Livability and the vertical city : a study on the livability of a city and its implications on multi storey developments

A Dissertation presented for final examination in MScitecture of University of Moratuwa & RIBA pt.IILivability is a quality of an environment which is experienced by people. Every body knows what livable environment is, but the problem is, as to how can it be achieved? There have been many previous attempts to outline a set of criteria for a livable or a good city. In this study, more attention is given to understand as how this livability can be achieved particularly in vertical cities. Indeed a city is more than buildings and spaces. The essence of the city is life. Cities come in to being in response to human needs. In the same way, cities are judged according to the degree which those needs are satisfied . In this process, vertical city is an important achievement of man. It suggests his capacity to use his creativity to organize spaces around for himself for a better way of life. All of cities nowadays, are developing towards the sky. In parallel to that, a strong view is developing that an unsatisfactory city life is being grown within a concrete jungle. Is it the vertical development that makes us miserable within a city? or is the inappropriate composition of it that shuttled whole of the city life? We as the designers of environments for the well being of man must attempt to explore means and ways of answering the above, in order to ensure our environments, to be livable