Dissertation

SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE

DISSERTATION Understanding the Effect of Increasing Placelessness in Contemporary Urban Areas on Human Mental Health and Well-Being Shraddha Malhotra A/2979/2016 V-B nd 2 December’2020

WORD COUNT: 14,750

DISSERTATION GUIDE: MS. ANAMIKA BAGCHI DISSERTATION COORDINATOR: PROF. PRABJOT SINGH SUGGA

DECLARATION The research work embodied in this dissertation titled ―Understanding the Effect of Increasing Placelessness in Contemporary Urban Areas on Human Mental Health and Well-Being‖ has been carried out by the undersigned as part of the undergraduate Dissertation programme in the Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, under the supervision of Ms. Anamika Bagchi.

The undersigned hereby declares that this is his/her original work and has not been plagiarised in part or full form from any source.

Signature of candidate

Name : Shraddha Malhotra Roll No.: A/2979/2016 Year and Section: V-B Date: 2nd December‘ 2020

ii | P a g e

Certificate

This dissertation, titled ‗Understanding the Effect of Increasing Placelessness in Contemporary Urban Areas on Human Mental Health and Well-Being‘ by Shraddha Malhotra, roll no. A/2979/2016, was carried out during the Fifth Year, Ninth Semester (2020) B.Arch. Program in the Department of Architecture, under our guidance during September - December 2020. On completion of the report in all aspects and based on the declaration by the candidate above, we provisionally accept this dissertation report and forward the same to the Department of Architecture, School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India.

MS. ANAMIKA BAGCHI Signature of Guide and Name (in capitals)

PROF. PRABJOT SINGH SUGGA Signature of Coordinator and Name (in capitals)

iii | P a g e

Acknowledgment I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude to my guide, Ms. Anamika Bagchi, whose guidance, encouragement, suggestions, and very constructive criticism has contributed immensely to the evolution of my ideas for the research.

I acknowledge with thanks the kind of patronage, inspiration, and timely guidance that I have received from my dissertation coordinators Prof. Prabjot Singh Sugga and Prof. Jaya Kumar.

I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to all those who provided me with the possibility to complete this dissertation. I am extremely grateful to my friends, family, and classmates for being indirect contributors to the dissertation.

iv | P a g e

Abstract The study aims to understand the social well-being and health implications of the increasing placelessness in the public realm of contemporary urban areas. The phenomenon of placelessness has traditionally been studied in relation to its spatial dimensions with little regard to its consequences on human mental health and wellbeing. The study attempts in establishing the relationship between placelessness and mental health, also bridging the gap between the existing theories of place and environmental psychology and their application. This was done by first studying various theories of place and place attachment that led to the understanding of the phenomenon of increasing placelessness. It was then followed by analysis of various parameters of built environment that affects the human health and well-being and their subsequential impact on mental health. In order to understand the relationship between placelessness and mental health, a detailed study was carried out for the transit facilities in the urban context of Delhi. Transit facilities are the places in the public realm whose usage cannot be avoided based on the experience they provide. Hence, it was useful to study the placelessness in transit facilities thereby incorporating the concept of place-making to make these places more user friendly. Then, another study for analysing the importance of third places in creating place attachment within the urban context was carried out. The data inferred equipped me to understand that increasing placelessness in the transit facilities leads to the negative impact on people‘s mental health and well-being. The presence of informal gathering spaces (third places) at the interface of these transit facilities with the public realm can contribute to the human mental health and well-being positively, hence providing the space for designers and architects to intervene and design transit facilities that are not placeless.

Keywords: Placelessness, place identity, sense of place, place attachment, built environment, mental health and well-being

v|Page

Table of Contents Chapter 1 : INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 1.1

Research Question ....................................................................................... 2

1.2

Aim ................................................................................................................ 3

1.3

Objective ....................................................................................................... 3

1.4

Scope ............................................................................................................ 3

1.5

Limitations ..................................................................................................... 3

1.6

Framework .................................................................................................... 4

1.7

Research Methods ........................................................................................ 5

Chapter 2 : PLACE AND PLACELESSNESS ............................................................. 6 2.1 The Phenomenology of Place and Sense of Place ........................................... 6 2.2 Place Identity .................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Place Attachment ............................................................................................ 10 2.4

The Era of Placelessness ........................................................................... 11

Chapter 3 : ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT ....... 13 3.1 Environmental Psychology .............................................................................. 13 3.2 How is Built Environment perceived? .............................................................. 14 3.3

Attributes of Built Environment affecting Human Experience ...................... 15

Chapter 4 : IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH ............................................................ 21 4.1 Effect of Built Environment on Mental Health .................................................. 21 4.2 Aspects of Mental Health ................................................................................ 22 4.3 Place attachment and Mental Health .............................................................. 27 Chapter 5 : PLACELESSNESS IN TRANSIT NODES ............................................. 28 5.1

Parameters for analysis based on theories of place .................................... 30

5.2 Rajiv Chowk Metro Station .............................................................................. 32 vi | P a g e

5.3 Kashmere Gate Metro Station ......................................................................... 42 5.4 ITO Metro Station ............................................................................................ 53 5.5 Comparative Analysis ..................................................................................... 62 5.6 Findings .......................................................................................................... 65 Chapter 6 : PLACEMAKING ..................................................................................... 67 6.1 What is Placemaking?..................................................................................... 67 6.2 Theories of Placemaking................................................................................. 68 6.3 Attributes of Placemaking ............................................................................... 69 Chapter 7 : THIRD PLACES CREATING PLACE ATTACHMENT ........................... 71 7.1

What is a Third Place? ................................................................................ 71

7.2

Characteristics of a Third Place .................................................................. 72

7.3

Importance of Third Place ........................................................................... 73

7.4

Case Example of Third Place- Coffeehouse ............................................... 73

7.5

Findings ...................................................................................................... 77

Chapter 8 : CONCLUSION....................................................................................... 79 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 80 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................... 83 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................... 87

vii | P a g e

List of Tables Table 1: Research Methods; Self ............................................................................... 5 Table 2: Settings that are favourable and unfavourable to mental health; Sullivan and Chang, 2011............................................................................................................. 22 Table 3: Criterion for selection of Case Studies; Self ............................................... 30 Table 4: Indicators of Theories of Place for analysis; Self ........................................ 31 Table 5: Comparative Analysis for parameters of Built Environment; Self ............... 64 Table 6:Comparative Analysis for Place Theories ; Self........................................... 65 Table 7: Characteristics of Third Place; Oldenburg, 1999 ........................................ 72

viii | P a g e

List of Figures Figure 1: Broad Research Framework; Self ............................................................... 4 Figure 2 Interface between human and environment, Source: ABDEL KADER1, n.d ................................................................................................................................. 14 Figure 3: People using Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Self .......................................... 32 Figure 4: Plan of Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Jain 2013 ......................................... 33 Figure 5: Responses for Visual Interest; Self ........................................................... 33 Figure 6: Levels of Uniqueness of Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Self ......................... 34 Figure 7: External Influences; Self ........................................................................... 39 Figure 8: Responses for levels of safety at Rajiv Chowk; Self ................................. 40 Figure 9: Sense of Belonging; Self ........................................................................... 40 Figure 10: Experiences/Memories with the Station; Self .......................................... 41 Figure 11: Rajiv Chowk Metro Station as a place to hangout; Self ........................... 41 Figure 12: Responses for Social Interaction at Rajiv Chowk Station; Self................ 41 Figure 13: Circumflex Model of Effect; Self .............................................................. 42 Figure 14:People using Kashmere Gate Metro Station, Self .................................... 43 Figure 15: Plan of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; (Jain, 2013) ................................ 44 Figure 16: Responses for Visual Interest; Self ......................................................... 44 Figure 17: Levels of Uniqueness of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Self .................. 45 Figure 18: External Influences; Self.......................................................................... 49 Figure 19: Responses for levels of safety at Kashmere Gate; Self .......................... 51 Figure 20: Sense of Belonging; Self ......................................................................... 51 Figure 21: Experiences/Memories with the Station; Self .......................................... 52 Figure 22: Kashmere Gate Metro Station as a place to hangout; Self ..................... 52 Figure 23: Responses for Social Interaction at Kashmere Gate Station; Self .......... 52

ix | P a g e

Figure 24: Circumflex Model of Effect; Self .............................................................. 53 Figure 25: People using ITO Metro Station, Self ...................................................... 54 Figure 26: Responses for Visual Interest; Self ......................................................... 56 Figure 27: Levels of Uniqueness of ITO Metro Station; Self ..................................... 56 Figure 28: External Influences; Self.......................................................................... 59 Figure 29: Responses for levels of safety at ITO Metro Station; Self ....................... 60 Figure 30: Sense of Belonging; Self ......................................................................... 60 Figure 31: Experiences/Memories with the Station; Self .......................................... 60 Figure 32: ITO Metro Station as a place to hangout; Self......................................... 61 Figure 33: Responses for Social Interaction at ITO Metro Station; Self ................... 61 Figure 34: Circumflex Model of Effect; Self .............................................................. 62 Figure 35: Overlaying responses of all the metro stations; Self ............................... 65 Figure 36 Attributes of Place-making, Source: (“Project for Public Spaces,” n.d.) .. 69

x|Page

List of Illustrations Illustration 1: Various forms of Built Environment; Oreskovic et al., 2014 ................ 18 Illustration 2: Location of Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Google Maps ........................ 32 Illustration 3: Entry Gate for Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Hindustan Times .............. 34 Illustration 4: Interior View of the Metro Station; DNA India...................................... 35 Illustration 5: The roof structure; Google .................................................................. 35 Illustration 6: Image showing material and textures; Google .................................... 36 Illustration 7: Platform at Metro Station; Google ....................................................... 36 Illustration 8: Scale of the Central Space; Economic Times ..................................... 37 Illustration 9: Crowd at Platform; DNA India ............................................................. 38 Illustration 10: Crowd at Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Hindustan Times .................... 38 Illustration 11: Location of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Google Maps ................. 43 Illustration 12: Entry Gate for Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Delhi Aajtak .............. 45 Illustration 13: Gate No. 1 for Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Hindustan Times ...... 45 Illustration 14: Gate No. 3 opening at Parsvanath Metro Mall, Parsvanath.com ...... 46 Illustration 15: Exterior View of the Metro Station; Hindustan Times ........................ 46 Illustration 16: Space Frame at Entrance of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; (“TDI International gears up for media expansion at Kashmere Gate Delhi Metro station,” ) ................................................................................................................................. 47 Illustration 17: Image of Platform at Yellow Line; Hindustan Times .......................... 47 Illustration 18: Interior of Kashmere Gate Metro Station, Hindustan Times .............. 48 Illustration 19: Crowd at Kashmere Gate Metro Station, Hindustan Times............... 49 Illustration 20: Sahitya Academy at Metro Station; DNA India .................................. 50 Illustration 21: Location of ITO Metro Station; Google Maps .................................... 54 Illustration 22: Interior of ITO Metro Station; Hindustan Times ................................. 55 Illustration 23: Entry Gate 5 for ITO Metro Station; XYZ Social News ...................... 56 xi | P a g e

Illustration 24: Gate No. 4 ITO Metro Station; Hindustan Times ............................... 57 Illustration 25: Interior View of ITO Metro Station; Hindustan Times ........................ 57 Illustration 26: Platform and AFC Gates at ITO Metro Station; TOI .......................... 58 Illustration 27: Public gathering in English Coffeehouse; (The British Library, 2018) 74 Illustration 28: Entry to the Coffeehouse; (Homegrown, 2019) ................................. 76 Illustration 29: View of the Ground Floor; (Homegrown, 2019)................................. 77

xii | P a g e

Chapter 1 : INTRODUCTION Improving your health can be as simple as choosing to walk to work or to take the stairs instead of the escalator. There's no doubt in the fact that built environment plays an essential part in supporting our actual well-being. We, humans, are creatures not apart from our surroundings and we should note that our relationship with the environment is not limited to physiological exchanges. As we interact physically with the environment, we also have an emotional and psychological relationship with it. For instance, in residential areas, if the built environment surrounding us includes the green landscapes, it can help in improving our relationships with the surrounding communities and developing stronger bonds thereby reducing the stress and conflicts. At any moment, we are impacted by the environment and the information we achieve of it and impact on it conversely.

Through this study, I aim to explore the various factors of the built environment that affects mental health by understanding the relationship between the two, as a part of environmental psychology.

Environmental psychology has been an emerging field that focuses on paying equal attention to the user of the environment as much as the environment that surrounds us. It highlights the importance of reading the environment in terms of the assumptions made to the user and designing it for human activities by considering the environment and the user together. Environmental psychology not only focuses on the relationship between the people and their surrounding built environment, but it involves paying equal attention to the various factors that determine the relationship between the two. The built environment affects the way its users behave, hence it becomes crucial for the designers to organize their built environment. What a user does and why, and the thoughts and feelings that accompany those actions are linked to the way our mind perceives the surrounding environment and its interaction with the designed environment. (Moser and Uzzell, 2003) The researches done in the field of environmental psychology have shown the application gap between this field and architecture and urban planning. In my research,

with the help of the previously done researches in the field of

environmental psychology, I aim to explore how, we as architects, can benefit from those studies and apply our knowledge to achieve a better design that helps human 1|Page

beings to become a part of their surrounding environment, on an urban scale. The framework will include concentrating on the spatial parameters and the morphological structures of the built form in the urban fabric concerning their combined impact on the human experience and behavior.

In this research, while studying the interrelationship between humans and the places that surround them, I wish to throw light on the increasing ignorance of people towards their surrounding places. Modern bonds to places are declining in contemporary urban cities and places are becoming less meaningful while losing their identities. Eventually leading to the deterioration of the public realm and hence injecting the ‗placelessness‘ amongst the locale.(Perera, n.d.) Hence, the study will examine the concepts and definitions of place as against the causes for placelessness and investigate the various adverse factors resulting in the placelessness in contemporary urban places while focusing on the social and physical contexts that form the urban culture and experiences of it.

Once the content, for the impact of the built environment on mental well-being and causes for increasing placelessness, is established; it is the main aim of the paper to, therefore, investigate the relationship between the increasing placelessness in the contemporary urban areas and the mental well-being of the people.

1.1 Research Question How is the mental health of people in modern cities getting affected by the increasing placelessness in contemporary urban areas? What is the role of designers in creating a built environment that contributes to positive health and well-being?

1. What is the cause of placelessness in contemporary urban places?

2. How does the built environment impact human health and social well being?

And how is it getting affected by the increasing placelessness?

3. What is the importance of the built environment in shaping human experiences and behavior in the public realm? How can architects benefit from this to design an environment that affects the human mind positively?

2|Page

1.2 Aim The study aims to analyse the cause of increasing placelessness in contemporary urban areas and its effect on the mental health of people in modern cities. The study also aims to discover the strategies that can help designers create a built environment that contributes to positive health and well-being.

1.3 Objective 

To examine the theories of place that leads to the understanding of placelessness and its causes thereafter to develop its connection with human mental health.



To look at the various parameters of the built environment that affect in shaping the experience and behavior of its users hence, to understand their impact on mental health.



To identify the aspects or phenomenon of the built environment that affects the mental health in negative as well as positive ways.



To understand the phenomenon of placemaking as an initiative to have a positive effect on human experiences and well-being

1.4 Scope The scope of the study is limited to understanding the factors affecting the psychological health of the people in urban areas and it shall not talk about the physiological aspect of human health. The study shall also focus on analyzing the phenomenon of increasing placelessness in urban areas as one of the causes leading to the poor mental health of the people. It shall talk about the positive and negative factors contributing to mental health mainly in contemporary urban areas.

1.5 Limitations Given the current COVID -19 Pandemic situation, it is beyond the scope of the study to draw any conclusion based on personal experience and primary study of the mental health situation of a large group of people in person, hence it shall rely on the secondary sources available and surveys done online for a limited number of people.

Also, due to the given period of 16 weeks, it is impossible to cover the aspect of physical health and its relationship with the built environment.

3|Page

1.6 Framework

Figure 1: Broad Research Framework; Self

4|Page

1.7 Research Methods Objectives

Research methods

To examine theories of place to understand the cause of increasing placelessness in urban areas

Literature Review

To examine the various parameters of the built Literature Review environment to understand its effect on human experiences and mental well-being To establish the relationship between placelessness and mental well-being

Review, increasing Literature Secondary and Primary Case Study

To understand the phenomenon of placemaking as an Literature Review and initiative to have a positive effect on human experiences Case Examples and well-being Table 1: Research Methods; Self

5|Page

Chapter 2 : PLACE AND PLACELESSNESS 2.1 The Phenomenology of Place and Sense of Place Geographers have given special focus to the significance of place distinguishing geography from other disciplines. Just as astronomy has the heavens and history has time, geography has a place. But now, the major question is ―What exactly is place?‖ Is it merely a synonym for location, or a unique ensemble of nature and culture, or could it be something more? In order to understand the obvious, we need to step back to question the taken-for-granted nature of the place and its significance as an inescapable dimension of human life and experience.(Seamon and Sowers, 2008).

Tuan says that the natural properties of the place define it‘s character and spirit while its idea is ascribed to mankind. As indicated by him, without individuals, place is just a topographical area and its idea is implied uniquely only with the presence of a human. He characterized the place in two general status: first is general symbols and second is people's experience. The first definition is affected by spatial structures and the second definition is affected by people routine experiences, he named the second definition as place. (Tuan, 1977) Understanding the place in terms of its relationship with human daily life and their experiences in a conceptual sense, is known as the phenomenology of place.(Hashem

et

al.,

2013)

and

without

thoroughly

understanding

the

phenomenology of place, it would be difficult to describe why a particular place is special and impossible to know how to repair existing places in need of mending.(RELPH, 1976) Norberg-Schultz talks about the phenomenon of place by linking the landscape with the place. He focused on the concrete features of a place to understand the place‘s identity, described as ‗what we walk on‘, ‗what we see around us‘, and ‗what is above us‘. All these aspects affect our experience of a place. He has used the earth and the heaven to determine all these aspects. He also talks about our built environment being a part of an architectural totality in which we belong. We often indulge in our everyday activities in built environments without noticing what our surroundings look like. He draws a parallel from George Trakl‘s poem, ‗A Winter Evening‘, to describe 6|Page

the phenomenon of inside and outside, the earth and the heaven, natural and manmade environment.(Norberg -Schultz, 1971) Further, illustrating the meaning of a dwelling, he says that to dwell means to completely inhabit the world/ environment around us by respecting the place and befriending it with all its elements and qualities. In other words, he conveys that one must be open to a place‘s identity in order to protect it when intervening. Thus, a phenomenological approach means that the builder and the dweller must take into account a place‘s qualitative, hence not measurable, aspects. (Norberg -Schultz, 1971) He also talks about the concept of „genius loci‟ or the ‗spirit of place‟ saying that genius loci denote the essence of the place. In order to sustain their existence, human beings must expose themselves to their surrounding environment accepting its elements the way they exist in nature. As indicated by Norberg-Schulz, a house normally fulfills the material necessities but it should also assemble the world for human beings. Thus, the house should express how one orients and identifies oneself with the place. Therefore, to build is to interpret the surrounding‘s spatial structure and character. In this respect, nature is not only a pure resource. It also opens up meaning for human beings in the way they exist in the world. (Norberg Schultz, 1971) As Manzo talks about experience being the most significant element in perception while defining the phenomenology of place, Allen Gussow further affirmed that experience is a factor that can change every environment to a place. In architecture, phenomenology investigates the ontological character of humankind and considers ‗being-in-the-world‘ as an indispensable part of continuation. (Najafi, 2011) In his phenomenon of place, Norberg Schultz has defined a place as a result of not only space but also character, where character is determined by the material and formal constitution of the place. As per Norberg-Schulz, the character should be able to answer to all the expectations one has before one shows up in the place and in the event, if not, then the place will be strange and meaningless. Just as the natural factors like light, materials, colors contribute in shaping the character, so do the horizontal and vertical rhythms of architecture and landscape are important in giving a character to space in order to experience it as a place.(Norberg -Schultz, 1971) 7|Page

Phenomenologists attempted to emphasize the difficulties while dealing with the concept of a sense of place. Relph asserted that we can only depict our understandings about this idea however there is no exact definition for it. Barker also defined the sense of place as one of the most intangible concepts. For them, the sense of place is an emotional association with place via understanding its symbols and meanings. Place can only be experienced via our senses.(Najafi, 2011) In order to explain this, they have used concepts such as ‗Topophilia‘, ‗character of place‘ and ‗spirit of place‘. Tuan used the term Topophilia, meaning ‗love of place‘, to describe the existing remarkable bonds between people and the physical settings.(Tuan, 1977) Relph used the term, ―Spirit of place‖ as the ability of a place to be recognised. He further explained that place identity can only be created and developed through long-term connections between users and their places.(RELPH, 1976) Sense of place can be defined as the relationship between human, his image, and environmental characteristics which can be influenced by personal and collective‘s values, beliefs, and behaviours.(RELPH, 1976) On one hand, this concept is established by the subjective experience of people (memories, traditions, history, culture, and society) and on other hand is affected by objective and external influences of the environment (landscape, smell, sound, etc.). Thus, this complex idea of emotion and attachment to the built environment is made from an individual‘s adoption and use of places. Ultimately implying that sense of place is not a predetermined phenomenon, but is created from interaction between people and places, as a result of which people give some preconceived images to places where they live.(Hashem et al., 2013)

8|Page

2.2 Place Identity In examining place in depth, Relph referred the identity of a place as “persistent sameness and unity which allows that [place] to be differentiated from others”.

(RELPH, 1976) This persistent identity can be described in terms of three components: (1) The place‘s physical setting (2) Its activities, situations, and events (3) The individual and group meanings created through people‘s experiences and intentions in regard to that place.

However this definition is not sufficient and deep because, most importantly, places are “significant centres of our immediate experiences of the world”. Once we have identified the experience of a particular place in terms of the intensity of meaning and intention that a person and place hold for one another, only then we will be able to understand that place completely. For Relph, the crux of this lived intensity is identity with place, which he defines through the concept of insideness—the degree of attachment, involvement, and concern that a person or group has for a particular place.(RELPH, 1976) Relph clarifies that if a person feels inside a place, then he or she is here as opposed to there, safe instead of threatened, enclosed rather than exposed, at ease rather than stressed. Consequently he proposes that the more an individual feels inside the place, the stronger will be his or her identity with that place. (RELPH, 1976) On the other hand, he suggests that an individual can also be distanced or alienated from place, and this method of place experience he has referred to as outsideness, for

instance,

the

feeling

of

homesickness

in

a

new

place.The

crucial

phenomenological point is that outsideness and insideness constitute a fundamental dialectic in human life and through varying combinations and intensities of outsideness and insideness, different places take on different identities for different individuals and groups, and human experience takes on different qualities of feeling, meaning, ambience, and action.(RELPH, 1976) 9|Page

2.3 Place Attachment Individuals have the capability to form an emotional attachment to numerous things, hence likewise they can also form attachment and connection with the environment and places around them. Existing studies reveal that the growth of human societies, development of technological advances, globalization, increased mobility, and encroaching environmental problems (Scannell and Gifford, 2010) has threatened the person–place relationships. Hence it becomes significant to understand the concept of place attachment in order to learn what draws individuals to a place, and to better predict how users and visitors may react to place (Ednie et al., 2010).

Altman and Low have described place attachment as an effective link between individuals and their environments which consists of interactions between effect and emotions, knowledge and beliefs and behaviors and actions regarding a setting.(ALTMAN AND LOW, 1992) While Hummon described place attachment as an emotional investment with a place.(HUMMON, D. M., 1992) Shumaker and Taylor contended that place attachment is an individual-place connection that develops from characteristics of people and specifiable conditions of setting. (SHUMAKER, S. A. & TAYLOR, R. B., 1983)Existing studies suggest that although affect, emotion, and feeling are the most commonly reported main ideas of place attachment, but it also has other features such as cognitive and behavioral aspects. It means, in addition to the feelings that people have about a place, they hold certain beliefs or memories about it, and act certain ways in places.(Najafi, 2011) Manzo argued that our experiences and memories create place meaning explaining that ―it is not simply the places themselves that are significant, but rather what can be called „experiencein-place‟ that creates meaning‖.(MANZO, L. C., 2005) Besides, it is also identified as a state of psychological well-being resulting from accessibility to a place or a state of distress upon separation from a place or remoteness from a place. (GIULIANI, & FELDMAN, 1993) Place can also be signified by connecting the memories of a significant event occurring in a specific place, where these meanings form the foundation for place attachment.(MANZO, L. C., 2005) People-place interactions are frequently shaped through psychological procedures as opposed to physical contacts suggesting that in order to make strong emotional bonds with the places, it‘s not important to have 10 | P a g e

physical interaction with that particular place. Consequently, place appearance may cause some levels of emotion, no matter one has previously experienced it or not.

However, this may not guarantee that outlook of places can always shape the emotional attachments to these places and it greatly depends on the existing bonds formed through previous environmental experiences. (Najafi, 2012) 2.4 The Era of Placelessness “There is no second thought that the localism and variety of the places and landscapes that characterised preindustrial societies and unselfconscious, handicraft cultures are being diminished and perhaps being eradicated leading to the creation of flatscape which provides the possibilities only for a commonplace and mediocre experience.” (RELPH, 1976) C.W. Moore has written, “the richly varied places of the world are raplidly being obliterated under a meaningless pattern of buildings, monotonous and chaotic” and also Gordon Cullen suggests of Britain that “we appear to be forsaking nodal points for a thinly spread coast-to-coast continuity of people, food, power and entertainment, a universal wasteland…..a chromium-plated chaos.” All these comments lead us towards the possibility of placesless geography, lacking both landscapes and significant places implying us subjecting ourselves to the forces of placelessness and are losing sense of place.(RELPH, 1976) In order to explain the phenomenon of placelessness, Relph starts by examining the ways a place is experienced. According to him, places can be experienced authentically or inauthentically; where authentic sense of place is referred as “a direct and genuine experience of the entire complex of the identity of places”. He says for authentic places, the sense of place is created either unself-consciously or deliberately. Further he argues that, in our modern era, an authentic sense of place is being gradually overshadowed by a less authentic attitude which he called as placelessness: “the casual eradication of distinctive places and the making of standardized landscapes that results from an insensitivity to the significance of place”.(RELPH, 1976) Placelessness can be described as a phenomenon where the environment lacks significant places and the underlying attitude of not acknowledging significance in places. It has resulted in cutting us from our cultural roots, eroding away all the symbols, replacing the diversity into uniformity and converting experiential order into 11 | P a g e

conceptual one. Relph points that, in general, placelessness emerges from kitsch— an uncritical acceptance of mass values, or technique—the overriding concern with efficiency as an end in itself. The overall impact of these two forces is the “undermining of place for both individuals and cultures, and the casual replacement of the diverse and significant places of the world with anonymous spaces and exchangeable environments”.(RELPH, 1976) Hence placelessness can be defined as, ―the condition of an environment lacking significant places and the associated attitude of a lack of attachment to place caused by the homogenizing effects of modernity, e.g. commercialism, mass consumption, standard planning regulations, alienation, and obsession with speed and movement.(Freestone and Liu, 2016)

12 | P a g e

Chapter 3 : ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENT

PSYCHOLOGY

AND

BUILT

3.1 Environmental Psychology Environmental psychology involves paying equal attention to the user of the environment as much as the environment itself in any environmental transaction and its almost not possible to understand any landscape without referring to the social, economic and political ideologies that make up the entire landscape. Hence it becomes important to read the environment in terms of the assumptions it makes about the user and then design it for the human activities by considering the environment and the user together. The environment embodies the psychologies of those who live in it and it helps in promoting their identity and locating the person socially, culturally and economically. Further, it also becomes important to take into account ―time‖ to understand place and space, as the environmental context within which perception occurs, attitudes are formed and behaviours take place also have a temporal dimension. (Moser and Uzzell, 2003) Gifford defines environment psychology as, „Environment Psychology is the study of transactions between individuals and their physical settings. In these transactions, individuals change the environment and their behaviour and experiences are changed by the environment. Environmental psychology includes research and practice aimed at making buildings more humane and improving our relationship with the natural environment.‟ (Moser and Uzzell, 2003) This is an inclusive definition of environmental psychology focussing on the words like change, transactions, experience

and

people-environment

interactions

hence

leading

towards

a

transactional approach for this field of psychology.

The basic domains of environmental psychology include, environmental perceptions and cognitions, environmental values, attitudes and assessment, and behavioural issues. It examines these processes in relation to the environmental setting and situation in which they take place. It deals with the relationship between human behaviour and its surrounding environment, which incorporates not only the environment to give us what all we require to survive but also the spaces in which to appreciate, understand and to fulfil our needs as well as aspirations. It focuses on the psychology of space and analyses and characterise the people-environment 13 | P a g e

relations at the various levels including private spaces (individual level), public/private environments (neighbourhood-community level), public environments (individual/community level) and global environments (societal level). (Moser and Uzzell, 2003) 3.2 How is Built Environment perceived?

To understand the effects of built environment on human health and well-being, it is important to learn how the human mind perceives and responses to the built environment surrounding it. The more we understand about the human nature the better we will be able to design for the them. The architectural environment, where the main life activities of any society take place affects its user in a dominant way as individuals do not only attempt to adapt with their environment passively, but also modify it actively to match their needs by acting individually or collectively. The surrounding environment is considered as the context of behaviour and reactions consequently our moods and behaviours are significant only if they can be understood in terms of their context. So, the relation between the surrounding physical environment and behaviour is deep-rooted and interwoven. (ABDEL KADER1, n.d.)

The following Jon Lang diagram shows the process concerning the interface between human and environment.

Figure 2 Interface between human and environment, Source: ABDEL KADER1, n.d

14 | P a g e

3.3 Attributes of Built Environment affecting Human Experience 3.3.1 Imageability and Legibility According to Kevin Lynch, imageability can be described as the quality of a physical object which gives an individual a strong vivid image. He says that a highly imageable city would be well formed, would contain very distinct parts, and would be instantly recognizable to the common inhabitant.(Lynch, 1960) His theory of imageability discusses the quality of cities according to the legibility factor of the elements that are perceived by the observers. Here the term ―legible‖ is defined by the term ―visible‖ and can be understood through studying mental images as a result of people‘s memories and meanings. (Lynch, 1960) He defined legibility as a concept with the help of which people are able to understand the layout of a place. For instance, defining the location in the city with respect to its context or a well-known road or any well-known restaurant in that area, all these ―visible‖ factors define the legibility of the place hence this helps people in understanding or remembering the location/ route much better.(Lynch, 1960) The urban elements are categorized into three different categories: identity, structure, and meaning, where identity and structure are the two most communicable dimension of the conversation of an individual and environment. Identity helps in differentiating objects/elements from one another; structure helps in setting up the relationship to larger pattern of other components, and meaning defines a practical and emotional value for the observer. It requires first the recognizable proof of the components from others, second the relationship to others, and the last is its meaning. The first and second are the most ―legible/visible‖ of the physical elements in cities, while the third is very relative in cultures. (Lynch, 1960) Lynch highlights the five major elements in cities that enhance the imageability, which are paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks.(Lynch, 1960) Paths: They are the most legible elements in defining the city‘s image. They influence the observer‘s experience of a place as one walks along its form. One can experience paths in the form of streets, walkways, canals or railroads. The path 15 | P a g e

element creates a relation arrangement and relation among other elements. (Lynch, 1960) Edges: Edges act as linear breaks in continuity by defining boundaries between two or more close regions or districts. They could be shores, railroad cuts, and walls. The element is not as strong as paths, but for observers it is an important character as they affect the experiences by organizing different features. (Lynch, 1960) Districts: Clusters of urban landscapes having similar or common character can be defined as districts where individuals can mentally experience ‗inside of‘. The observer always identifies from within with exterior reference from the outside.

(Lynch, 1960) Nodes: They are characterized as points which act as intersections between paths where people can enter; for instance an enclosed square; it marks the break of movement. The nodes are described as the conceptual anchor points in the cities. It is more defined when it has a sharp and closed boundary, which does not trail off uncertainly on each side; it becomes more remarkable if provided with one or two objects which are foci of attention. If the node has a local orientation within itself—an "up " or "down, " a "left " or a "right, " a "front " or a "back"—then it can be related to the larger orientation system.(Lynch, 1960) Landmarks: They are the points of reference that simply defines a physical object; they can be signs, buildings, mountains, or shops. A few elements can be seen at a distance while some can be familiar to the individual. These elements can be patterned together as nets of paths or clusters of landmarks. Every element is only a raw material of a city form. In the urban context, all elements operate together while images may contrast from time to time, season-to-season and day-to-day.

Landmarks are important for observer‘s experience of a place as they tend to leave an impression on observer‘s mind which helps them reconnect with that particular place. (Lynch, 1960) In his later research, Lynch focuses on the significance of sense of place in individual‘s life and highlights the importance of key human values and feelings alongside the physical arrangements in urban design. He defined the third element of urban design ―meaning‖ as a function of time (history) and the observers‘ 16 | P a g e

background in terms of social class and spatial behaviour. The meaning is created by individual‘s sense of legibility, experience and place; and its development is influenced by factors that are embedded within them such as accessibility, diversity, adaptability and comfort. Meaning of a place is related to people‘s psychological feelings to their environment such as attachment, warmth, relaxation and interest (Damayantı and Kossak, 2016)

3.3.2 Form Francis D.K. Ching has said about the form, that: “Form is an inclusive term that has several meanings. It may refer to an external appearance that can be recognized, as that of a chair or the human body that sits in it. It may also allude to a particular condition in which something acts or manifests itself, as when we speak of water in the form of ice or steam. In art and design, we often use the term to denote the formal structure of a work—the manner of arranging and coordinating the elements and parts of a composition so as to produce a coherent image.” (D.k. Ching, 1943) In context to this study, the physical form of the built environment can be defined by the horizontal and vertical configurations of varying shapes, sizes and arrangements of buildings and streets. The visual attributes of the form are size, colour, texture, position and orientation. Together, all these aspects of the form defines the quality of the built environment thereby influencing the experience of the users. The form defines the internal structure as well as the external outline in any given setting, thus providing a unity to the whole (environment).

Type of any built environment can have a direct influence on individual‘s experience of a place while additionally affecting their physical activity levels. Designing building exteriors and massing that enhance the people‘s experiences in urban environment include maximum variety and transparency, multiple entries, stoops, and canopies.(Oreskovic et al., 2014) Different built-environment attributes related to physical form are set to create a safe, inviting, and well-used public realm with visual interest. These attributes include the

17 | P a g e

variation in building height, variation in building plane, presence of a street focal point, and presence of windows or transparent glass. (Oreskovic et al., 2014)

Illustration 1: Various forms of Built Environment; Oreskovic et al., 2014

Building's physical volume comprises of the building‘s massing, it‘s height, the plane, and general shape of a it. The aggregation of building masses, at the urban scale, defines the form of urban blocks and streetscapes and allows for the emergence of different patterns. Variations in the facade plane and building heights (skyline treatment) lead to the form variations within an urban environment. These variations in the form are expected to reduce apparent mass; provide visual interest; and create a local, pedestrian-friendly character. (Oreskovic et al., 2014) 3.3.3 Material and Texture Senses help people to interact with their built environment. Architecture behaves as a social art shaping the world around us. Architecture is a function between context, functionality and sensations. Our well-being, aptitudes, productivity and responses is directly related to the built environment. Materials are the ‗sculptors‘ of the built environment. Materials bring character and originality to the spaces. Therefore, it is important to be aware how the human mind reacts to a certain material before using it. They are also necessary to establish a relationship of visual quality and structural 18 | P a g e

stability. Certain materials trigger certain part of brain. The greatest architects of all times have selected considerately with the type of material they chose for their buildings to support their purpose, philosophy, and responsibility as the pioneer of building society or a nation. Careful selection of materials encourages buildings that have a natural resonance with their environment and that can be easily repaired.(―How do materials affect human psychology - RTF | Rethinking The Future,‖ n.d.)

It is known that the materials which shape the built form can play a key role in determining how pleasing or displeasing a space can be. The function of space can also be defined by the material used. For instance, concrete can be used to give a overpowering bold impression. It evokes uniformity, consistency, focus and unidirectionality. It is usually used in institutional buildings for a work environment as it needs no distraction and slight maintenance. In contrast, wood gives the feeling of coziness providing ease and comfort.

Materials and textures go hand in hand. Textures provoke how a person senses touch and comprehends it. There are more than a hundred species of wood in construction industry, each creating a different experience. The emotions and productivity levels are manipulated by the variety in wood grains, tones and textures.

They can be used in aromatic spaces which soothe and welcomes you like spas and treatment centers and also in the offices where the efficiency levels are increased.

The different experiences are created by using different type of wood.

The designer should consider it their obligation to pick-out the material which relaxes, soothes and re- energizes the human mind. They should consider the demand to practice such materials in a design that encourages constructive social and personal attitude as the mental health of the society is now at the brink of stability.

3.3.4 Scale and Proportion Scale is size corresponding to ourselves and the world around us. A person feels more comfortable to human. Our homes are commonly built to this natural scale. A man feels comfortable walking through the doorways where the ceiling neither 19 | P a g e

knocks the head, nor is lost in the shadows. We normally measure things against ourselves. Scale and proportion encourage a relationship between the community and the built environment. The monumental scale is impressive. This is a statement of hierarchy. Our mind assesses the human scale and monumental scale in an unlike manner. The buildings made on the human scale give the feeling of comfort, coziness, and relief. It soothes the human mind. On the contrary, the buildings made on the monumental scale display power or fear. These structures are usually aweevoking. The different emotions created by the scale of the built structures are also responsible for how we react to these buildings.(―Placemaking and the Human Scale City,‖ n.d.)

The perception of space depends upon the built environment that surrounds it. The height, opacity, and transparency create the scale and emotion of the spaces. By and large, a space with greater vertical proportion gives a more serious urban feel as compared to a space with greater horizontal proportion which gives a more relaxed feel.

For example, a street corridor with tall structures along with it, a narrower path, a trifling pavement, and a little private space will give the feeling of higher intensity. On the other hand, a street corridor with lower buildings along the sides and a relatively broader pathway will be a less intense neighborhood business district.(―Streets Scale and Proportion — CUDA Studio,‖ n.d.)

If the human scale is about perception, then it cannot be applied in a single objective definition; every individual sees the world from a different angle. This implies that the human scale in any given community depends upon what the particular community perceives as human scale.

20 | P a g e

Chapter 4 : IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH 4.1 Effect of Built Environment on Mental Health The built environment has the potential to either promote or hinder mental health and well-being. The quality and attributes of the settings where we inhabit, the places in which we live, work, and play, can impact our mental wellbeing. This part will look at the degree to which built environments can potentially advance or hinder mental health and well-being. The possible results can be increased development of social ties, facilitation of recovery from mental fatigue or effect on anxiety and depression, and contribution to aggression and violence. (Sullivan and Chang, 2011) The built environment depends on its users to possess a wide variety of skills and abilities, similarly, we, as users, require certain essentials of life from our surroundings. The degree to which this relationship upholds mental well being is dependent on the match between the individual and its environment. The more successful the match, the greater is the probability that the individual will experience higher levels of mental health and well-being while on the other hand, the greater is the mismatch, the more likely it is that the individual will experience psychological distress. (Sullivan and Chang, 2011) The following table lists out the settings that have resulted in favourable and unfavourable mental health implications.

Settings

Mental Health Implications Favourable

    

―Legible‖ Places Attractive, well-maintained places Contact with greenspace Places with privacy Places with appropriate contact with other people

      

Well-being Life satisfaction Quality of Life Social Support Ability to concentrate Creative Play in children Less mental fatigue

Unfavourable  

Crowded places Noisy places

21 | P a g e

 

Social withdrawal Reduced social

ties

among



Dangerous places

    

neighbours Smaller social networks Diminished social and skills in children Distress Anxiety Irritability

motor

Table 2: Settings that are favourable and unfavourable to mental health; Sullivan and Chang, 2011

4.2 Aspects of Mental Health The various aspects of mental health that are impacted by the built environment can be categorised as : 

Social Capital



Mental Fatigue



Stress and Depression



Aggression and Violence



Being Lost

4.2.1 Enhancing Social Capital Kuo Et Al say that neighbours better capable of forming local and political organisations are built when the people in them feel a sense of community and social support that stems from social ties among them. They are the foundation on which social capital develops providing additional benefits to individuals and groups.(Sullivan and Chang, 2011) Talking about the people of older age groups, the ones with the strong social connections have lower levels of mortality, reduced suicide rates, less fear of crime, and better physical health, hence they have reported having significantly higher levels of psychological wellbeing. (Sullivan and Chang, 2011) The built environment can impact the formation and maintenance of social connections within individuals as well as communities. Some settings can hinder social interaction while some can boost them up. According to the research, dilapidated, crowded, and dangerous settings lead to social withdrawal and discourage individuals from establishing social relations. (Evans, n.d.) Youngsters show less outdoor and physical activities and tend to have smaller social networks 22 | P a g e

when living near traffic noise. The effect of living close to heavy traffic is similarly considerable for adults. Based on seminal literature it can be concluded that people living in areas with heavy traffic flow tend to make less social connections with the neighbours as compared to the ones staying in less congested streets.(Sullivan and Chang, 2011) The built environment can also provide its users with opportunities for casual social contact with each other consequently expanding the chances of social interaction.

Noisy or crowded shared spaces have been shown to promote informal face-to-face contacts, henceforth enabling the people to form and maintain social ties.

Designers can have a role to play in promoting social interaction by providing ideas within buildings or neighbourhoods such as gathering spaces, visual prospects and movable seating. For example, front porches have been known to help increase the perception of social support and decrease levels of psychological distress by promoting visibility from a building‘s exterior. In this way, designers and planners can create more supportive, cohesive places by the way they design buildings and neighbourhoods. (Brown et al. 2009).

As conclusion, it can be said that walkable, human-scaled, and safe neighbourhoods with shared public and semi-public spaces such as parks, squares, and tree-lined neighbourhood streets can increase the opportunities for social interaction thereby affecting human mental health and well-being positively.

4.2.2 Mental Fatigue We are constantly required to pay attention and process information due to the demands of our everyday lives, stimuli and surroundings. Traffic, twitter, telecommunications, problems at work, complex decisions, and delicate social interactions are other physical and social factors that require our attention. This demand for our attention results in mental fatigue, the consequences of which are profound, including becoming inattentive, withdrawn, irritable, distractible, impulsive, and accident-prone, which should not be welcomed. (Sullivan and Chang, 2011) The built environment has a crucial role to play, it can either alleviate mental fatigue or re-establish an individual's ability to focus. Places with a view of green space with 23 | P a g e

trees and grass or a body of water, gently hold our attention and allow us to recover from mental fatigue (Evans, n.d.)(Kaplan 1995). Previous researches have stated that natural settings such as green landscapes gets us to engage easily in the way allowing us to be in the environment where we need not focus our conciousness and consequently restore our attention paying capacity. Evidence of cognitively rejuvenating effects has been found for a variety of natural settings, including wilderness areas, prairies, community parks, views of nature through windows, and even rooms with interior plants. (Sullivan and Chang, 2011) 4.2.3 Stress and Depression Built environment can likewise promote or diminish feelings of annoyance, distress, anxiety, and sometimes, depression. Unwanted sound i.e. noise, interfering with important activities, can be unpleasant and harmful. Previous researches reveal that greater the exposure to traffic and noise, greater will be the psychological distress.

Noise at home and at work can cause irritability and negative emotional state while crowded places have also been associated with distress. More crowded rooms predict a greater level of physiological stress. (Evans, n.d.)

High levels of noise and crowding give rise to anxiety and depression which is often experienced among the children and adults residing in low-income, high-rise housing. (Evans, 2001) For many people, even low levels of daylight can cause seasonal depression, often called a seasonal affective disorder. (Beauchemin and Hays 1996) The symptoms include sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of interest in usual activities, withdrawal from social activities, and inability to concentrate.

(Cleveland Clinic 2010) Subsequently, for many individuals experiencing seasonal depression, designers can design their living or working environments with large windows that allow exposure to daylight which can further reduce the intensity and duration of their symptoms. For the millions of people working daily without exposure to sunlight, it becomes essential to discover ways that can help gain exposure to daylight.

Poor neighbourhood design is also related to distress and depression. Living in a dilapidated neighbourhood, can possibly reduce an individual‘s capacity to function effectively. Individuals living in a neighbourhood with the poor quality built

24 | P a g e

environment are more likely to showcase the symptoms of depression during the previous six months and later on with lifetime depression. (Galea et al. 2005) Places that promote physical activity can help to prevent and treat depression. A few studies have reported that higher levels of physical activity can reduce the risk of depression. Neighbourhoods with higher levels of walkability have reported lower levels of depressive symptoms. (Saxena et al. 2005).

In sum, psychological distress and depression can be caused by the design of the buildings and neighbourhood. Mental wellbeing can be promoted by designing places that are not noisy or crowded; that promote access to daylight; that encourage social interaction; and that welcome individuals to walk, run, play, ride bicycles, and engage in different types of physical activities.

4.2.4 Aggression and Violence The physical environment can also influence human aggression. Noise, crowding, and high temperatures are often seen to promote aggression and violence. Noise in the built environment can possibly suppress the selflessness mongs individuals and elevate aggression among adults who are already primed by violent stimuli or provocations. Crowding is also linked to aggressive behaviour and in the experience of crowding is social density matters more than spatial density. High social density is defined as increasing the number of people per room. Therefore, the higher the social density, higher will be the unwanted interactions among individuals. These unwanted interactions, in turn, can give rise to frustration which sometimes leads to aggressive behaviour. High social densities also affect children. For instance, when preschools are crowded, the incidence of cooperation decreases, and aggressive behaviours increase. (Evans, n.d.)

Places that lack the elements of nature are generally associated with higher levels of incivilities, aggression, and violence. People surrounding by the built environment with more greenspace will experience an enhanced feeling of safety. (Sullivan and Chang, 2011) Levels of psychological distress in children are also affected by witnessing acts of violence. Children who have experienced some kind of violent behaviour in their neighbourhoods show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, including disrupted 25 | P a g e

patterns of eating and sleeping, anxiety responses, and fear. Among adults, exposure to violence, sleep disturbances, nightmares, and anxiety are common.

(Sullivan and Chang, 2011) The built environment also shares the responsibility of causing violence by promoting feelings of alienation and isolation or by sending signals to potentially violent individuals that their actions will not be observed. Hence, designers and planners can design buildings and landscapes that can help deter crime. The approaches advocated by the concept of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) create conditions that deter crimes by increasing surveillance, clearly defining public and private spaces, and limiting access to buildings and grounds.

(Cozens 2007) 4.2.5 Way Finding Being lost can be painful and difficult, be it in a physical environment or social.

Regardless of whether you become lost while listening to a lecture, using a computer program, or making your way to someplace you have to be, being disoriented and confused can be an agonizing and horrifying experience. On the other hand, knowing where you are, or at least feeling that you will find your way, increases the quality of your experience. (Sullivan and Chang, 2011) Many kinds of research and studies have been done to recognize and identify the characteristics of the built environment that help people find their way. It has been found that settings with distinct elements help in avoiding the anxiety and frustration of being lost and helps people to stay oriented. Some examples of these elements can be buildings, districts such as playing zone in a large park, or regions within a city. These elements are actually the landmarks that help people in differentiating a zone or area from each other. Kevin Lynch quoted that these distinct qualities make a city ‖legible‖. (Lynch, 1960) He indicated that a legibility of the city is directly proportional to the sense of emotional security and also an invitation to explore. As discussed in section 3.3.1 places with distinct landmarks and districts, clear edges and pathways, and appropriate signage increase legibility, help people to stay oriented while promoting less stressful interactions with the built environment.

26 | P a g e

4.3 Place attachment and Mental Health People usually become attached to places that play important roles in their lives and it is more likely for them to develop emotional bonds to places that provide pleasing experiences and memories. The most grounded connection are built up to places which are they find to be especially attractive, choose frequently or the ones that support positive social interactions and the development of social ties. No simple formula can be applied which help the designers and planners to create positive emotional bonds between a person and a place i.e place attachment. Still, they can choose to design attractive places, that promotes social inclusions, and that invite people to linger. Hence, it can be said that such physical settings, being associated to every neighbourhood, campus, and business district will unquestionably have important consequences. People who build up a significant emotional bond with a neighbourhood, park, or other setting exhibit greater commitment to the community surrounding that place, report higher levels of well-being, and have a very low probability of moving away than the individuals who feel less of a bond (ALTMAN AND LOW, 1992).

27 | P a g e

Chapter 5 : PLACELESSNESS IN TRANSIT NODES To understand and analyse the phenomenon of increasing placelessness in urban areas and its effect on mental health and well-being, the study will look into two types of places as case studies. The two types of places are transit facilities and third places.

From the seminal literature review, it is clear that places affect its users' health and well-being, be it negative or positive. Transit facilities are places, which people are obliged to use, irrespective of their choice. For instance, a person visits a café or a pub or any other public space, which doesn‘t give him a ―positive vibe‖, it then becomes highly likely of that person to not visit that place again. But in the case of transit facilities, people are hardly left with any choice of not using the place. Hence, in order to analyse the effects of placelessness, it becomes useful to first study the places which are ―compulsive‖ and people have barely any choice to not use them.

Also, transit nodes such as metro stations, bus stops, railway stations, or airport terminals are commonly present in the contemporary urban setting, but are sometimes forgotten to be integrated conceptually into the urban fabric. They are generally seen as places to ease the burden of traffic and transit, while in contrast, they hold the potential to contribute to urban form and public realm. In this study, I aim to understand the major transit nodes, (mainly metro stations) with respect to the theories of place discussed in chapter 1.

Once the theories of place are established for the chosen case studies, the analysis will be done on the basis of the parameters of the built environment figured in section 3.3. and a comparative analysis will done based on the parameters. Later, a primary survey will be done to record the experiences and behavioural moods with the help of the circumflex model of effect.

After recording the experiences, it will help in developing the relationship between the place and its users following which a possible connection between placelessness and mental well-being can be established.

28 | P a g e

The transit nodes chosen in the urban settings of Delhi are: 1. Rajiv Chowk Metro Station 2. Kashmere Gate Metro Station 3. ITO Metro Station

Case Study Criterion For Selection

Rajiv Chowk The metro station was selected because of its proximity to the Metro Station vast public area, which ensures heavy traffic in the metro station. This metro station also houses various types of food joints allowing its users to hang out or socially interact with one another. Also, the metro station is located underground, hence it gives another parameter for comparative analysis with the metro station which is located above ground.

Kashmere Gate The metro station was selected because of its proximity to one Metro Station of the largest bus terminals of the city, which ensures heavy traffic but different from that of CP as the majority of inflow and outflow of people is because of the nearby bus terminal. This metro station, similarly, houses various food joints and a book store. Also, a part of this metro station is located above ground, hence it creates a disparity in the identity and sense of that place. This particular metro station was also selected as it is used by the people who do not belong to the city, hence their perception and impression of the image of the metro station could not be ignored.

ITO Metro The metro station was selected because of its proximity to the Station institutional area which ensures heavy traffic of people using the institutions around. The metro station is comparatively less active than the other two metro stations. The metro station is

29 | P a g e

located underground.

Table 3: Criterion for selection of Case Studies; Self

5.1 Parameters for analysis based on theories of place Based on the theories of place illustrated in Chapter 2, the following parameters are identified for a comparative analysis for the three metro stations.

Theories of Parameters for Analysis place

Place Identity

1. Physical Settings – It talks about the location of the place and the kind of built environment that particular place is located in.

2. Activities and Events – These are mainly the activities and events that take place within that particular place.

3. Meaning through people‘s experience – This refers to the significance of that place for an individual based on his/her experience(s) with that place.

4. Degree of insideness/outsideness - The identity of a person with a particular place can be defined by the degree of insideness or outsideness. The more a person is able to relate with that place or the more it feels safe rather than being threatened at a particular place, the person will thus be ―inside‖ the place rather than ―outside‖ and hence, stronger will be the identity of that place for that individual.

Sense of Place Variables: 1. Subjective Experiences

30 | P a g e

2. Objective Influences Subjective Experiences: 1. Memory with the place 2. Any history/ traditions of the place Objective Influences: 1. Landscape 2. Smell 3. Sound/Noise 4. Crowding 5. Access Place Variables: Attachment

1. Physical Features 2. Social Features Physical Features: 1. Visual Interest regarding Place 2. Ease of Access 3. The uniqness of nature and diversity of activities 4. Location 5. Comfort Level 6. Patterns of usage of place Objective Influences: 1. Ethnic Diversity 2. Social Interaction 3. Safety in the place 4. Levels of environment awareness

Table 4: Indicators of Theories of Place for analysis; Self

31 | P a g e

5.2 Rajiv Chowk Metro Station For a survey of 130 people, approximately 91.4% i.e. 117 people have used Rajiv Chowk Metro Station. The following chart shows the percentage of people using the metro station daily, weekly for classes or other reasons and occasionally.

Figure 3: People using Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Self

5.2.1 Physical Settings (Location)

Illustration 2: Location of Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Google Maps

Rajiv Chowk Metro Station is located in the center of Connaught Place right under the central green park. It serves as a transfer node for the blue line and yellow line, blue being located on the upper level with yellow line on the lower level. It handles

32 | P a g e

the traffic load of about 5 lakh passengers every day, serving Connaught Place in the heart of Delhi.

5.2.2 Imageability and Legibility

Figure 4: Plan of Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Jain 2013

The station sits below the central park with three entries on each side. The blue lines mark the automated fair collection (AFC) gates and the red circles mark the eateries.

The metro lines run diametrically across the metro station, with blue line on the upper level and the yellow line on the lower level.

When a survey was carried out for people visiting the metro station, and asked about if they find the place visually interesting or boring, for 40.6% of the people, the place was not visually interesting, while 46.1% find the place visually interesting.

Figure 5: Responses for Visual Interest; Self

33 | P a g e

For people visiting the metro station, 70.3% find this metro station unique from the other metro stations.

Figure 6: Levels of Uniqueness of Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Self

5.2.3 Accessibility

Illustration 3: Entry Gate for Rajiv Chowk Metro Station; Hindustan Times

There are total eight number of gates on the ground level to access the metro station below. There are three entries on each side of the tracks on the upper level. The entry to the station is marked as a set of descending staircases and elevators from the road level to the underground level, followed by a widened corridor which terminates at the lobby with automated fair collection (AFC) gates.

34 | P a g e

5.2.4 Form

Illustration 4: Interior View of the Metro Station; DNA India

Illustration 5: The roof structure; Google

The metro station is planned in a radial manner with the railway tracks running diametrically across the metro station marked with the three entries on each side of the track on the upper level. The entrance lobbies from each side join into the huge central space, from where one can go down for the yellow line. The central space also contains a connecting bridge that runs over the metro tracks for people to move from one side of the tracks to the other. The structure is supported with the help of 35 | P a g e

heavy columns and beams that run radially across the roof form. The central roof structure holds the green cover above it. There are skylights all over the elliptical peripheral edge of the central space which helps in bringing daylight into the space.

5.2.5 Material and Texture

Illustration 6: Image showing material and textures; Google

The metro station being a place that requires high stability is constructed out of reinforced cement concrete, while the outer surface is cladded with grey-coloured stone with strips of black stone running parallelly across the floor as skirting. The floor of the station is also cladded in grey-coloured stone all over. The use of black and grey coloured stone all over the place gives a monotonous essence to the place.

The ceiling of the central space, which includes the exposed radial structure of the beams is painted in white while the ceilings in the entrance corridors are covered with false ceiling to conceal the services running underneath.

Illustration 7: Platform at Metro Station; Google

36 | P a g e

The floor at the station‘s platform has yellow strips in order to mark the danger levels towards the end of the platform. The platform also contains strips of yellow tiles running across to guide the people with visual disability. The edge of the platform has barriers at regular intervals to avoid the crowd from falling down onto the tracks.

5.2.6 Scale and Proportion

Illustration 8: Scale of the Central Space; Economic Times

The Rajiv Chowk Metro Station has an area of about 39,503 square feet (3,669.9 m2). The scale of the place is monumental for an individual, where one can feel lost amongst the crowd. The monumental scale of the building infuses one‘s mind with fear or assertion of power. The space in the center of the building is double-height, while it's horizontally spread over a large area. Hence, the horizontal proportion of the building dominates over the vertical proportion; causing a feeling of comfort or ―being at ease‖ in one‘s mind.

37 | P a g e

5.2.7 External Influences: Smell, Crowd, Noise

Illustration 9: Crowd at Platform; DNA India

Illustration 10: Crowd at Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, Hindustan Times

Being a transfer station for two major metro lines and located in the heart of Delhi i.e.

Connaught Place, Rajiv Chowk metro station is mostly crowded throughout the day.

For the people using this metro station, crowding was one of the major factor that influences their experience of the place, while noise being the second followed by the smell.

38 | P a g e

Figure 7: External Influences; Self

5.2.8 Activities, Events and Patterns of Usage The lobbies of the metro station house several eateries which sell snacks such as momos, sandwiches, chips, patties along with the beverages like tea, coffee, soft drinks etc. The eateries are located before the AFC gates and are mostly used by the people who get down from the metro on the station or the people who get down at the station from CP to use the metro. Being located before the AFC gates, the eateries can also be accessed by the people who might not want to use the metro and come down just to drop off or pick up their acquaintances.

The sides of the lobbies are mostly crowded with people having cups and plates in their hands, standing in groups of 3-4, which sometimes makes it difficult for the other users to pass through making it uncomfortable for them to use the place.

Once the user passes through the AFC, the crowd gets denser due to the traffic of people interchanging between the Blue and Yellow line, which is much greater than the people getting down at the metro station from CP. The station also houses two Café Coffee Day (CCD) outlets and an outlet of WHSmith. These joints function according to the metro timings and are open to all the metro passengers regardless of the time of the day. The CCD outlets have their own seating spaces which are mostly occupied by the people throughout the day.

Due to the crowding at these outlets, the path of circulation between the yellow line and the blue line gets congested and it becomes difficult for the people who need to

39 | P a g e

interchange. WHSmith is a retail shop which offers a window shopping experience for the people passing by.

5.2.9 Degree of insideness and outsideness In the survey, when it was asked from the people if they feel safe at this particular metro station, 36.6% of people did not feel safe at Rajiv Chowk Metro Station while 46.9% people feel safe here.

Figure 8: Responses for levels of safety at Rajiv Chowk; Self

When asked about the sense of belonging to this place, out of 117 people who have used this place, 54.7% responded negatively while 37.5% were able to relate themselves with this place.

Figure 9: Sense of Belonging; Self

5.2.10 People’s experience and memories with the place When asked about their memories or experiences related to this particular metro station, out of 117 people who have used the metro station, 53.1% responded positively, while 36.7% responded negatively.

40 | P a g e

Figure 10: Experiences/Memories with the Station; Self

5.2.11 Levels of Social Interaction From the survey, approximately half of the people using this metro station did not feel that it is a place to hangout or provides them with the opportunity to socially interact with each other.

Figure 11: Rajiv Chowk Metro Station as a place to hangout; Self

Figure 12: Responses for Social Interaction at Rajiv Chowk Station; Self

41 | P a g e

5.2.12 Circumflex Model of Effect

Figure 13: Circumflex Model of Effect; Self

When people were asked about how they felt in this particular metro station, it can be seen that most of them felt highly activated with equal levels of pleasantness and unpleasantness.

5.3 Kashmere Gate Metro Station For a survey of 130 people, approximately 78.9% i.e. 101 people have used Kashmere Gate Metro Station. The following chart shows the percentage of people using the metro station daily, weekly for classes or other reasons and occasionally.

42 | P a g e

Figure 14:People using Kashmere Gate Metro Station, Self

5.3.1 Physical Settings (Location)

Illustration 11: Location of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Google Maps

Kashmere Gate Metro Station is located next to the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT), Kashmere Gate; with Parsvanath Metro Mall inside the Station Building. It serves as a transfer node for the red line, yellow line and violet line; red being located on the uppermost level with yellow line on the lowest underground level and the latest addition of violet line on the parallel underground level. It is one of the busiest metro stations in India due to the interchange of three metro lines as well as its proximity to ISBT, which is responsible for the majority of its traffic load. After the expansion of the metro station by the construction of the violet line, the traffic flow boosted up to 5 lakh passengers every day. (―TDI International gears up for media expansion at Kashmere Gate Delhi Metro station,‖ )

43 | P a g e

5.3.2 Imageability and Legibility

Figure 15: Plan of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; (Jain, 2013)

The station sits right beside one of the largest ISBT in the city, and it‘s a 6 storeyed building, with some part of the building above the ground and some underground. It also houses the Parsvanath metro mall. The red areas mark the eateries within the metro station. The metro lines run parallelly across the orientation of the metro station, with blue line on the upper level above ground and the yellow line and violet line on the lower level underground.

When a survey was carried out for people visiting this metro station, and asked about if they find the place visually interesting or boring, for 48.4% of the people , the place was not visually interesting, while only 28.1% find the place visually interesting.

Figure 16: Responses for Visual Interest; Self

For people visiting the metro station, only 40.6% finds this metro station unique from the other metro stations.

44 | P a g e

Figure 17: Levels of Uniqueness of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Self

5.3.3 Accessibility

Illustration 12: Entry Gate for Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Delhi Aajtak

Illustration 13: Gate No. 1 for Kashmere Gate Metro Station; Hindustan Times

There are total eight number of gates on the ground level to access the metro station. Gate No. 1,2 and 3 connects the metro station to MCD Park, Maharaja Aggrasan Park, and Mori Gate Bus Stand respectively.

45 | P a g e

Illustration 14: Gate No. 3 opening at Parsvanath Metro Mall, Parsvanath.com

Gate No. 4 and 5 connect the metro station at Shamnath Marg and Kudasiya Park respectively. Gate No. 6,7 and 8 provides the entry and exit into/ from the metro station to ISBT. 5.3.4 Form

Illustration 15: Exterior View of the Metro Station; Hindustan Times

The metro station is built over 6 floors with 3 above the ground and 3 underground with a total no. of 8 entries and exits. The railway tracks run parallelly across the metro station. The station has a huge central elliptical lobby which acts as an

46 | P a g e

entrance to the station and connects to the entry/exit gates on all sides, from where either one can go down for yellow line or violet line or go up for the red line. The building also houses the Parsvanath Metro Mall which is a mix of restaurants. The restaurants are placed on the eastern side of the station while one can find small eateries on the western end; this placement of eateries has created a divide between the two spaces.

Illustration 16: Space Frame at Entrance of Kashmere Gate Metro Station; (“TDI International gears up for media expansion at Kashmere Gate Delhi Metro station,” )

The structure is supported with the help of heavy columns and beams that run perpendicular to each other. The entrance atrium is covered with a space frame of tensile members.

5.3.5 Material and Texture

Illustration 17: Image of Platform at Yellow Line; Hindustan Times

Similar to the Rajiv Chowk, metro station Kashmere Gate metro station is also constructed out of reinforced cement concrete, with heavy columns supporting the 47 | P a g e

structure. The interior surface of the metro station is cladded with grey-coloured stone with strips of black stone running parallelly across the floor as skirting, while externally it is cladded with light and dark peach coloured stone, demarking the built form of the station that stands above the ground. The columns coming down to the platform area are externally cladded with steel, giving a distinct feature to the place.

The floor of the station is also cladded in grey-coloured stone all over giving a monotonous essence to the place. The space frame structure on the roof provides the feeling of a grand entrance.

The walls near the staircases and escalators are covered in paintings of different heritage buildings of Delhi, which provides the user with an authentic sense of place.

Illustration 18: Interior of Kashmere Gate Metro Station, Hindustan Times

5.3.6 Scale and Proportion The Kashmere Gate Metro Station has an area of about 118,400 square feet (11000 m2), which is almost three times of the Rajiv Chowk Metro Station. Similar to the Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, the scale of this place is monumental for a human being asserting one‘s mind with fear and power. Unlike Rajiv Chowk Metro Station, this station has a comparatively larger vertical dimension than the horizontal one. The central space of the building, which is also the entrance is double-height, with a space frame structure.

48 | P a g e

5.3.7 External Influences: Smell, Crowd, Noise

Illustration 19: Crowd at Kashmere Gate Metro Station, Hindustan Times

Being a transfer station for three major metro lines and located within the proximity of the busiest ISBT station Kashmere Gate metro station witnesses a heavily loaded crowd throughout the day, with more than half of the passengers carrying the luggage (those coming from or going to ISBT).

Similar to Rajeev Chowk metro station, for the people using this metro station, crowding was one of the major factors that influence their experience of the place, while noise being the second followed by the smell.

Figure 18: External Influences; Self

49 | P a g e

5.3.8 Activities, Events and Patterns of Usage

Illustration 20: Sahitya Academy at Metro Station; DNA India

The station houses various restaurants like Fast Trax, Comesum, McDonalds, Domino‘s Pizza, Dilli-6 (a Mughlai restaurant) while some smaller eateries as well.

One can see people enjoying their meal and lingering around the restaurants and eateries on either side. Both ends are connected at all levels of the station hence mixing of people rarely happens. One can witness groups of people (families or groups of friends) near the restaurants. Having external access and seating spaces, the restaurants can be used by the people without having to pass through the AFC gates, which adds on to the crowd of the already widely-used station.

One can see the eateries on the edges of the elliptical lobby located nearby escalators going up for the Red Line and down for the Yellow Line and Violet Line.

The eateries in this lobby can only be accessed after passing through the AFC gates. Although, there is no seating for these joints, but one can still find people standing in front of them. Both sides of the metro station also have ATMs and Vodafone 3G outlets for metro users. (Jain, 2013) The station also has an outlet of Sahitya Academi, which is a book shop and people can be seen roaming around. According to the survey, for some people using the metro station, the book shop is one of the reasons they visit the station.

50 | P a g e

5.3.9 Degree of insideness and outsideness In the survey, when it was asked from the people if they feel safe at this particular metro station, 28.9% of people did not feel safe at Kashmere Gate Metro Station while 39.8% of people feel safe here.

Figure 19: Responses for levels of safety at Kashmere Gate; Self

When asked about the sense of belonging to this place, out of 101 people who have used this place, 78.9% responded negatively while only 18% were able to relate themselves with this place.

Figure 20: Sense of Belonging; Self

5.3.10 People’s experience and memories with the place When asked about their memories or experiences related to this metro station, out of 101 people who have used the metro station, contrary to Rajiv Chowk metro station only 34.4% responded positively, while the majority of people i.e. 56.3% responded negatively and having no memories with the place.

51 | P a g e

Figure 21: Experiences/Memories with the Station; Self

5.3.11 Levels of Social Interaction From the survey, approximately more than half of the people using this metro station did not feel that it is a place to hang out while half of them feel that it does not provide them with the opportunity to socially interact with each other as well.

Figure 22: Kashmere Gate Metro Station as a place to hangout; Self

Figure 23: Responses for Social Interaction at Kashmere Gate Station; Self

52 | P a g e

5.3.12 Circumflex Model of Effect

Figure 24: Circumflex Model of Effect; Self

When people were asked about how they felt in this particular metro station, it can be seen that the majority of them felt highly activated along with the feeling of unpleasantness, while a significant amount of people also felt being pleasant.

5.4 ITO Metro Station For a survey of 130 people, only 54.3% i.e. 70 people have used ITO Metro Station.

The following chart shows the percentage of people using the metro station daily, weekly for classes or other reasons and occasionally.

53 | P a g e

Figure 25: People using ITO Metro Station, Self

5.4.1 Physical Settings (Location)

Illustration 21: Location of ITO Metro Station; Google Maps

ITO Metro Station is located near the Rajendra Bhawan amidst a huge institutional area. Apart from the income tax office and Delhi Police Headquarters, the area has several administrative buildings, offices such as IMA, engineer‘s Bhawan, TOI. It also has institutions such as School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, Lady Erwin College, Maulana Azad Medical College etc. within its proximity. This metro station serves only one line i.e. violet line at the lowermost underground level. The metro station is relatively less crowded than the other two metro stations and most of the traffic flow is because of the people commuting to nearby official, administrative and institutional buildings. The expected number of users using this metro station is 35000 by the year 2021.

54 | P a g e

5.4.2 Imageability and Legibility The station is situated underground amidst the institutional area with only 2 levels below the ground. Unlike the other two metro stations, the ITO metro station does not house any kind of public spaces such as eateries, cafes, or book stores. The exit and entrances of the metro stations happen at the street level. Because of the absence of public facilities, the metro station is relatively calm.

One can witness many paintings and installations along the walls near the escalators and staircases, while coming down to level two or exiting from the metro trains. The presence of these paintings and installations enhance the imageability of the place and provides the user with some sort of visual interest.

Illustration 22: Interior of ITO Metro Station; Hindustan Times

When a survey was carried out for people visiting this metro station, and asked about if they find the place visually interesting or boring, for 47.3% of the people, the place was not visually interesting, while only 28.7% find the place visually interesting.

55 | P a g e

Figure 26: Responses for Visual Interest; Self

For people visiting the metro station, only 23.3% find this metro station unique from the other metro stations.

Figure 27: Levels of Uniqueness of ITO Metro Station; Self

5.4.3 Accessibility

Illustration 23: Entry Gate 5 for ITO Metro Station; XYZ Social News

56 | P a g e

Illustration 24: Gate No. 4 ITO Metro Station; Hindustan Times

There are a total five number of gates on the street level to access the metro station with a set of descending staircases and escalators from the street level to the underground level 1. All five gates are located on the different edges of the metro station.

5.4.4 Form

Illustration 25: Interior View of ITO Metro Station; Hindustan Times

The metro station is built over 2 floors with both the levels underground and 5 no. entries and exits. The railway tracks run parallelly across the metro station. All the five metro gates are marked by the escalators and staircases followed by the narrow corridors which terminate into the huge central space. The central lobby area is located at the mezzanine level and is divided into two sides which also houses the 57 | P a g e

AFC gates, token machines, and reception area. From this central space, there emerges a set of staircases and escalators on both sides which go down to the lowermost level at the platform. The entire structure is supported with the help of heavy columns and beams that run perpendicular to each other.

Illustration 26: Platform and AFC Gates at ITO Metro Station; TOI

5.4.5 Material and Texture Similar to the other two metro stations, the ITO metro station is constructed out of reinforced cement concrete, with heavy columns supporting the structure. The interior surface of the metro station is similarly cladded with grey-coloured stone with strips of black stone running parallelly across the floor as skirting. The columns coming down to the platform area are externally cladded with steel as in the case of Kashmere Gate Metro Station. The floor of the station is also cladded in greycoloured stone all over giving a monotonous essence to the place.

5.4.6 Scale and Proportion ITO Metro Station is horizontally spread over the ground with only 2 levels. Although, the huge horizontal dimension gives the space a monumental scale, but comparatively lesser than that of Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate metro station.

Also, due to less traffic load or crowd, the space seems to be huge enough to give one a feeling of ―being lost‖.

58 | P a g e

5.4.7 External Influences: Smell, Crowd, Noise Being within the proximity of the administrative area, institutional area, and official area, the ITO metro station witnesses a heavily loaded crowd mainly during the peak morning and evening hours as most of the traffic includes the commuters from the nearby office buildings.

Although the metro station is relatively less crowded throughout the day, its heavy crowd during peak hours causes its users a feeling of discomfort.

Figure 28: External Influences; Self

5.4.8 Activities, Events and Patterns of Usage Since no food joints, retail shops or book stores are situated within this metro station, one can only witness the people coming out from the metro or going down to commute through the metro.

Although, sometimes one can find youth from nearby institutional buildings loitering around the staircases having discussions. During the peak hours, one can witness huge lines in front of the AFCs which sometimes become irritating for the users to keep standing in queues for such long durations.

5.4.9 Degree of insideness and outsideness In the survey, when it was asked from the people if they feel safe at this particular metro station, 28.7% of people did not feel safe at ITO Metro Station while 40.3% of people felt safe here.

59 | P a g e

Figure 29: Responses for levels of safety at ITO Metro Station; Self

When asked about the sense of belonging to this place, out of 70 people who have used this place, 72.9% responded negatively while only 17.1% were able to relate themselves with this place.

Figure 30: Sense of Belonging; Self

5.4.10 People’s experience and memories with the place When asked about their memories or experiences related to this metro station, out of 70 people who have used the metro station, only 20.2% responded positively, while the majority of people i.e. 77.5% responded negatively.

Figure 31: Experiences/Memories with the Station; Self

60 | P a g e

5.4.11 Levels of Social Interaction From the survey, approximately more than half of the people using this metro station did not feel that it is a place to hang out while half of them feel that it also does not provide them with the opportunity to socially interact with each other as well.

Figure 32: ITO Metro Station as a place to hangout; Self

Figure 33: Responses for Social Interaction at ITO Metro Station; Self

5.4.12 Circumflex Model of Effect When people were asked about how they felt in this particular metro station, it can be seen that majority of them felt highly deactivated in contrast to the other two metro stations along with the feeling of pleasantness, while only a significant amount of people also felt activated at this place.

61 | P a g e

Figure 34: Circumflex Model of Effect; Self

5.5 Comparative Analysis PARAMETERS FOR ANALYSIS/ CASE STUDIES

Rajiv Chowk metro station

Kashmere gate metro station

ITO metro station

Physical Settings

Located underneath the central park amidst the highdensity public space

Located near the busiest ISBT of the city; partially above ground and partially underground

Located in the area with a high no. of administrative and institutional buildings; largely underground

Imageability and Legibility

Higher imageability due to its roof form and scale

Comparatively lower levels of imageability due to the blurry presence of distinctive spatial characteristics; presence of art

Lowest imageability, since most of the place is underground with little or no characteristic features to distinguish from

62 | P a g e

styles in the of paintings installations the platform contributes some level imageability.

form and near area to of

other stations on the same line, presence of art styles in the form of paintings and installations near the platform area contributes to some level of imageability.

Accessibility

Eight metro gates located on the ground level, with sets of descending staircases and escalators connecting the underground station.

Eight metro gates located on the ground level connecting the station on the same level itself

Five metro gates located on the street level with sets of descending staircases and escalators connecting the underground station.

Form

Planned in a radial manner; central space contains a connecting bridge running on top of the tracks; the structure is supported with columns and beams which run radially.

Consists of huge central elliptical body that acts as an entrance to the station; a space frame roof structure on the entrance; built over 6 floors, 3 underground and 3 above ground.

Consists of a huge central space with mezzanine level divided onto two sides; built over 2 floors with both the floors underground.

Material and Texture Mostly covered in grey and black coloured stone on walls as well as floor.

Black and grey coloured stone on interior walls and floor; dark and light peach coloured stone cladded on the exterior facade.

Mostly covered in grey and black coloured stone on walls as well as floor.

Scale and

Monumental scale

Monumental scale, but comparatively

63 | P a g e

Monumental

Proportion

scale

less than that of Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate.

Table 5: Comparative Analysis for parameters of Built Environment; Self

PARAMETERS FOR ANALYSIS/ CASE STUDIES

Rajiv Chowk metro station

Kashmere gate metro station

ITO metro station

External Influences: Smell, Crowding, Noise

Crowding at the metro station is one of the prominent reasons which causes discomfort, followed by noise and smell.

Crowding causes discomfort amongst the equal no. of people as caused in Rajiv Chowk Metro Station.

Comparatively, a lesser no. of people feel crowding as discomfort for this metro station.

Activities, Events and Patterns of Usage

The metro station is loaded with a large no. of eateries, food joints and a retail store.

Consists of No eatery or retail comparatively shop is present in equal no. of this metro station. eateries, along with a few restaurants and a book shop.

Insideness/ Outsideness

More no. of people (37.5 %) felt a sense of belonging to this metro station; hence higher degree of insideness.

Lesser no. of people (18%) were able to relate themselves with this metro station; hence higher degree of outsideness.

Lesser no. of people (17.1%) were able to relate themselves with this metro station; hence higher degree of outsideness.

Experiences and Memories

53.1% of people are recorded to have their experiences and memories with this metro station.

Only 34.4% of people who have used this metro station are recorded to have their experiences and memories.

The least no. of people i.e. 20% of those who have used this metro station are recorded to have their experiences and memories.

64 | P a g e

Social Interaction

Only 38.3% of people felt that this metro station can be a place to hangout.

Comparatively even lesser no. of people i.e. 13.3% felt that this metro station can be a place to hang-out.

Almost negligible, i.e. 8% of people felt that this metro station can be a place to hang-out.

Table 6:Comparative Analysis for Place Theories ; Self

5.6 Findings On comparing the three metro stations based on parameters for built environment and theories of place, it can be said that the place with a higher level of imageability and legibility provides its users with a higher degree of insideness. The presence of some level of informal gathering spaces allows its users to socially interact with one another, which can have positive effects on human mental health and well-being.

Figure 35: Overlaying responses of all the metro stations; Self

After recording the responses on the circumflex model of effect, as we can see there is higher concentration towards ―tense‖, ―fear‖, ―nervous‖‘ stressed‖, ―anger‖, ―upset‖ 65 | P a g e

and ―alert‖, hence it can be said that the usage of these metro stations tends to leave one in an uncomfortable frame of mind.

These places lack the potential to give its users a unique experience of using a transit node, highlighting the increasing placelessness among the transit facilities in urban areas. This placelessness amongst the transit facilities is responsible for inducing stress in the mind of the users to some extent. Hence, it can also add to the stress of a person, who might already be going through a depressed state of mind. It can also impact a person with a positive mental state causing him to undergo an uncomfortable state of mind when he arrives at the place.

The question arising at this point is if this is how a transit facility in the public realm should be designed? Is there a possibility to design these transit facilities such that they provide their users with a unique experience that tend to leave a positive impact on their mind?

This application gap between the studies of environmental psychology and theories of place can provide architects and designers a space to intervene and make transit facilities more spatially integrated with more experiential places. They can benefit from the concept of place-making and incorporating informal gathering spaces at their interface with the public realm.

66 | P a g e

Chapter 6 : PLACEMAKING 6.1 What is Placemaking?

Place-making is defined as a collaborative process which includes the creation of distinctive places that individuals want to use, to be in, to enjoy, to be a part of, and to remember by strengthening the connection between the people, places and the movement, the urban form, nature and the built fabric. It is the art of making places for people. (McDonough, n.d.) It inspires people to collectively reimagine and reinvent public spaces as the heart of every community. Rooted in community-based participation,

Placemaking

involves the

planning,

design,

management

and

programming of public spaces. It is more than just promoting better urban design, it involves creating patterns of use by paying particular attention to the physical, cultural, and social identities that define a place and support its ongoing evolution. (―Project for Public Spaces,‖ n.d.)

Charls Bohl expressed in his book that the art of placemaking includes creating community-centric villages and cities, offering different lodging and working opportunities all within the proximity of the public domain. William Holly Whyte in his works

also

focused

on

place-making

as

more

of

―human

centered

design‖.(McDonough, 2013) As indicated by Wycoff and Heidel, if creating a ―Sense of Place‖ is the fundamental objective of place-making then understanding place is a vital or crucial piece of making place. The urban

tangible

and

intangible

identifying factors are

morphological, natural, historical, and cultural invariants that relate to the local population, and ―life of the city‖. They also argued that spaces become places when they are “relational and historical” with a “harmonious balance between variant and invariant components, people and urban events, which are intrinsically linked by a reciprocal relationship that makes specific place unique and recognizable”. Hence the place is nothing else but a phenomenon including a set of all the individual characteristics that make it up and those elements are, “environmental, historical, symbolic, urban, perceptive, anthropological, sociological, and psychological characteristics”.(McDonough, 2013)

67 | P a g e

6.2 Theories of Placemaking Many attributes that contribute to the theory of place-making have evolved from the ideologies of new urbanism and main street development. These themes mainly talk about the accessibility or lack of accessibility to the human interactive spaces which are key-stones to place-making.

As addressed by William Whyte, the emergence of urban sprawl gave rise to the concept of place-making in the urban realm. Urban sprawl can be identified as an identity crisis experienced in the suburban lifestyle when the sum of their parts fail to add up as a community. This suburban sprawl results in the deterioration of our neighbourhoods, alienation of large fragments of our communities and increasing criminal activities. The reason behind this is attributed to the lack of accessible public gathering spaces, which include cafes, green corners and parks, squares and plazas. These are the places where a community can gather the benefit from the social and economic capital through their interaction, and are recognised as ―third places‖ found outside their home or work. The idea of place-making is mainly based on the creation of such third places that represent the community in the urban environment.

The first theory addressed focuses on New Urbanism, which talks about the multiple scales of design and implementation starting from regional planning to streetscaping and public gathering spaces. This theory is based on the foundation of harnessing the civic engagement of local communities via such public spaces. It focuses on revitalising san reconfiguring the old town centers, main streets and retail to transform them into urban districts and village centers which promotes diversity within the urban realm.

The ultimate goal of place-making is to create a ―sense of place‖ which is creating a certain identity or uniqueness within the settings of a particular place that are specific to its environment. The cities are often known for certain assets or ―influencers‖ that draw the people towards them, which determine the heart of the city as well as significant characteristics of urban cores.

Place-marketing and branding is another theory in creating a sense of place. It is more of an organisational theory that also enhances the attributes of public space.

68 | P a g e

Similarly, the main street development theory results in enabling people to come together and live and work in their community. It is arguably the most widely used approach-especially within the smaller cities. (McDonough, 2013) 6.3 Attributes of Placemaking

Figure 36 Attributes of Place-making, Source: (“Project for Public Spaces,” n.d.)

6.3.1 Access and Linkages Access gives us an idea of how well a place is associated with its surroundings both visually and physically. A successful public space is visible, easy to get to and around. Physical components can affect access as can perceptions. Accessible public places have a high turnover in parking and convenient public transit.

69 | P a g e

6.3.2 Comfort and Image Comfort and image are the major deciding forces in whether a place will be used or not. Perceptions about safety and cleanliness, the context of adjacent buildings, and a place's character or charm are often the first thing that strikes a person about a place.

6.3.3 Uses and Activity Various activities occur at a place such as friendly social interactions, public concerts, art shows etc, are a places‘ basic building blocks. These are the reasons why individuals come in the first place and why they return. Activities also make a place special or unique which may help to generate community pride.

6.3.4 Sociability This is a difficult but unquestionable quality for a spot to accomplish. People will in general feel a stronger sense of place and attachment to their community when they see their companions, meet and greet their neighbours and feel comfortable interacting with strangers.

70 | P a g e

Chapter 7 : THIRD PLACES CREATING PLACE ATTACHMENT 7.1 What is a Third Place?

In his book, “The Great Good Place”, Socialist Ray Oldenberg coined the concept of third places, he explains that third places are the places where people spend time between their first place (home) and second place (work). He talks about third places being the hangout spots or ―home away from home‖ which provides the people with qualitative time outside their home and workplace. People, in today‘s world, lack the presence of third places around them, which makes them miss the critical space of expression, connection and growth.

In terms of its built expression, design and vibe, a third place is a place that welcomes and nurtures the crucial social experiences between like-minded people.

Any third place carries an inviting character to it so that the people around can gather and hang out together. These places are mostly located within the vicinity of your home or work, and one doesn‘t need to spend time and energy in getting there.

Third places are best when they are free or very less expensive, one doesn‘t need to spend a lot of money to hang out there. In this way, these places become more welcoming and inviting for the people belonging to various income groups starting from a barber to a lawyer, hence providing a platform for different classes to come together and mingle, where everyone is treated as equals. This socially leveling effect of a third place explains how these places provide people with the opportunity to communicate freely in ways that aren‘t there at home or office.

Third places are generally associated with food and drinks, the staples of socializing.

Eating and drinking create a festive atmosphere and give people a motive to hang out. Similarly, third places are also informal, without any set agendas, dress codes or social norms. They are more about ―coming together‖ rather than ―meeting‖. Even the strangers are approached with friendliness instead of resentment here. People can come the way they are or when they want, and leave just as easily.

In third places, people do not have any obligations to be there, mostly third places are neutral ground. While they can have ―regulars‖. A person visiting the place quite often can be categorised as one.

71 | P a g e

Conversation is the main focus of a third place. These places function in a way that people there come to hang out, eat food and drink and discuss their issues of the day, talk about their jobs, communities, political or religious agendas or just simply get to know each other. In the end, third place is supposed to be fun, playful and light. (Oldenburg, 1999) 7.2 Characteristics of a Third Place

Table 7: Characteristics of Third Place; Oldenburg, 1999

72 | P a g e

7.3 Importance of Third Place According to Ray Oldenburg, Great Cities are the ones that have distinctive informal public gathering spaces i.e. third places, crucial for their growth and refinement.

These third places not only become a part of the city‘s urban landscape but also an essential element in any citizen‘s everyday life, thus dominating the ―image of the city‖. Oldenburg has made a parallel between the sidewalk cafes of Paris and Forum from Rome, Pubs from London and Piazzas from Florence, similarly coffeehouses in Vienna and Bier Garten from Germany. He has characterized all these spatial elements as third places providing the city with institutions of mediation between the individual and the larger society. (Oldenburg, 1999) It is because of the presence of such great good places within a city, that even a stranger to that place will feel like being at home. But if a city lacks these crucial informal places, it can even cause the natives of the place to feel out of place. A city will hold its significance only when such informal spaces keep proliferating along with its urban growth and become an integral part of the lives of its citizen. (Oldenburg, 1999) In today‘s contemporary modern world, very little attention has been paid to the importance of creating such third places within the public realm, its features and functioning is almost ignored at the time when it's profoundly needed. The potential of third place in being a therapy for people‘s stress, loneliness, and alienation has almost been ignored. It has become harder to find such informal gathering spaces where a community feels alive and people are themselves. People these days are getting deprived of the places where they can just enjoy or relax from the business of the day and have cheerful conversations i.e. more like an escape or time out from life‘s responsibilities and chores. This concept of escapism reflects the difference between a corner pub and a family apartment or between having a coffee in your house to that in a coffeehouse/ bakery with your gang. (Oldenburg, 1999) 7.4 Case Example of Third Place- Coffeehouse Ray Oldenburg has described the classic coffeehouses in Europe as an example of third place. He has illustrated the importance of social beverages or ―lubricants‖ in 73 | P a g e

creating an identity for the majority of the third places across the world. These lubricants include either caffeine (tea, coffee or cola) or narcotics (beer, wine or any other form of alcohol). The relationship between the social system and the nervous system has been a close one; no matter in what mental or emotional state a person is, third places along with their lubricants have always been the correctives.

7.4.1 The Penny University- England

Illustration 27: Public gathering in English Coffeehouse; (The British Library, 2018)

By the end of the 17th century, any man in London could easily find a coffeehouse by just following the nose to the nearest street. During the 1650s to 1850s, these coffeehouses were referred to as the penny university because the price of a cup of coffee was twopence, which came along with a pipe worth a penny and a free newspaper.

The low-profile character of the coffeehouses helped in maintaining the regular customers, some of which, often used to carry out their meetings with friends and clients hence promoting a diverse environment. These coffeehouses also used to maintain a leveling ground as the literate people would use to read the newspapers and articles aloud to help the illiterate digest the content and discuss the issues of the day.

74 | P a g e

These coffeehouses witnessed no privileged seats or any special treatment to the “finer people”, hence providing a neutral ground for people from various sections of the society to come and go. The prohibited use of dice and card games in these places not only helped in maintaining a quiet environment but also “free from blame”.

People there exhibit gentle behaviour while humour also displayed innocence.

During their reign, these coffeehouses used to be the centers for business and cultural life activities. Many famous businessmen used to operate their businesses from within these places. Literate men like Johnson Addison, found their inspirations, themes and audiences from these places. They were not only the place where people can formulate ideas but also acted as a circulation department. These coffeehouses provide a platform for the opinion leaders to interact and no substitute can be found for such regular, immediate and face-to-face contact.

By the 19th century, these coffeehouses began to disappear with the advent of daily newspapers

and

home-mail

delivery.

However,

these

coffeehouses

were

fundamentally a form of human association and the need for such places in society can hardly be disappeared. The openness and equality experienced in these places were replaced by the partitioned seating arrangements while smaller tables replaced the single large tables which were the main source for the conversation. Eventually, the crowd at these places also began to sort itself based on occupation and trade. In conclusion, the original ideologies, upon which the success of these third places was based, were ignored. It resulted in multiplied consequences such as controlled membership over public places, gambling and theft, affecting the social and mental conditions of human life. Thus, it can be said that “where there is no talk, there is no life.” (Oldenburg, 1999)

7.4.2 Indian Coffee House- Kolkata, India The Indian Coffee House in Kolkata can be identified as another example of third place. These coffeehouses emerged as ―aaddas‖ which provided people a platform to gather and discuss the political and cultural agendas and their issues of the day.

75 | P a g e

“Aadda” is a concept of informal public gatherings that evolved over several decades in Bengali culture where thoughts and achievements of the day are discussed in a good manner. They are function deprived and can range from intense discussions to a weekend gathering of friends catching up over food. Aaddas can happen on the balcony or foot-steps in front of the household to tea-coffee shops. It is because of aaddas that the city preserved its depth and permanence and birthed its cultural soul. Chakravarti quoted from Namabita Das‘ doctoral thesis that for many people there,(presently old-aged) life is almost worthless without aaddas as they are their food for thoughts and these places which are part of their growing up are like second home for them and the people who come there are brother-like friends. (Chakravarti, 2017) One can find many branches of Indian Coffee House in Kolkata which have emerged since a long time as hang out and renowned meeting places for students, litterateurs intellectuals and other people in the neighbourhood. One such coffeehouse is located opposite the Presidency College in College Street and is called as College Street Coffee House. Its history goes back to the Albert Hall founded in 1876.

Illustration 28: Entry to the Coffeehouse; (Homegrown, 2019)

From the outside, one can only see the board squeezed in between the two bookstalls. It‘s only after you enter the dark alley, one will find himself inside the hidden lanes of eateries and bookstores. The place has high ceilings with sunlight coming in through high-set windows falling on set of small tables set together. The

76 | P a g e

coffeehouse consists of the ground floor and first floor with a veranda on the first floor overlooking the corridor running across the four walls of the coffeehouse.

Illustration 29: View of the Ground Floor; (Homegrown, 2019)

The place witnessed notable citizens as frequent visitors and it became a meeting place for poets, writers, artists and people from the world of art and culture. Many magazines originated as an inspiration from the aadda sessions at this coffeehouse.

The place also served as a breeding place for several cultural movements where many people just came for the sake of aadda sessions and ended up being a part of long talking sessions. People there can be seen with a cigarette in one hand and a cup of tea in the other sprawling out on the table in deep conversations. The charm of the place lied in these conversations and the ideas that were exchanged here.

The food menu has changed over the years, but till date, it‘s always difficult to find a table here. (Homegrown, 2019) 7.5 Findings The presence of third places within the urban areas helps in sustaining the relationships and the diversity of human interaction that are the crux of the city. If one is deprived of these settings, it tends to feel lonely even amongst the crowd. As a result of which, the people only grow more apart from each other hence affecting their health and well-being.

77 | P a g e

Third Places are an essential part of citizens‘ everyday life and help individuals to connect with their communities on a larger scale. These places happen in such a way so that conversation is the prime activity and people can just spill out. Here, people from different communities can gather and discuss their issues of the day from work and home. Food and drinks are other factors that help people connect, thus helping them in reducing their stress and providing them with a more ―happy‖ and ―cheerful‖ environment.

In comparison to large commercial buildings, which may not be able to provide as much opportunities for designing spatial attributes focussed only towards positive impact on mental health due to the factors of efficiency, market viability, these places possess the potential to accommodate such spatial attributes. These spatial attributes are varied form and shape, intimate scale and variety in material and textures. They help them in achieving the identity and sense of place in the mind of their users, which further impacts their mind positively.

78 | P a g e

Chapter 8 : CONCLUSION After studying the correlation between increasing placelessness and mental health of the people for a particular type of places i.e. ―compulsive‖ places, which people are obliged to use, it can be concluded that placelessness among the transit facilities is majorly caused because of lack of place identity and sense of place. The lack of building a place identity for these metro stations, therefore, leads to the inability of forming place attachment for their users, which adversely affects their mental health.

Hence, these metro stations lack the spatial attributes which can contribute to the positive well-being of the people. Thereby, using a particular metro station daily, with very less or no sense of place or identity can have adverse effects on mental wellbeing.

This phenomenon of placelessness amongst the transit facilities in the public realm provides a space for designers and architects to intervene in bridging the gap between the research on environmental psychology regarding the mental health of the people and its application to design. They can benefit from the concept of placemaking to moderate the spatial attributes of these transit facilities such that they can contribute to human mental health positively. The presence of informal gathering spaces i.e. third places in the public realm can help people to develop a sense of attachment to the place by creating memories, which in turn contribute to positive mental health.

The third places are the certain kind of ―places‖ which can easily accommodate designs for diversified form and shape, suitable attributes of intimate scales and variability of materials and textures. Flexibility in creating diverse forms leads to higher imageability of these places in the mind of the users and the intimate scale helps people to avoid the feeling of ―being lost‖. Variety of materials and textures within these places adds to the experience of using the space. All these spatial attributes help in achieving the identity and attachment of the place for the users, eventually leading to positive impact on their mental health and well-being.

The interface of the transit facilities with the public realm thus holds the potential to include such gathering spaces that provide its users to ―escape‖ and release their stress, therefore, having a positive effect on mental health.

79 | P a g e

REFERENCES 

Abdel Kader1, n.d.



Altman and Low, 1992. Place attachment, New York, Plenum Press.



Chakravarti, s., n.d. A brief history of adda—the bengali fine art of discussion [www document]. Quartz india. Url https://qz.com/india/1122129/adda-a-briefhistory-of-the-bengali-fine-art-of-discussion/ (accessed 12.1.20).



Damayantı, R., Kossak, f., 2016. Extending Kevin Lynch‘s concept of imageability in third space reading; case study of kampungs, Surabaya– Indonesia. Az itu j. Fac. Archit. 13, 57–67.

Https://doi.org/10.5505/itujfa.2016.36349



D.k. Ching, 1943. Architecture form, space, and order (4th edition) ( pdfdrive ).pdf.



Evans, g.w., n.d. The built environment and mental health 20.



Freestone, r., liu, e. (eds.), 2016. Place and placelessness revisited, 1st ed.

Routledge, New York: routledge, 2016. | series: routledge research in planning and urban design. Https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315676456



Giuliani, m. V. & Feldman, r., 1993. Place attachment in a developmental and cultural context. Journal of environmental psychology.



Hashem, H., Abbas, y.s., Akbar, h.a., Nazgol, b., 2013. Comparison the concepts of sense of place and attachment to place in architectural studies 11.



Homegrown, n.d. A look at Kolkata‘s iconic coffee house: chai, adda, revolution and more. [www document]. Url https://homegrown.co.in/article/803590/a-look-at-kolkatas-iconic-coffeehouse-chai-adda-revolution-and-more (accessed 12.1.20).



How do materials affect human psychology - rtf | rethinking the future [www document], n.d. Url https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/freshperspectives/a1275-how-do-materials-affect-human-psychology/ (accessed 10.14.20).



Hummon, d. M., 1992. Community attachment: local sentiment & sense of place, New York, Plenum.



Jain, m., 2013. Socio-spatial study metro stations as places to meet 24.

80 | P a g e



Lynch, k., 1960. The image of the city.



Manzo, l. C., 2005. For better or worse: exploring multiple dimensions of place meaning. Journal of environmental psychology,.



Mcdonough, j.t., n.d. Place-making: a study of emerging professionals‘ preferences of place-making attributes 103.



Moser, g., Uzzell, d., 2003. Environmental psychology, in: Weiner, I.B. (ed.), handbook of psychology. John wiley & sons, inc., hoboken, nj, usa, p.

Wei0517. Https://doi.org/10.1002/0471264385.wei0517



Najafi, m., 2012. The concept of place attachment in environmental psychology 5.



Najafi, m., 2011. The concept of place and sense of place in architectural studies 5, 7.



Norberg -Schultz, c., 1971. Phenomenon of place.



Oldenburg, r., 1999. The great good place: cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community. Da capo press, New York.



Oreskovic, N.M., Charles, P.R.S.L., Shepherd, D.T.K., Nelson, K.P., Bar, M., 2014. Attributes of form in the built environment that influence perceived walkability. J. Archit. Plan. Res. 31, 218–232.



Perera, p., n.d. For the final examination msc. (architecture) 9.



Placemaking and the human scale city [www document], n.d. Url https://www.pps.org/article/placemaking-and-the-human-scale-city (accessed 10.14.20).



Project for public spaces, n.d.



Relph, e., 1976. Place and placelessness.



Seamon, d., sowers, j., 2008. Place and placelessness (1976): Edward Relph, in: key texts in human geography. Sage publications ltd, 1 oliver‘s yard, 55 city road, london ec1y 1sp united kingdom, pp. 43–52.

Https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446213742.n6



Shumaker, S. A. & Taylor, R. B., 1983. Toward a clarification of people- place relationships: a model of attachment to place in Feimar, N. R. & Geller, E. S.

81 | P a g e

(eds.) Environmental psychology: directions and perspectives. New york, praeger. 

Streets - scale and proportion — cuda studio [www document], n.d. Url https://www.cudastudio.com/streets-scale-and-proportion (accessed 10.14.20).



Sullivan And Chang, 2011. Mental health and built environment.pdf.



Tdi International Gears Up For Media Expansion At Kashmere Gate Delhi Metro Station [www document], n.d. . Https://www.media4growth.com/. Url https://www.media4growth.com/ooh-news/tdi-international-gears-up-formedia-expansion-at-kashmere-gate-delhi-metro-station-1245 (accessed 11.11.20).



The British Library, n.d. Newspapers, gossip and coffee-house culture [www document]. Br. Libr. Url https://www.bl.uk/restoration-18th-centuryliterature/articles/newspapers-gossip-and-coffee-house-culture (accessed 11.30.20).



Tuan, 1977. Space And Place: The Perspective Of Experience. London: Edward Arnold.

82 | P a g e

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Abdel Kader1, n.d: Architecture And Human Behavior ; Does Design Affect Our Senses.



Altman and Low, 1992. Place attachment, New York, Plenum Press.



Ali Cheshmehzangi : Identity and Public Realm ; AcE-Bs 2012 Bangkok ASEAN Conference on Environment-Behaviour Studies, Bangkok, Thailand, 16-18 July 2012



Amanda L. Hooykaas : The Study Of Placelessness: Toward A Conceptual Framework; College Of The Atlantic M.Phil. In Human Ecology



Barbara Piga and Eugenio Morello : Environmental design studies on perception and simulation: an urban design approach (openedition.org)



Chakravarti, s., n.d. A brief history of adda—the bengali fine art of discussion [www document]. Quartz india. Url https://qz.com/india/1122129/adda-a-briefhistory-of-the-bengali-fine-art-of-discussion/ (accessed 12.1.20).



Damayantı, R., Kossak, f., 2016. Extending Kevin Lynch‘s concept of imageability in third space reading; case study of kampungs, Surabaya– Indonesia. Az itu j. Fac. Archit. 13, 57–67.

Https://doi.org/10.5505/itujfa.2016.36349



D.k. Ching, 1943. Architecture form, space, and order (4th edition) ( pdfdrive ).pdf.



Dr. Joseph Jackson, MD, MPH and Kochtitzky, MSP: Creating a healthy environment_the impact of the built environment on the public .pdf



Evans, g.w., n.d. The built environment and mental health 20.



Freestone, r., liu, e. (eds.), 2016. Place and placelessness revisited, 1st ed.

Routledge, New York: routledge, 2016. | series: routledge research in planning and urban design. Https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315676456



Gary W. Evans : Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine Vol. 80, No. 4, December 2003 ; 2003 The New York Academy of Medicine ; The Built Environment and Mental Health



Giuliani, m. V. & Feldman, r., 1993. Place attachment in a developmental and cultural context. Journal of environmental psychology.

83 | P a g e



Hashem, H., Abbas, y.s., Akbar, h.a., Nazgol, b., 2013. Comparison the concepts of sense of place and attachment to place in architectural studies 11.



Homegrown, n.d. A look at Kolkata‘s iconic coffee house: chai, adda, revolution and more. [www document]. Url https://homegrown.co.in/article/803590/a-look-at-kolkatas-iconic-coffeehouse-chai-adda-revolution-and-more (accessed 12.1.20).



How do materials affect human psychology - rtf | rethinking the future [www document], n.d. Url https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/freshperspectives/a1275-how-do-materials-affect-human-psychology/ (accessed 10.14.20).



Hummon, d. M., 1992. Community attachment: local sentiment & sense of place, New York, Plenum.



Jain, m., 2013. Socio-spatial study metro stations as places to meet 24.



Lynch, k., 1960. The image of the city.



Manzo, l. C., 2005. For better or worse: exploring multiple dimensions of place meaning. Journal of environmental psychology,.



Mcdonough, j.t., n.d. Place-making: a study of emerging professionals‘ preferences of place-making attributes 103.



Moser, g., Uzzell, d., 2003. Environmental psychology, in: Weiner, I.B. (ed.), handbook of psychology. John wiley & sons, inc., hoboken, nj, usa, p.

Wei0517. Https://doi.org/10.1002/0471264385.wei0517



Najafi, m., 2012. The concept of place attachment in environmental psychology 5.



Najafi, m., 2011. The concept of place and sense of place in architectural studies 5, 7.



Norberg -Schultz, c., 1971. Phenomenon of place.



Oldenburg, r., 1999. The great good place: cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community. Da capo press, New York.



Oreskovic, N.M., Charles, P.R.S.L., Shepherd, D.T.K., Nelson, K.P., Bar, M., 2014. Attributes of form in the built environment that influence perceived walkability. J. Archit. Plan. Res. 31, 218–232.

84 | P a g e



Perera, p., n.d. For the final examination msc. (architecture) 9.



Placemaking and the human scale city [www document], n.d. Url https://www.pps.org/article/placemaking-and-the-human-scale-city (accessed 10.14.20).



Project for public spaces, n.d.



Relph, e., 1976. Place and placelessness.



Seamon, d., sowers, j., 2008. Place and placelessness (1976): Edward Relph, in: key texts in human geography. Sage publications ltd, 1 oliver‘s yard, 55 city road, london ec1y 1sp united kingdom, pp. 43–52.

Https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446213742.n6



Seamon: A Way of Seeing People and Place: Phenomenology in Environment-Behavior Research



Shumaker, S. A. & Taylor, R. B., 1983. Toward a clarification of people- place relationships: a model of attachment to place in Feimar, N. R. & Geller, E. S. (eds.) Environmental psychology: directions and perspectives. New york, praeger.



Streets - scale and proportion — cuda studio [www document], n.d. Url https://www.cudastudio.com/streets-scale-and-proportion (accessed 10.14.20).



Sullivan And Chang, 2011. Mental health and built environment.pdf.



Tdi International Gears Up For Media Expansion At Kashmere Gate Delhi Metro Station [www document], n.d. . Https://www.media4growth.com/. Url https://www.media4growth.com/ooh-news/tdi-international-gears-up-formedia-expansion-at-kashmere-gate-delhi-metro-station-1245 (accessed 11.11.20).



The British Library, n.d. Newspapers, gossip and coffee-house culture [www document]. Br. Libr. Url https://www.bl.uk/restoration-18th-centuryliterature/articles/newspapers-gossip-and-coffee-house-culture (accessed 11.30.20).



Tuan, 1977. Space And Place: The Perspective Of Experience. London: Edward Arnold.



Tulay Karakas, Dilek Yildiz : Exploring the influence of the built environment on human experience through a neuroscience approach: A systematic review Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of

85 | P a g e

Architecture, Istanbul, Turkey; www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.keaipublishing.com/foar 

The role of public spaces in creating place attachment (example of Zacisze, Warsaw housing estate) (researchgate.net)



The experienced psychological benefits of place attachment (researchgate.net)



2018 placemaking booklet.pdf



IJRET: International Journal of Research in Engineering and Technology eISSN: 2319-1163 | pISSN: 2321-7308; https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2018.0709020; Cognitive Mapping in spaces for public use.pdf



IEREK - Research & Knowledge Enrichment; ISSN (Print: 2357-0849, online: 2357-0857) International Journal on: Environmental Science and Sustainable Development ; The_Impact_of_built_Environment_on_human_Behaviors.pdf

86 | P a g e

APPENDIX

87 | P a g e

88 | P a g e

89 | P a g e

90 | P a g e

91 | P a g e

92 | P a g e

93 | P a g e

94 | P a g e

95 | P a g e

96 | P a g e

97 | P a g e

98 | P a g e

99 | P a g e

100 | P a g e

101 | P a g e

102 | P a g e

PLAGIARISM REPORT

103 | P a g e