Series of Analytical Mapping

Next in the series after the previous post is the set of Analytical mapping.. As of now i will post the first two sets that i have worked on, and that is mainly understanding the change in public/private open space from 1948 to 2010.. and the next is the built scape and the scale of the same in the hamlet. Also i will be talking about how the zone identification happened to the image Bandra and Ranwar as seen in the field.

1) Identifying the Zones: 
Core Area: This is area more than being the centre of the village is the only zone with most of the old residents and old houses. The communication bond amongst the residents here is really strong and hence the most of the old culture is seen here.

Mid Area: This area is where the demographics start seeing a change. The mix of people has started changing as there are apartment blocks around here where more people of various communities live. The communication bond starts loosening here, but still there are some ties with the core area that keep them going.

Exterior Area: This one as seen is in the extreme exteriors where it meets the main/arterial roads of Bandra in various directions. The resident mix is almost new as there are only apartment blocks around this area. The communications ties are almost nil here. They have very less connection with the core area.

this is understanding the zones with the built scape as the base map

this is understanding the zones with the popular image of Ranwar as seen in the field while on research as the base map.

 

The image seen on the right is the popular image of Bandra as seen in the field. This is in line with the post made on the 24th May, 2010, the link to the same can be found here: ‘Physical forms a city’. The image speaks of the various nodes, edges, paths, nodes and landmarks that define Bandra.

This image on the right is the popular image of Ranwar as seen in the field defining its various physical forms.

2) The Realm of Public and Private open spaces in 1948: The open spaces both public and private were in much tolerance with each other. They were very well balanced here.

It was also because of the lack of vehicular traffic that made things easier compared to today. These open spaces were nodes for various community activities and interaction between the village community. One can also see that each cluster of housing has its open areas well settled. The idea behind having more open space around their house as each community member involved themselves in community based activities. Private life was less important.

The open spaces gave more area for vegetation and plantation. Though these lands were infertile tracts of land, one could till and grow basic vegetation. It also gave way to poultry farming and each family has its own set of hens and chickens and pigs.

3) The Realm of Public and Private open spaces in 2010: The open spaces both public and private are not at all tolerant today. With times meaning attached to spaces have changed.

The change in traffic regularities to change in mind sets of people have redefined boundaries and the difference between the public and private open has become distinct. Plot line that used to be just these invisible lines of demarcation have become visible today though walls and fencing. One can see that the open space around each cluster of housing has reduced compared to 1948. The private lives have taken over community living and this is very visible through these spaces.

There are very less community activities and the interactions are dying with the spaces that gave these activities a life. 

Please view the above two maps in comparison to one another.

4) The Built Scape in 1948: The built scape in 1948 as seen in the map did not go higher than G+1 height that would be approximately 6 meters in height and not beyond that. This gave a lot of scope for ventilation and natural light as the sea was also close from two sides, one towards Bandstand and the other towards what is now reclamation. Also the various features in the house like the verandahs and windows as big as the door sometimes made a lot of sense as scale was all the same.

5) The Unchanged Built Scape since 1948: This map mainly work on the mathematics of what has not been changed yet. All the common built scape (mainly G and G+1) in the the map above and the map that will be below (the built scape in 2010) defines the unchanged properties. It is mainly to study what has remained the same while the world has changed in 2010.

6) The Built Scape in 2010: The built scape in 2010 has gone beyond G+7 in height which makes up for a lot of woos of the old residents. The old houses are getting sandwiched in between high scale apartment blocks. The Reclamation has taken most of the view and breeze of the place and the hamlet has become landlocked from all sides.

6) Understanding the Development Pattern: I would rather call it informal development pattern. One can see with the highlighted purple area the builders are moving in. It is from the main streets that these patterns move inwards towards the core of the hamlet. On the other side due to reclamation any development is rare to happen.

Also the blue highlighted area is where a lot of mixed and commercial land- use is seen. Mainly because they are the main streets. This area also makes it for most of the traffic as one is the arterial road (HILL ROAD) of Bandra while the other is the arterial road of the hamlet (Ranwar).

As for the trend in the blue area, The houses here are going to come down first giving way to high rise blocks as is the case further down Waroda road. 

6) Understanding the Essential Heritage Aspects: This Map focuses on some of the essential aspects to be understood about the village in terms of heritage subjects. Even though all blocks have been put in the categories of:

New built scape, Old built scape, Transformed built scape (the olden built scape which has transformed visibly), Significant built scape (in terms of heritage building, location in the village, and presence for a certain number of years in the case of Ranwar for more than 75 years.), Dilapidated (built scape that has lost its strength) and mixed and commercial land use, They have different stories to tell. Each built environment has its reason for being there and it definitely falls prey to its surroundings.

The information put here is based on my analysis and the interviews of the residents that I have taken. Also it has a view point which I share and am welcome to criticism for.

**The blocks that haven’t been marked for land use, are by default residential.

The essentials have been posted,, more on their way.