Thesis Title: Community Based Integrated Urban Mobility – Bridging a space for informal transit mode with multi-use destination through placemaking
Project type: Public transport Infrastructure
Year of completion: 2021
The architectural concern of this project was developed by recognizing that transportation is a crucial part of our daily lives and an area undergoing significant transformation globally, where rapid urbanization in developing countries has led to an unprecedented increase in demand for mobility services, which in turn has put tremendous pressure on urban transport infrastructure and services.
The demand base for informal public transport was found to be much larger and more diverse than just for feeder or last-mile trips to line-haul systems like city buses or metro systems. The important role played by informal public transport systems in meeting mobility needs by providing frequent, convenient, flexible, and affordable services that either complement the existing public transport systems. The concern was to know how the existing informal public transport system (namely- cycle, motorcycle, autorickshaw, taxi) in developing cities helps in improving transit needs by complimenting the formal public transport system (namely- railway station, metro station) that helps in evolving the mobility needs which serves inter-city pockets as feeder service, where formal transport services are not extended. But one of the major backlogs being, that there are no areas earmarked for informal transport in public areas where there is high demand, which leads to them encroaching service lanes or footpaths. Last mile connectivity remains a major backlog for public transportation without the contribution of this sector. Therefore, this project is primarily focusing on making last mile connectivity inclusive by providing them adequate infrastructural outlay in the form of stands and parking areas in and around major public hotspots or absorbing them in required numbers by facilities that have a high demand for them such as bus stands, metro and train stations, malls and corporate buildings will help organize them and bring accountability and stability to the sector through the creation of new community destinations accommodating everyday public amenities and serve as accessible, active public spaces on creating efficient transit facilities.
To integrate the different modes of public transport network with the feeder transit network and pedestrian network, improving the last mile connectivity through proposed transit facility as a transition space which enhances the user experience.
Basically, looking at the journey of the commuter from the point of origin to the destination where a person takes formal public transport (Large transport terminus) and come to a point and then utilize informal/ feeder services (As a last mile connectivity) to reach their destination, mainly looking at this transition as a multi-use destination for commuters, residents and visitors across the city in order to enhance the user experience. Further looking at how the formal transportation has dedicated building type for the start/end point. (Namely- railway station, metro station, bus stand, bus stops and airports) But in such cases it is observed that there is a tendency of neglecting the aspect of feeder services and providing the essential public amenities for the commuters. Hence, I was looking at the case of a new building type or recognizable annex/component for informal public transport to provide feeder services, imagining every transit facility experience by the commuters is created by having a pause through its separation from main transit building as a separate individual building type. Further looking at the scenario where there is one or more formal transit nodes (Example: railway station and bus stand), it is feasible to have common transit facility catering to the above transit nodes, where this new building type which is being proposed, accommodating common transit facilities would act as a transition space between railway station and bus stand which would help to connect long distance trips to last mile connectivity and also enhance the experience of commuters/visit by providing essential public amenities and making it as multi-use destination.
The aim of the study is to design the immediate zone around the railway station and bus stand vicinity to provide essential facilities and amenities at appropriate distance, as a multi modal interchange so that efficient, convenient and safe inter connectivity is possible for all the users.
The initial study talks about the transition between public transport system and feeder services as a multi-sided approach. Further, my studies were focused on identifying programmatic components of transit facility. As stated earlier my concern focuses on looking at the separation of transit facility as an individual building through transition space between two public transit nodes, accordingly the vacant land in Padil area of Mangalore which has potential of developing as a transit friendly community project due to its proximity to the existing junction railway station and upcoming Mangalore bus terminus along with other existing modes of last mile connectivity surrounded by mixed growth of that area (retail, residential, civic) was chosen as a site for this project.
To provide a separate transit facility by proposing an individual building on the site which is catering to both existing railway station and bus stand as part of integrating and complimenting the different modes of public transport network through this proposal of transition space which would improve the aspect of last mile connectivity and enhance the experience of commuters by providing essential public amenities and making it as an active public space.
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