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Civil Engineering and Architecture 11(3): 1480-1486, 2023 http://www.hrpub.org
DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110329
User Experience and Expectations of Streetscape: A
Planning Framework for Urban Streets in India
Rajeev Garg1, Pankaj2, Akhilesh Kumar1,Tahsinur Rahman Warsi3, Mohammad Arif Kamal4,*
1School of Architecture, Planning and Design, DIT University, Dehradun, 248001, India
2Department of Architecture and Planning, VNIT, Nagpur, 440010, India
3Department of Architecture, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, 202002, India
4Architecture Section, Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, 202002, India
Received December 25, 2022; Revised February 13, 2023; Accepted March 12, 2023
Cite This Paper in the Following Citation Styles
(a): [1] Rajeev Garg, Pankaj, Akhilesh Kumar, Tahsinur Rahman Warsi, Mohammad Arif Kamal, "User Experience
and Expectations of Streetscape: A Planning Framework for Urban Streets in India," Civil Engineering and
Architecture, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 1480 - 1486, 2023. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110329.
(b):Rajeev Garg, Pankaj, Akhilesh Kumar, Tahsinur Rahman Warsi, Mohammad Arif Kamal (2023).User Experience
and Expectations of Streetscape: A Planning Framework for Urban Streets in India. Civil Engineering and Architecture,
11(3), 1480 - 1486. DOI: 10.13189/cea.2023.110329.
Copyright©2023 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License
Abstract Streets are an integral part of the urban fabric
which weave various functions like social space,
commercial space, cultural space, as well as a channel of
transportation for various categories of vehicles. In Indian
scenario, rapid and uncontrolled growth of commercial
activities on urban streets has led to traffic congestion,
unorganized parking, lack of convenient space for
pedestrians and lack of visual and spatial comfort for all
users. This research focuses on the study of streetscape
scenario in India, the expectations of users, identifying
general issues related to urban streets and accordingly
suggesting strategies for enhanced user experience. The
aim of this research is to study the user experience,
determine the expectations of citizens and formulate
strategies for establishing the sustainable street system
which enhances the user experience and keeps the city
livable. The present scenario of urban streets is studied
through a research survey in order to understand the user
experience and their expectations of urban streets. The
questionnaire comprising of twelve questions was prepared
to collect responses from various age groups. User
experience and expectations are compiled and analyzed on
the basis of information provided by 454 respondents, and
recommendations are made accordingly on the basis of
best judgement. A new framework for urban street
planning and design of streetscape elements is to be
formulated at the city level while considering user
experience and expectations.
Keywords Streetscape, User Experience, Urban
Streets, Urban Design, Street Lighting, Street Hierarchy,
India
1. Introduction
Streets are an important element of urban fabric which
weaves various functions like social space, commercial
space, cultural space, as well as movement channel ways.
In the Indian scenario, these also represent the culture and
values of a particular locality or city. Indian streets are
lively public areas that are used for a variety of activities,
including sitting, eating, sleeping, conversing, and just
hanging out as shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2. On its
streets, India celebrates worships, works, eats, recreates,
rests and sleeps [1].
Civil Engineering and Architecture 11(3): 1480-1486, 2023 1481
Figure 1. Typical Urban Street illustrating the Street Character
Figure 2. Street illustrating mixed nature of traffic and facade features.
Specifically, in a city, town, or village, a street is a
public roadway that includes all areas that are within the
right-of-way, according to the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary (as sidewalks and tree belts). Additionally, a
street differs from an avenue or a boulevard by being
bigger than an alley or lane but narrower than both [2]. The
literal meaning of street form is the street space bounded by
facades on both sides. So, there are few definitions or
descriptions of the word Street. For the purpose of this
research, street is defined as a channel of movement for the
pedestrians and light motor vehicles which connects one
place to another and provides a link between various
localities in the city. In this study, Street is considered as
internal urban road or passageway over which citizens
commute from home to workplace or market and vice versa
within a locality or from one locality to another locality
within the urban areas, which corresponds to the
Distributor / Collector Roads, Local Streets and Access
Streets as per URDPFI Guidelines (MoUD Govt of India,
2015). Urban Expressways, Arterial and Sub-Arterial
Roads are beyond the scope of this research work. User
experience is considered in terms of travel time, visual
perception, usability, convenience and facilities on the
urban street.
Streetscape is a broad term to mean everything that
makes up the scene on a street. For the purpose of this
study, Streetscape is considered as the appearance or view
of the street which includes but not limited to the street
surface, pathways, buildings, boundary walls,
benches/furniture, advertisement hoardings, garbage bins,
dividers, plantation, electric poles, signage, traffic signals
etc.
The amount of pedestrian activity on the street does have
an impact on its vibrancy. It is crucial to examine
pedestrian activity on the street since users' needs and
motivations for using the space depend on it. There are
three types of outdoor activities that can be done in a public
setting: necessary activities like going to work or school,
waiting for a bus or someone, shopping, etc.; optional
activities like walking, standing and taking in the scenery,
sitting and chatting; and social activities like watching
children play, chatting with others, and taking in other
people's sounds and sights [4].
Indian streets occasionally serve as a transportation
space and occasionally as an extension of private living
space, in contrast to the primary role of a street, which is to
act as a route of mobility. It exists as a plural space with a
plural nature. The private inner area of the individual
dwelling meets the public outer space in this transitional
zone. The streets are crowded with a wide range of
individuals wearing various costumes, not only walking
and riding but also standing, sitting, squatting, and lying
down; sleeping, cooking, eating, getting their hair cut or
shaved; doing laundry, fixing bicycles or tyres,
manufacturing things, sewing, playing, chanting, arguing,
bargaining, and - even praying (Figure 3). Rapoport
analyzes how the pedestrians and drivers view the same
streetscape,which reveals that pedestrians are more likely
to notice the finer details of the place than drivers are.[2].
Figure 3. The evening activities of Sarafa Bazaar street in Indore, India
Although streets support social cohesiveness and the
preservation of cultural heritage, their multiple uses and
mixed traffic patterns result in traffic congestion, which
has become a serious problem for Indian urban areas as
well as for medium- and small-sized cities. There are four
main causes of congestion: environmental, mechanical,
human, and infrastructure-related [5]. Localized
democratic values that advance the welfare of city
residents should serve as the foundation of a new,
1482 User Experience and Expectations of Streetscape: A Planning Framework for Urban Streets in India
comprehensive strategy for reducing traffic congestion
through the revitalization of the streets. [6].
Some cities have typical religious ambience on streets
like Ayodhya, Haridwar, Mathura, Varanasi, Vrindavan,
Madurai etc. Heritage zone is those where some
Monuments of Importance (UNESCO world heritage sites
and other Sites of architectural and Historical Importance)
are located in the vicinity. This study is based on data
collected from cities having modern development and
infrastructure. Religious and Historic areas are beyond the
scope of this study. Traffic congestion in urban or suburban
areas leads to a wastage of time and energy, increase air
and noise pollution, mental stress, as well as reduces
productivity. The streets in India's urban fabric lack
character, with the exception of those in some religious and
heritage areas, and are dominated by automobiles. In many
main streets, the street area is primarily a traffic area at the
expense of the leisure, perception, and experience areas
(Figure 4). There isn't really an alternative to a moderate
concentration of cars on important routes, although many
of these streets can be significantly improved even with
heavy traffic [7].
Figure 4. The cattle pose challenges and hurdles in the flow of traffic
India is the most affected country by traffic congestion.
Four of the ten most crowded cities in the world are in India,
namely Bengaluru 71%, Mumbai 65%, Pune 59%, and
Delhi 56% [5]. In Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata,
daily commuters spend an average of 1.5 hours or more
during peak traffic hours, according to the Boston
Consulting Group report-2018. Measurement of traffic
congestion in 199 counties was included in a report on road
accidents and deaths as of 2018 by World Road Statistics.
India ranked first in the survey for the number of fatalities
in traffic accidents. In order to choose the most effective
solutions, it is thought that the first step in such efforts
should be to determine the features of the congested section
of the road [5]. Rapid and uncontrolled growth of
commercial activities on urban streets has led to the traffic
congestion, unorganized parking, a lack of convenient
space for pedestrians and the lack of visual and spatial
comfort for all users. All traffic management plans should
take streetscape concerns into account. The size, kind, and
position of the scheme will all affect the weighting that is
used [6]. It is crucial to keep track of how the architectural
manifestation of an urban streetscape develops as part of its
study and design. The character of the city and the quality
of the urban environment are both reflected in the street
corridor. The city should offer its inhabitants a consistently
pleasing sensory and aesthetic experience [8]. The
conventional street space scale and living environment
have been disrupted due to the rapid development of
motorized transportation, and urban streets are now
receiving more and more study and attention. When
creating urban streetscapes, it is possible to create better
street planning regulations by taking into account the
variables that affect the density of human activity [9].
This research focuses on the study of streetscape
scenario in India, expectations of users, identifying general
issues related to urban streets and accordingly suggesting
strategies for enhanced user experience. The present
scenario of urban streets is studied through research survey
in order to understand the user experience and their
expectations of urban streets. The aim of this research is to
study the user experience, determine the expectations of
citizens and formulate strategies for establishing the
sustainable street system which enhances the user
experience and keeps the city livable. Such a system will
help in providing functional streets which will serve the
users optimally. As an outcome of this qualitative research,
we intend to recommend the strategies which
systematically and comprehensively consider the
expectations of the motorized and pedestrian users while
planning and designing streets for better mobility, safety
and livability of the users.
2. Research Methodology
The research has been carried out in a systematic
manner with due consideration to the following points and
sequence:
Understanding the Problem: By public interaction,
visual inspection, and news /media. Character of
urban streets in India is diversified and many times
transformed by the encroachment and hawkers. In
some locations, streetscape features are planned
where these are not required and at some locations,
these are not provided where these are required. Such
a scenario makes an adverse impact on user
experience.
Research Question: Can we decongest the streets and
provide a better user experience to the citizens in
metro cities / urban areas?
Hypothesis: User experience can be enhanced by
meticulous planning of street network and
streetscape in urban fabric.
Civil Engineering and Architecture 11(3): 1480-1486, 2023 1483
Literature Review: Exploring all material relevant to
the subject and positioning our efforts in relation to
other researchers, which is presented in this work?
Data Collection: Literature reviews, on-site
documentation/photographs, visual assessment, and
majorly the questionnaire survey)
Analysis and Interpretation: In order to determine the
key issues and associated aspects, data obtained from
the research survey is analyzed and interpreted.
Inferences and Recommendations: Key Insights and
Arguments are presented in the paper.
2.1. The Survey Questionnaire
According to survey findings from Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, four primary factors—attractions on the street,
activities, travel distance (proximity), and congestion—are
responsible for individuals using the streets [10]. These are
duly considered in our research. The contextual
characteristics that affect user experience on streets,
however, might vary depending on the situation,
particularly in places with diverse climatic and cultural
conditions. In contrast to earlier studies, this may be related
to the local environment, climate, or culture.
The questionnaire was circulated using social media
platforms and personal WhatsApp messages to the people
in selected Metro Cities in India. A Metro city is defined as
a city having a population of more than 1 Million.
Although Indian cities comprise old and new development
areas, however, our focus was to collect data for the
localities having new/modern infrastructure. In old
township areas, streets are narrow and the majority remains
in the No Vehicle Zone, whereas our motto was to
understand the problems associated with the streets
facilitating vehicular movement.
The Questionnaire comprising of twelve questions was
prepared and shared in various groups on social media
platforms in the month of June 2022 in India to collect the
responses randomly. We intended to reach more than 1000
people of diverse strata and the return rate was expected as
25%. The questionnaire was composed of three parts
comprising total of 12 questions. In the first part,
information was collected about the respondent (Age
Group, Gender, Mode of Travel, and Travel Time).
Through the second part, data related to users’ perception
and experience, likings and dislikes about streetscape
features were collected. In the third part of the survey form,
users were encouraged to provide their suggestions on
various aspects of urban streets. The outcome of the second
part of the questionnaire is presented in this paper.
Micro-level analysis based on Gender, Age Group and
Travel Time shall be carried out in the next stage of
research and not included in the scope of this paper.
Out of total 12 questions, the early nine questions were
having multiple choices and respondents were having the
flexibility to choose more than one option, objectively
collect the information of user experience/likings and
dislikes about the streetscape features. Three questions in
the third part of the questionnaire were of short answer type
in which respondents were asked to provide information
and opinion about the issues related to urban streets in their
locality, subjectively. Age groups of respondents were
considered for a segment of 15 years and slabs were
formulated as below 15 years, 16 to 30 years, 31 to 45 years,
45 to 60 years, and 60 and above. This way we also
intended to determine age group-wise user expectations for
our second stage research, which is not in the scope of this
research work. We received total 454 responses through
the questionnaire. Summary of this is presented in Figure
5.
Out of total 454 respondents, 290 respondents (63.9%)
used to drive their own vehicle through the urban streets. In
Figure 5, the travel time of daily commuters is illustrated,
which they spent on urban streets while commuting
between home and office.
Figure 5. Travel time spent on urban streets by daily commuters.
3. Results and Discussion
The outcome of the research survey is presented in Figure
6, Figure 7 and Figure 8 in this section.
1484 User Experience and Expectations of Streetscape: A Planning Framework for Urban Streets in India
Figure 6. Streetscape features that people want to see.
Figure 7. Streetscape features that people don't want to see.
Figure 8. Streetscape features that people want to see/use as a pedestrian.
After a critical study of the user experience and
expectations illustrated in Figures 6, Figure 7 and Figure 8;
the following inferences are derived from the survey
outcome.
1. Majority of the people want to see plants/shrubs on
the road divider and trees on road sides.
2. Pathways, Painting and Lighting Fixtures are also
liked by the people (about 50% of respondents).
3. Majority of the people do not want to see
advertisement banners and street hawkers on the
roads.
4. Electrical poles at the centre of the street and
garbage bins are also not liked by the people.
5. Trees and plantation along the roads, pathways, seats
and benches, water fountains, garbage bins and
lighting fixtures are liked by the pedestrians on
streets.
6. Painting on Side Walls and Tree Guards is also liked
by the people (about 30% of respondents).
7. Street Hawkers and Kiosks are liked by only 20% of
the respondents only. Although, these are to be
avoided on the commuter roads, however, these may
be allocated a separate lot off the commuter street,
Civil Engineering and Architecture 11(3): 1480-1486, 2023 1485
where people can park the vehicle for a short
duration and can avail the facility without disturbing
the flow of commuters on the road.
8. Although garbage bins are necessary, however, their
use and maintenance are a matter of concern.
Animals like street dogs, monkeys and cows scatter
the bin garbage around and hence, people may not
like the bins installed roadside.
9. People are liking wall paintings, hence blank walls
must be treated with the features like vertical green,
paintings or other forms of visual art.
These findings represent that there is a need of
improvement to create a better quality streetscape in the
urban environment. Urban areas are under continuous
transformation and upgradation. In India, the majority of
urban streets serve the residents in multiple ways, one as
the mode of transportation and another as the market area.
In view of prevailing urban areas, it is becoming
necessary to de-link the markets from the commuter
streets. We need to revisit the present hierarchy of streets
and we must re-organize our streets to match user
expectations. The hierarchy of roads is dependent upon
the function(s) that the street is required to perform, the
kind of movement and the way users want to use them.
The speed limits, right of way/road width and other
neighborhood characteristics are to be considered for
deciding the road network and transportation system in
the urban areas.
According to other studies, population growth is a
factor in the deterioration of both the urban environment
and the standard of living of its residents. As a result, the
public will increasingly rely on the streets, which must be
managed effectively and efficiently in order to foster a
welcoming, sustainable, and healthy environment for
everybody [10]. In summary, it can be concluded that
related to user experience in general; people feel very
comfortable with the trees and plantation alongside roads,
whereas people feel very uncomfortable with the
advertisements and garbage bins as an element of the
streetscape. Future investigations may look further into
the effects of spatial and visual comfort, two factors that
influence one another.
Professionals and the general public are realizing how
important streets are to the quality of life in urban areas
and how they affect issues of social inclusion, economic
vibrancy, high-quality urban realm, and urban
sustainability. However, it is no longer valid to consider
all urban streets as multifunctional entities. We must
consider and assign priority to the various functions of
streets whether it has to act as a channel of movement or a
marketplace. Accordingly, we can categorize urban streets
and amend town and country planning byelaws to match
user expectations while formulating strategies for a new
framework of urban streets. Researchers [11] mention that
it is possible to evaluate the entire space requirements for
all relevant Link and Place activities on a street segment
by determining the demands of the various kinds of Link
and Place street users, particularly in cross-section.
4. Inferences and Recommendations
On the basis of the survey outcome and discussions, the
following recommendations are being made for
consideration by the town planning authorities and related
professionals.
(1) Trees and plantation are inevitable and these must be
planned as an integral part of the road network and
transportation system in urban areas. At present
concept of green belt is very much practiced,
however, adequate width must be reserved alongside
roads and as road divider patches for plantation.
(2) Advertisements / Banners / Hoardings must be
discouraged on or alongside roads and strict byelaws
must be formulated by town and country planning
authorities.
(3) A transformation plan must be formulated for urban
areas, in which roads are to be categorized on the
basis of the functions they are supposed to perform.
This can be done at the city level for the entire area
under the town and country planning jurisdiction.
(4) Streets are to be analyzed and categorized on the
basis of functions and accordingly bye-laws can be
amended accordingly in various zones in a city. No
commercial activity is to be allowed on some of the
streets, whereas, separate space is to be allocated for
necessary commercial activities with parking lots.
Provision of such spaces is given in the master plan;
however, uncontrolled growth and encroachments
denature the character of various streets and the
urban fabric;
a. Purely Commuter Streets (No commercial
activities allowed)
b. Commuter streets with defined time/evening
temporary sale points only
c. Commuter streets with separate pedestrian
pathways and offside parking lot for
commercial activities.
Streetscape features for various street hierarchies may
be decided and designed to match the urban
context/heritage or legacy of the urban area or locality.
(5) Type and location of garbage bins along the roadside
must be re-looked into and judiciously decided in
order to avoid any eye-sore spots in the urban fabric.
The garbage collection and disposal system is one of
the important but neglected aspects in which we
need to rethink.
(6) Lighting fixtures and tree guards must be considered
in the streetscape and there is the scope of innovation
in this area to enhance user experience.
1486 User Experience and Expectations of Streetscape: A Planning Framework for Urban Streets in India
5. Conclusions
Research is carried out to study the user experience in
the present scenario and determine the user’s expectations.
Strategies for establishing the street system enhances the
user experience. We need to transform urban areas for a
better user experience by re-visiting the streets hierarchy.
Streets are to be categorized as per the functions they are
supposed to perform in a particular urban area.
Commercial activities are to be de-linked from selected
streets in various urban areas and commercial zones are to
be planned well in town and country planning bye-laws. A
new framework for urban street planning and design of
streetscape elements is to be formulated at the city level
while considering user experience and expectations. “If
we can develop and design streets so that they are
wonderful fulfilling places to be community-building
places, attractive public places for all people of cities and
neighborhood, then we will have successfully designed
about one-third of the city directly and will have had an
immense impact on the rest” [12].
6. Scope of Further Research
This paper presents the outcome of the study in a broad
manner. Micro-level study and data analysis based on the
age group and gender of the respondents shall be carried
out further, in order to understand the user experience and
expectations at a deeper level.
Acknowledgments
The images have been taken from different internet
sources to illustrate the streetscape scenario in the Indian
context. The authors are grateful to the unknown
contributors of these images with a disclaimer of any
liability towards us.
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