Rethinking Urban Spaces in High-Density City

Rethinking Urban Spaces in High-Density Cities

ARCH 7100 Design Research

PAVITHRA BHASKARAN

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Copyright © 2021 University of Virginia School of Architecture Pavithra Bhaskaran M. Arch Candidate 2022 Guide: Prof. Matthew Jull Associate Professor - UVA School of Architecture TA: Matthew Slaats Ph.D. Candidate - UVA School of Architecture All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the copyright publisher. 

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Rethinking Urban Spaces in High-Density Cities

   



 

Context of Ind

post industria

Emerging Urbanization

  

Rural to city m Densiicatin

             

Pressure on urb Is Density g

 

ect  ensity n spaces ypes  spaces

aity  ie in rban spaces

Urban spaces

aceaking

Public spaces

bicness  p

Left over gaps Water front

Isses sch as increase in sea

Disadvantages Cngestin an ercring Sanitatin Saety

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Quality of Life H is aity  ie reate t the ensity  the city H es this aect the pbic spaces





dian City-Mumbai

al city

migration

ban spaces

  Urban spaces

n Finding urban gaps Finding typologies

pbic space Community library spaces plaza parks

ing an a ee Interentin

Rethinking these rban spaces eibe an aaptabe spaces ie base tiiatin

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Brainstorming Ideas for research topic Translating ideas into research questions Idea Cloud Reducing the idea cloud and forming research questions Research topic heads Expanding on the topic heads Understand the existing typologies of open spaces Analyzing topic based on the case studies

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March 8

Finalizing the topic March 1

Forming Research Questions Feb 22

Feb 15

Final Book layout

Forming research Groups

Book layout and preparing iterations

Feb 08

Trying to find commonalities with other major cities in India

Surveying topics for research topics

Outcomes - Potential of various transformation possibilities

Feb 01

Forming a toolkit based on the

Surveying topics for research top-

Finding the related conflicts and issues

Grant Writing: on framing questions

Identifying typologies and Analyzing the sites in Mumbai

May 07

May 05

April 26

April 19

April 12

April 05

March 29

March 22

March 15

Design projection 1

MID REVIEW

Design projection 1

A7: Book Assembly/ Peer Review II

A7: Book Assembly/ Peer Review I

Book Structuring & Design Workshop

Design projection 2

Working on comments based on Mid review

Timeline

Stage 1 Initial Research

Stage 2 Deep Dive

Mid review

Stage 3 Outcomes

Draft Presentation

Final review

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Contents

Part 1

Introduction Thesis Statement and Research Question Urbanisation Global Trends Effects of Urbanisation on cities

Part 2

Urban Spaces Foundation Pressure of urbanisation on urban(Open spaces Framework

Part 3

Context of Mumbai Urban Spaces Increasing built spaces Static-Kinectic City

Part 4

Oppurtunities Informality Temporary change

Part 5

Casestudy Pocket Park Urban Fragments Mobile Intervention

Part 6

Design Projection Urban Gaps Typologies Under Utilized Areas Typology

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1

INTRODUCTION

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Thesis Statement & Reseach Question The 21st century has seen a dramatic rise in urban population and urban development. For the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population lives in the cities. Asian cities have experienced the most dramatic urban transformations in the built environment. Through this proposal, I intend to confront the impact of densification and hybridization on the urban spaces panning out in the Indian cities.

I plan to find the relationship between the existing urban spaces and the quality of life attached. The aim is to create and redevelop quality urban spaces which would respond to the diverse and dynamic environment of a high-density city like Mumbai.

The interesting case of Indian cities is the usage of unplanned/ leftover spaces/ gaps in the city by its population. However, these spaces often get ignored by the authorities. Food streets, food spots, vendor stalls, vegetable markets, and open grounds are some of the common examples we can see in most Indian cities. There is a scope of redeveloping them and thereby increasing the social engagement spaces in the city.

Currently, Mumbai has an open space of 1.1 m2 per person. It is very little open space per person when compared to other megacities in the world. Parks, sports grounds, and waterfront areas mainly make up the existing urban spaces in Mumbai city. The present conditions make it hard to create open spaces/ parks in the city.

In design projection, steps would be taken to improve the quality of life and establish a framework to enhance these unplanned spaces. It is critical to link these informal spaces to the existing infrastructure to create a network of urban spaces. Existing infrastructures like water and landscape would be taken into consideration while developing a framework. Designing a toolkit of strategies to serve the city to enable equitable and safe social engagement spaces will be carried out.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS What impact density has on urban spaces?

How do we define urban spaces?

How to rethink existing gaps/ voids in the city to create quality urban spaces? 

Source - after-https://www.reddit.com/r/mumbai/comments/cklxah/an_aerial_view_of_mumbai_looking_south_from_mt/

The 21st century has seen a dramatic rise in urban population and urban development. According to World urbanization prospects by the UN, currently, 54% of the population resides in urban areas. By the year 2050, this will increase to 66%, or more than 6 billion people will be living in the cities.1

1

Cho, Im Sik, Chye-Kiang Heng, and Zdravko Trivic, Re-Framing Urban Space: Urban Design for Emerging Hybrid and High-Density Conditions

(Routledge, 2015)

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Urbanisation

65% 50% 44.5 % 2010 2020 Increase in growth of urban population

2050 

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Global Trends

Source: Hoornweg, D., and Pope, K. 2016. Population predictions for the world’s largest cities in the 21st century. Environment and Urbanization 29(1):195–216.

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Global Trends

Source: Hoornweg, D., and Pope, K. 2016. Population predictions for the world’s largest cities in the 21st century. Environment and Urbanization 29(1):195–216.

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Bandra Kurla complex in sharp contrast to shanties

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Effects of Urbanisation on Cities

Overview • Over crowding

Increasing density

Uncontrollable population growth

Rural to City Migration • Urban Sprawls Suburbs Slums • Health & Well being

Lack of green spaces

Water supply problem

Health issues • Pollution

Air and water pollution

Visual and Noise pollution • Lagging infrastructure

Transportation gridlock • Income inequality Gentrification

High cost of living • Corporate mega growth • Large carbon footprints Source - after Johhny Miller

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What are the challenges to D

Is Density good

How are Asian Cities cop



Effects of Urbanisation on Cities

Density in Urban Cities?

for the Cities?

ping with densification?

Source - https://schwarzplan.eu/en/site-plan-figure-ground-plan-shop/free-siteplan-and-figure-ground-plan-downloads/

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CHALLENGES TO DENSITY IN URBAN CITIES

Emerging Urbanization

Densiicatin

Is Density g

ect  ensity n spaces

The challenge of today urbanization are the growing concerns of rapid urbanisation, densification of cities, rural to city migration and popultaion growth in some parts of the world.

There is a need to understand the existing notions of density, space, typology and publicness in the context of high density and high intensity urban environments. The role of quality urban space become vital in cities where the land is scarce like Tokyo and Singapore. In this context, densification is not a choice rather it is inevitable challenge.1

1 Cho, Im Sik, Chye-Kiang Heng, and Zdravko Trivic, Re-Framing Urban Space: Urban Design for Emerging Hybrid and High-Density Conditions (Routledge, 2015)

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Effects of Urbanisation on Cities Rural to City Migration 70%

30% 2050

0% 1950

1970

1990

2000

2010

2020

2030

2040

Percentage of Global Population

Today 50% of the population lives in the cities.

By 2050 two-third of them would live in cities.

Source - after Johhny Miller

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IS DENSITY GOOD FOR CITIES?

“Density is the city’s third dimension and a vehicle for provocative statements. Stronger means than just housing are required to produce a truly compact city with a density comparable to that of New York or Hong Kong. [...] Urban density then is more than simply upping the floor area ratio. It also entails densifying and stacking functional, social and economic systems.”

- Farmax excursions on density

Source - National Geograpgy Society

Urban density in Jaipur. Houses and offices packed together in the city to combat the arid climate.

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Effects of Urbanisation on Cities

Source - Michael Wolf

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Effects of Urbanisation on Cities

Source - demographics.at

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ASIAN CITIES COPING WITH DENSIFICATION

Asian cities have experienced the most dramatic urban transformations characterized by rapid densification of the built environment. The main challenge of cities is to create and recreate quality urban spaces which would respond to the diverse and dynamic & often unprecedented urban conditions. The need for quality public spaces is critical in a high-density context due to the scarcity of land.1

Density and pace of Urbanisation

Source- new geography.com

1 Cho, Im Sik, Chye-Kiang Heng, and Zdravko Trivic, Re-Framing Urban Space: Urban Design for Emerging Hybrid and High-Density Conditions (Routledge, 2015)

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Effects of Urbanisation on Cities Current Scenario

In the context of the cities in Asia, the global assembly work movement has altered the urban landscapes to accommodate large economic zones. This had triggered rapid urbanization for people in search of better livelihood in rapidly developing cities. The urban cores experienced privatization of urban spaces for the mega projects ranging from shopping malls to high-rise buildings. The alternative urban spaces can potentially create spaces for people.2

Source - UN Urban Data

Cities in Asia by and for the People, ed. by Yves Cabannes, Mike Douglass, and Rita Padawangi, Asian Cities, 7 (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2018).

2

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2

Urban Spaces

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Foundation URBAN SPACES AND QUALITY OF LIFE In the post-industrial scenario, cities in developing countries lacked infrastructures which have resulted in informal settlements. These settlements are densely populated, primitively constructed, and lacking vital services. Also, the high-rise, dense construction is being built at a fast pace, and urban spaces are usually under dimensioned and of poor quality. Erecting tall buildings to create a high density and inadequate public space is not a healthy recipe for lively cities. Density and quantity must be combined with quality to form vibrant public spaces.3 “It is now widely accepted that well-designed and well-managed public spaces are the vital assets for a city’s livability and sustainable development, and have social, health, environmental, and economic short and long-term benefits” Aspects that promote quality of life in cities are the spaces that have economic, social, and environmental value.

Equitable, sustainable and a healthy Urban space 3

Source: World Bank Staff

Jan Gehl, Cities for People, 2010.

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Satellite photos taken 15 years apart show how houses and businesses have replaced wetlands and othe 

Pressure of Urbanization on Urban(open) Spaces

er open spaces in Bangalore, India

Source - Google Earth Historical Imagery.

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DEFINING URBAN SPACES “Such a rapid rise of urban development and urban population globally has inevitably led to higher demands for environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable planning. As part of such demands, the provision of “high-quality public spaces” is increasingly seen as one of the key means for fostering environmental and social sustainability and improving the quality of life in contemporary urban environments.” 1

Public space

Urban space

Hybrid space

Accessible public space for all citizens regardless of age, sex, and ethnicity. These are often owned by the government and not privatized.

Emerging typology of spaces that may not be owned or managed publicly but initiates a concept of collectiveness.A publicly accessible space that is designed and built for the activity and enjoyment of the community.1

• Emerging Hybrid Urban Space Typologies • Intensified Residential Developments • Mixed-use Developments • Infrastructural Transit-led Spaces • Recreational Green Hybrids • Hybrid Urban Voids

Public Space at Mixed used Development in Japan 

Source - Cho et al.,2015

Framework WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL URBAN SPACE?

How do we recreate urban spaces that can accommodate and respond to the diverse, intense, hybrid and often unprecedented urban conditions?

The Gehl Institute’s framework for Inclusive Healthy Spaces

Source - Gehl Institute

1 Cho, Im Sik, Chye-Kiang Heng, and Zdravko Trivic, Re-Framing Urban Space: Urban Design for Emerging Hybrid and High-Density Conditions (Routledge, 2015)

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3

Context of Mumbai

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Source-https://br.pinterest.com/pin/70228075426649149/

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OVERVIEW Mumbai city has grown from a small fishing village to one of the largest megacities in the world. Currently, the city has only 8.15% of vacant land. Often other infrastructure takes priority over the public spaces. However, Mumbai has the opportunity of these informal interventions. As these spaces are informal in nature, there is an opportunity to optimize them based on time. These informal interventions manifest in many ways.

A few common examples that can be found in the city are food streets, food spots, mobile food carts, stalls, vegetable markets, fairs, festivals, and sports grounds. As of now in Mumbai has a 1.1 M2 per person open space. In the present conditions, it is hard to create parks in the city. I am interested in understanding how the city responds to the increasing densities. Since 95% of Mumbai is dependent on public transport to commute, these interventions tap into the flows of people on the streets and provide opportunities for them to pause and seek relief. Due to this, the streets become vibrant, lively and provide ample opportunity for social interaction.

How do we recreate urban spaces that can accommodate and respond to the diverse, intense, hybrid and often unprecedented urban conditions?

Open Space per person

Open Space per cities in the world

Source-PLAY! Tactics & Strategies for Mumbai’s Informal City, Sourav Biswas

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Urban Spaces LACK OF GREEN SPACES IN THE CITY

Source- Times of India

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LAND USE CHANGE IN THE CITY



Increasing Built Spaces

Source-PLAY! Tactics & Strategies for Mumbai’s Informal City, Sourav Biswas

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KINECTIC CITIES



Source- Google books

Static-Kinectic city

Temporary construction for a festival.

Source- Static Kinectic Cities by Rahul Mehrotra

In the case of India, the latter half of the twentieth century experienced a massive wave migration from rural areas to the cities. The migration, coupled with the inadequate supply of urban real estate, failed to create a new urban center, resulting in high population density. The sites in these cities have become a critical negotiation between social classes. New bazaar-like urbanization emerged in the urban landscape.4 In the article Kinectic Cities, Mehrotra cites that Indian cities comprise of two components, a formal or a static city and a kinetic or informal city. The former is built using permanent materials like brick, concrete, and steel. The latter is perceived as a city in motion- a three-dimensional construct of incremental development. The kinetic city is temporary in nature and often built with recycled materials like plastic sheets, scrap metal canvas, and waste wood.

‘Static-Kinetic-Cities.Pdf’ <http://www.rmaarchitects.com/essays/static-kinetic-cities.pdf> [accessed 7 March 2021].

4

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Source- Mehrotra, Rahul, ‘Mumbai: Planning Challenges for the Compact City’, 12

Cricket fields transformed into spaces for wedding venues during evening. The above picture shows a cricket field.

Source- Mehrotra, Rahul, ‘Mumbai: Planning Challenges for the Compact City’, 12

Temporary structures are erected during evening for wedding in the cricket field. 

Static-Kinectic city

Source- Mehrotra, Rahul, ‘Mumbai: Planning Challenges for the Compact City’, 12

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4

Oppurtunity

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Informality Informality is a state of being that is outside the formal or often implied legal system. Historically, since the 1950s mass of informal cities increased globally. The people engaging with the informal cities often fall into the same economic strata. However, this is not the condition of Mumbai city. The densities in the formal and the informal ones are similar. The informal one has epitomized the dense and compact city. However, it faces extreme situations of infrastructure and sanitation.4 Temporary use is unplanned, however present in every large city. They often play a huge role in the city’s public, cultural life, and urban development. However, they often get ignored by the official and planning agencies. The temporary spaces and structures can be built at a lower cost and are often used by those willing to put up in such poor conditions. In terms of the location, the temporary users often choose spaces with high pedestrian footfall and often arise in clusters and not in isolation.5

Commercial street in mumbai. A pedestrianised area in bazzar like development ‘Static-Kinetic-Cities.Pdf’ <http://www.rmaarchitects.com/essays/static-kinetic-cities.pdf> [accessed 7 March 2021].

Philipp Oswalt, Klaus Overmeyer, and Philipp Misselwitz, Urban Catalyst: The Power of Temporary Use (Dom Pub, 2013).

4 5

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TYPES OF INFORMALITY

Leisure Activities

Road side corner shops

Tea Stalls

Roadside Tiffin centers

Daily Activities along roadside

Festivals

Yoga

Street Vendors

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Informality DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMALITY

Stages to informality

How does it develop?

1. Denial

These temporary users often occupy any open/ vacant spaces on the edges of the road. They set up a small movable cart in these vacant spots.

These are low-cost and are used for a limited period.

These people are denied of existence band and are provided limited or no services from the local authority.

2. Removal On the increasing informal settlements, the local authorities try to forcefully remove them and relocate them to the outskirts of the city. However, this did not work out, and the people kept coming back to the city.

3. Tolerance Over a period, it was realized that informality exists and it is not possible to remove it. Thus the local authorities become more tolerant and started recognizing them as part of the city.

The constant process of change and urban redevelopment in cities has led to this kind of urban rotation system.

Advantages of being informal 1. Flexibility in Programs Dynamic interventions which adapt to changing users need 2. Economic advantage The intervention at a convenient location for affordable prices.

4. Improvement

3. Location advantage

Once the informality was accepted, the focus shifted towards improving their living condition. Facilities like water, electricity, toilet infrastructures, and various schemes were launched by the government to improve their livelihood.

The intervention keeps shifting to accommodate the pedestrian movement.

5. Anticipation

4. Time-based utilization of the space The same site being used for various activities at varied times of the day.

In this stage, we need to focus on how these informal settlements would grow in the future. 

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Temporary Change

Source - Urban catalyst

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Temporary Change

Source:google books

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Does permanence matter?

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Temporary Change

“The scales and patterns of urbanization today challenges the notion of permanence as the default conditions of the cities” “Rubrics like informality have meanwhile become counter-productive as they also implicitly aspire to create new processes in imagining “What does it mean to architecture and the city” -Rahul Mehrotra

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Casestudy

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Pocket Park PALEY PARK, NEW YORK

Source: beirutgreenproject

It was designed as a quiet escape from noisy city of New York. The level of the park is slightly elevated to create privacy. 

PET ARCHITECTURE

Sourec- Pet architecture Atelier Bow Wow

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Urban Fragments Pet architecture is described as walking through the streets of Japan, where there are small buildings between the streets.

They are often cheaply built and not spectacular in design. Its small sizes and width led the architect to think of these buildings as pets. They aimed to establish a new category of urban structures and considering them as openings and fragments.6 In design projection, I choose to use these informal spaces as an opportunity to increase the urban spaces in the city. In the Book by Atelier Bow Wow Pet architecture, they use it as a tool to direct the urban use of the space and recycling the unused spaces. According to the book, it can be seen as customization of construction. These informal urban spaces can be imagined in a network of spaces to create equitable social engagement spaces.6

Sourec- Pet architecture Atelier Bow Wow Atelier Bow-Wow, Pet Architecture Guide Book Vol 2 (Tōkyō: World Photo Press,Japan, 2002).

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BMW GUGGENHEIM LAB BY ATELIER BOW-WOW

Source -https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/mumbai-lab-atelier-bow-wow-bmw-guggenheim-lab

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Mobile Intervention

Source -dezeen, BMW Guggenheim Lab by Atelier Bow-Wow

It is a mobile cum studio designed by Atelier Bow Wow in Mumbai. It is nestled between two buildings that are open towards the street on both ends. It hosts series of programs, talks, exhibitions, screenings, workshop, and games in the theme of the city.

On Left, the images showcase a mobile intervention that was inspired by Mandapa, a traditional Indian outdoor pavilion. Materials like bamboo are used to suit the climate of Mumbai. It light, open, and has a transparent quality.7

7

https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/mumbai-lab-atelier-bow-wow-bmw-guggenheim-lab

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6

Design Projection

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Urban Gaps LEFT OVER GAPS IN THE CITY? Revitalising Urban Gaps Need to rethink a framework on how the urban gaps can be transformed into social engagement spots for the community. Some of the possibilities are meeting place, market spaces for vendors, bookstalls, library spaces, The goal is to focus on smaller nodes that can be developed as relief nodes.

Instead of focusing on creating a complete solution, multiple smaller nodes can be developed as public relief spots. These nodes can be further optimized to accommodate the changing conditions of the city as they can provide relief throughout the day. Eventually, these smaller nodes can be networked together to form a large public realm that are made up of smaller public relief spots.

One of the strategies is utilizing the areas according to the time of the day. In the morning, it can be an informal activity like a farmers market, bookstores. In the evening, it can be transformed into a public space for the community. At later in the night, there can be programs like temporary stores.

These characteristics were identified based on the current shifting city timeline of Mumbai.

Source - Urban Catalyst

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Mumbai Vacant Lot Map

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Typologies

Source - Nada Nafeh, Infomal pattern

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The left urban gaps in tokyo city were transformed into small scale intervention.

Source- Pet Architcture, Atelier Bow Wow

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Typology-Meeting Place

These urban gaps can be filled with temporary interventions like meeting place, restaurants, and book stores/ library

Hanada Park, Pet Architecture Atelier Bow

Source- Pet Architcture, Atelier Bow Wow

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Typology-Meeting Place

Source- Pet Architcture, Atelier Bow Wow

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Temporary Intervention - Ephmeral Urbanism

Source- Ephemeral Urbanism

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Materiality Bamboo Structures

Source- Ephemeral Urbanism

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SPACES BENEATH FLYOVERS ‘This world of hawking, storing, resting, playing and dwelling under flyovers and skywalks indicates how Mumbai thrives and survives through improvisation & density. These spatial ‘off-cuts’ & leftovers from large infrastructural schemes, often bustling with social interaction and spectacle, are a clear demonstration of what the film scholar Ranjani Mazumdar calls ‘residual spaces’ in Mumbai – spaces that do not fit into any vision of the planned city because they take on a life of their own’.8 These dead spaces can be transformed into social engagement spaces such as libraries, markets, parks, playgrounds, art galleries, canteens, seating areas with traditional board games. It could act as a nodal point for the community to gather.

These spaces could improve the quality of life while living in a city.

As shown on the right side below the image, these spaces are presently used for parking. Instead, these spaces can be used for community building, festival celebration, and worship.

These spaces can be reimagined as pocket parks, shaded seating areas, food courts plazas, and play areas. In the denser areas of the city, street vending opportunities can be inserted to attract the public. Some of the areas can be utilized for public infrastructures like toilets, rickshaw stands, and strategic parking.

Harris, Andrew, ‘Mumbai’s Underworld: Urban Life beneath Transport Infrastructure’, 2017, 13

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Source - Archdaily Ephemeral Urbansim

Under Utilized areas

Existing Flyovers

Source- Harris, Andrew, ‘Mumbai’s Underworld: Urban Life beneath Transport Infrastructure’, 2017, 13

Source- Harris, Andrew, ‘Mumbai’s Underworld: Urban Life beneath Transport Infrastructure’, 2017, 13

Flyover spaces used as parking spots 

Shelter Units near Flyover spaces Small interventions can be thought of on the spaces beneath the flyover that can be transformed into shelter units

Source- Pet Architcture, Atelier Bow Wow

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Typology - Shelter Units

Source- Pet Architcture, Atelier Bow Wow

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A

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BIBILIOGRAPHY 2962908, ‘PLAY! Tactics & Strategies for Mumbai’s Informal City’, Issuu <https:// issuu.com/skb347/docs/play_and_the_informal_city_hq_issuu> [accessed 8 May 2021] Bow-Wow, Atelier, Pet Architecture Guide Book Vol 2 (Tōkyō: World Photo Press,Japan, 2002) Cho, Im Sik, Chye-Kiang Heng, and Zdravko Trivic, Re-Framing Urban Space: Urban Design for Emerging Hybrid and High-Density Conditions (Routledge, 2015) Gehl, Jan, Cities for People, 2010 Harris, Andrew, ‘Mumbai’s Underworld: Urban Life beneath Transport Infrastructure’, 2017, 13 Lydon, Mike, Anthony Garcia, and Andres Duany, Tactical Urbanism: Short-Term Action for Long-Term Change (Island Press, 2015) Mehrotra, Rahul, ‘Mumbai: Planning Challenges for the Compact City’, 12 ———, ‘Mumbai: Planning Challenges for the Compact City’, 12 Oswalt, Philipp, Klaus Overmeyer, and Philipp Misselwitz, Urban Catalyst: The Power of Temporary Use (Dom Pub, 2013) ‘Static-Kinetic-Cities.Pdf’ <http://www.rmaarchitects.com/essays/static-kinetic-cities.pdf> [accessed 7 March 2021] Mehrotra, Rahul, Felipe Vera, and José Mayoral, Ephemeral Urbanism: Does Permanence Matter? (List - Laboratorio Internazionale Editoriale Sas, 2017)

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