KANKARIA LAKE FRONT PROJECT

PRINCIPLE OF HUMAN SETTLEMENT AND URBAN DESIGN.

RAM RAVI HIRAMAN

BARCH/10025/2015
 INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION.

2. CONTEXT & OPPORTUNITY.

3. PROJECT PROPOSAL.

4. REALIZATIONS, STATUS & DEVIATIONS.

5. CULTURE & URBAN DESIGN.

6. DEFINING PLACE.

CATEGORIZING CULTURAL PATTERNS.

7. URBAN DESIGN DEFINITION.

8. CONCLUSION - CRITICAL APPRAISAL.

9. BIBLIOGRAPHY.
 LOCATION
Project Title Kankaria Lake Front Project

PROJECT
INFORMATION Location Maninagar, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Client Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation

Consultants HCPDPM Pvt. Ltd. AMC

Project Initiated December 2006

Project Completion December 2008

Project Type Lakefront Redevelopment Project

Amenities Eateries Hawker’s Zones Public Toilets

Stakeholders Tourists, Nearby Locals, Kids and Parents, Eating Enthusiasts, Joggers, Hawkers, Service
providers

Project Scale 2.3 kms long Lake Edge developed as a Pedestrian Zone

Social Structure Mixed

KANKARIA LAKE IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 KMS SOUTH-EAST OF RAIPUR GATE OF WALLED CITY OF AHMEDABAD.
 INTRODUCTION
• THE KANKARIA LAKE HAS BEEN AN INSEPARABLE PART OF THE
IDENTITY OF AHMEDABAD SINCE ITS FOUNDATION IN 1451. KANKARIA
TANK WAS INCLUDED IN MUNICIPAL LIMIT IN 1884 A.D. HOWEVER, THE
HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE LAKE SIDE ROAD, DISORGANIZED INFORMAL
ACTIVITIES, HAPHAZARD USE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THE LACK
OF SUFFICIENT ACCESS TO THE LAKEFRONT PREVENTED THE
COMPLETE UTILIZATION OF ALL ITS POTENTIALS.
• INITIATED BY THE AHMEDABAD MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, THIS
PROJECT IS A COMPREHENSIVE LAKEFRONT PRECINCT SET IN THE
HEART OF THE CITY OF AHMEDABAD, AND CONCEIVED AS A
MEMORABLE RECREATIONAL URBAN SPACE. ITS PRIMARY OBJECTIVE
IS TO CREATE AN EFFICIENT AND DURABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
WHICH WOULD FOSTER ENTIRELY NEW ACTIVITIES IN ADDITION TO
SUPPORTING CURRENT ONES.
• THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY FOR RENOVATED KANKARIA
LAKEFRONT WAS HELD ON DECEMBER 25, 2008. THIS CAN BE
ATTRIBUTED TO THE INTEGRATED ONE SYSTEM APPROACH OF THE
AHMEDABAD MUNICIPAL CORPORATION (AMC) BACKED BY THE
GUJARAT GOVERNMENT, WHICH NOT ONLY REINFORCED THE
CHARACTER OF THE PUBLIC PLACE BUT ALSO TURNED IT INTO AN
ENRICHING EXPERIENCE. THE PROJECT WAS TAKEN UP AND
EXECUTED IN A SPAN OF 2 YEARS BY 2008.
 POLITICAL CONTEXT
SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTEXT 1. POLITICS IN THE PRESENT DAY
CONTEXT IS BECOMING THE MOST
•THE KANKARIA LAKEFRONT IS ALSO THE SITE OF THE ANNUAL KANKARIA IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DEFINING
CARNIVAL THAT HAS BEEN A MAJOR SUCCESS FOR THE LAST 4 YEARS. THE THE NEW FACE OF THESE PUBLIC
CARNIVAL HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST AWAITED EVENTS IN SPACES. THESE REDEFINED
AHMEDABAD AND EVERY YEAR THERE ARE A WIDE RANGE OF CULTURAL PUBLIC SPACES REPRESENT THE
PROGRAMMES, PERFORMANCES, SKITS AND COMPETITIONS FOR PEOPLE
CUTTING ACROSS AGE GROUPS. WILL AND ATTITUDE OF THE RULING
POLITICAL PARTIES TOWARDS
• FESTIVALS
DEVELOPMENT AND BETTERMENT
AND OTHER OF THE GENERAL MASSES.
EVENTS AT 2. PROJECTS LIKE THESE (SINCE IT
KANKARIA LAKE
CATERS TO THE GENERAL MASSES
AS A WHOLE) BECOME THE WAY TO
– SEPTEMBER – EXPRESS AND ALSO AT THE SAME
RASGARBHA TIME SHOW POWER NOT JUST TO
THE STAKEHOLDERS OF THE PLACE,
• DECEMBER – KANKARIA CARNIVAL
BUT ALSO TO OTHER STATES’
• JANUARY – DOG SHOW BY AHMEDABAD POLICE GOVERNING BODIES AS WELL. IN A
• IN ADDITION TO THE SOCIAL GATHERINGS, THIS PLACE ACTS AS SOURCE WAY, PROJECTS LIKE THIS BECOME
OF DAILY BREAD FOR MANY, WHO ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH VARIOUS BENEFICIAL FOR THOSE WHO ARE
ACTIVITIES LIKE VENDING, HAWKING, ETC. AND BENEFIT FROM THOSE DIRECTLY RELATED TO IT (THE
VISITING THE LAKE PRECINCT AT A DAILY BASIS, FOR VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS, I.E. FROM THE
RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES RELATED TO FOOD, LAKE, SWIMMING POOL,
TEMPLE, ZOO, GARDEN, NAGINAWADI, KIDS CITY ETC. PUBLIC TO THE GOVT.) IN MANY
WAYS.
 ARCHITECTURAL / ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT
• ARCHITECTURE IS REPRESENTED IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC
RELATED BUILDINGS AND OPEN SPACES LIKE TEMPLE, GARDEN
ETC.
• MEDIEVAL ART FORM IS REPRESENTED AT THE LAKE FRONT IN
TERMS OF RICH CARVINGS WHICH HAS BEEN CAREFULLY
PRESERVED DURING THIS LAKE FRONT
• DUTCH TOMBS, SUMMER PALACE IN NAGINAWADI AND
HISTORICAL DADU DAYAL TEMPLE ALONGWITH THE SLUICE ARE
LIVING EXAMPLES OF MEDIEVAL ARCHITECTURE AT KANKARIA
LAKE FRONT. NAGINAWADI AND ZOO AREA ALONG WITH THE
LAKE PRECINCT FORM A GARLAND OF GREEN.
• A VERY DISTINCT STEP WAS TAKEN BY THE AMC BY STARTING
CENSUS OF PLANTED TREES. WORLD’S LARGEST MURAL IS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION OF WHICH 3100 SQ FT IS ALREADY BUILT.
THIS IS A UNIQUE WAY TO REPRESENT THE HISTORICAL AND
CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF GUJARAT, BECOMING AN
IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN THE MAKING OF THIS PUBLIC PLACE.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR URBAN
DESIGN IN SUCH CONTEXTS
• CREATING AN INCLUSIVE PUBLIC SPACE; A PUBLIC
PLACE LIKE THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE
IMAGE OF THE CITY.
• RECOGNIZING UNRECOGNIZED
VENDORS/HAWKERS AND STRATEGIZING THEIR
POSITIONING AND PROVIDING SPACES FOR
MUTUAL BENEFIT AND BETTER.
• ORGANIZATION BECOMES AN INSEPARABLE PART OF
PUBLIC PARTICIPATORY APPROACH TOWARDS
URBAN DESIGN.
• UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURAL VALUES AND
EXISTING CULTURAL PATTERNS (OF FOOD,
FESTIVALS ETC.) AND ALLOCATING THEM SPACE,
• MAKING GUIDELINES OF USE, CLEANLINESS ETC.
FOR THE SAME, IN A CITY LEVEL PUBLIC SPACE LIKE
THIS ARE OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS OF URBAN
DESIGN.
Project proposal Project Purpose
REDEVELOP THE DYING CENTER OF THE CITY, AS A CLEAN,
MANAGED AND AN ORGANIZED ONE. EDUCATING AND
RELOCATING THE VENDORS
BECAME AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS. TRYING TO
CREATE ‘AN INCLUSIVE FOR ALL - PUBLIC CITY CENTER’. BUT
TICKETING AND CREATING
BOUNDARY WALL ARE THE PARADOXES EXISTING IN THIS PLACE.
• CREATE A ‘LAKE FRONT PRECINCT’
• FORMULATE A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR SUCH
DEVELOPMENT
• PEDESTRIANIZE THE LAKE FRONT
• EXPLORE IDEA OF RUNNING A SMALL TRAIN ALONG THE
LAKEFRONT
• DEVELOP STREETS CONNECTED TO THE LAKE FRONT
• CREATE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE
SURROUNDING AREAS
• IDENTIFY UNDER UTILIZED LAND (RAIL YARDS, ETC) AND
INTEGRATE WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT
• IMPROVE THE AREA AROUND THE LAKE.
Conceptualization.
THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THIS PROJECT CAN BE BROADLY
CATEGORIZED UNDER THREE MAJOR STAGES.

STAGE 1 – ENHANCING EXISTING

CONDITIONS
• IN THE FIRST STAGE OF CONCEPTUALIZATION, THE MAIN AIM WAS
FOCUSED ON TO DEVELOP THE LAKE EDGE. THIS INCLUDED
PROVIDING.
• PARKING FACILITIES, CONGREGATING EXISTING AMENITIES AND
DE-CONGESTING THE PERIPHERAL ROAD.
THE KEY ISSUES ADDRESSED WERE:
• UTILIZING THE COMPLETE RIGHT OF WAY
• ORGANIZING THE INFORMAL SECTOR ACTIVITIES
• IMPROVING PEDESTRIAN / BICYCLIST SAFETY
• PROVIDING ORGANIZED PARKING
• PROVIDING IMPORTANT PUBLIC AMENITIES
STAGE 2 - POTENTIAL TO TREAT BOTH
SIDES DIFFERENTLY
• THE SECOND STAGE OF CONCEPTUALIZATION MOVED A STEP
AHEAD AND VISUALIZE A COMPLETE PEDESTRIAN ZONE WHICH
WOULD HOUSE & FORMALIZE THE INFORMAL SECTOR AS WELL
AS PROVIDE A TRAFFIC FREE ZONE FOR VARIOUS OTHER
ACTIVITIES.
• THE PORTION OF THE ROAD LEFT OPEN FOR VEHICULAR
MOVEMENT WAS TO BE PROVIDED WITH BETTER PARKING
PROVISIONS.
• THIS FURTHER DEVELOPED IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE RING ROAD
AND PROVISION OF PARKING FACILITIES ALONG THE ROAD.
 IN ADDITION TO THE ISSUES
RECOGNIZED IN THE 1ST STAGE,

FOLLOWING NEW ISSUES WERE

ADDRESSED:
1. RECOGNIZING AND
SEGREGATING POTENTIAL
PEDESTRIAN ZONE AND LOW
TRAFFIC VEHICULAR ZONE.
2. PROVIDING PARKING FOR NEWLY
ADDED PEDESTRIAN ZONE

• THE DESIGN PROPOSAL FOCUSED ON

SEGREGATING THE VEHICULAR AND PEDESTRIAN
ACTIVITIES ALONG THE LAKE FRONT
STAGE 3 –COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION INTO A
PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY ZONE AND RING ROAD
DEVELOPMENT
• THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE RING ROAD AND INCORPORATION &
PROMOTION OF BRTS SAW THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE THIRD STAGE.
• THIS VISION OF PROMOTING PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROVOKED THE DESIGNERS
NOT TO PROVIDE PARKING SPACES ALONG THE VEHICULAR MOVEMENT
• AREA, ALSO PEDESTRIANIZING THE ENTIRE LAKEFRONT. THE DESIGN THOUGH,
STILL INCORPORATED TARRED ROAD IN THE AREA PREVIOUSLY ENVISIONED
• FOR VEHICULAR MOVEMENT. THE ADDITION OF ENTRANCE GATES BY AMC
MARKED THE END OF THIS STAGE.
• IN ADDITION TO THE ISSUES RECOGNIZED IN THE ABOVE STAGES, FOLLOWING
NEW ISSUES WERE ADDRESSED:

• DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO DEVELOP THE RING ROAD,

• ACQUISITION OF LAND
• CLEARANCE & REHABILITATION OF SLUM
• ROAD WIDENING
• LAKEFRONT AS A CONNECTOR OF VARIOUS EXISTING FACILITIES.
THE DESIGN PROPOSAL FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING A RING
ROAD AND A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY TO DO SO.
PROMOTION OF PUBLIC
TRANSPORT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART.
• STRATEGIES FOR DESIGN & IMPLEMENTATION
• THE PROJECT TRANSFORMS THE TRAFFIC CONGESTED LAKESIDE ROAD INTO AN
ATTRACTIVE PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE LINED BY LINEAR GARDENS,
• FOOD COURTS & ORGANIZED VENDING SPACES. THE DESIGN OF THE PROMENADE
INCLUDES 2 KM LONG UNINTERRUPTED PEDESTRIAN ZONE ALONG THE EDGE OF THE
LAKE LINED BY STREET FURNITURE. THE STREET FURNITURE ZONE CONSISTING OF TREES,
LIGHTS, SEATING & DUSTBINS
• PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS BUFFER BETWEEN THE PEDESTRIAN ZONE AND THE CYCLE
TRACK.
• THE DESIGN REALIZES ELEGANT DETAILING FOR SIDEWALKS, CARRIAGEWAYS AND ON-
STREET PARKING, FACILITIES FOR THE VENDORS AND ACCESS RAMPS TO THE LAKE’S
GHATS.
• THE STRATEGIES INCLUDED CREATING LARGE PEDESTRIAN ZONES ALONG THE LAKE'S
EDGE, DEVELOPING AN OUTER RING ROAD BY STRENGTHENING THE EXISTING ROAD
NETWORK, CREATING APPROXIMATELY 6 KM OF ACCESS STREETS AS WELL AS NEW ACCESS
POINTS TO THE
• LAKEFRONT, ENHANCING RECREATIONAL POTENTIAL BY IMPROVING PUBLIC FACILITIES,
PRESERVING HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND ENCOURAGING OVERALL
• DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE PRECINCT.
PART 1
THE ENTRANCE PLAZA WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE
TICKET COUNTER AND TRAIN STATION BUT
THESE FACILITIES ARE ACTUALLY LOCATED AT
THE NORTH-WEST ENTRANCE OF THE
LAKEFRONT.
THE SPACE FOR HANDICRAFTS AND LOCAL CRAFTS BAZAAR
IS CURRENTLY USED AS A GREEN SPACE AND WAS NEVER
CONCEPTUALIZED AS ENVISIONED BY THE DESIGNER.
THESE IMPORTANT NODES WERE RECOGNIZED AND REDEVELOPED DIFFERENTLY THAN THE OTHER
PARTS OF THE LAKEFRONT WHICH FOLLOWED DESIGN OF
THE TYPICAL SECTIONS. VARIATIONS IN THE DESIGN PROPOSAL AND THE ACTUAL REALIZATION ON
SITE CAN BE NOTICED IN THE AREAS NEAR PUSHPKUNJ
JUNCTION AND NAGINAWADI
• DESIGN PRINCIPLES
• THE ENTIRE LAKEFRONT IS DESIGNED IN SIMPLE CIRCULAR RINGS OF FOLLOWING ELEMENTS :
PATHWAY, TREES, CYCLE TRACK, TRAIN TRACK, STREET FURNITURES LIKE LAMP POSTS, BENCHES AND
DUST-BINS, INFORMAL ACTIVITY ZONES LIKE FOOD PLAZA, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. A
VERY PECULIAR CIRCULAR RADIAL PATTERN IS OBSERVED.
• HERITAGE STEPS AND OTHER STRUCTURES LIKE SLUICE, PLATFORMS AND NAGINAWADI AREA WERE
AVOIDED TO PRESERVE THEM AND NOT GET DESTROYED IN THE EVENT OF DEVELOPMENT.
• SENSE OF ENCLOSURE IS CREATED MAJORLY BY TREES AND STREET FURNITURES ON THE PATHWAY
DUE TO LACK OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL BUILDINGS.
• SERIAL VISION IS GENERATED BY PLACING DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND ALSO BY ENHANCING THE
ENTRANCE POINTS TO VARIOUS EXISTING FACILITIES
• LINKAGES TO THE OUTER PERIPHERAL VEHICULAR ROAD ARE WELL ESTABLISHED THROUGH WIDE
PATHWAYS AND TARRED ROAD FOR MAINTENANCE
• DESIGN FEATURES
• 1. LANDMARKS ARE CREATED IN TERMS OF ACTIVITIES AND ENTRANCES TO THE
EXISTING FACILITIES.
• 2. FOOD PLAZAS AND RECREATIONAL AREAS FORM THE IMPORTANT NODES
ALONG WITH THE MAIN ENTRANCES.
• 3. LANDSCAPE BECOMES AN IMPORTANT FEATURE, AS THESE DEFINE THE SPACES
HERE, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH SEMI-ENCLOSED SPACES OR OPEN GREEN SPACES
OR PLAY AREAS FOR KIDS.
• 4. STREET FURNITURES BECOME IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF THIS PUBLIC SPACE
• 5. USER FRIENDLY EDGE CONDITIONS ALSO BECOME IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THIS
DESIGN, WHETHER IT IS LOW HEIGHT BOUNDARY WHICH ALLOWS PEOPLE TO SIT
AND ALSO RESTRICTS PEOPLE TO REACH THE HERITAGE STEPS, OR IT IS RAMPS FOR
DIFFERENTLY ABLED AND OLD PEOPLE TO ACCESS
• STREET FURNITURE
• STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED BENCHES AND LIGHTS AT EVERY 10 M DISTANCE FACILITATE THE EXPERIENCE OF PEDESTRIANS
VISITING THIS PUBLIC
• PLACE. THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF STREET LIGHTS WITH DIFFERENT LIGHT INTENSITY AND DESIGN, PROVIDE VARIED
CHARACTER BY DIFFERENT
• AMBIENCE AND EXPERIENCE TO THE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE LAKEFRONT. THE STREET LIGHTS AT THE WALKWAYS ARE OF
LOWER INTENSITY
• SUFFICIENT FOR VISIBILITY, THAN THOSE AT THE ENTRANCE POINTS AND PLACES OF GATHERINGS LIKE FOOD JOINTS ETC. ALSO,
DUSTBINS ARE PLACED AT EVERY 15 M DISTANCE IN TWO ROWS OF PEDESTRIAN PATHWAYS ON BOTH SIDES OF RAIL TRACK.
• URBAN DESIGN CONTROLS
• DESIGN CONTROLS LIMIT THE VENDORS,
RECREATIONAL FACILITIES IN AN
ORGANIZED FASHION ON ONE SIDE OF
THE TRAIN TRACK AND PEDESTRIAN
• PATHWAY ON THE OTHER (TOWARDS THE
LAKE). IT ALSO RESTRICTS PEOPLE USING
THE PLACE TO FURTHER BUILD ANY
PERMANENT STRUCTURES.
SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
• SCOPE OF THIS REPORT DEALS WITH (AND IS LIMITED TO) THE
COMPLETED PARTS OF PHASE 1, I.E. PART 1 & PART 2. PART4, I.E.
IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC FUNCTIONS AROUND KANKARIA LAKE IS BEING
UNDERTAKEN AND MANY PROJECTS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED UNDER THIS
LIKE KIDZ CITY, DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-LEVEL PARKING LOT, BRTS
CORRIDOR ETC.
• PART 3 IS STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION AND YET TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
THE DELAY IN THIS PART IS DUE TO INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES LIKE RAILWAYS, AND THE LAND TO BE
DEVELOPED FALLS IN THEIR JURISDICTION.
• EFFORTS ARE BEING UNDER TAKEN BY AMC TO WORK FORWARD
TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROPOSED INDOOR STADIUM WHICH IS
IN CONCEPTUALIZATION PHASE. THE DESIGN CONSULTANT HIRED FOR THE
SAME IS CHRISTOPHER CHARLES BENNINGER ARCHITECTS. FOR THE
CONSERVATION OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS, ASI HAS JURISDICTION FOR THE
SAME AND THE LAKEFRONT PROJECT DIDN’T INTERFERE WITH THE
HERITAGE STRUCTURES.
REALIZATION PERIOD & PRESENT STATUS
INAUGURATED IN DEC 2008, THE PROJECT TOOK TWO YEARS FOR COMPLETION. CURRENTLY THE PROJECT IS FULLY
FUNCTIONAL. VENDORS HAVING LICENSE ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE STALLS IN THE DEDICATED ZONE FOR VENDING.
A RUPEE 10 ENTRANCE FEES IS CHARGED FOR THOSE VISITING KANKARIA LAKE. HISTORICAL DADU DAYAL TEMPLE, NATURAL
HISTORY
MUSEUM, DESERT SAFARI, AQUARIUM, GARDENS LIKE ONE TREE HILL GARDEN, FOOTBALL GROUND, WATER SPORTS AND RIDES,
OPEN AIR
THEATRE, JALDHARA WATER PARK, BOATING AND SMALL AMUSEMENT PARK ARE IN WORKING STATE ALONG-WITH A FEW OTHER
ATTRACTIONS LIKE
ZOO, JAWAHAR LAL BALVATIKA AND THE KIDS CITY.
Q1. WHAT WERE THE THREE STAGES FOR CONCEPTUALIZATION???
STAGE 1 – ENHANCING EXISTING CONDITIONS
STAGE 2 - POTENTIAL TO TREAT BOTH SIDES DIFFERENTLY
STAGE 3 –COMPLETE TRANSFORMATION INTO A PEDESTRIAN
FRIENDLY ZONE AND RING ROAD DEVELOPMENT