Waterfront public realm, Brahmaputra

WATERFRONT PUBLIC REALM Case: Brahmaputra, Guwahati Abstract Where water and land meet, a unique place with innumerable possibilities emerges that entwines the urban fabric with this dynamic realm of public space. The waterfronts are a very valuable asset to a city and it is often this element that lends character and a distinctive identity to its urban landscape.

The coastal areas have always seen the hustle and buzz of activities be it transport, fishing, people or commercial markets around it. These areas provide a great opportunity for social interaction along with rejuvenation.

Approximately 90 of the world’s 100 developed cities are built on the coast of waters and portray a complex relationship with water, which is considered as an extension of the urban fabric. Until the beginning of the industrial revolution the principle infrastructure was formed by the waterway network, functioning for transportation, drainage, water supply, food supply, inland shipping, waste distribution, sewage and even defence. Waterways served as the spine where economic activities took place. During the industrialization the waterway net- work lost its importance as the city infrastructure. Better imminent alternatives such as the railway, road network, airways etc. resulted in the river quickly losing its primary function in the city.

This led to the concept of revitalizing the waterfronts and making it a vibrant face of the city for interaction and social cohesion.

India is known for its topographical richness with mountains, plains, valleys, plateaus and rivers generating variations in its form. Brahmaputra – a trans-boundary river is one of the major rivers in Asia being the 29th longest and passes though many cities in the northeastern parts of the country. As it enters India, via Arunanchal Pradesh and winds into Assam valley, it stretches to 10 km in width in some of its parts. Being mighty even in summers, with a great value for fishing, transportation and identity of itself, it has great potential for riverfront development.

“Environmental images are a result of two-way process between the observer and his environment” Kevin Lynch states in “The image of the city”. In the book, Kevin lynch portrays various aspects of urban image and its significance and theorises various elements that make an urban space personified to its functionality.

These theories, when analyzed keeping a wider spectrum of ideations, reveal their universal nature and thus one finds that it can be linked with not only urban planning as a whole but also fragmented planning for any forum on a sizably smaller scale.

This thesis is an attempt to inculcate the principles, theories, elements and the essence of Kevin Lynch’s work, into the development of functional and aesthetic public spaces along the Brahmaputra river front.

CHAPTER 1: CASE – BRAHMAPUTRA RIVERFRONT Introduction: The purpose of this thesis is to activate a pubic interaction space along the water front located besides the river – Brahmaputra to generate a vibrant utility space for the people. The vision is to enhance waterfronts as a public space and make them the transitory node which not only acts as the connection one wants with the water but as a binding factor for the whole city, bringing in new character and meaning to its urban landscape. The development’s emphasis becomes the cohesive manner in which public and private amalgamate.

Water quality, public access to water, public spaces, gradual and flexible development and community participation in the entire process as well as a mix of functions and uses and the collaboration between public and private entities are some of the key aspects that are focused upon.

Brahmaputra, one of the mightiest rivers in the world, flows through Assam, traversing the largest city Guwahati in its wake. Guwahati is said to be the most significant of cities -a major riverine port- amongst the north-eastern states in the country.

Brahmaputra bisects the city into two parts which facilitate different patterns of growth and development – the north and the south. While the Southern part grew to attain proper growth in infrastructure with noteworthy attention to Brahmaputra river banks, the Northern part started to neglect its importance and it faded into oblivion. The waterfronts of the Brahmaputra lack in character, identity, functionality and aesthetic.

To improve the conditions and make them momentous, one can grasp the theories of Kevin lynch and evolve them to an entirely new domain of applicability fostering a vibrant and thriving public space alongside the resilient waters of Brahmaputra.

Critical stance: Discovering an identity for a waterfront has not been easy for many cities. In fact, it is here where the debate over the soul of cities is perhaps most magnified. The void left on many urban waterfronts attracts the full array of claims on what a city is about and what it most needs. Some waterfronts are being privatized with one dimensional commercial activity, others with housing. Some are being limited to passive use or structured recreation, and many have been reserved for automobiles. Each of these forces is vying for these underperforming spaces, and each time one particular use is allowed to dominate it degrades a waterfront’s long-term potential. Waterfronts need to not only draw on a dynamic combination of activity to succeed, they must also become greater than the sum of their uses.

When waterfront revitalization is driven by developers or designers with little attention paid to the community’s vision, the final results end up pleasing no one. The promise of both community enrichment and economic development is sadly lost.

In most coastal regions water quality and fish population decline, freshwater flows subdued, and vital habitat for both humans and other species are progressively altered.

Under the lookout for being the ideal transitions and public arenas in many waterfronts, one can see how the strategic qualities that many of the projects in present day development enhance and harmonize the environment to that of the urban activity carried out in the adjoining public spaces.

It has become very essential to heed the concerns of the waterfronts that lay waste and are not utilised to their fullest potentials.

As discussed above, the underutilized spaces and river edge, chaotic & unorganized nature of adjacent activities and no urban character, make the river banks of Brahmaputra a major focal point for their revitalization and revival.

Hypothesis: The factors that sustain in harmony with the waterfront have to be critically analyzed for their proper development and unanimous impacts of the proposed public space.

Few emerging questions which help us in understanding the co- relation of the public space with the water front are as such : 1. How important is river for urban development?

2. What should be the nature of public spaces along water?

3. How does this development create harmony with social, cultural and economic development of the city?

Aim : To create a public realm in a probable approach to revive Brahmaputra as the face of the city with respect to context, climate and location.

Objective: 1. To rejuvenate the river edge into the new face of the city.

2. To design active community space which changes and evolves with the growing urban needs.

3. To implement design strategies to create a strong character of the space.

Methodology: 10 parameters to create interactive public realm across waterfronts are studied and incorporated.

Analysing and designing the river edge according to the perspective of Kevin Lynch’s ‘Image of the City’.

Scope and limitations: 1. The thesis shall focus on the creating, public realm along the edge of the river Brahmaputra.

2. The explanation of the theories are literature based and not experimented.

3. The topic does not deal with the architectural character of the adjoining building edge.

CHAPTER

2:

PARAMETERS

RESPONSIBLE

FOR

ENHANCING INTERACTION ALONG WATERFRONTS. 2.1 Introduction Attractive public waterfront spaces provide room for a wide range of optional and social activities.

But the question is how is it possible to transform such spaces into an attractive public and active physical spaces? The places of existing well functioning public spaces throughout the world shows that they share common characteristics therefore it has been categorised and summarised in 11 quality criteria in this chapter. Public spaces should be inviting, attractive and provide room for recreation, pleasure, exercise, play etcetera. They must be able to attract a broad spectrum of people so that children teenagers and the elderly people come together with special needs and all feel comfortable. If public spaces are very attractive, they can in-line be with respect to optional and social activities together creating high quality public spaces.

2.2 Parameter 1- Peripheral building use - Enhancing public spaces : Any building on the waterfront should boost activity in the public spaces around it. Ideally, there should be a mix of uses, with seamless interaction between inside and outdoors. High-rise towers that lack any public uses on the ground floor are noticeably out of place along rivers, lakes and oceanfront.

They usually create a wall that physically and psychologically cut off the waterfront from surrounding neighborhoods.

2.3 Parameter 2 – Iconic Buildings Iconic, attention-grabbing buildings that reflect a human scale and do not detract from the surrounding context can be a boon to the waterfront, so long as they serve a variety of functions. These buildings serves more than a one-dimensional icon, it is also a good neighbor exhibiting a strong sense of place.

Today’s iconic buildings should strive to achieve the same flexibility and public-spirited presence.

fig-1 Historic buildings circular quay

fig 2- City hall

2.4 Parameter 3- Limiting on private sectors Great waterfronts are not dominated by residential development. Because these are places that are full of people, day and night. They are the sites of festivals, markets, fireworks displays, concerts, spontaneous celebrations and other high-energy gatherings. A high concentration of residential development undermines the diversity of waterfront use and creates pressure to prevent nighttime activity from flourishing.

fig-3 Porto’s residential riverfront

fig-4 Brighton active waterfront

2.5 Parameter 4 - Year round activities

Waterfronts that thrive year-round has substantial community and economic benefits. Weather is no reason for a waterfront to sit empty. Creative programming can take rainy and winter weather into account, and smart use of amenities can provide protection from inclement weather. Likewise, people enjoy being by the water at night if appropriate lighting and special events make them feel welcome and safe. (fig-2.4)

2.6 Parameter 5 – Flexible Design Successful waterfronts must adapt to many changes that bring different users at different times. Programming and management are helpful in serving diverse audiences, but flexibility must also be built into the design of the place.

fig-5 showing book and art stalls pull in curious browsers along the Seine in Paris.

2.7 Parameter 6- Creative amenities

The best waterfronts feature amenities that increase people’s comfort and enjoyment. A bench or waste receptacle in just the right location makes a surprising difference in how people choose to use a place. Lighting strengthens a square’s identity and can draw attention to specific activities, pathways or entrances. Public art is a great magnet for children of all ages to come together. Whether temporary or permanent, amenities help establish a convivial setting for social interaction.

fig-6 fire art installation in water place

fig-7 boat race in Leeds

2.8 Parameter 7- Accessible waterfront

Waterfronts flourish when they can be accessed by means other than private vehicles. the character and experience of a waterfront drastically enhance when it is easily reached in ways other than driving. Access by foot and bike are a crucial element of the transportation mix, which is why many of the most beloved are crowned by pedestrian promenades and bike lanes. People feel more at ease when not overwhelmed by traffic and parking lots, creating a climate that fosters a full span of waterfront activity. Where streets are absolutely necessary for commercial deliveries, or access to retail or marine uses, they should be designed to minimize their impact on pedestrian safety and enjoyment, and always be closed for events and festivals.

fig-8 Boat transit in Dubai waterfront

2.9 Parameter 8 – Generating local identity

The greatest waterfront destinations are found in cities that truly orient themselves to the water.

Making the most of local identity, history and culture stimulates widespread interest in the waterfront and creates a unique sense of place. Frequent opportunities to appreciate local art, music and theatre helps draw a community together around the waterfront.

fig- 9 riverwalk at San Antonio showcasing the vibrant culture and direct access to river

2.10 Parameter 9-Proper policy framing for maintenance

Management is essential to ensure that a successful waterfront stays that way. A “SPV – Special Purpose Vehicle” could forge partnerships between city agencies, property owners, waterfront businesses and community organizations in the surrounding district, so that waterfront programming– such as temporary exhibits of local artists or music performances– gives the place a unique character.

Such organizations are very helpful in sustaining a diverse variety of activities and events throughout the year and implementing programs that can be used to generate revenue that benefits the waterfront as a whole.

fig-10 Active Programming in San Francisco

2.11 Parameter 10 - Use/ Protect/ Enhance the natural resources.

Water is the natural recourse we need to use, protect, enhance and strive to develop into an urban area working towards an ecological, sustainable and a healthy river.

fig-11 Parramatta River’s ecological cycle track

2.12 Parameter 11-Interesting Architectural Qualities

The foremost quality of a great public is is the architectural quality of the space and its atmosphere.

The visual characteristic of a space is enhanced by the design of the space and plays a particular role in making the place a successful one. Hardscapes, lighting, furniture etc. should be taken into account while designing public spaces in waterfront

fig-12 Lightings in Sabarmati

fig-13 Hardscaping in Hamburg

CHAPTER 3 Analysing a public space – by principle of Kevin Lynch’s legibility : The Image of the City (1960)

Introduction: What does the city’s form actually mean to the people who live there ? What can the designer do to make the cities image more vivid and memorable to the city dweller?

LEGIBILITY New concepts of “legibility” and “ imageability” are presented to lay the theoretical foundation of the book ‘The image of the city’, Kevin Lynch, 1960. Here Lynch states that people in urban situations orient themselves by means of mental maps, a central notion of legibility (also called imageability and visibility). Legibility is when the cityscape can be ‘read’. A stronghold of urban analysis and designing through simple processes of image and the beholder.

According to his theory people who move through the city always engages in way-finding, which is imperative that they need to be able to recognize and organize the urban elements into a coherent pattern. According to Kevin Lynch, in the process of way-finding the strategic link is the environmental image and the generalized mental picture of the exterior physical world that is held by an individualor observer. This image is the product both of immediate sensation and of the memory of past experience, and it is used to interpret information and to guide action*. He further proposes that these mental maps consist of five elements: (1) Paths: The routes along which people move throughout the city; (2) Edges: boundaries and breaks in continuity; (3) Districts: Areas characterized by common characteristics; (4) Nodes: strategic focus points for orientation like squares and junctions; and (5) Landmarks: External points of orientation, usually a easily identifiable physical object in the urban fabric.

These specific design process, principles and approaches can be demonstrated in order to achieve strong and continuous imageability in cities, larger metropolitan scales or smaller districts having a particular distinct character. Lynch points out the form of the metropolis being a sophisticated system rather than a static hierarchy.

In Lynch’s view, image can be explained as “a picture especially in the mind”, a sentimental combination between objective city image and subjective human thoughts. The productions of environment images are influenced by a two-way process between the observer and the

observed. The observer, with great adaptability and in the light of his own purposes, selects, organizes, and endows with meaning what he/she sees making specific image totally different from the different perspective of observers.

Here we can understand the evolution of the theory of urban rooms, which are spaces designed for a particular activity, but completely depending upon the perception of the user or the observer. For example, a particularly designed spill over area in an urban node can be perceived as a mere interactive space for a certain user group, or maybe a point of zenithal experience for a different user altogrther.

A well designed environment image will improve the sense of security for people and set up a harmonious relationship between the outer world and themselves. These images may be analyzed into three components: identity, structure and meaning.

Identity defines the identification of an object which implies its distinction from other things.

The image must include the spatial or pattern relationship of the object to the observer and to other objects. Finally, this object must have some meaning for the observer, whether practical or emotional. A highly imageable city should be well formed, distinct and remarkable.

The classification of imageability and legibility into the five principles :: Paths : They are the predominant elements in urban space having a typical spatial characters. They are the initiator of the image, a city dweller forms in its minds. Certain definite character or a unique faรงade decorations strengthen the image of particular path. First and foremost, a path must be identifiable followed by its continuity. Paths with clear and well-known origins and destinations have stronger identities and help tie the city together.

Physical attributes like the directional qualities, scales and proportions are the precursor of any imageable space designing. Hence for a city, a series of nodes and landmarks are the most common way to achieve it. In general, it is impossible to create a clear city image while its paths remain confused and disordered.

Edges: These are boundaries which separate two spaces, usually demarcated by a path with visually predominant and continuous form. While continuity and visibility are crucial, strong edges are not necessarily impenetrable. Many edges should be defined as unity seams rather than isolating barriers, some of them are often paths like highways and rivers which become effective orientation elements as well.

Districts: They are relatively large areas with common characters which observers can mentally go inside of. The physical characteristics that determine districts are thematic continuities which may consist of an endless variety of components: texture, space, form, detail, symbol and so on. These components are imaged and recognized in a characteristic cluster in order to establish a striking contrast. Besides, a certain reinforcement of clues is needed to produce a strong image of an entire district.

Nodes : Nodes are strategic foci which observers can enter, which are not only small points but can be squares, vehicular crossings, linear shapes and central districts. Basically, there are two types of nodes: junctions of path and concentrations of characteristics. A successful node should have unique features inside, and intensify some surrounding characters as well.

Landmarks : The reference points external to observers, which can be defined as a simple physical element which may vary widely in scale. Singularity is the key physical characteristic of landmarks, creating spatial predominance through contrast with surrounding elements, making them unique or memorable in urban context. A landmark strengthens the image formation of the observer of a particular space.

It is critical to note that these elements cannot exist individually; they must act together as a whole to reveal an integrated city image. It is a total orchestration of these elements which combine together as a vivid and dense image. As Lynch states, ‘Districts can be constructed by nodes, defined by edges, penetrated by paths and dominated by landmarks’*. Such combinations may reinforce one another, resonate so that they enhance each other’s power, or they may conflict and destroy themselves.

The image of cities is a dynamic and ever-changing object; it may differ not only by scale, but also by viewpoint, time and season. Moreover, observers are able to select, remove, and increase elements to organize their own city image either. Therefore, what we are pursuing is an open and ever-developing image rather than a fixed one-way outcome to describe city.

Nowadays, cities are growing larger and larger, but their form will not be a simple gigantic

and stratified order. Instead, it will be a complicated pattern, continuous, complex and mobile. It must be plastic to the perceptual habits of thousands of citizens, open-ended to change of function and meaning, receptive to the formation of new imagery. What is more, we need an environment which is not simply well organized, but poetic and symbolic as well.

Above all, cities have specific spatial structure just like architecture, but in an enormous scale, which will take us a much longer time to perceive and understand. Lynch summarized the basic elements of the image and revealed an approach of how to improve it. Besides, this is also a milestone work which provides us a new perspective to read the cities we live in or formulate ideas to create new cities.

CHAPTER 4: DESIGN PROGRAM Introduction: The city - Guwahati is the largest city of Assam, a major riverine port city and one of the fastest growing cities in India.

Population Density - 809,895 (2001) UNdata Area - 215 km²

The above analysis shows the substantially low quality of the existing public spaces through empirical data and the urgent need to create a strong urban public realm in the city.

The scope of development of public spaces depends upon several factors, footfall, historic background, function of the space and the geographical location.

According to the 2025 development plan of Guwahati, the GMDA (Guwahati Municipality Development Corporation) has identified various areas as Public Interactive space out of which the ‘concerned’ site is under the riverfront development zone. (refer Fig. , Fig. )

Fig-14

Fig-15 Development of a particular urban area requires careful survey and analysis‌‌

The site potentials and constraints :

Image source – seattle (Gehl architects)

Mapping and analysis according to the Kevin Lynch’s Principles:

It is imperative to realise the natural setting and condition of the river before planning out or conceptualising the design because it had a strong rooting system on the climate, and geography of the site.

Hence the concepts and methods to revive the edge of the perennial river as a public space were adopted so as to not disturb the natural flow of the river considering the flooding conditions and heavy siltation beds.

CONCEPT DRAWINGS::

STRUCTURE PLAN

MASTERPLAN

SECTIONS

Section AA Section through the Cultural zone.

Section BB

Section CC

Section DD

Section EE

Section FF The above sections shows the different levels of public interactions along the waterfront with respect to the surrounding landuse.

STREETSCAPING AND ITS ELEMENTS

LANDSCAPING PLAN

THE LANDMARK – Community Building “The key physical characteristics of a landmark is singularity, some aspect that is unique or memorable in the context landmarks become more easily identifiable more likely to be chosen as a significant if they have a clear form; if it contrast with the background and if there is some prominence of special location.” – Image of the City, Kevin Lynch, 1960.

The key aspect of any landmark building is its location in the urban fabric, hence the community building stands upright in the centre of the city, the urban plaza. This locational aspect plays the main role in characterising the typology of the built form, which is a monolithic structure owing to the safety and security of the building premise.

The second most important criteria is the user influence. Public buildings ought to be extrovert, allowing public glances inside the building. Having a good balance of relationship between the exterior and the interior of the building gives a public building its due stance in the urban environment.

The third aspect is its global positioning which helps in energy conservation as well as increases the work efficiency of the people.

Process Sketches

The Order of Similitude – The order achieved by repeated composition of some architectural elements that are similar but not identical.

Similitude law has been experimented by the repeated use of linear vertical elements like Glazings, Fins and perforated walls in achieving verticality of a mere linear monolithic structure.