FOAID.. Mumbai 26 sept We all live in cities. We experience various aspects of the city as we live, eat ,sleep, work, play, shop, entertain etc. Why are some cities charming or exciting... Its because of the effect they have on our senses. The interlock of public realm and urban form is different for different locations, cultures and economies. NY Manhattan with its sky scraping urban form, high densities, loud and larger than life visuals and over all super charged pulsating life , is a city which is either loved or hated. Every aspect of the city attacks our senses. For those who are in sync with the high energy of the city, it is a place of opportunities and for others it becomes a soulless collection of humanity. Paris on the other hand does not generate strong feelings. It is universally accepted for its grace and beauty of urban form and public spaces. Strict urban controls have ensured that the city remained gentrified and relatively unchanged over past 150 years. The requirement for growth was pushed to Virgin land parcels beyond the old city. Although these two cities are very different from each other in most aspects,there is still a common thread that binds them. It is the public spaces for the city dweller. Both these cities respect the pedestrian. They are both walking cities albeit with completely different experiences . Boulevards, parks, plazas like the hi line park or the fore court of the louvre are a part of the definition of the city. Hence the transition from a private to public domain is seamless and smooth. Dew Delhi is a metro with high population and large area but the public spaces are wanting. Lack of planning ,design and enforcement has lead to private use of public spaces by way of squatting, parking and commercial encroachments thus completely destroying the public realm. This has lead to two highly contrasting experiences. .. Private spaces that are controlled, organised and pleasing. There is some one who holds the baby. .. Public spaces which are littered, has open garbage, sewers and occupied in every possible manner with complete apathy . Here we need to drive to walk as there is no space left to walk. It is these binaries that have come to define our urban experiences. Some city level projects have been conceptualised by the DUAC to address the lost pedestrian. An attempt has been made to create an alternate route for pedestrians using green / open spaces to bridge the gap between these 2 realms.
Posted on: Sun, 19 Oct 2014 07:37:06 +0000
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