PRESENTATION OF URBAN

DESIGN

TOPIC: 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 ‘URBAN SPACE’ ?
• ‘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
• Either related to neighboring spaces or may be interconnected. India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

New York’s Washington Square School ,Bangalore

URBAN SPACE is actual physical
enclosure or its strong articulation
by urban forms.
e.g. In a plaza, we must be sufficiently
enclosed on all sides so that our attention
OAT, CEPT focuses on the space as an entity.
Street in Walled City, Jaipur
‘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, Chandigarh 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, Rajasthan Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
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
Squares: static spaces with
less sense of movement

‘street’ denotes a
delimited surface
characterized by an
extended area lined with
Jaipur City buildings on either side.

Eg: streets of large

cities
Photo: Dubai

Eg: Traditional community living

Photo: Khambatt, Gujarat
 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: Reservoirs of
Space, Rooms (Nodes),
Square--planned open area in a city, originally
rectangular in shape; ‘hardscapes’ suitable for open
markets, music concerts, community gatherings,
political rallies, and other events that require firm
ground.
Plaza–a Spanish word describes an open urban
public space. At times of crisis or celebrations, it
was the space where a large crowd might gather.
‘Three elements’ of URBAN SQUARE
Surrounding structures, floor and the
Imaginary sphere of the sky above
Classification of Squares
• Closed Square – Space self contained
• Dominated Square – Space directed
• Nuclear Square – Space formed around a centre
• Grouped Squares – Space units combined
• Amorphous Square – Space unlimited
• Squares doesn't represent only one pure 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 Square The Dominated Square

Closed Square Place des Vosges, Paris, France

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris

Courtyard of Udaipur City Palace Complex Gateway of India, Mumbai

The Nuclear Square

Donatello’s equestrian figure

Piazza del Santo in Padua, Italy CHARMINAR IN HYDERABAD
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 Chandigarh

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,ROME

Districts/zones

paths
Nodes

landmarks

Edges

...........Elements in urban typology.............

 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’ sense of
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.
 LANDMARKS

• 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
 BUILDING
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.
ROLE:
• 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.
 ROLE:
• Open spaces can be grand central
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.
STREETS
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.
 ROLE:
• 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.
 TRANSPORT
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.
 ROLE:
• The 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.
 LANDSCAPE
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
 ROLE:
• 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 : GREEK CITIES
Greek City Planning and Design Planning and Design Principles
The ancient Greek civilization had established
principles for planning and designing cities. PATTERN OF
•City form were of two types: ATHENS
•Old cities such as Athens had irregular street plans
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.
• •Site planning and design was centered on the
appreciation of buildings from the outside.
The Agora:
• •The location of buildings was therefore such
that it could command a good viewto it. • The Agora was the most important
gathering place in a Greek city.
The acropolis: • It started as an open area where the
The acropolis in Athens was a council of the
religious precinct located on one of city met to take
the hills of the city. decisions.
• It was usually
located on a
flat ground for
ease of
communication
.
 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, resulting
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 the
center, other residential area towards the South Characteristics of the Greek Cities:
of larger blocks. • They haven’t a regular layout, and the streets
• Only missing area is the Temples. were narrow and winding.
• 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 which
The area covered led to other towns.Streets were laid out on a grid, the Via Sabiae was the
approximately 66 main axial road( decumanii) crossed by minor roads ( steepest street running
hectares, only 2/3 cardini) creating blocks called insulae about 35x90 from NW to SE
of which have been
metres Nola lay on the main NS
excavated
road access. The Nola
gate decreased in
important with less
need for defence

Streets were The Sarno river gave

generally narrow, Pompeii the role of
varying between sea port for the
2.4,3.6 or 4.5 adjacent hinterland
metres wide . At
its widest the main
street was 8.5
metres wide

Nuceria , also on the NS

No commercial, or
residential zoning exists
and land use was not
The old City or
“Aldstat” exclusively urban
road axis drew its wealth
Stabiae was an from the river plain and
important shipbuilding southern regions of
town Campania
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
• Around 5th century AD Roman Empire
disintegrated because of show amd luxury of its
rulers.
• Cities lost importance and socio-economic
disturbances followed.Cruel rulers started
establishing city-states.
• People increasingly depended upon agriculture
and their rulers for survival.
• A feudal system slowly emerged and this period
can be called as ‘dark ages’.
SPAIN
ITALY GREECE
FRANCE
Medieval cities in the European Middle Ages. took many
forms, Greatly in central-northern Italy based on partial
democracy, while in Germany they became free cities,
independent from local nobility.
TYPES OF LOCATIONS
e.g. the hill towns of southern France,
southern Germany, and of central Italy.
ORIENTATION
topography.
SHAPE
geometric shapes; yet simple, geometric plans were
adopted
CLASSIFICATION
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 MAJOR
• The forts was surrounded by its own walls as final protection against
attacking enemy.
FACTOR.

PLANNED TOWN CLASSICAL ATHENS HAD

PROTECTED ITSELF
THE MULTI-FOCAL TOWN AGAINST ITS ENEMIES AND
IT HAD LAID OUT
STRAIGHT STREETS, HAD BUILT THE “LONG WALLS,”
A SMALL NUMBER OF VILLAGES
INTERSECTING AT RIGHT
THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY CROWNED HELLENISTIC WORLD,
ANGLES, AND THUS
ITS HILLS. TOWNS WERE WALLED,
ENCLOSING
RECTANGULAR BLOCKS. TOWERS WERE BUILT, AND
THIS PATTERN WAS TO BE
REPLICATED
PIRAEUS
CARCASSONNE
•THE PLANNED
DIFFERING INSTITUTIONAL IT CONTAINS MARKET
EUROPEAN CITY WAS NOT
NUCLEI—A CASTLE, CATHEDRAL, SQUARE,
RESTRICTED TO THOSE
MONASTERY, OR MARKET—WHICH CASTLE & CHURCH OF
THAT DERIVED FROM THE
IN ST.NAZZAIR.
GREEKS OR THE ROMANS.
TIME CAME TO COMPLEMENT ONE IRREGULAR PATTERN
ANOTHER. FOR STREETS IS SEEN.
URBAN SPACE : MEDIEVAL CITIES
ORIGINS of MEDIEVAL ClTIES

1. CATHEDRAL, CHURCH, CLOISTER,

2. MONASTERY I.E. THE BISHOP’S SEAT

3. FORTRESSES (ROYAL CASTLES,

PALACES;
4. PRINCELY COURTS)

5. THE MARKET PLACE/STAGING

POINTS

6. THE FREE SETTLEMENTS (I.E.

INDEPENDENT)

7. THE HISTORIC TOWNS (USUALLY

OLD ROMAN ONES)
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 BC RHODES

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

• The plans of lutyen’s delhi is purely

geometrical
However,Lord Hardinge, the Viceroy of India warned • Three lined streets radiate from the
him of the dust storms that sweep the landscape in central vista & converge into
these parts, insisting on roundabouts, hedges and hexagonal nodes
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 like in New
York. PLAN & SECTION SHOWING A TYPICAL
HEXAGONAL NODE WITH ROADS
CONVERGING INTO THE ROUND ABOUTS
• 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 attempt was to include all natural and historical
wonders in the new city.
• 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
COMMERCIAL DISTRICT
• 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
• Element inter relationships
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 them out from a host of
possibilities.
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.