Study on the role of streetscape characteristics in the urban spaces of the city of Colombo

Abstract

The daily life routine in a city creates an essential bond between man and his environment, as the user becomes a part of that context. Identifying the environment is indispensable for human existence. The unique identity and understanding of a place makes the user more comfortable. If the identity and character itself is strong and rigid, the place becomes more valuable to the user and the city experience will become meaningful and delightful. Urban spaces consist of streetscapes. They are urban access corridors that bear different characteristics. These characteristics form the unique identity of the urban space. Thus identifying the street characteristics improve human existence as it helps to create habitable human environments. Thus, preservation and maintenance of the unique character of streetscapes becomes a vital need in order to protect the spirit of the place since these strong characters determine a rigid environmental image. Thus, this research study was an attempt of identifying these extreme ambiances of streetscape characteristics and their generating factors that finally result in a strong and meaningful built setting. The study is basically concentrates on the major character generating factors of streetscapes such as usage, activity patterns, architectural features, built fabrics and symbolic features, etc which occur according to the cultural, functional, contextual, religious, and historical effects. In addition, understanding the responsiveness of the setting such as its permeability, legibility and variety, etc is analyzed to comprehend the final overriding character of the setting. The initial part of this study deals with the historical development and formation of streetscape characters in Colombo. Secondly, the present situation of the streetscapes of urban contexts, which link major townscapes of Colombo are observed and studied. Finally, these connections and establishments are analyzed through a theoretical basis with a concluding discussion and suggestions for the creation of better urban streetscapes