: ,
acropolis agora and the town .
The fortification etc.

PATTERN
OF
MESSENE
GREEK CITIES: THE ATHENS
Greek
•Cities:
The greek city-state was called as a ‗Polis.‘
• Syracuse and Akragas which had over
20,000 people.
• Most of the city grow around the citadel.
• The Greek City was usually divided into
three
parts; the acropolis, the agora and the
town.
The Agora:
• •Site planning and design was centered on
the itappreciation
that could commandof buildings
a goodfrom the
viewto • The Agora was the most
outside.
it. important
The acropolis: gathering place in a Greek city.
• •The location of buildings was therefore such
The acropolis in Athens was a • It started as an open area where
religious precinct located on one the council of the
of the hills of the city. city met to take
decisions.
• It was usually
located on a
flat ground for
ease of
communicatio
 The
Town:
The town was where the people lived.
•This was the domain of women, who did not have any
public role.
•Early Greek towns had an irregular street pattern, resultin g
from its organic growth.
•Later Hellenistic towns such as Priennehad a formal
rectilinear pattern.
•The town was made up of only residential houses.
The New Town (Miletos) Hippodamus:
• The new city of Milotos was designed
by Hippodamus.
• He was the first person to introduce the grid-
iron pattern of road system.
• The grid iron pattern road system
generally designed towards Peninsula
river rather than orienting into the
cardinal points.
• He divided the city into three distinct zones-
to the North was residential area, Agora at Characteristics of the Greek Cities:
the center, other residential area towards • They haven‘t a regular layout, and the streets
the South of larger blocks. were narrow and winding.
• Only missing area is the Temples. • Later on it was used a layout of streets
cutting off perpendicularly, with spaces
and public buildings (Agora)
URBAN SPACE : ROMAN CITIES
Characteristics of the Roman Cities:
• The typical Roman city had more public places
and a more obviously public character than
other cities.
• The Forum was the epicenter of intense
religious, economic political and social
activity
• The urban layout of Pompeii and Herculaneum
reflect , not only its historical development but
the central role played by the Forum and the
towns relationship with the hinterland.
• They had a regular form, with two
principals streets.
• They had water pipes, bridges, buildings for
shows, roads…

• It was entered by four

principal gates, three of
which can still be traced
quite clearly, and which
stood in the middle of their
respective sides; the position
of the south gate is doubtful.
ROMAN CITIES: POMPEII CITY
Pompeii was accessed by seven gates, five of
The area which led to other towns.Streets were laid out Via Sabiae was the
covered on a grid, the main axial road( decumanii) steepest street
approximately 66 crossed by minor roads ( cardini) creating running from NW to
hectares, only blocks called insulae about 35x90 SE
2/3 of which
metres Nola lay on the main
have been
excavated NS road access. The
Nola gate decreased
in important with less
need for defence

Streets were The Sarno river

generally gave Pompeii the
narrow, role of sea port
varying for the adjacent
between hinterland
2.4,3.6 or 4.5
metres wide . At
its widest the
main street was
8.5 metres wide Nuceria , also on the
NS road axis drew its
No commercial, or Stabiae was an wealth from the river
residential zoning important plain and southern
exists and land use shipbuilding town regions of Campania
The old City
was not exclusively
or
urban
ROMAN CITIES: TIMGAD CITY
• The town of Thamugadi, now Timgad, lay on the northern skirts of Mount
Aurès, halfway between Constantine and Biskra and about a hundred
miles from the Mediterranean coast.
• The town grew. Soon after the middle of the second century it was more than
half a mile in width from east to west, and its extent from north to south,
• The first settlement was smaller. So far as it has been uncovered by
French archaeologists—sufficiently for our purpose, though not
completely—the 'colonia' of Trajan appears to have been some 29 or 30
acres in extent within the walls and almost square in outline (360 x 390
yds.).
• Diminished by the space needed for public buildings, though it is not easy to
tell how
great this space was in the original town.
• The blocks themselves measured square of 70 Roman feet (23 x 23 yards),
and may have contained one, two, three, or even four houses apiece, but they
have undergone so many changes that their original arrangements are not at
all clear.
• The streets which divided these blocks were 15 to 16 ft. wide; the two main
streets, which ran to the principal gates, were further widened by colonnades
and paved with superior flagging. All the streets had well-built sewers beneath
them.
• It was entered by four principal gates, three of
which can still be traced quite clearly, and
which stood in the middle of their respective
sides; the position of the south gate is
doubtful.
STREET PATTERN
• The interior of the town was divided by
streets into a chess-board pattern of small
square house-blocks; from north to south
there were twelve such blocks and from
east to west eleven—not twelve, as is
often stated.
URBAN SPACE : MEDIEVAL CITIES
Medieval cities in the European Middle Ages. took many
• Around 5th century AD Roman Empire forms, Greatly in central-northern Italy based on partial
disintegrated because of show amd luxury of its democracy, while in Germany they became free cities,
rulers. independent from local nobility.
• Cities lost importance and socio-economic
disturbances followed.Cruel rulers started TYPES OF LOCATIONS
establishing city-states. e.g. the hill towns of southern France,
• People increasingly depended upon agriculture southern Germany, and of central Italy.
and their rulers for survival.
• A feudal system slowly emerged and this period ORIENTATION
can be called as „dark ages‟. topography.

SHAPE
SPAI geometric shapes; yet simple, geometric plans were
N adopted
ITAL GREE
FRAN CE CLASSIFICATION
CE Y
Medieval towns can be classified according to function
e.g.:
Farm Towns - especially in Scandinavia and Britain
Fortress Towns - Toledo, Edinburgh, Tours, Warwick
Church Towns - York, Chartres
Merchant Prince Towns - Florence, Siena
Merchant Guild Towns - Hanseatic League towns
URBAN SPACE : MEDIEVAL CITIES
• Strategic sites were selected for forts to protect from enemy attacks. THE WALLED TOWN
• The church became strong during these turbulent years. SECURITY WAS A
• The forts was surrounded by its own walls as final protection against
attacking enemy.
MAJOR FACTOR.

PLANNED TOWN CLASSICAL ATHENS

HAD PROTECTED
IT HAD LAID OUT THE MULTI-FOCAL TOWN ITSELF AGAINST ITS
STRAIGHT ENEMIES AND
A SMALL NUMBER OF HAD BUILTTHE―LONG WALLS,‖
STREETS,
VILLAGES THAT HAD
INTERSECTING AT
PREVIOUSLY CROWNED ITS HELLENISTIC WORLD,
RIGHT ANGLES,
HILLS. TOWNS WERE
AND THUS
ENCLOSING WALLED, TOWERS
THIS PATTERN WAS WERE BUILT, AND
RECTANGULAR
TO BE REPLICATED CARCASSONNE
BLOCKS.

PIRAEUS IT CONTAINS
DIFFERING INSTITUTIONAL MARKET
NUCLEI—A CASTLE, SQUARE,
•THE PLANNED
CATHEDRAL, MONASTERY, CASTLE &
EUROPEAN CITY WAS
NOT RESTRICTED TO OR MARKET—WHICH IN CHURCH OF
TIME CAME TO ST.NAZZAIR.
THOSE THAT
COMPLEMENT ONE IRREGULAR
DERIVED FROM THE
ANOTHER. PATTERN FOR
GREEKS OR THE
URBAN SPACE : MEDIEVAL CITIES
ORIGINS of MEDIEVAL
ClTIES

1. CATHEDRAL, CHURCH,
CLOISTER,
2. MONASTERY I.E. THEBISHOP‘S
SEAT

3. FORTRESSES (ROYAL
CASTLES,
PALACES;
4. PRINCELY COURTS)

5. THE MARKET
PLACE/STAGING POINTS

6. THE FREE
SETTLEMENTS (I.E.
INDEPENDENT)
URBAN SPACE : MEDIEVAL CITIES
• The town sites were located on irregular lands like hilltops or islands for protection.
• The main roads radiated from the market square to the external gates with secondary
roads connecting them.
• Few main roads were used for vehicular traffic and rest for pedestrian movement and
irregular pattern of roads was derived to perplex the enemy entering the town.
• As the town was restricted with the fortified walls,the houses wew built in rows alod
the narrow streets.
• Open space behind the
houses was used for domestic
animals and cultivating
gardens.
• The workshop,store and
kitchen were located in the
ground floor,where traders did
their work.
• Streets were usually paved
.but there was no facility for
waste disposal.

PLAN OF NOERDLINGEN(GERMANY)
URBAN SPACE : MEDIEVAL CITIES

OLYNTHUS 432 RHODES

408
BC BC
PIRAEUS 460
BC
URBAN SPACE : CONTEMPORARY CITIES
Pre-independence period: (before 1947)
• When the Britishers first settled in India, they found most of the towns
are unhygienic. So they built independent colonies on the outskirts of
existing towns. These extensions were called ―Cantonments‖ and
―Barracks‖ for military occupied areas and ―Civil lines‖ for the residents
of civilians. Hence they created these cantonments:
• Delhi cantonment known as British colonies.
• Agra cantonment.
• Bangalore cantonment.
• Ahmadabad cantonment.

• After this, they found that the

climate of India is so hot. So they
developed the hill- stations in the
nearby area of cantonments. They
were:
• Shimla nearer to Delhi.
• Matheran nearer to Mumbai.
• Kodai canal nearer to Chennai.
• Darjeeling nearer to Kolkata.
• In the first decade of 20th century, they took up the work of building
New Delhi. Plan was prepared based on modern town planning
principle by eminent town planner ―Edwin Lutyens‖.
• He also designed Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• The industrial buildings were separated from the residential sector.
• Lutyen also contributed for making ―Canaught place‖ which is the
common area having circular plan.
 Post-independence period: (after 1947)
• After independence, Jawaharlal Nehru was appointed as the first prime
minister of India. He invited Le Corbusier to visit India and develop cities.
Hence, Chandigarh was planned by him.
• ―Rourkela‖ & ‖Jamshedpur‖ were also planned by him.
• Towns planned and developed during this period were:
1. Steel towns-
• Durgapur- West Bengal
• Bhilai- Madhya Pradesh
• Rourkela- Orissa
2. Industrial towns-
• Jamshedpur- Bihar
• Bhadravati- Karnataka
• Chittaranjan- West Bengal
3. Capitals-
• Gandhinagar- Gujarat
• Chandigarh- Punjab
• Cities like ―Gandhinagar", "Navi Mumbai‖ were planned by Charles Correa in this
period.
• The other cities like Lavasa, New Nashik and New Aurangabad are coming
up.
CONTEMPORARY CITIES: DELHI
In order to understand the imagability of Lutyens Delhi, it is
imperative to know its history and why the site was chosen.
• The capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (in
1911)

Reasons for the shifting of the capital: • 1911-foundation stone for new
 Controversial partitioning of Bengal in delhi at delhi darbar
1905 – right to vote between Bengali
Hindus and Muslims. On December 15, 1911, King George
V and Queen Mary laid the
 Delhi‘s geographical position at the foundation stone for New Delhi, at a
centre of north India (roughly Darbar under a purposely built Shah
equidistant from Bombay and Calcutta) Jahani dome. The message was clear
 Delhi‘s historic importance (important : the British were legitimate
seat of the Mughal empire; for Hindus- successors of the Mughals and their
Mahabharata-era city of Indraprastha) new capital was intended to express
the power of the Raj, just as Shah
 Perceived political need to rearticulate Jahan‘s capital had expressed the
british power. authority of the Mughals.
• THE INITIAL DESIGN FOR NEW PATTERN IN
DESIGN SETTLEMENT

• The plans of lutyen‘s delhi is

purely geometrical
However,Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy of India • Three lined streets radiate from
warned him of the dust storms that sweep the the central vista & converge into
landscape in these parts, insisting on hexagonal nodes
roundabouts, hedges and trees to break
their FORCE GIVING him the plans of Rome,
Paris and Washington to study and apply to
Delhi.
Lutyens had initially designed New Delhi with all
the street crossings at right angles, much PLAN & SECTION SHOWING A
like in New York. TYPICAL HEXAGONAL NODE
WITH ROADS CONVERGING INTO
• INTENTIONS OF THE LAYOUT
 Lutynes‘ Delhi was planned on the
most spacious garden city lines with
great avenues decorated with
classical buildings with lush
landscape.
 The Layout of Lutyens Delhi was
governed by three major visual
corridors, linking the government
complex with:
 Jama Masjid
 Indraprastha
 Sajdarjung Tomb
• FEATURES
 The plan reflects Lutyens‘ ―transcendent
fervor for geometric symmetry‖, which is
expressed through amazing sequences of
triangles and hexagons, through sightlines
and axes.
 Lutyens‘ plan is also remarkable for the generous
green spaces, lawns, watercourses, flower
and fruit- bearing trees, and their integration
with parks developed around monuments.
• THE ROAD NETWORK
 Besides the major Pathway, there were
extremely wide avenues. The original
design of the road network was capable of
accommodating 6000 vehicles, however
these avenues, had the potential of
increasing their carriageway- the reason
why the road layout has survived till today.
 In general the road network consisted of
diagonals and radials, at 30 degree/60
degree angles to the main axis,
forming triangles and hexagons.
• LUTYEN‟S DELHI - ZONING

GOVERNMENT
COMPLEX
BUNGLOW ZONE
• IMAGEABILITY OF A CITY

Elements forming the „City

Image‟

• The ―public‖ image of a city is the overlap of many individual images.

Such group images must exist within the city if it is to be
successful in communicating its own identity and possessing
its own imageability.
• It is defined by broadly:
• Paths
• Nodes
• Districts
• Landmarks
• Edges
Paths:
 Paths are channels along which an
observer customarily, occasionally or
potentially moves. Eg: streets, avenues,
walkways, canals etc. People observe the
city while moving through them; the other
elements are arranged and related along
these paths
Nodes :
 They are strategic spots in a city into which
an observer can enter, and which are the
intensive foci to and from which he is
traveling. Conceptually, they occur as small
points in a city image, but in reality they are
large squares, traffic rotaries, extended
linear shapes or even entire central districts
at the city level .
Landmarks:
 They are another type of point reference
(as nodes), however in this case the observer
can‘t enter within them. Usually they are
simply defined physical objects like
statues, buildings, signs, stores or even a
mountain. They are identified by singling
Districts:
• They are sections of the city, conceived
of having two dimensional extents,
which the observer can mentally enter
and which are recognizable as having
some common, identifying character.

Edges:
• They are linear elements not used or
considered as paths. They maybe the
boundary between two phases, linear
breaks in continuity, an area or an element.
E.g. shores, railroad cuts, edges of
developed areas, walls.

Element inter relationships:

• No element exists in isolation; elements
are simply the raw material of the city
image. They must be patterned together to
provide a satisfying city form.