Exploring compact city : reconfiguring the compact city

Intent and aim The primary intent of this thesis is to explore about Compact Urbanism and to define an approach towards low density, mono functional precincts in the city that lie underutilized in their potential towards a positive contribution to the city and to come with new model of compact city that will answer the challenges and problems that are still unanswered. The reconfigured Compact city will built environment at the best possible way to support the best quality of life. Everyone wants to be free of the urban pollution he can directly sense: the smog, smoke, grime, litter, odors, city heat, din, poor water, and the slum conditions. But the environmental degradation associated with urban development can also be measured in terms of disrupted ecosystems and wasteful use of green space and natural resources. The approach illustrates how and why compact city is the way of redesigning an urban environment so as to get rid of these negative aspects and to preserve enhance the qualities of urban life that we have come to accept desirable. Eventually to reconfigure the compact city which will work better than what has been proposed so far. The new model of compact city will make neighborhoods more lively, safe and relevant for children; and so that the city itself becomes a more exciting center for personal interactions in today’s fast-moving world. Main Concerns Concerns rise from the observations that there are city structures that are inefficient and are underutilized areas in the cities which have lower intensity of use and untapped potential to absorb new functions, activities and housing stocks. As of by-product of mono functional use and low density these areas have issues like lack of identity, character and lack of a vibrant public domain. A Renewal process is important for such city precincts that are located near city centers or work centers and occupy large areas at low densities in relation to its location and potential. The notion of the Compact City is a reaction against the city structures in most developed cities-dense cores accommodating most of the cities workplaces, retail, entertainment, commerce, services and amenities and sprawling low-density, single use suburbs-a city structure which by default produces the need to travel and as a product car dependency, energy consumption and pollution. The basis for the debate is the general agreement that the city as we know and inhabit today causes unsustainable environmental stress, is socially stratified & functionally sub-optimal, and is expensive to run. Challenges The city is a platform where humans meet, interact, collaborate, exchange their views, make new relationship, work and compete with each other. City forms a shell in which all lives survive and develop. It moulds their lives. It is a web where different kind of people varies in religion, ethnicity and race lives together. It interlocks them and makes a mass of variety of living and nonliving objects. All cities are fast growing. People are moving in and out of the cities. Each day somebody is transferred to some other place. Families are breaking up either of transfers of job or splitting of parents. New constructions are planning. Whether the new construction is required or not people are building it up without giving a thought how it will be beneficial to the environment. Because of all these impacts of improper planning, land value in the city is hiking up and eventually people are left with no option but to move outskirts of the city. New tracts of land are occupying. Green places are disappearing. The challenge has to do with conservation. The fast growing encroachment towards the countryside of the city is destroying valuable green fields. They are affecting the farm lands which are essential for human life in order to get food for unstoppable population. There is a need of getting control over the growth of the city. There should be more functional and organized planning which can curtail sprawl. We have to comprehend the significance of land as it is not infinitive, it is limited. The city should be redesigned or proper measures and consideration are to be made in order to conserve land, water, energy and waste. If irregular spreading of city is not stopped and compact cities are not implemented than we will lose valuable lands and will not be able to acquire benefits of natural environment as it will be destructed. Compactness has to be achieved to build environment to support best quality of life.Department of ArchitectureLiterature survey -- Methodology -- Case studies -- Social implications of compact city -- Compact city guiding principles.Thesis (M. Arch.