From Spaces to Places: Creating Vibrant Urban Canvases

As urban spaces increasingly lose their distinctive character and social cohesion weakens in urban life, placemaking has emerged as a vital approach to addressing these challenges. By actively integrating the community needs in the development of places that encourage social connections, improve well-being, and represent local culture, urban placemaking aims to suit the aspirations of users. Urban placemaking today is crucial for optimising spaces like institutional buildings, mixed-use, and housing projects, which otherwise often lack character.

 

Integrating Community, Character and Connection at the Masterplanning Level

To add character and a sense of place at a masterplanning level in one of our recent housing projects, the Ambuja Utsodhaara Teesta in Siliguri, we integrated the riverfront as a central public node. This strategic approach to placemaking has the potential of unifying the housing development and creating a natural focal point for social interaction, blending housing with the surrounding environment. By using the waterbody as a key element, we aimed to enhance the livability and identity of the entire township. With a strong ecological and economic context, the Ambuja Utsodhaara Teesta township is a unique fusion of residential clusters, an urban infrastructure facility (UIF), four schools, and extensive retail establishments developed along the riverfront. 

Shaping Urban Character with Artful Learning

Individual buildings, like public and private educational institutions, such as schools, play a pivotal role in shaping urban character. For instance, our project, SMR Jaipuria School in Lucknow, has transformed educational space into a vibrant and interactive hub for students’. The prominent art wall at the school stands as a compelling symbol of urban placemaking. This large expanse becomes a canvas for meaningful expression—four striking, large-scale illustrations animate the blank walls, creating an intriguing and welcoming gesture for the school. By blending the essence of education with the art of placemaking, we create an environment that not only inspires children but also attracts nearly 20,000 visitors each year.

 

Blending Life and Leisure with Urban Placemaking

Urban placemaking and mixed-use development are two closely knitted ideas that work together to produce lively, welcoming, and sustainable urban environments. Our project V’lante, Gurugram, establishes a lively and inviting environment that combines chances for leisure and social interaction with the demands of contemporary urban living. Strategically located among residential complexes, the development features distinct blocks for shops, a hypermarket, recreational spaces, a centrally landscaped street covered by an atrium, and an internal amphitheatre that fosters public gatherings. The design creatively utilizes natural light and materials, offering flexible spaces that support business objectives as well as quality of life. V’lante has emerged as an instrumental in forming a vibrant urban community in Gurugram that fosters day-to-day activities combined with a sense of place.