Social design project

SOCIAL DESIGN MONICA RAVI | 2017

GULMOHAR PARK

Gulmohar Park is an affluent, upmarket and green neighbourhood in South Delhi. It lies between Hauz Khas and Gautam Nagar and is named after the red-flowered Gulmohar trees (Delonix regia) growing inside. The nearby residential colony is known as Gulmohar Park Journalists' Colony or simply Gulmohar Park for short, and was established by a group of journalists in the 1970s and is today home to top notch business people, senior lawyers and cine star Amitabh Bachchan’s Delhi residence.

STAKEHOLDERS INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY & SAFETY FLORA & FAUNA ACTIVITIES NEIGHBOURHOOD MAINTENENCE DEMOGRAPHICS PUBLIC TRANSIT EVENTS STUDY DEMOGRAPHICS ACCESS POINTS CIRCULATION

DURING RAINY DAYS WATER LOGGING IN THE PARK & TRACKS BEING DIFFICULT TO USE

MOST OF THE SAMPLING ARE KEPT WITHOUT PLANTING THEM RELIGIOUS PRACTISES

HEAP OF DRY LEAVES AT THE BACKSIDE OF THE PARK

BENCHES KEPT IN INSIDE THE PARK FOR MEETINGS, ARE LOCKED AND RUSTED DUE TO WEATHER EXPOSED

PARK OBSERVATIONS

LITTERING OF GARBAGES - FOOD ITEMS MOSTLY, ONE OF THE REASON IS MANY FOOD STALLS OUTSIDE THE PARK.

WATERING PLANTS, TRIMMING EDGES

Activities inside the park ?

SEGREGATION OF GARBAGE CLEANING THE GARDENS

OUTSIDERS SLEEPING ON THE BENCHES COLLEGE STUDENTS ENTERTAINMENT

QUENCHING STRAY’S THIRST VENDOR’S HAVING A CONVERSATION

MARKETING PEOPLE INTERACTING WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE PARK

RELIGIOUS MEETINGS

YOGA

MONUMENT SIGHTSEEING

GROUP EXERCISE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This study provides an overview of people’s uses, experiences and expectations of Gulmohar park and in-depth research using both participant and non- participant observations, survey, each of which was acquired and transcripted. This research project explores the social purpose, uses and future expectations of urban public park. The observation is recorded and documented.

What are the main reasons for visiting your Gulmohar Park ?

Which of the following options best describes why you do not visit the park closest where you live most often?

AGE GROUP OF THE PEOPLE VISITING THE PARK

AGE

OCCUPATION OF THE VISITORS

OCCUPATION

What time do you mainly

Do you like to have company during your

prefer to come to the park ?

visits to the park ?

TIME

ACCOMPANY SOMEONE / NOT

What form of transportation did you use to get to the park?

Do you have any medical issues ?

YES/NO

Are you fitness conscious?

YES/NO

Do you use the open gym?

YES/NO

Do you face any problems using the open gym ?

YES/NO

If yes, what kind of problems do you face while using the open gym ?

Are you satisfied with

Are you satisfied with all the

flaura of the park ?

facilities of the park ?

YES/NO

YES/NO

What are the major problem you see in the park which you would expect the authorities to work upon ?

OUR APPROACH

VIBRANT

TRICKLING DOWN TOWARDS THE KEY AREAS Other activities can be found in neighborhood districts Type of annual activities in park?

Type of activities that currently occur in the park?

Users of the park ?

Times at which the park is used the most?

ACTIVITY HUB EVENTS STUDY

Closest public transit stops Connectivity with the nearby area Existing public transit connections Existing pedestrian connections to the park

Surrounding areas uses Design concepts that can be applied from the precedents Spaces adjacent to the site that have potential to work upon Community events occuring in park Residential spaces around

WALKABLE

CONNECTED

Existing trails in the area ( 1km around the GULMOHAR PARK ) Other activity hubs are in the area Amenities the park has Demographics of the area Types of community programs are offered in and around the area Unique features of the park

URBAN

DISTINCT

RESIDENTIAL vs VISITORS WALKABILITY

ENGAGEMENT

PARK USE SHADE STUDY CIRCULATION PARK UTILISATION

CONNECTIVITY

AMENITIES DEMOGRAPHICS VIEWS PUBLIC TRANSIT ACCESS POINTS ACTIVITIES PARKING

Where is the most active pathway Parking stations near / around the park Physical barriers around the park

ACTIVITY

SCOPE FOR INTERVENTION •

SENIOR CITIZENS : SENIOR CITIZENS ARE MOSTLY ACCOMPANIED WITH HELPERS. CREATING A PLATFORM FOR THEM TO INTERACT IS A SCOPE OF INTERVENTION. DESIGNING OUTDOOR GYMS AND PLAY AREAS FOR OLDER GENERATIONS TO IMPROVE FITNESS AND WELLBEING.

•

REDESIGNING AND REPLACEMENT OF DUSTBINS

•

OPEN GYM AS A CONCEPT – MAKE MORE ACCESSIBLE BY PEOPLE IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS ( SHELTER)

•

EQUIPMENT OR TOOLS IN THE PARK TO ENSURE HUMAN INTERACTIONS FOR WELL BEING

•

BENCHES (NON-WATER - RESISTANT)

•

REWORK ON PATHS TO MAKE IT ACCESSABLE IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS.

•

PETTING ZOO : OLDER GENERATIONS DON’T HAVE MUCH SUPPORT AND FEEL LONELY. THEY DON’T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO RAISE A PET. SO A PLATFORM TO PROVIDE SENIOR CITIZENS WITH ANIMALS WHO THEY CAN INTERACT WITH IN THE PARK.

•

DIY PLAYGROUND FOR CHILDREN; DIY CLEANLINESS PROGRAM: CLEAN THE PARK YOURSELF INITIATIVE TO ENCOURAGE THE FEELING OF TOGETHERNESS IN NEIGHBORHOOD

•

AN ENTIRE IMAGINATION PLAYGROUND CAN BE PACKED UP AND MOVED AROUND—ONE OF ITS MAJOR ADVANTAGES.

•

TO HAVE A BIKE SHARE, CYCLE SHARE, OTHER GAMES ETC WHERE PEOPLE GO AND CHOOSE DIFFERENT PARTNERS TO PLAY WITH OR DO ACTIVITIES TOGETHER.

•

HOLDING DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL OR RECREATIONAL CLASSES EG. MEDITATION, YOGA, TEACHING POOR PEOPLE E.G. GARDENERS, GARBAGE PICKERS ETC.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT for SENIOR CITIZENS

01

Introduction

02

Need & purpose for open space needs for senior citizens

03

Physical activity needs for senior citizens

04

Towards an Intergeneration Playground - GOALS / OBJECTIVES

05

Design interventions

06

Conclusion

01

Introduction

DEMOGRAPHICS OF SENIOR CITIZENS IN INDIA With 1.21 billion inhabitants counted in its 2011 census (Registrar General of India, Census of India, 2011), India is the second most populous country in the world. Currently, the 60+ population accounts for 8% of India’s population, translating into roughly 93 million people. By 2050, the share of the 60+ population is projected to climb to 19%, or approximately 323 million people.

The elderly dependency ratio (the number of people aged 60 and older per person aged 15 to 59) will rise dramatically from 0.12 to 0.31. At the same time, India’s older population will be subject to a higher rate of noncommunicable diseases, a higher share of women in the workforce (thus less able to care for the elderly), children who are less likely to live near their parents, and a lack of policies and institutions to deal effectively with these issues. (1) The population dynamics fueling India’s growth and changing age structure are rooted in the combined impact of increasing life expectancy and declining fertility.

This inevitably warrants our attention toward their medical, social, and economic well-being. for this geriatric population (2).

Never too old to play !

1 - Bloom DE. India’s baby boomers: Dividend or disaster? Current History (April) 2011:143–149.

2 - India’s Aging Population - TodaysResearchAging25.pdf. Available from: http://www.prb.org/pdf12/TodaysResearchAging25.pdf .

The old-age dependency ratio—the number of people ages 60 and older per person ages 15 to 59—is expected to rise from 12 per 100 to 31 per 100 by 2050.

INDIA’S ELDERLY ARE PROJECTED TO BECOME AN EVER LARGER SHARE OF THE POPULATION

MEASURING THE HEALTH OF THE SENIOR CITIZENS : Almost one-half (47 percent) of older Indians have at least one chronic disease such as asthma, angina, arthritis, depression, or diabetes (Chatterji et al. 2008).

By one measure, nearly one-half (45 percent) of India’s disease burden is projected to be borne by older adults in 2030. (1) “health care services will need to shift resources and services to respond to an aging population.”

CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH : Economic development and population aging in India have contributed to increases in cardiovascular diseases and obesity—noncommunicable diseases previously associated with more industrialized countries.

MENTAL HEALTH : Dementia is another noncommunicable disease associated with old age that becomes more prevalent in the wake of population aging.

KEY WORDS : CARDIOVASCULAR & MENTAL HEALTH | HEALTHCARE SERVICES | SOCIAL PARTICIPATION | RESPECT & SOCIAL INCLUSION | CIVIC PARTICIPATION | OLD-AGE DEPENDENCY

Source : United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision (New York: United Nations, 2011)

1 - David E. Bloom, “Population Dynamics of India and Implications for Economic Growth,” Harvard Program on the Global Demography of Aging Working Paper 65 (January 2011a), accessed at www.hsph.harvard.edu/pgda/working.htm

02

Need & purpose for open space for senior citizens

ELDER’S PERSPECTIVE as per the interview “Open space in my mind should have sunshine, breeze, greens, trees, flowers, and sky. So I want to spend time and have a walk there.”

Elders described parking lots, driveways, and even balconies as open space.

Despite this limited notion of open space, they had consensus about their ideal open spaces : peaceful and relaxing scenery.

Do elders have different open space and physical activity needs relative to younger persons?

UNDERSTANDING biopsychosocial NEEDS & PROBLEMS OF THE ELDERLY GENDER

LEARNING/MEMORY

PHYSICAL ILLNESS

ATTITUDES/BELIEFS

DISABILITY

PERSONALITY

GENETIC VULNERABILITY IMMUNE FUNCTION NEUROCHEMISTRY

BEHAVIORS

BIOLOGY

PSYCHOLOGY

STRESS REACTIVITY

EMOTIONS COPING SKILLS PAST TRAUMA

MEDICATION EFFECTS

SOCIAL CONTEXT

SOCIAL SUPPORTS FAMILY BACKGROUND CULTURAL BACKGROUND SOCIAL/ECONOMIC STATUS EDUCATION

PARKS AIDING THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL NEEDS Parks represent valuable assets for cities as they provide recreational opportunities, serve as places for social interaction and offer a natural respite to urban dwellers. Parks can be particularly beneficial to older adults who may be at risk for social isolation.

Parks can reduce the prevalence of social isolation, provide opportunities for intergenerational interaction, and create a sense of place and attachment.

They provide settings where elders can interact with other elders, exercise, visit together with their families, or tend to their grandchildren. At the same time, the connection between people and nature is a deep bond that reaches back thousands of years and has also been associated with healing processes, also improving cognitive function and performance,

03

Physical activity needs for senior citizens

Open spaces provide settings for both passive and active recreation.

Older adults need to remain active as they age and require spaces that accommodate their limitations in mobility and strength.

Thus, the parks should support exercise, vitality and health.

“Providing areas where seniors can get active requires creating spaces that allow seniorfriendly physical activity programs.”

Open spaces with “multiple ways for people to be involved with multiple activities, such as gardening and even watching others, which can inspire activity.”

Parks with gym equipment provide the opportunity for exercise and the incorporation of low impact equipment like stationary bicycles and elliptical machines that allow older adults to participate.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES WILL ASSIST IN : - REDUCING THE PROBLEM IN SENSORY AND PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES - INCREASING SOCIAL INTERACTION ( Physical activities in groups ) - INCREASE CONFIDENCE, MOBILITY & STRENGTH

SENIORS’ PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF OPEN SPACE EXPERIENCES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PHYSICAL HEALTH (E.G., WALKING, PHYSICAL EXERCISE)

SENIORS’ PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

EXPERIENCES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH (E.G., SOCIAL INTERACTIONS)

SENIOR’S SUGGESTIONS FOR PARKS

NATURAL ATTRIBUTES

SOCIAL INTERACTION

SECURITY - HUMAN THREATS - ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

AGE-FRIENDLY DESIGN - PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES - EQUIPMENT FOR LOW-IMPACT PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

Interview analysis of Seniors’ perceptions and experience of open spaces and physical activities

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I •

151 158 148

157

WELLTHY IN

URBAN TREES, BETTER AIR QUALITY Trees in cities can remove up to a quarter of the particulate matter pollution in their immediate vicinity. And when planted between a source of pollution and an apartment building, school or hospital, urban trees can help protect human health.

TREES shade buildings reducing the need for air conditioning which reduces fossil fuel consumption

REDUCED HEART ATTACKS, STROKE'S AND ASTHMA

According to the· System of Air Quality and Weather Forecast and Research (SAFAR), respirable pollutants, PM 2.5 and P were clocked at 283 and 517 micro-grams per cubic meter at 8pm of Diwali. They should be at 60 and 100 respectively, I readings rose by 42 times and PM2.5 readings rose by 12.5 times. Reading taken on Oct, 2017.

TREES absorb small particulate matter from the air

HEALTHIER PEOPLE

LARGE, HEALTHY TREES have the greatest per tree effects at pollution removal

IMPROVED NEIGHBORHOOD AJRQUALITY

AIR POLLUTION

Awareness of the harmful effects of pollution led creating breathing rooms using plants that clean the air and the mind, following the Indian Supreme Court's ban on fireworks and increased awareness of the harmful effects they have on people's health and the environment, brands released spots that inspired positive change. Vodafone invited customers to participate in Green Diwali by distributing eco-friendly fireworks containing air-purifying plant seeds.

In addition to the aesthetic benefits, research by Nasa

Indoor Garden Large Home In

shows that houseplants can remove up to 87% of air

Kerala Decoration Using Large

toxins in 24 hours, and! that their presence can improve concentration and productivity by up to 15%

Glass Walls In Home Including Bamboo Plants Indoor Garden Decor And [)ark Brown Wood Garden Breathing Walls

04

Towards an Intergeneration Playground & Spaces - GOALS / OBJECTIVES

Encourage different types of recreation activities; necessary, optional, or resultant activities.

Create routes to the site that are easily accessible for pedestrians.

Provide a diverse amount of amenities on site.

Incorporate activities that create volunteer opportunities for the community.

Use mixed-use development to activate spaces adjacent to the site.

Create a physical environment that represents the values of the community .

Create spaces for seasonal entertainment and performances.

Users should feel safe at all times of the day on site.

Funneling down to key areas Based on the gaps identified from the research.

IMPROVE CONTROL

OFFER GREATER CHOICE

CREATE A SENSE OF SECURITY

- Way finding with large & visible fonts - Benches with armrests

- Passive or active recreation, sun or shade, single or multiple seating

- Sidewalks should be wide and smooth - There should be shade but not too much so it feels enclosed - Parks should enable “eyes on the street.”

- Isolated areas need good maintenance

SOCIAL SUPPORT

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

PRIVACY

- Designs facilitating interaction.

- Featuring bulletin boards, outdoor reading rooms, sculptures and fountains that help start conversations.

- Exercise machines - Mile markers for encouragement - Programs included fall prevention, arthritis training, Zumba, line dancing,

- Use buffer plants to reduce street noise

NATURE

ACCESIBILITY

- Use buffer plants to reduce street noise

DESIGN INTERVENTIONS

PERSPECTIVE VIEW

The purpose of the design solution to increase the quality of air in the park for visitors. Delhi is ranked one of the most

18 feet in height

Wire Frames put in a parametric form Awareness of the harmful effects of pollution led creating breathing rooms using plants that clean the air and the mind, have an effect on people's health and the environmental wireframes would be covered by air-purifying plants enabling people to breathe pure air.

INSIDE VIEW

i I I j 5.4 feet in height !

I I

I

12-78 feet in width, depending on the curve

polluted city in the world. There is a need for fresh air for breath ability. Creation of shelter using plants and bushes will cleanse the air and refresh the minds of the people.

The open gym will be shifted under these planted wireframes It will also be beneficial to the fitness conscious people who indulge in exercises, yoga, etc to workout in fresh air.

Thus, this intervention will complement the healthy lifestyle of fitness conscious and provide fresh air for people to breath.

TOP VIEW

Arrangement of the chair in a straight line represents a screw from above.

•_.•••,,_ • • ,__,. �

The design proposes seating arrangement in a linear way, where the second seat starts where the first seat ends. It is convenient for elderly people to sit & relax. The back of the chair is in a concave shape accommodating the spine curve to a great comfort. Recommended for mild meditation where they are not disturbed by any still, accompanied by many others.

9 *8 feet

2 feet

Air pressure system is equipped, which is gentler on muscles and joints. Gives motivation to exercise .

Weights can be adjusted accordingly. Helps people who have Osteoporosis in decreasing knee/joint pains with low risk of knee injuries.

WALK A THON

Organizing senior friendly events, namely walk-a-thon in the park for community engagement. Marathons for elderly in the community would enable the same benefits for them as everyone else in the community. It helps reduce heart diseases and other health related problems. These marathons would focus more on the participants finishing a specified distance as per the age group it is organized for, with no specifications on the time limit. The image represents landscape design of walking paths Walking field will be surrounded by curved recliners for them to rest after walking

The equipments in the open gym has been redesigned keeping in mind the needs ofthe senior citizens.

O 1-Shoulder arches right &left 02-Shoulder arches straight 03 - Handroll 04 - Twin Hand roll 05 - Balance Spring 06 - Wave t>eam 07 - Snake beam OB - Handro/1 09 - Finger stairs

The equipments require minimal muscular movements while ensuring adequate scope of exercise for the senior citizens. The open gym has been designed in a way that it ensures reducing the problem in sensory and physical capabilities, increase social interaction (physical activities in groups) and increase confidence, mobility & strength among the senior citizens.

22* 18feet

WEATHER PROOF MATERIALS

D OF T

PRO

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