International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology.

ISSN 0974-3154 Volume 10, Number 1 (2017)

© International Research Publication House http://www.irphouse.com

Design Conceptof New Urbanism for Planning Second Renaissance in

Developing Fringes of Metropolitan Cities: Case Example of Pune,
Maharashtra, India
Dr. Avanti Bambawale
Professor,
Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s
Sinhgad College of Architecture, Vadgaon Bk. Pune,
Maharashtra, India

Abstract as a philosophy for revitalizing or reinstating traditional

Cities are changing the world over. Most are becoming worst architecture and the quality of life in old core of the cities.
places to live. There are many interesting forces causing this Cities are much complex things which we humans make. For
decline such as increase in population, failing infrastructure, the past fifteen years the congress for New Urbanism has been
sprawling development and an inability to provide adequate aiding public and private sectors by employing or introducing
housing for lower and middle income class people. Today in following design principles for improving the quality of life in
the world of globalization and privatization, Indian cities are the cities, especially in older areas of the city, which initially
neglecting the inherited traditional design features and their inherited these principles [2]:
planning concepts, which have played important role in 1. Pedestrianisation of streets: segregation of traffic
revival of city‘s culture and today, are adopting American corridors and pedestrian areas. The streets are relatively
planning principles which have led to the failure of American narrow and shaded by rows of trees. This slows traffic,
cities. Today after going through the ill effects of this creating an environment suitable for pedestrians and
American planning principles & related social issues, bicycles.Streets within the neighborhood form a
sociologist, anthropologist, designers like Jane Jacob, Lewis connected network, which disperses traffic by providing a
Mumford, Richard Senatte are stressing onto the need to variety of pedestrian and vehicular routes to any
‗Humanize the cities‘ This has led to thereformation of the destination.
idea of planning in the western world. Today western 2. Mixed Land Uses: For vibrant city life at all times of the
planners have put forth various concepts and models like of day neighborhoods should be planned to accommodate
‗New Urbanism‘ ‗Smart Growth Development‘, ‗Pedestrian diverse land uses in such a way that they are occupied
Pockets‘, ‗Community participation‘ which are based on round the clock. Eating, shopping, working, socializing
principles of pedestrianisation, mixed use development, and recreation merged with residential areas are mutually
strengthening public transportation, originally inherited by reinforcing and flourish in each other‘s presence. The key
traditional Indian cities. The main aim of this research paper is concept is to stop building single use zones such as
to put forth the American concept of New Urbanism, ‗Nariman Point‘, ‗BandraKurla Complex‘ which are
predominantly observed and originally existed in traditional predominantly commercial and ‗Gated Communities‘
Indian cities and reflected in traditional street and built- which are treated as Residential enclaves; which is
unbuilt spaces which can form the base of Second currently the trend or passion in ‗Builders and
Renaissance in planning of new or developing areas in Government Organization‘. These places lack security
metropolitan cities. This is illustrated in case of Pune city, aspect due to lack of vibrant social activity.
Maharashtra, India. 3. Planned Demarcation or Allocation of parking lots: In
urbanized areas there is nothing more boring than
Keywords:New Urbanism, Design Principles, Second
walking past a parking lot whether they are open air or
Renaissance
six storied tall. These must be banished along any
Introduction residential or pedestrian‘s street. Planned parking lots,
New urbanism is an American urban design movement that properly screened off visually with comfortable
arose in the early 1980s. Its goal is to reform many aspects of accessibility must be demarcated in city development
real estate development and urban planning, from urban plan. Easy accessibility and visual screening is the main
retrofits to suburban infill. New urbanism neighborhoods are aim of this demarcation.
designed to contain a diverse range of housing and jobs, and 4. Small is beautiful: People are small when compared to
to be walkable. It is a reaction to sprawl, based on planning automobiles and most world class walkable cities
and architectural principles working together to create human- acknowledge this fact with small blocks, small streets,
scale, walkable communities. It is rooted in the work of small buildings and small increments of investment.
architects, planners, and theorists who believed that Traditional Indian cities like Peth areas of Pune,
conventional planning thought was failing.[1] Residential core of Jaisalmer, Walled City of Jaipur and
New Urbanism is urban development model, which so on reflect fine grain and fine texture creating
reflects the features of planning of Traditional Indian city that incredible porous networks of streets. Pedestrians like
made city physically and socially livable. It is also considered crisscross movement through urban fabric, intelligently

191
 International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology. ISSN 0974-3154 Volume 10, Number 1 (2017)
© International Research Publication House http://www.irphouse.com

looking for shortest routes between the two points. devoid of any character & specificity. On the other hand
Unfortunately government planners propose development unplanned cities are characterized by haphazard visual –
roads that create obscenely large blocks that make the physical appearance & a lack of orientation. Such cities have
city impenetrable. Tall buildings place undue stress on nothing to offer to its inhabitants except for a space to build
small plots of land, where population gets concentrated at their house.
a single point within the city, pressurizing all the systems
including accessibility, parking, garbage removal, water Indian Scenario:
and utility supply. Current Real estate developments in If neatly observed traditional Indian cities like Walled City of
majority of Indian metropolitan cities are not considering Jaipur, Golden City of Jaisalmer having unique social
this issue in land development. character inherits these principles of New Urbanism. On the
5. Building Affordable Housing: Affordable housing same lines old core of Pune city-the Peth Areas reflect the
remains crisis in majority of Indian cities and the solution same principles but eventually these areas are subjected to
is not to build housing in suburbs, which taxes the poor tremendous pressure of privatization and traffic congestion
residents with longest commute. There are a variety of with lack of other infrastructure facilities and services, leading
dwelling types — usually houses, row houses, and to either deterioration or rapid transformation of these areas.
apartments — so that younger and older people, singles, This research article puts forth the study of
and families, the poor, and the wealthy may find places to traditional elements and their characteristics, their principles
live.Mixed-use streetscapes with corner shops, front of organization and planning in old core (Today which
porches, and a diversity of well-crafted housing. The America has defined the process or movement as New
neighborhood is organized to be self-governing. A formal Urbanism)-Peth areas of Pune city in 18th century, which if
association debates and decides matters of maintenance, incorporated or regenerated in planning of modern city areas
security, and physical change. Taxation is the especially fringe areas of Pune city will definitely lead to the
responsibility of the larger community. ‗Second Renaissance‘ of old core in developing fringes of
6. Consistent Check on development control pattern & their Pune city. The article will cover in brief the aspects of urban
policies, rules & codes. morphology, urban linkages, housing pattern, architectural
style, and community structure, and activity pattern,
Social philosopher and historian Lewis Mumford criticized townscape qualities of traditional old core of Pune city, which
the "anti-urban" development of post-war America. The Death will contribute to the future planning of new or developing
and Life of Great American Cities, written by Jane Jacobs[3] areas in the city.
in the early 1960s, called for planners to reconsider the single-
use housing projects, large car-dependent thoroughfares, and Pune City Background:
segregated commercial centers that had become the "norm." In Pune past meet present. Pune is one of those rare
In the 1970s and 1980s, New Urbanism emerged with the cities with a twin image- that of traditionally bound place
urbanvisions and theoretical models for the reconstruction of generally considered as the quintessence of Maharashtra
the "European" city proposed by architect Leon Krier, and the Culture and of modern industrial metropolis. Pune is known
"pattern language" theories of Christopher Alexander. These as cultural capital of Maharashtra owing to its rich culture and
eventually coalesced into a unified group in the 1990s.The heritage. It has also earned the reputation for its esteemed
New Urbanism includes traditional architects and those with colleges as educational institutions and thus referred to as ‗the
modernist sensibilities. Some work exclusively on infill Oxford of East‘. Due to favorable location, pleasant climate,
projects, others focus on transit-oriented development, some vibrant culture and incentives it has become a prominent place
attempt to transform the suburbs, and many work in all these for I.T. sector and hence it is also a well-known ‗ IT-BT
categories. All believe in the power and ability of traditional centre‘ in Maharashtra. This is resulting into transformation of
neighborhoods to restore functional, sustainable communities. traditions into cosmopolitan culture due to migration of
people from adjacent states and foreign countries, which is
Urbanization: further reflected, in the built form of developing fringes of
The past 150 years have witnessed the fastest change Pune City. The loss of traditional touch, which is the heritage
that human civilization has undergone. With post-industrial as well as climate responsive architecture, can be prominently
modernization, advanced modes of communication and observed in new areas of Pune city.
technology have launched new forms of culture, value The inner older core of Pune city is divided into
systems, beliefs and ideas. One of the major problems before several wards or Peth areas depending upon their era of
us today is the rapid urbanization of the cities, the phenomena evolution, which though are rapidly transforming and
that occurs in a manner overcoming the architectural totality deteriorating, still retain the traditional character, which
of the urban environment as well the integrity of the strongly reflects the cultural aspect. The typical features of
surrounding natural landscape. Characterized by large voids traditional Peth areas are listed below, which if implemented
of undifferentiated space, the new city is devoid of a strong in planning of fringes will definitely contribute to the ‗Second
identity and character and becomes non-specific in nature. Renaissance‘ of Pune city. The main features are:
The city then fails to address physical issues of connectivity, a) Urban morphology: The cultural core area of the city has
services, infrastructure, landscape and ecology as well the organic close grain structure. The network of main linkages
psychological issues of orientation, identity and character. has created urban blocks that are irregular but functional in
Today new cities that are planned on a purely pattern, more from pedestrian point of view. These building
rational basis offer a monotones experience of roads &Sectors blocks house a variety of building types. Structures are built

192
 International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology. ISSN 0974-3154 Volume 10, Number 1 (2017)
© International Research Publication House http://www.irphouse.com

to edge with traditional streetscape qualities. Public realm close interaction between the occupants and passer bys on the
spaces follow a hierarchical pattern moving from public to streets. The traditional residential buildings are mostly
private realm. medieval ones from 18th and 19th century with few temples,
mosques and dargahs before 18th century. Late Mughal
features like cusped arches, niches, pillars can be widely seen.
Wooden elements like door window frames, shutters and
brackets are beautifully carved motifs of flowers, birds, gods
and goddess. Colonial features like vaults, segmental arches,
jack arch roofs have been incorporated in the buildings of the
later period. There are also traces of art deco features in
buildings post-independence. However the character of
contemporary development is placeless.

Figure 1: Plan of old core of Pune city showing evolution

of peth areas [4]
b) Urban Linkages: The historic core is an organic mesh of
streets and lanes locally known as aalies punctuated by
squares and open spaces. The streets are developed with
pedestrian scale with narrow widths sufficient to allow
palanquins, handcarts and other slow moving means of
transport. Primary streets have the character of boulevard
leading to important nodes and public buildings.
c) Architectural Style/ Character: The built form has Figure 2: Streetscape of old Pune city during 17thcentury
developed a built to edge character, responding to the street [4] and 19th century respectively [5]
in the form of chabutras, balconies and verandahs, fostering

193
 International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology. ISSN 0974-3154 Volume 10, Number 1 (2017)
© International Research Publication House http://www.irphouse.com

d) Community Structure: Strong community structure, interactions making them public places. They also function as
close knit and vital social life is the unique feature of Peth a place of social gatherings during festivals.
areas which is one of the important aspect of New Urbanism. f) Townscape qualities: The inner core of the city has
The communities are of mixed category-Hindus, Muslims, distinctive townscape qualities. The legibility of the area is
Sikhs, Marwaris etc. People from the same community stay strengthened by visual cues such as major landmarks like
together. For example certain pockets of Peth areas are Mandai, Shaniwarwada etc., gateways, olfactory and character
dominated by particular category of community – muslims, areas. There are nodes of public spaces such as water tanks
marwaris, marathis etc. (hauds), tree canopies (paars), market areas (bazzars) along
vibrant city networks. The urban forms in city network are
traditional and distinctive in nature but under constant
pressures of encroachment.

Figure 3: Kumbharwada: Node of specialized activity [4]

Figure 3: Mixed Community Structure [4] and Streetscape

during Ganesh Festival [5]

e) Activity Pattern/ Land Use: There are multiple usages

of urban space with mixed land uses properly integrated and
confirming with each other. The residence and work place of
the people are close by and often coincide with each other. At
certain places there is concentration or specialization of
certain activity within the streets, for example: Sonya Maruti
Chowk specializes in gold jewellery work, Laxmi Road in
textiles and clothing etc. The interconnecting network of
primary, secondary and tertiary streets fosters close Figure 4: Major landmarks and nodes of public spaces:
community living. Apart from being major arteries of Shaniwarwada, Mandai-market place, tree-pars [5][4]
commutation, primary streets reflect variety of everyday
human activities of work, recreation, commerce and informal

194
 International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology. ISSN 0974-3154 Volume 10, Number 1 (2017)
© International Research Publication House http://www.irphouse.com

Conclusion:
The history of architecture in India has a rich and diversified
legacy, not only in the classical examples but also as seen in
the display of vernacular traditions of building. They are
spread in several regional environments in the form of a
variety of settlement patterns, institutions and dwelling types.
Compared to modern Indian cities, traditional urban or semi-
urban settlements display a degree of homogeneity and an
overall order achieved through certain rules of thumb and
controls. They express the totality of a relationship between
man and society. The vernacular design process is one of
typological models and, of modifications and variations
therein, where the individual unit and not the house type is
adjusted, adapted or personalized. The vernacular urbanity has
an underlying structure within its overall organic attitude that
leaves room for human expression and creativity.
On the threshold of new millennium, Pune‘s
landscape reveals mix of kuccha and pucca elements,
interspersed with authorized and unauthorized structures.
Modern Pune‘s urban sprawl and built up development is
controlled by theoretical rules or mechanisms of floor space
index. However in practice they are blatantly ignored. The
existing planning policies of development rules and
implementation need to be modified. The reality is that there
is serious mismatch between socio-economic structure of the
population and the speed in which inward migration outgrows
infrastructure. This has been the reason why the quality of the
urban environment is steadily deteriorating and haphazard
growth is taking place. At this juncture we need to take a
stock of where we are now and where we are heading. New
Urbanism is one of the hopes to organize the future of Pune
City and its upcoming areas in traditional pattern.

References
[1] Congress for New Urbanism (1993) retrieved February
2017 from http://www.newurbanism.org
[2] Congress for New Urbanism (1993) retrieved February
2017 from
http://www.pinelandsalliance.org/downloads/pinelandsall
iance_84.pdf
[3] Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American
cities. New York: Random House.
[4] JaymalaDidee and SameetaGupta(2000)―Queen of
Deccan‖ Elephant Design Pvt. Limited.
[5] Photographs by author

195