PEDESTRIANISATION IN SHOPPING STREETS 30

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It would not have been possible to complete this dissertation without the help and support of the kind people around me, to only some of whom it is possible to give particular mention here.This dissertation would not have been possible without the help, support and patience of my guide, Prof. Santhosh Kumar K G, not to mention his advice and unsurpassed knowledge of PEDESTRIANISATION IN SHOPPING STREETS. I express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Sumam Panjikaran, Professor, Head of the department, T.K.M.C.E for being a constant support.I am grateful to my senior advisor, Dr. Dili A.S., Professor, Department of Architecture, T.K.M.C.E. for the guidance. I thank all my teachers and the department librarians for their help and support during all stages of my work and availing me all the facilities for successfully accomplishing this research. I also thank my friends for being a great support.I would like to thank my family for their never ending support and encouragement. Above all; I thank God, The almighty for his blessings.

ABSTRACT

The vehicular traffic is very visible in the planning process. One of the reasons is that there is always plenty of data on the problems of car traffic. There are no city that has a "pedestrian department" recording the numbers, flow and behaviour of people on foot on the same regular basis as traffic departments record the vehicular traffic, so the pedestrians tend to be invisible in the planning process - because there are no data about them.The main aim of the design of products, facilities and services for walking and sojourning is to improve the quality of the pedestrians environment, so that his or her needs for mobility, accessibility, safety and health are satisfied in the best way.Pedestrianisation, which could be used as a measure for traffic control is now becoming an urban planning tool and as such an understanding of pedestrianisation of streets is necessary especially in the developing cities of Kerala, as the emergence of development has contributed greatly to increase in traffic and also creation of mega polis.Knowledge about pedestrianisation would in turn help one analyse the conditions of shopping streets of Kerala, what positives and negatives are inherent in the planning aspects of these streets, how pedestrianisation as an element would be introduced here, without disrupting the quality of the spaces and also the functioning of the street.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT1ABSTRACT2TABLE OF FIGURES51CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION61.1AIM61.2OBJECTIVE61.3SCOPE61.4LIMITATION61.5METHODOLOGY62CHAPTER 2: DATA COLLECTION72.1WALKING72.1.1DEFINITION OF PEDESTRIANISATION82.1.2AN AREA/STREET ONLY FOR THE PEDESTRIANS82.1.3PEDESTRIANISATION AS A MEASURE OF TRANSPORT PLANNING82.2BENEFITS OF PEDESTRIANISATION92.2.1ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT92.2.2ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT92.2.3SOCIAL BENEFITS102.3TYPES OF PEDESTRIAN SCHEME112.3.1FULL-TIME PEDESTRIAN STREET112.3.2PART-TIME PEDESTRIAN STREET112.3.3TRAFFIC CALMING STREET112.4PEDESTRIAN STREET122.4.1NETWORK OF PATHS AND CARS122.4.2RAISED WALKS132.4.3CIRCULATION REALMS132.5SHOPPING STREETS142.5.1MOBILITY AND COMMUNITY FORM PRINCIPLES142.5.2QUALITY OF THE STREET153CHAPTER 3: CASE STUDY AND ANALYSIS183.1LITERATURE CASE STUDY: STROGET183.1.1INFLUENCE183.1.2COPENHAGENS 10-STEP PROGRAM193.1.3STROGET HISTORY203.2LIVE CASE STUDY: S M STREET, KOZHIKODE, KERALA213.2.1INFRASTRUCTURE223.2.2ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS243.2.3TYPES OF BUILDINGS AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL USE243.2.4STREETSCAPE AND CHARCTER253.2.5ROADS AND PAVEMENTS253.2.6ACTIVITY263.2.7PEDESTRIAN FLOW273.2.8HAWKERS AND STREET VENDORS274CHAPTER 4: INFERENCE AND CONCLUSION284.1.1INFERENCE284.1.2CONCLUSION29BIBLIOGRAPHY30

TABLE OF FIGURES

FIGURE 21 FLORIDA STREET, ARGENTINA11FIGURE 22 SAI YEUNG CHOI STREET ,MONGKOK11FIGURE 23 HEIGHT TO WIDTH RATIO- ABOUT SQUARE.... OR EVEN NARROWER12FIGURE 24 PATH BETWEEN PARALLEL ROADS12FIGURE 25 CARS BELOW A PERSON'S LINE OF SIGHT13FIGURE 26 CIRCULATION REALMS13FIGURE 31THE PEDESTRIAN STREET STARTS AT THE TOWN HALL SQUARE AND ENDS AT KONGENS NYTORV18FIGURE 32 AERIAL VIEW18FIGURE 33 THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEDESTRIAN STREETS AND SQUARES IN COPENHAGEN 1962 - 1996.20FIGURE 34 MAP SHOWING S M STREET21FIGURE 35 STATUE OF S K POTTEKKATT22FIGURE 36 PARSI ANJUMAN BAUG22FIGURE 37 WATER SUPPLY IN CANS23FIGURE 38 RELIGIOUS BUILDING: HANUMAN KOVIL24FIGURE 39 AT THE STARTING OF S M STREET24FIGURE 310 S M STREET25FIGURE 311 PARKING NEAR THE STATUE OF S K POTTEKKATT25FIGURE 312 SKETCH OF S M STREET26FIGURE 313 PEDESTRIAN FLOW27FIGURE 314 HAWKERS AND STREET VENDORS27

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

AIM

To study, familiarise and analyse about Pedestrianisation, its benefits and relevance in current urban scenario and its application in shopping streets.OBJECTIVE To understand walking as a mode of transportation. To study about pedestrianisation and its benefits. To understand about various pedestrian schemes To study about the shopping streets and quality of street in general. To study about a pedestrianized shopping street and compare it with a shopping street in Kerala.SCOPE

The scope of the study is to throw light on the aspects of pedestrianisation , how shopping streets could be efficiently pedestrianized, and also the elements that have to be incorporated to bring out a functionally and aesthetically perfect pedestrianized shopping street.LIMITATION

Pedestrianisation is a method of controlling traffic without disrupting the function of the street, and as such the aspects of pedestrianisation vary with different streets. This study is limited to the aspects of pedestrianisation in general and also pedestrianisation of a prominent shopping street as case study which cannot be generalised for any street.METHODOLOGY

Finalise the topic Data collection: definition of pedestrianisation, benefits of pedestrianisation, types of pedestrianisation schemes, pedestrian street, shopping street, quality of street Case study: Literature case study- Stroget, Copenhagen Live case study- S M Street Analysis: comparison of the case studies Inference : results of the study Conclusion

CHAPTER 2: DATA COLLECTIONWALKING

Walking is not usually considered a transportation mode. Perhaps this is because it does not employ vehicles or because it is such a fundamental means of movement. But walking is actually the most vital mode of transportation upon which all societal activities depend. Walking has been interwoven into all aspects of human development. The first cities were organized to concentrate the means of survival within a convenient walking distance. Even in the mechanized society of today, walking is the primary means of internal movement within cities. It is the only means of attaining the necessary face-to-face interaction involved in all the commercial and cultural activities that comprise the urban milieu. With the exception of cycling, walking is the only means of human movement by which we can dramatically experience the sensory gradients of sight, sound, and smell that define a place.As a means of transportation, walking has many important attributes directly related to the quality of life. Walking provides a versatile linkage between other transportation modes that would be impossible to duplicate. The practical range of human walking distances determines the effective service area, convenience, and utility of transit systems. As a transportation mode, walking offers predictable travel times; continuous availability; ubiquitous and easily maintainable routes; reliable, free, non-polluting, non- energy-consuming service; and, for many, healthful, relaxing exercise. Human body dimensions, locomotion characteristics (both walking and using stairs), and behavioural preferences help to establish the requirements for accommodating pedestrians safely and conveniently. Human locomotion involves many complex skills of balance, timing (gait, perception, and reaction), and vision that are often taken for granted except by the physically impaired. Natural unimpeded walking requires a uniform, non-slip walking surface and sufficient space both laterally and longitudinally to avoid conflicts with others. The width of the human body plus allowance for body sway determine lateral spacing, and individual pacing distance combined with perception and reaction times, the longitudinal spacing. Vision plays an important role in locomotion to perceive and react to variances in the walking surface and to avoid conflicts with others. (Fruin, 1971)

DEFINITION OF PEDESTRIANISATION

Pedestrianisation which is a traffic policy is wisely adopted in many cities and there has been a long history on the implementation of pedestrianisation in Europe and UK. The earliest pedestrianisation can be traced back to the 1960s. The United States experimented with installing pedestrian malls in their downtown areas, as a response to the commercial success of self-contained edge-of-town shopping malls. AN AREA/STREET ONLY FOR THE PEDESTRIANS

The definition of pedestrianisation was first suggested by Monheim. He stated that pedestrianisation can be a street only for the use of pedestrians, with deliveries possible only at special daily hours, mostly rear deliveries and public transport access possible. Then, Brambilla and Longo (Brambilla, 1977) tried to further consolidate the idea of pedestrianisation by explaining that pedestrianisation is an urban area where private motor vehicles have been banned and more important is that priority has been given to pedestrian movements and public transport. Generally, from the public point of view, pedestrianisation may be as simply as an area where vehicles are not allowed to go and hence the whole street can be enjoyed by the pedestrians only. PEDESTRIANISATION AS A MEASURE OF TRANSPORT PLANNING

From government point of view, pedestrianisation commonly acts as a traffic control measure. It aims to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic and reduce traffic accidents. Such removal of traffic from existing streets is usually accompanied by suitable treatment in terms of paving, street furniture and other design details. Therefore, pedestrianisation is then distinguished from other traffic-free shopping environments, such as covered mall (HASS-KLAU, 1993). In fact, there is no absolute definition for pedestrianisation so far. Different countries may have different types of pedestrianisation and it can be different in size and scale. Information about different types of pedestrianisation, hence, has been summarized in the following table 2.1. Actually, the most common character of pedestrianisation can be concluded as a street or area where the carriageway space which is car-free and has been reallocated to pedestrian use.

TypeDescription

Pedestrian DistrictIt aims to eliminate vehicular traffic over a portion of a city, considered as a unit for historic, or commercial reasons.

Pedestrian StreetIt is an individual street from which traffic has been restricted. Pedestrian-oriented amenities are probably introduced to Encourage pedestrian movement.

Pedestrian MallThe concept is similar to pedestrian street which is intended to create favourable inner city shopping conditions analogous to those offered by sub-urban shopping malls.

Semi MallsIt is similar to transit way in their design and sometimes an Interim step towards a large traffic ban. It may also be considered as partial improvement for the pedestrian Environment.

Transit WayIt is pedestrian precincts that restrict, but do not totally banVehicles. Motor routes are narrowed to one or two lanes of roadways, while the rest of the street and sidewalk area is Repaved and furnished for pedestrian.

TABLE 2.1: TYPES OF PEDESTRIANISATION (Leung, 2009)

BENEFITS OF PEDESTRIANISATION

The most common advantages of pedestrianisation could be categorized into three: environmental improvement economic development social benefitsENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTIt is a common belief that pedestrianisation can help alleviate and reduce air and noise pollution, as there would be a reduction in the number of motor vehicles and people will not rely too much on polluting transportation means. As a result, pedestrians can enjoy walking in a more environmental-friendly, safe and pleasant place. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTFrom economic perspective, local property owners or investors may doubt that the removal of passing traffic which would have a negative impact on their business and their return. However, this perception has been proven to be wrong by various studies. The first and reliable study related this aspect was carried by Brambilla and Longo (Brambilla, 1977).He pointed out that the establishment of pedestrian scheme had certain potential for helping central business district through a combination of improved retail trade, new investors, and new development if it was properly implemented and managed. Pedestrianisation is believed to bring different economic benefits to both businesses in pedestrian precincts and even the whole cities which implemented the scheme. These economic benefits usually appear in forms of increased employment rate, business turnover, property values and population of locals and tourists, thereby drawing economic advantages to pedestrianized areas. SOCIAL BENEFITSWalking is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise. It is convenient and needs no special equipment, is self-regulating and inherently safe. Walking is as natural as Breathing. People can easily maintain their health with little effort and also strengthen their health to fight against the viruses. Various studies have shown that regular walking provides many advantages to our health: In physical aspect, it can halve the risk of heart disease and stroke, help control weight, control blood sugar levels, reduce harmful cholesterol and strengthen the immune system. In psychological aspect, it can prevent and alleviate depression and anxiety and reduce stress from work. Although people are commonly under the impression that applying walking as a transport mode is a symbol of the root of a city, implementation of pedestrianisation is one of the best ways to encourage people to walk and provide them opportunities to have exercises in such busy society. BENEFITS OF PEDESTRIANISATIONLITERATURES REVIEWED

Environmental and Safety Improvement Reduce air pollution Reduced noise pollution Provide safe environment Reduced traffic accidents(Brambilla, 1977)

Economic Development Improved economic productivities Increased property values Increased pedestrian traffic Improved retail trade Increased employment(Brambilla, 1977)(HASS-KLAU, 1993)

Social Benefits Improved physical health Providing of Public Space Improved lifestyle Improved community liveability Heritage preservation Opportunities for urban renewal(GEHL, 1987)

TABLE 2.2 BENEFITS OF PEDESTRIANISATION (Leung, 2009)

TYPES OF PEDESTRIAN SCHEMEGeneral speaking, there are three forms of Pedestrian Scheme which include Full-time Pedestrian Street Part-time Pedestrian Street Traffic Calming Street FULL-TIME PEDESTRIAN STREETIn full-time pedestrian streets, pedestrians have absolute priority all the time. No vehicle is allowed to enter the zone except emergency services. Nevertheless, service vehicles may be allowed in specific period, for selected locations for goods transportation purpose. FIGURE 21 FLORIDA STREET, ARGENTINA PART-TIME PEDESTRIAN STREETIn part-time pedestrian streets, vehicular access is only allowed in specific periods. There is no on-street parking space, so as to minimize vehicular access to the area. However, provision of loading bays is still available for loading and unloading purposes.

FIGURE 22 SAI YEUNG CHOI STREET, MONGKOKTRAFFIC CALMING STREETIn traffic calming streets, there is no restriction to vehicular access. Nonetheless, vehicles are required to slow down through the use of traffic calming measures such as speed tables, kerb build-outs, sharpened corners, road narrowing, gateways, etc. Additionally, footpaths are normally widened and on-street parking spaces are reduced as many as possible.PEDESTRIAN STREETThe solution to the two problems-the streets infected by cars and the bland corridors-is the pedestrian street. Pedestrian streets are both places to walk along (from car, bus, or train to ones destination) and places to pass through (between apartments, shops, offices, services, classes).To function properly, pedestrian streets need two special properties: No cars; but frequent crossings by streets with traffic: deliveries and other activities which make it essential to bring cars and trucks onto the pedestrian street must be arranged at the early hours of the morning, when the streets are deserted. The pedestrian streets must be planned in a way which as nearly as possible eliminates indoor staircases, corridors, and lobbies, and leaves most circulation outdoors. This creates a street lined with stairs, which lead from all upstairs offices and rooms directly to the street, and many entrances, which help to increase the life of the street. Finally it should be noted that the pedestrian streets which seem most comfortable are the ones where the width of the street does not exceed the height of the surrounding buildings.

FIGURE 23 HEIGHT TO WIDTH RATIO- ABOUT SQUARE.... OR EVEN NARROWERAs you build a pedestrian street, make sure you place it so that it helps to generate a network of paths and cars, raised walks and circulation realms in the town around it. (Alexander, 1977)NETWORK OF PATHS AND CARSIn practice, there are several possible ways of forming the relationship between the roads and paths. It can be done within the system of fast one way roads about 300 feet(90 m) apart. Between the roads there are pedestrian paths running at right angles to the roads, with buildings opening off the pedestrian paths. (Alexander, 1977)

FIGURE 24 PATH BETWEEN PARALLEL ROADS

RAISED WALKSOn an ordinary street, cars make pedestrians feel small and vulnerable because the sidewalks are too narrow and too low. When the sidewalk is too narrow, you feel you are going to fall off, or get pushed off-and there is always a chance that you will step off just in front of a passing car. It is clear that pedestrians will feel comfortable, powerful, safe and free in their movements when the walks they walk on are both wide enough to keep the people well away from the cars, and high enough to make it quite impossible for any car to drive up on them by accident. (Alexander, 1977)

FIGURE 25 CARS BELOW A PERSON'S LINE OF SIGHTCIRCULATION REALMSIn many modern building complexes the problem of disorientation is acute. People have no idea where they are, and they experience considerable mental stress as a resultLay out very large buildings and collections of small buildings so that one reaches a given point inside by passing through a sequence of realms, each marked by gateway and becoming smaller and smaller, as one passes from each one, through a gateway to the next. Choose the realms so that each one can be easily named, so that you tell a person where to go, simply by telling him which realms to go through. (Alexander, 1977)

FIGURE 26 CIRCULATION REALMS

SHOPPING STREETS

Shopping Streets are a special part of a mobility-friendly town or city. The pedestrian- oriented shopping street is an ancient, worldwide community form that maintains its relevance. Often serving as the heart of a community, it is more than a travel way or collection of stores it is a place where people are drawn to walk, shop, linger and meet friends and neighbours. Residents come often; visitors are drawn to return. People who come to shop stay to talk, and vice versa. Such streets are also ideal locations for festivals and parades.MOBILITY AND COMMUNITY FORM PRINCIPLES

Place making Anchoring Multi-use Parking Safe Connections

PLACEMAKING:With wide sidewalks and ample places to sit, a successful shopping street accommodates groups of friends, persons with mobility limitations and anyone who simply wants an occasional rest while shopping.ANCHORING: An anchor can be visual (such as a striking building, clock tower, sculpture, water feature, a gateway, or even a vista) or a particularly magnetic destination place (a unique shop or restaurant). Anchors typically denote a functional change or the end of something, so plan for portions of a shopping street beyond the anchor to be of a different scale or character. The street itself may terminate (perhaps at a crossing street) or there may be a gateway, jog or some other closing feature that marks the change in street function.MULTI-USE PARKING:Shopping streets, while predominantly pedestrian environments, should serve those who arrive by car or by bicycle with convenient parking. Plentiful, convenient parking helps shopping streets to compete effectively with strip malls. It encourages motorists to stop on impulse, and helps to discourage the double parking and weaving manoeuvres that can lessen pedestrian safety on a shopping street Ample handicapped spaces encourage persons with disabilities to make use of the street. At the same time, planners should be aware of the potential to share parking among uses that peak at different times of day.SAFE CONNECTIONS:Echoing the principles of the Circulation pattern, a Shopping Street also requires safe pedestrian connections, both to the street from adjacent neighbourhoods, transit stops and parking areas, but also across the street itself. Shoppers need convenient and secure access to the shopping street, regardless of their arrival mode of travel. Their sense of security while on the shopping street is affected by lighting and the placement of connecting pathways. Traffic speeds on a shopping street should be low a target speed of not more than 25 mph but pedestrians with shopping bags, strollers or disabilities may move slowly and need safe refuges such as bump outs or protected center medians to reduce crossing distances. Signage, push buttons, and crossing signals for pedestrians themselves should be logically placed and convenient to all users.QUALITY OF THE STREET

A Street is distinct from a road. A road is a two-dimensional path connecting two places. It fulfils the basic need of getting from place A to place B. A street is a three-dimensional space between two rows of adjacent buildings. It provides linkages between buildings. It assists the movement of pedestrians and vehicles. It has immense social connotations. It fosters interaction between people. It acts as a space where the local urban community can indulge in recreation, conversation and entertainment. It also plays an important role in the fulfilment of traditional rituals.STREET LENGTH:Sitte recommends that the plan of a public square should not have dimensions where the lengths of its enclosing walls are greater than the ratio 3:1.The maximum limit for an uninterrupted length of street is approximately 1,500 metres (1 mile). Beyond this distance the human scale is lost. Even at distances lesser than 1,500 m, the closure of the view is difficult to attain. (Moughtin, 2003)STREET WIDTH:The wide street preferred by transportation planners is incompatible with shopping. The narrow pedestrianized urban streets with uninterrupted enclosing walls slightly higher than street width are extremely successful for their purpose and are more pleasing to the eye of the pedestrian. Narrow streets of width 6-9 metres (20-30 ft.) adjoined by three or four storied buildings impart a quality of unity and enclosure to the street scene. The Essex design guide suggests that a ratio of height to width, of 1: 1 is not too tight for comfort while 1: 2.5 is asopen as can be tolerated. Narrow streets also assist shopping as pedestrians feel free to walk across the street and back, for window shopping.

THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL ENVIRONMENT:Street architecture -- the architectural design and facade treatment of buildings bordering the pedestrian zone -- is very important in the sense of continuity of building facades. The detailing at eye-level is what is most important. Height is not a critical element as many high-rise buildings contribute to the pedestrian environment with the help of a pedestrian-friendly facade. A height limit can be set for a particular context, with exceptions made for special buildings like government buildings or landmarks. HUMAN SCALEThe human scale is a critical factor of urban design. The dimensions of buildings, squares and streets should be scaled to the proportions of the human figure. There is a limit to the size of everything and this holds true even for urban spaces. The correct scaling of the urban landscape from the intimate human scale of the housing cluster to the extra human scale of the metropolitan area is of great importance for the way we appreciate our surroundings. (Moughtin, 2003) VISIBILITYTo appreciate the unity and wholeness of a building, it should be perceived at a glance (Moughtin, 2003). He states that a street width of 21 to 24 metres (70-80 feet) for streets three storeys high, and 12 metres (40 feet) for streets of two storey buildings, adhere to a common-sense definition of the human scale. Most medieval towns had a maximum total dimension of 800 metres (1/2 mile), and thus were completely according to the human scale. HEIGHT OF BUILDINGSPalladio specifies the width of a square to be between 1 3/4th and 2 1/2 times the height of the buildings. A building is seen best as an overall composition at a distance of about twice its height or at an angle of 27 degrees. Perceiving more than one building requires a viewing distance of three times the height, or at an angle of 18 degrees. Below 18 degrees, the object loses significance in the field of vision, and the square loses its enclosed character (Moughtin, 2003). PERMEABILITYPermeability is the extent to which an environment allows people a choice of access through it, from place to place. Both physical and visual permeability are equally important. Smaller blocks aid in permeability, as they offer a greater choice of routes both physically and visually.The positioning of building accesses and entries at this interface augments physical permeability. Successful street level urban environments are permeable to pedestrians; that is, they permit or encourage pedestrians to move about in a variety of directions.

VARIETYPermeability is of no use if the space itself lacks diversity of form, use and meaning. Variety of use is the most important, as this will, in turn, lead to other types of variety. A place of diverse building uses will be a magnet for different people at different times of the day. This will result in different images and meanings construed by different people. LEGIBILITYLegibility is the characteristic of a place, by virtue of which people can easily and accurately form images of it. Good urban areas are legible -they can be understood or read like a book. Certain physical features which affect the legibility of a place are paths (channels of movement), nodes (focal places), landmarks (points of reference), edges (linear elements), and districts (urban areas which possess some particular identifiable trait). ROBUSTNESSSpaces which can be utilized for diverse functions provide people with more choice than single-function places. This characteristic is termed as Robustness. According to them, designers should not think of segregating different spaces for different activities in public outdoor space, as activities sustain one another. One of the principal attractions of a public space is the presence of people engaged in diverse activities. Thus, zoning activities removes robustness. RICHNESSRichness is a trait that enhances the range of sensory experiences which people can benefit from. All the sense organs contribute to the overall experience even though vision remains the dominant sense. The space should enable users to choose between various sensory experiences. Bentley et al categorize these senses as the sense of motion, the sense of smell, the sense of hearing, the sense of touch, and the sense of sight. The first three senses are only applicable to sufficiently large spaces. Visual richness is enhanced by the provision of visual contrast in surfaces. The richness of a space could also be improved by increasing the number of elements on the surface. Different viewing distances necessitate a hierarchy of elements, from large-scale to small-scale. PERSONALISATIONAn attractive public realm is not solely the handicraft of professionals - architects, town planners, engineers and landscape. They are nurtured by the love and care of the users. Users rarely get an opportunity to design their spatial environments. At the most, they can personalize them to suit their individual tastes. Personalization is advantageous as it helps people identify different uses unambiguously and more legibly.

CHAPTER 3: CASE STUDY AND ANALYSISLITERATURE CASE STUDY: STROGET

FIGURE 31THE PEDESTRIAN STREET STARTS AT THE TOWN HALL SQUARE AND ENDS AT KONGENS NYTORV Strgetis apedestrian, car free shopping areainCopenhagen, Denmark. This populartourist attractionin the centre of town is one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets inEuropeat 1.1.km. Located at the centre of the old city of Copenhagen, it has long been one of the most high profile streets in the city. The pedestrianisation of Strget in 1962 marked the beginning a major change in the approach of Copenhagen to urban life; following the success of the initiative the city moved to place a much greater emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle access to the city at the expense of cars. This approach has in turn become internationally influential. INFLUENCEArchitectJan Gehlstudied the new pedestrian area starting in 1962 and his influential reports and findings on the subject formed the basis of Copenhagen's subsequent broader policy shift toward emphasising pedestrians and bicycles. Gehl and Copenhagen's policies have later become influential around the world, encouraging cities such as Melbourne and New York to pedestrianize.

FIGURE 32 AERIAL VIEW COPENHAGENS 10-STEP PROGRAM

1. CONVERT STREETS INTO PEDESTRIAN THOROUGHFARESThe city turned its traditional main street, Stroget, into a pedestrian thoroughfare in 1962. In succeeding decades they gradually added more pedestrian-only streets, linking them to pedestrian-priority streets, where walkers and cyclists have right-of-way but cars are allowed at low speeds.2. REDUCE TRAFFIC AND PARKING GRADUALLYTo keep traffic volume stable, the city reduced the number of cars in the city center by eliminating parking spaces at a rate of 2-3 per cent per year. Between 1986 and 1996 the city eliminated about 600 spaces.3. TURN PARKING LOTS INTO PUBLIC SQUARESThe act of creating pedestrian streets freed up parking lots, enabling the city to transform them into public squares.4. KEEP SCALE DENSE AND LOWLow-rise, densely spaced buildings allow breezes to pass over them, making the city center milder and less windy than the rest of Copenhagen.5. HONOUR THE HUMAN SCALESThe citys modest scale and street grid make walking a pleasant experience; its historic buildings, with their stoops, awnings, and doorways, provide people with impromptu places to stand and sit.6. POPULATE THE COREMore than 6,800 residents now live in the city center. Theyve eliminated their dependence on cars, and at night their lighted windows give visiting pedestrians a feeling of safety.7. ENCOURAGE STUDENT LIVINGStudents who commute to school on bicycles dont add to traffic congestion; on the contrary, their active presence, day and night, animates the city.8. ADAPT THE CITYSCAPE TO CHANGING SEASONSOutdoor cafes, public squares, and street performers attract thousands in the summer; skating rinks, heated benches, and gas lit heaters on street corners make winters in the city center enjoyable.9. PROMOTE CYCLING AS A MAJOR MODE OF TRANSPORTATIONThe city established new bike lanes and extended existing ones. They placed bike crossings using space freed up by the elimination of parking near intersections. Currently 34 per cent of Copenhageners who work in the city bicycle to their jobs.10. MAKE BICYCLES AVAILABLEThe city introduced the City Bike system in 1995, which allows anyone to borrow a bike from stands around the city for a small coin deposit. When finished, they simply leave them at any one of the 110 bike stands located around the city center and their money is refunded.

STROGET HISTORYStrget was converted to a pedestrian zone on 17 November 1962 when cars were beginning to dominate Copenhagen's old central streets. Inspired by a number of new pedestrian streets created in Germany after the war, during the 1950s the street had closed to traffic for some of days at Christmas. The 1962 closure was initially a temporary trial, but the change was made permanent in 1964, and the road has remained closed since.The most important changes can be summed up as follows: 40% of the square meters of pedestrian areas are streets for walking 60% are squares for resting and enjoying life. Walking in the city has been remarkable stable since the first pedestrian streets were introduced as they have been full to capacity on any good summer day since then. What has changed most dramatically is the development of staying activities. Staying in the Inner City has increased 3-4 times since the first study in 1968. The number of inhabitants in the Greater Copenhagen Area (1,3 million) has been stable but the number of people spending time, staying in the public spaces, has been constantly growing.

FIGURE 33 THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEDESTRIAN STREETS AND SQUARES IN COPENHAGEN 1962 - 1996.

LIVE CASE STUDY: S M STREET, KOZHIKODE, KERALA

FIGURE 34 MAP SHOWING S M STREETIn the 17th century all trade was carried out on the street on the beach also known as the silk street, because of easy approach to the port. It was a major trade centre for textiles and spices. Copra was exported from here. The kutch from Gujarat were the main dealers in cloth.The samoothiri used to relax in the evenings at the Mananchira tank and maidan. Sweet merchants began setting up stalls along the samoothiris route to Mananchira from the Thall temple in order to please him. Hence, the beginning of SM street almost 180 years ago.

FIGURE 35 STATUE OF S K POTTEKKATTThe British set up stationary stores along SM Street. Textile merchants also set up their shops along the street. Together they drove the sweet vendors to the ends of the street. The british set up the collectors office at the northern end of the street and hence the name huzur road also for SM street. This office is now the LIC office.In 1900, Muslim fishermen from Batkal started restaurants all over the street. They started restaurants along the street also. The street deals mainly in textiles, provisions and household items and stationery. A number of sweet stalls exist on either end of the street, thus living up to the name sweet meats street. SM Street thus forms the centre of retail activity in Kozhikode, around which the entire commercial activity is centred. The street acts not only as a commercial stretch but also acts as a meeting area and socialising ground for many people because of the many restaurants along the street. INFRASTRUCTURE

VEGETATION AND LANDSCAPE

FIGURE 36 PARSI ANJUMAN BAUGVegetation is said to be absent in the area. The Parsi anjuman baug is the only plot with existing vegetation. A few mango trees and grass growing in the fire temple complex are the only evidence of vegetation along the entire street stretch. A backdrop of coconut trees is visible. Landscaping of any sort is absent on the street.

PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SERVICESWATER SUPPLY:

FIGURE 37 WATER SUPPLY IN CANSWater to the shops is brought by the corporation. Hawkers and shops which do not have connection to the corporation water fetch water from Mananchira. The water supply for fire fighting is also absent.DRAINS:The hygiene of any area depends on its drainage. The drainage system along SM street is good with manholes at regular intervals. However, the branch drains running into the main sewer line is sometimes clogged and left upon leading to foul smells. The main sewer line runs off along court road to the west to the waste disposal plant.SANITARY FACILITIES:The very few residences along the street are catered to by soak pits and septic tanks. A public toilet is provided at the beginning of the street.GARBAGE DISPOSAL:This is done by means of dust bins kept at the rear of each shop or restaurant. These are emptied by the municipal authorities. The street is swept every morning by the corporation employees.TELEPHONES:Telephone lines are drawn along the western side of the street.ELECTRICITY:The entire street is supplied electricity from the Kerala state electricity board substation of Kozhikode town. The lines are drawn along the western side of the street.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORSThe drains leading from many buildings to the main drain remain open and at times clogged thus leading to foul odours. Heavy traffic along the street increases congestion and pollution. The conversion of the street into a one way lane running from north to south has reduced congestion but the increasing commercial activity raises the same again.TYPES OF BUILDINGS AND THEIR FUNCTIONAL USE

FIGURE 38 RELIGIOUS BUILDING: HANUMAN KOVILThe buildings along the street stretch were built over a period of time by the various settlers in their respective interpretations of the traditional architecture. Thus the buildings vary slightly in style. Almost half the buildings are single storeyed structures while the other half are double storeyed. A few buildings however rise above three storeys- a manipulation of the existing bye-laws. These are more recent buildings. Most of the old buildings are of laterite plastered with lime and having wooden doors and windows. The modern buildings are however are of concrete with glass facades.

FIGURE 39 AT THE STARTING OF S M STREETA good percentage of the buildings are shops, most of them dealing with textiles. A few shops deal in stationery, while the remaining few deal in provisions, flowers, fancy items and household appliances and footwear. A number of clinics function along the street. Restaurants and sweet shops are another common sight on the stretch. Most of these buildings are between 150 and 80 years while a few date back to 50. There are however a number of modern buildings along the street and also the arteries. STREETSCAPE AND CHARCTER

FIGURE 310 S M STREETAll buildings abut the street and are either single or double storeyed. Most buildings have been given glass facades recently. Floors do not project into the street and the first floor usually receded by 1m. Only four buildings have existing balconies. Compound walls are absent except for Parsi anjman baug which has a compound wall of 2.25m.However, the street lacks ornamental lamp posts. Electric lines cross the street very often and with the projecting sign boards these create visual pollution.ROADS AND PAVEMENTS

FIGURE 311 PARKING NEAR THE STATUE OF S K POTTEKKATTThe road width along the main spine varies from 7m at certain points to 2m at junctions. The average road width is 8.5m. The width of arteries is between 8m and 10m. All the roads are paved with bitumen.

ACTIVITY

Activity on SM Street starts with the opening of restaurants and devotees visiting the two temples on the street stretch. Slowly the street springs into life with bicycles and handcarts. Three wheelers also join in as the street is used as a shortcut to the railway station. A few trucks and vans taking goods to the various shops and restaurants are also seen. By 10 am shops begin to open and the street starts bustling with activity. Hawkers set up their wares in the shade and move along with it to the western side in the afternoons. The afternoons, after lunch, are usually a dull period for the shop owners. By evening the flow of customers starts again. To add to this congestion, people on bicycles move in the opposite direction with total disregard for the rules Hawkers from their various vantage points begin to wind up the days activities. By the time it is dark the shops are all lit up. This is yet another peak time for the restaurants. Slowly activity starts diminishing and by 9:30 pm, the street is free from all activity except for an occasional vehicle, making a trip to the railway station. But for that the street sleeps till the next dawn.

FIGURE 312 SKETCH OF S M STREET(Source: Hariprasad, MES College of engineering, 2013)As a retail center in Kozhikode, activity is always evident on SM Street. The numerous consumers who visit the street for day to day needs contribute to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic and add to the congestion on the street. Hawkers and street vendors also form an integral part of the activity. As pedestrian traffic is essential for a commercial street pedestrians cannot be neglected. However, the vehicular traffic can be regulated or even restricted so as to reduce congestion. Relocation is to be considered. Vendors and hawkers create activity pockets along the street stretch and thus have to be accommodated on the stretch.

PEDESTRIAN FLOW

FIGURE 313 PEDESTRIAN FLOWIn spite of the congestion and hot sun on the street, there is no decrease in pedestrian activity. People visiting the various shops are seen all throughout the day, office goers during peak hours and restaurant goers during meal times. Heavy vehicle traffic does not appear a problem for these people. This further adds to the congestion. The street stretches in the north-south direction with branches perpendicular to it. Hence the eastern side experiences shade in the forenoon and the western side in the afternoon. Pedestrians thus are seen using the eastern side in the morning and the western side in the afternoons. Pedestrian flow is seen till 9 or 10 in the night. HAWKERS AND STREET VENDORS

FIGURE 314 HAWKERS AND STREET VENDORSHawkers and street vendors form an essential part of the commercial street as they contribute to the activity of the street. Dealing in cutlery, crockery, spices, hosiery, cheap readymades, plastics and posters they too are seen making use of the changing shadow pattern. This also helps to capitalize on the pedestrians. Hawker activity winds up by about six in the evenings. They are mostly seen in the main junctions and where by lanes branch off as there are large areas available there. This makes the junctions live with activity.CHAPTER 4: INFERENCE AND CONCLUSIONINFERENCE

Shopping streets are best able to fulfil the community functions when traffic moves slowly, parking is plentiful but visually unobtrusive, pedestrians can cross and re-cross the street easily, and the overall environment is appealing and secure. When these conditions are attained, the street becomes a place that people of all ages can enjoy and find useful, as well as a source of local revenue. Shopping streets work well when the quality of the public environment receives higher priority than traffic flow on the street itself.A successful shopping street is more than the sum of its parts. It may contain many of the semi-public retail and restaurant spaces that form the identity of a community, along with important services such as barber shops, Laundromats, libraries, and banks.In larger towns and cities, cafs, theatres, and night-clubs transform shopping streets by night and draw revenue from tourists and other visitors as well as local residents. The functions these semi-public places serve are no less important when they occur in auto-oriented shopping centers. However, grouping most of these activities on interconnected pedestrian-oriented streets provides a synergy and sense of community that is difficult to achieve in any other way.To re-design an urban space it is imperative to follow and, then, to satisfy all the requirements, because an urban space of quality is the one determined by peoples needs. A valid indicator to measure the quality of a public space is the development of relationships between people. Optional activities depend to a significant degree on what the place has to offer and how it makes people behave and feel.Squares, street closures and shared spaces have to be a part of a seamless pedestrian network, supported by traffic calming measures which, for the maximum efficacy in reducing vehicular speed, should be implemented at the same time. Indeed, for obtaining the complete pedestrians satisfaction, the measures that increase safety and accessibility have to be accompanied by others that improve the street legibility and that guarantee comfort and attractiveness. A talented use of vegetation, water and materials could generate comfortable urban areas, agreeable for peoples social activities. Only by reviewing and examining all these aspects together it is possible to identify the strategy that best meets all the requirements.

CONCLUSION

Pedestrian Street has been found most sustainable solution to address the basic problems of the city like law and order, air pollution, economy and maintaining heritage and culture. Some more quantitative and qualitative studies are required as part of before and after studies like, reduction in road crashes in urban areas due to speed, crime rate graph in the city, and improvement in air pollution quality. Detailed study tasks are required to quantify the direct and indirect links of citys economy due to Pedestrian Street.Plans principally for pedestrian circulation do not exist. Pedestrian counts have been made in busy areas and pedestrian malls have succeeded where they are tied into a total traffic plan. Just as bus and automobile traffic are scientifically engineered, plans for pedestrian movements must be drafted in each city. The pedestrian circulation plan can be based on the principles of artful processional movements as was done Renaissance buildings and Baroque towns. It could also be based on the more casual movement sequences found in medieval towns. Designed as formal or informal walks, City Street should be furnished with artful accents, events, transitions, intersections, and points of arrival. A pedestrian circulation plan would guide developers in the location of certain types of shops, garages and subway stations, as well as the functional and symbolic hubs.Urban growth with sprawl is completely unpleasant and unwanted and the correct solution is intermediate cities to integrate all of the suitable aspects in a city. In a city with large growth especially in developing countries, one of the cases that usually are neglected is pedestrianisation and attendance of citizens in urban spaces. I hope that with promoting the humans life we could be able to respect humans needs in cities as much as possible especially in developing countries.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE, TKMCE, KOLLAM