Restructuring the public realm around transit station case Madan Mahal Railway station area, Jabalpur

Abstract

There are many cities in the world who have undergone a transition of improving and rebuilding their public transportation systems when planning and redeveloping their cities for a better future. It is during this time that special attention is given to all the necessary public transit stops, where they are pausing and the entire travel experience from the time the passenger boards the public transit to the time, he gets off the transit and it enters into the area of commercial value. This can only be done when the focus is not only the transit but on forming larger urban connections. When someone travels to a place by public transport, the station is the arrival point and the public realm connects the station to the local area. Good public realm supports the transport system, builds the identity of a place, enhances the station as a community asset and supports growth in the local economy. Many cities are adopting Transit Oriented Development (TOD) approach to plan and organize their cities. Dunphy et al. (2004). As TOD effectively looks not only to improve the transit experience but also linking surrounding fabric to the transit station. This binds the entire network of neighborhoods to its nuclei the transit station. Madan Mahal station is the second main railway station in the Jabalpur city. It comes under West Central Railway zone, Many Express and Passenger trains halt in Madan Mahal station. It is located in the most central location of the city and is one of the most important and busiest stations which divided to city into two parts. Numerous reality checks over time proved unsuccessful as the city failed to take drastic measures to improve the transit experience and the areas surrounding the transit stations to accommodate the growing passenger demands. There are various ways of approaching the transport hubs like looking at their potential as catalysts for urban transformation, regeneration of inner cities, economic opportunities and TOD etc. this thesis scope is to explore the role of public realm as a common attribute that would become the qualitative factor and plays a key role in deciding the spatial, visual and experiential quality of transit station precincts. Dealing with transport interchanges demands detailed data related to vehicular, pedestrian and infrastructural data, which are kept as limitations and it is only analyzed to the required extent without completely orienting the study towards transportation issue resolving exercise. Thus, finding more inclination towards the spatial design of the area and exploring related detailed urban design intervention strategies.