Imagining vitalisation of infill development with spatial integrations: case of lower parel Central Mumbai/ Amit Prakash Landge; under the guidance of Karna Sengupta

Abstract

Trends in growth of cities towards the periphery with economic, real estate and many other influencing opportunities has created a demand for infill development of existing urban fabric and changes in spatial structures with different intents such as re densification, new commercial or leisure centric opportunities, conservation, etc. This venture towards infill development neglects the shape and urban form this transformation is producing, which eventually is seen to become a threat towards the urbanity of these emerging localities. Urban vitality, a significant component of urbanity is composed of economic, social and cultural vitality manifested spatially. Which is associated with the existing settlement and the urban form of older (once prominent) parts of cities. Robustness & spatially manifested vitality is often being neglected in the top – down process of regional/ urban planning to local area planning. Localities promoted for infill development are often places with prominence; socio culturally or economically, with a rigid structure of various active spatial networks which keep these localities up and running while cities transform. But insertion of infill development disregards the quality of urban form and associated human activities and patterns, builds indifferent urban form conforming to the traditional spatial practices of segregation and enclave urbanism. While it is argued that urban features in residential development promote or limit the urban vitality, there is a lack of research on the level of urban vitality of infill development in urban structures at the scale of urban blocks The study carried out in this thesis intends to analyse the relationship between the urbanity, urban form and interdependency of both on each other, to understand the changes in urban form initiated due to infill development and how it affects the urbanity and vitality of the localities from block to neighbourhood levels. This thesis will also enquire how quality of urban form can modulate the vitality and robustness of development keeping in mind the social, economic and spatial aspects. This thesis ultimately aims to enhance the spatial quality of built environment in cases of infill development, structurally on different scales and for different stakeholders for a robust and liveable interface between the built and unbuilt and also to prepare a comprehensive redevelopment guideline keeping in mind the coherent vitality of user experience towards the urban form.