Mahima Varshney

UD4003-3

This portfolio is the representation of the learnings in the Elements of Urban Design Studio. The studio work is focused on the study and representation of the key urban elements in a city. The portfolio work is divided into two modules. Streets, Public open spaces, and Urban blocks are the premises of the first module and the work is the study of each element and how they contribute to the scale, form, character, and their relationship with the larger urban context. The second module was significantly focused on how to weave these elements into a coherent, organized design structure. This semester the design structure was public open space in Vastrapur Ahmedabad. My project is a Shared street design of Sarkari Vasahat road which is the shortest route connecting Vastrapur Lake to the upcoming metro station at the drive-in road. The street which is predominantly residential is an informal shared space holding many activities at the edges. It is making the street an active place and the challenge was to formalize these active street areas and convert the street into a one-way vehicular pedestrian street. This project helped me in understanding the need for shared space in narrow Indian streets and various design strategies that can be applied to make a successful shared street in India.