Analysing the Urban Quality of Upper Bazaar: A Key Public Realm in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

This paper presents the qualitative analysis of ‘Upper Bazaar’, a key public realm of Hamirpur, a small hill town in the state Himachal Pradesh, India. The analysis is based on primary visual surveys, which were undertaken to determine the present-day building and land-use distribution, condition of the building stock, condition of open / un-built spaces, type and quality of open spaces, presence / absence of trees and, the temporal activity pattern of the chosen study area. A questionnaire-based, random survey was also conducted to get the users’ feedback on their experiences of the public realm as well as to know their aspirations from the place. The study reveals that the success of ‘Upper Bazaar’ depends solely on its vivid and varied activity patterns, while it lacks appropriate physical conveniences and visual appeal. The study brought into focus the urgent need for preparing suitable urban design guidelines and development controls, taking into consideration the aspirations, need andpriorities of all sakeholders, so as to ensure its long term vitality, viability and vibrancy.