DISSERTATION SYNOPSIS
SUBMITTED BY
RAKSHI PERWEEN
SUBMITTED TO
2021BARX012
Ar. SUMEET RAI
IX SEM - V YEAR
Ar. SANDEEP KUMAR
SYNOPSIS: THE ROLE OF PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY AS A TOOL
TO ENHANCE SOCIAL INTEGRATION AND COHESION
1. Introduction
A street can be more than a route—it can be a stage where life unfolds, stories are told, and communities shape their collective memory. Imagine a path
where footsteps are slow not from congestion, but from curiosity. Every corner holds a fragment of heritage; every pause offers a moment of exchange. The
simple act of walking becomes a journey through layers of identity—past, present, and imagined futures—where strangers find common ground in shared
wonder. Pedestrian streets, when imbued with cultural richness and opportunities for interaction, can dissolve barriers and stitch the social fabric tighter.
2. Problem Statement
Modern cities often treat streets as mechanical lines of transit, erasing the very moments of connection that define human settlement. Spaces that once
resonated with craft demonstrations, storytelling, and unplanned conversations now echo mostly with engines and horns. As these connective tissues weaken,
so does the public’s relationship with the cultural soul of a place. There is a pressing need to reclaim streets—not just for movement—but for meaningful
encounters.
3. Aim
To reimagine the pedestrian pathway as a living canvas of shared experience, where movement and stillness coexist, and where cultural expression becomes
the glue for social integration.
4. Objectives
• Weave together movement and pause points into a continuous, engaging
pedestrian experience.
• Embed spatial cues that invite participation—through sight, sound, texture, and
interaction.
• Use built form and open space to narrate layered stories of place and people.
• Ensure inclusivity so that every visitor, regardless of ability, feels a sense of
belonging.
• Strengthen local economies through spaces that encourage cultural production
and exchange.
5. Scope
Design
Integration
Open Safety
with open ended Clear, Activities Open
Gradient
space Simple spaces
Interactions
Street Spatial Pathway No Environmental
character sharp Social Aspects
Furniture Aspects Orientation Shadow
Nodes / Aspects
Landmarks
bend
Landscape
Community
engagement
Safe Communicable Social Air quality
Wide, mixing
narrow, Landscape
Enclosed
Circulation and spatial organization
Create an interesting primary,
The circulation flows through the Circulation should not be just path secondary circulation patterns .
Breaking the monotony of
built spaces, offering visitors a it should have spatial pauses and Because if circulation will be
circulation, so that curiosity will be
chance to witness the work non predictable so that people will continuous and on single path
maintained.
be curious and not tired. then people will get tired easily
and also break monotonicity of
the path.
6. Methodology
Topic Selection Background Study
The role of pedestrian pathway to •Pedestrianized cultural corridors
enhance social integration and • Walkable heritage streets.
cohesion •community survey
• Revival of lost crafts, traditions,
narratives
Data Collection
Need for the
project
Primary source Secondary source
Aim Live case studies and survey, Literature case studies,
observations Research paper, Articles
•Chandni chowk-Delhi
•church street Bengaluru
Objective
Scope
Analysis and Inferences
Methodology
Case Study Final Design
7. Limitations
• The study will not cover transportation infrastructure or high-mobility zones
• The project will focus on pedestrian-scale interventions, not large-scale city planning
• Behavioral study will be based on observation and literature, not clinical testing
•Every path should have unique character.
•A sense of direction often comes from a gradient( a continuous change in
something).
Topographical gradient
Gradient of activity
Gradient of age, crowd etc.
Gradient of curves, shadow, light, noise etc.
•The result of the study revealed that spaces like sitting areas, shaded pathways, outdoor coffee shops, spaces close to fountain/cascades are the most
appealing spaces for people. These spaces strengthen the social experience in public open space (Whyte, 1980). Gehl (1996), in his book life between
buildings.
•Kim and Kaplan (2004) recommended that there are more chances of social interaction and development of sense of community if pedestrian areas and
natural elements are well designed in open space.
•Abbasia et al. (2016) defined users’ need, spatial quality and spatial structure as the three major components for generating pattern use of Public open
space.
•Bear and Higgins (2002) referred to Public open space as a part of environment which satisfies users’ social need by generating activities which create sense
belonging and environment vitality.
SYNOPSIS: SLOWNESS IN ARCHITECTURE
1. Introduction
Modern urban environments are designed to prioritize movement, flow, and speed — encouraging people to pass through space rather than dwell in it.
However, this obsession with movement often leaves little room for introspection, human connection, or sensory awareness. In contrast, architecture has
the potential to slow people down, invite pause, stimulate the senses, and create memorable experiences.
2. Background & Need for Study
In dense cities, public spaces are either over-programmed or under-designed. People move, shop, wait, pray, perform, or sit—but rarely does the space
help them connect deeply to their environment.
Architecture has the potential to create “pause points”—moments of reflection, interaction, memory, and mindfulness in otherwise fast-paced contexts.
By integrating temporal and sensory strategies, we can create spaces that respect emotional and bodily rhythms.
3. Aim
To explore how architecture can be used to slow down human experience in public spaces using movement-based design, sensory cues, and spatial
storytelling.
4. Objectives
• To study the spatial behavior of humans in relation to movement and pause in public spaces
• To investigate temporal and sensory architecture as a design tool
• To explore how materials, light, sound, texture, and scale influence emotional and sensory engagement
• To document and interpret case studies that successfully embed slowness and memory
• To propose a site-specific intervention that embodies the principles of stillness, transition, and slowness
5. Scope of the Study
The research will focus on urban inserts or public institutions like cultural centers, craft pavilions, spiritual walks, or memory gardens—spaces where human
interaction, movement, and sensory experience can be consciously slowed.
Design may include:
• Walking corridors
• Reflection courts
• Pause-points
• Sensory walls
6. Limitations
• The study will not cover transportation infrastructure or high-mobility zones
• The project will focus on pedestrian-scale interventions, not large-scale city planning
• Behavioral study will be based on observation and literature, not clinical testing
7. Methodology
• Literature review on slow architecture, temporal design, and phenomenology (Juhani Pallasmaa, Peter Zumthor, etc.)
• Spatial behavior mapping and photographic surveys
• Case studies: e.g., Vals Therme (Switzerland), Indian stepwells, Japanese teahouses, or Charles Correa’s Gandhi Ashram
• Site analysis and user interviews
• Design development through sketches, models, sensory diagrams
SYNOPSIS: THE ROLE OF LANDSCAPE PLAYS IN CREATING NODES
1. Introduction
Nodes are critical points in the urban fabric where movement converges, activities overlap, and people pause. While architecture provides enclosure and
infrastructure enables access, it is landscape that humanizes these nodes—adding identity, memory, and meaning. Landscape design can transform a
crossing or plaza into a vibrant urban room where ecology, culture, and community intersect.
2. Background Study
• Kevin Lynch’s theory in The Image of the City highlights nodes as strategic foci of experience and orientation.
• Traditionally, urban nodes emerged at markets, temples, water tanks, and cultural intersections—often shaped by natural landscapes like trees, ghats, or
courtyards.
• In contemporary cities, rapid urbanization has created many nodes as traffic junctions rather than human-centered spaces, leading to loss of identity and
weak social interaction.
• International and Indian examples show how landscape elements—green pockets, shaded plazas, water features—redefine nodes as cultural and
ecological condensers.
3. Need for the Study
• To address the lack of human-centric design in existing urban nodes.
• To reintroduce landscape-driven identity into public spaces for stronger social cohesion.
• To study how ecological resilience (trees, water, soil) can be integrated into nodes for sustainable urbanism.
To create vibrant landmarks where people gather, interact, and associate memories with place.
4. Aim
To explore the role of landscape design in creating urban nodes that enhance identity, social interaction, and ecological balance in contemporary cities.
5. Objectives
• To analyze how landscape elements (trees, water, landforms, materials) shape nodes.
• To study the relationship between movement, pause, and interaction within nodal landscapes.
6. Scope
• Focus on urban public nodes (plazas, intersections, cultural corridors, campus/market squares).
• Emphasis on the landscape component—not architectural buildings—though built form will be considered in relation to landscape.
7. Methodology
1. Literature Review – Kevin Lynch, Jan Gehl, contemporary landscape urbanism theories.
2. Mapping & Analysis – Identification of existing nodes in chosen city/region.
3. Case Studies – Global and Indian (comparative).
4. Site Observations – Pedestrian behavior, use of open space, microclimate role.
5. Design Framework – Deriving principles for creating human-centered, landscape-driven nodes.
8.Case Studies
• International:
o Bryant Park, New York – Landscape-led node for leisure and
interaction.
o Superkilen Park, Copenhagen – Cultural expression through
landscape.
• Indian:
o Connaught Place, New Delhi – Radial green lawns as urban social
nodes.
o MG Road Boulevard, Bengaluru – Shaded pedestrian corridor shaping
cultural events.
Sabarmati Riverfront Nodes, Ahmedabad – Landscape shaping social and
ecological gathering points.
