Urban Spaces

This statement expresses the importance of both, the built and the un-built spaces in the urban fabric. Both co-exist and are of vital importance to the development of any city.

In his book, The Architecture of Towns and Cities, Paul D. Spreiregen mentions that the spaces of the city range from the space of the street to the space of a park system and, ultimately, to the vast space in which an entire city exists; these spaces can be thought of as two basic types:

 Formal or urban spaces: moulded by building facades and the city’s floor

 Natural open spaces: represents nature brought into, and around, the city

(Spreiregen, 1965, p.55)

Piazza del Campo as an example of a formal/ urban space

Source: www.canberra.edu.au

A natural Open Space

Source:

‘Park’ as such is a very generic term that covers all natural open spaces including open spaces and maidans, playgrounds, fair grounds, amusement parks, zoological parks and botanical gardens, bird sanctuaries and camping sites. (KMBR, 2010,

p.290). Public open space offers recreational opportunities, wildlife habitats, venues for special events and the opportunity for the city to breathe. (Matthew Carmona, 2003, p.188)

2.3.1 THE STRUCTURE OF PARKS

(i) SPATIAL ORGANISATION

Spatial Organisation in parks is achieved through careful intermixing of aesthetics and functions- their physical and psychological requirements. It is a balance of aesthetics and functions in a way that it responds to the users’ needs that determines the experience of the space.

(a) AESTHETIC ORGANISATION

Aesthetic organisation pertains to effects of organisation on the senses and plays a prime role in the perception of the place and emotions associated with it. Donald J. Molnar and Albert J. Rutledge, in their book- The Anatomy of Parks- the Essentials of Recreational

Area Planning and Design point out that the ‘raw materials’ of site design, the primary elements that direct our perception of the space are as follows:

 Lines: single edges creating directional

In the case of use of colour in any physical setting, one must approach it with careful restrain as colour appeals to the most primary instincts’. (Molnar, Rutledge, 1986, p.37) The colours, their combination and use in any environment is therefore instrumental in the development of one’s image and perception of the space and it also influences the emotion that the space communicates with the inhabitants. So while high value colours are ‘lively and spirited’, deep hues are ‘sombre and mellow’ and neutral colours ‘recede to the background’. (Molnar, Rutledge, 1986, p.37)

(b) ENCLOSURE

While dealing with voids, it is important to remember that open spaces are just as three dimensional as the built. Enclosing forms can be classified into three basic types:

 Static or complete enclosure

 Linear enclosure

 Free enclosure (Molnar, Rutledge, 1986, p.39-40)

Static enclosures, usually square or circular are largely inactive and do not give any sense of motion. They form the logical climax of a journey and convey the message of ‘stopping’ to the user and hence naturally act as destinations. Linear enclosures on the other hand are elongated volumes and possess an inherent sense of direction and movement and