Title: Vibrant Public Spaces that Sustain Crowds Case study in Vasco da Gama

Aim:
To find factors that create vibrant public open spaces, and compare them to neglected public
spaces.
Objectives:
Analyse and map activity in public spaces according to time and user groups
Find how the design of the space and its context affects the use of public space
Recommend steps for improvement of neglected open spaces
Research Questions:
What are the factors that make open spaces vibrant?
Proposed Guide: Ar. Anup Gadgil
Reading Material:
1. Socio Spatial Study of City Spaces
2. Pattern Language
3. Life Between Buildings-Using Public Space
4. Social Life of Small Urban Spaces
5. Mans Perception of Man-made Environment
6. Space for Engagement
7. The Death and Life of Great American Cities
8. Good City Form
9. Image of a City
10.City Assembled
11.City Shaped

Christopher Alexander
Jan Gehl
William H. Whyte
Sven Hesselgren
Himanshu Burte
Jane Jacobs
Kevin Lynch
Kevin Lynch
Spiro Kostoff
Spiro Kostoff

Dissertations:
1. Urban Public Realm A Case of Rajendra Prasad Avenue, Vasco Verma Sapna
(2013)
2. How People Use Public Open Spaces, Panaji Kusum Singh (2010)
3. A Socio-Spatial Study of Public Open Spaces in Urban Areas Hridya Dharamajan
(2008)

Summary of work done during break:

 Reference to relevant books:

- Life Between Buildings-Using Public Space
- The Death and Life of Great American Cities
- The Great Good Place

Jan Gehl
Jane Jacobs
Ray Oldenburg

Location visits :
- Pool vaddem (third place)
- Childrens park
- Municipal Garden
- Temptations/ Karma plaza
- Pleasure Pie(HQ)
- Apna Bazar, Sweet shops
- Dr. Rajendra Prasad avenue
- Bus stand/ fish market
- Street corners/ shops / crossroads and intersections
Meeting with Guide

Literature survey:
1. Life Between Buildings-Using Public Space

Jan Gehl

The book describes public life in cities, and understands patterns of use of public
space. By analysing and measuring human activity levels, Jan Gehl attempts to
measure the success of urban spaces.
Our five senses are analysed to test their influence on the time spent in public spaces.
For example, in chapter 2, Jan Gehl talks of how a public square needs to be the right
size for the right number of people. Too big a square for too few people, and the space
feels empty.
He discusses, in chapter 3, how individual events stimulate each other. Factors such as
building heights, entrances, accessibility either enhance or reduce the public activity in
that space.
Chapter 4 discusses how, for a public space to be successful, it needs to have a
combination of both moving and stationary activities. There is also mention of factors
such as the edge effect the effect that describes that the edges and borders of a
public space are the most preferred locations of that space when people either enter or
depart. When the edges are occupied, then people proceed to enter the public space.
The phenomena, theories and methods of analysing and measuring the success of
urban spaces discussed above fit well into any urban city, and can be used to test the
citys spaces vibrancy. Taking this as the main theory for analysing spaces in Vasco
da Gama, we may arrive at interesting conclusions.
2. The Death and Life of Great American Cities
Jane Jacobs

This book speaks about revitalizing the now dead great American cities. It mainly
speaks against the modern planning methods (of the time) and instead attempts to
show us the actual factors that make a city thrive Diversity of people, active streets,
sidewalks and well used and designed parks. In Part 1, Jacobs talks about how eyes
on the sidewalk help create safer pavements and streets.
Speaking on the importance of sidewalks she states that they contribute too Safety by creating clear demarcation between private and public spaces, and
with eyes on the street
o Contact Pavements help create trust between neighbours over time, as they act
as the main venue of daily contact. Also, storekeepers and characters such as
those help create a personality for the street, and at the same time help in
gathering and spreading news.
o Play environment These sidewalks are safe play areas as children are
constantly under surveillance by the public eye.
Part 2 discusses conditions that create diversity in a city. It talks about the advantages
of mixed functions in an area, having a shorter or smaller blocks that allow an increase
in paths available for people to traverse through, and of building occupants being of
varying ages in order to increase diversity.
The two parts above will contribute to a greater understanding of factors that affect the
vibrancy of public spaces in a city.
3. The Great Good Place

Ray Oldenburg

This book talks about the importance of informal public meeting spaces in a city.
Places of a humble aesthetic that mostly fall between the line of home and work.
(Either as per location or schedule) These places are also called third places.
Here, in chapter 2, the author describes the character of these third places, and points
out their importance. Third places are those which
o Act as neutral ground These are places where youre comfortable and you feel
at home, but are not required to play host either. Here, you can come and go as
you please, and therefore there isnt a pressure on you or your private life
o Are a leveller (or inclusive) - These places are accessible to the general public
and do not set a criteria on membership. Theyre open to all, and a person may
display his own personality freely. This is a place where its people tend to leave
their worldly status at the doorstep
o Conversation is the main activity These are places for lively, dramatic
conversation
o Accessibility These places work well when they and their people are available
around the clock, and one may go at any time expecting company and
conversation.

o Regulars The regulars give a third place its character. The regulars mood
provide the style of interaction, and their acceptance of new faces is important.
o Low profile These places are humble almost plain, and help create a joyful
and playful mood. This contributes to the homeliness of the place. It also keeps
away a high volume of crowds, and one time visitors.
o Playful mood The mood of the place and conversations is mainly playful.
Serious conversations do not last for long. Its a place to unwind and relax, and
the mood reinforces that.
o Home away from home The place has a homely atmosphere, and is the only
other place from home where its regulars can be found almost daily at around
the same time of the day.