C O M M U N I T Y S P A C E S I N U R B A N L O W - I N C O M E R E S I D E N T I A L 
E N V I R O N M E N T S I N S R I L A N K A A N D I T S A P P L I C A B I L I T Y T O 
H I G H - D E N S I T Y L I V I N G 
A dissertation presented to the 
Faculty of Architecture 
University of Moratuwa 
For the 
Final Examination in M. Sc. Architecture 
J. D. Wijethi lake 
Faculty of Architecture 
University of Moratuwa 
Sri Lanka 
" May, 2000 
074087 
University of Moratuwa 
7 4 0 8 7 
74087 
T H 
A B S T R A C T 
From the history of civilization community spaces have been playing an 
important role in establishing the ' sense of community ' within residential 
neighbourhoods. How ever, with urbanization communal life has become a very 
compl icated, decreasing its importance. Due to the lack of proper environment for 
rich communal life, people have to live within a situation where the people and the 
places are unknown and instances were the information is unreliable. This has led 
people to live individually. Within such a situation it has become a chal lenge to 
achieve communi ty cohesion. 
Nevertheless, the community experts have understood the importance of 
communi ty spaces as objects of creating healthy interaction among people of the 
community and therefore generating community cohesion. Their opinion is to use 
architecture to achieve this. It has been revealed that high - density residential 
areas are the most crucial in that problem. 
Therefore this study is basically aimed at exploring the strategies that have 
been adopted to create healthy social interaction and identifying the contribution of 
built environment in terms of the design of community spaces. The study will 
specifically examine the contention that such community spaces are used 
variously by the inhabitants of the residences and that certain strategies used in 
these spaces are more conducive the interaction than others. 
Therefore, the first stage of this study traces the value of urban public 
spaces as community spaces. The second part examines the role communi ty 
spaces play within residential communit ies. At this the vitality of communal life as 
a key social binder and the forces shaping the communal life is discussed. 
Finally the study consider about the importance of community spaces within 
low-income residential environments for their well - being. It identifies how the 
mechanisms of social interaction and generating a sense of community together 
could promote an architecture, which could uplift the neighbourly att i tudes of 
people. The absence of above mechanisms had resulted number of problems in 
high-density areas. Lack of 'sense of community ' is one of those. The study 
reveals the applicability of community spaces as a solution for that problem. 
From the total study, it tries to explain the importance of the built -
environment generating social interaction. Hence gives a clear knowledge of its 
accepted mores, and predictable guidelines for behaviour, an essential f ramework 
for social stability. So that, architects should understand the importance of built 
envi ronment in terms of organization of space as a vehicle of behaviour for sense 
of control and collective coherent among the people, in creating a neighbourhood. 
Therefore it explains the applicability of community spaces for the creation of 
meaningful and habitable environments in high - density-housing schemes, to 
create sense of community within those neighbourhoods. 
ii 
A C K N O W L E D M E N T 
Many people helped me to make this dissertation a reality. It is to them that 
I humbly pay tribute 
Archt. Vidura Sri Nammuni , senior lecturer, Dept. of Architecture for the 
inspiring discussions, advice and comments, the consent encouragement f rom the 
beginning and above all for believing in its worth. 
Dr L.S.R. Perera, Archt. D.P Chandrasekara, Senior Lecturers, Dept of 
Architecture, for their invaluable advises. 
Prasanna, Wasana, Champika, Manjula, Chandrasir i , Basnayake and 
Mahagama for all the assistance offered and especially for their kind 
encouragements when the going was rough. 
Nimali, for spending her valuable t ime, uncomplaingly, in making typescript. 
t 
My dear parents and brothers and sisters, for their sincere consent and 
encouragement given when I was morally down and throughout my dissertat ion. 
Finally, to each and everyone, mentioned and unmentioned here, thank you 
once again for being with me, sparing your valuable t ime, on my behalf in making 
study a possibility. 
CONTENTS 
FIRST CHAPTER 
USE OF URBAN PUBLIC SPACE AS COMMUNITY SPACES 
1.1 Definition of urban public space 7 
1.2 Manifestation of urban public spaces 9 
1.2.1. Unplanned development 9 
1.2.2. Planned development 11 
1.3 Typology of urban public spaces and observable patterns 12 
1.3.1 Recreation oriented urban public spaces 14 
1.3.2 Commercial oriented urban public spaces 17 
1.3.3 Transport oriented urban public spaces 19 
1.3.4 Residential oriented urban public spaces 19 
1.3.5 Religious oriented urban public spaces 20 
1.4 Signif icance of urban public spaces as community spaces. 21 
SECOND CHAPTER 
COMMUNITY SPACES IN RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS 
2.1 Definition to the community space 24 
2.2 Nature of communal life within a residential community space 25 
2.3 Nature of contacts within a residential community space 26 
2.4 Importance of communal life as a key social binder 29 
2.5 Forces shaping the communal life 34 
2 .5 .1 . Social forces 35 
2.5.2. Physical forces 36 
2.6 Communi ty spaces as a reflection of communal life within residential 
environments. 38 
2 .70bservab le patterns of residential community spaces 
Page 
i 
iii 
v i 
1 
I V 
ABSTRACT 
A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T 
CONTENTS 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
INTRODUCTION 
THIRD CHAPTER 
COMMUNITY SPACES IN URBAN LOW-INCOME 
RESIDENTIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND ITS USAGE 
3.1 Communi ty spaces in urban low-income Residential Environments 45 
3.1.1 Urban low-income residential environments 45 
3.1.2 Types and nature of community spaces within urban low-income 
residential environments 46 
3.1.3 Mechanisms of enhancing social interactions in strengthening the ' 
sense of communi ty ' 46 
3.1.3.1 Mechanisms of creating social interaction within a communi ty 
space 47 
3.1.3.2 Creation of 'sense of community ' within the neighbourhood 
59 
3.1.4 Use of the " sense of community " for the well being of residential 
communit ies 62 
3.1.5 Case studies 64 
a.) Panchikawatta low-income residential community 65 
b.) Nawagampura low-income residential community 75 
3.2 Applicabil i ty of community spaces in high-density living. 83 
3.2.1 Definition to high-density living 83 
3.2.2 Factors leading high-density living 84 
3.2.3 Problems of high-density living 87 
3.2.4 Applicabil i ty of community spaces as solution for that. 90 
3.3 Concluding remarks 91 
CONCLUSION 96 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 100 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
Page 
Fig. 1 Urban public space - where the city dweller can move freely and use 
these spaces for communicat ion, social interaction and other urban 
activities 8 
Fig. 2 Urban public space with periodic festivities 8 
Fig. 3 Residential communi ty space 8 
Fig. 4 Complex regional plaza 9 
Fig. 5 Negat ive urban space 9 
Fig. 6 Urban public space- through appropriat ion- little space in front of a 
building as a public space 10 
Fig. 7 Urban public space- by repeated use- street as a play space for chi ldren 
10 
Fig. 8 Urban public space- by connecting people because of an attraction-
"Pil lewa Bo Samindu' 11 
Fig. 9 Urban public space- through deliberate planning 11 
Fig.10 Accidental urban public space 12 
Fig. 11 Three main geometr ical patterns of urban public spaces. Squares, 
tr iangles, circles 13 
Fig. 12 Classif ication of urban public spaces by taking in to account the image of 
a city 13 
Fig. 13 Urban public space along water ways- Galle face 15 
Fig.14 Central park-V iharamahadev i Park 15 
Fig. 15 Neighborhood parks -15 a - Privately developed neighborhood parks 
15 b - Publicly developed neighborhood parks 16 
Fig.16 Monumental space 17 
Fig. 17 Market Street 18 
Fig. 18 Market square 18 
Fig. 19 Combinat ion of Market Square and street 18 
Fig.20 Transport oriented urban public space 19 
Fig. 21 Religious oriented urban public space 20 
Fig.22 Residential oriented urban public space 21 
Fig.23 Children's play ground under parents' observation 22 
Fig.24 Street as a community space 22 
Fig.25 Positive interaction 27 
Fig 26 Act ive contacts 27 
Fig.27 Passive contacts 28 
Fig.28 What is needed is a framework which is just enough def ined. So that 
people naturally tend to stop there 30 
Fig.29 Big communi ty spaces- at these situations people turn towards their own 
concerns without giving much consideration to others 31 
Fig.30 Chi ldhood spaces 34 
Fig.31 Socio-cultural forces affecting on communal life 35 
Fig.32 Location- affecting on communal life 37 
Fig.33 Recreation oriented community space- Large playground 41 
Fig.34 Commercia l oriented community spaces - 34 a -"Pola" 42 
vi 
- 34 b - Individual boutique 
Fig. 35 Religious oriented community spaces 43 
Fig. 36 Public water tap as a community space 43 
Fig. 37 Visual contact with different spaces can enhance its sense of security 48 
Fig. 39 Communi ty spaces in low-income residential environments- enhancing 
visual connect ions 48 
Fig. 40 Lay-out - physical comfort - court yard of a cluster of houses 50 
Fig. 41 The arrangement of seating, with the physical and psychological comfort 
of a wider user category is essential for creating convenience 50 
Fig. 42 Safety f rom vehicular traffic also very important in creating attraction to 
spaces such as streets, which are used as community spaces 51 
Fig. 43 Urban dweller frequently seek settings for relaxation in a quiet relaxing 
atmosphere 52 
Fig. 44 Communi ty participation programs 52 
Fig. 45 Physical access 53 
Fig. 46 Symbol ic access 53 
Fig. 47 Diversity, variety and intimacy 54 
Fig. 50 Communi ty spaces may have physical features that substitute the 
feel ings of natural elements for creating interest 55 
Fig. 51 Hierarchy of public spaces 57 
Fig. 52 Special features such as trees- create connections between people 58 
Fig. 53 Mechanisms of street enclosure a n d . . . 60 
Fig. 54 Territoriality is important for people to feel more able to extend their 
control over their immediate surrounding 61 
Fig. 55 Communi ty spaces in traditional societies 63 
Fig. 56 The maintenance of human scale and diversity along the facades has 
created interesting and lively atmosphere along the road 67 
Fig 57 Commercia l establ ishments such as wayside boutiques, small-scale 
shops, street vendors increase the relative safety of the street 68 
Fig. 58 Due to the incorporation of public spaces adjoining to the commercial 
areas, safety is enhanced 68 
Fig. 59 Ways ide taps forms a place for the public as a meeting space 69 
Fig. 60 The small play ground open at one end 69 
Fig. 61 Opportunity of visual contacts through the al leyways 70 
Fig. 62 Lay out - court yard to cluster of houses 70 
Fig. 63 These al leyways are used by children as play spaces 71 
Fig. 64 Access ways between housing units, which are beginning from Main 
Street. This could achieve demarcat ion of semi-public and semi-private 
areas 72 
Fig. 65 Variety and the diversity of the built environment 73 
Fig. 66 "Sense of spaciousness" within compacted buildings 74 
Fig. 67 "Sense of openness" encourages their participation 
Fig. 68 Diversity and intimacy creating a visual interest for participation 77 
Fig. 69 Street taps as community spaces 77 
Fig. 70 Intimacy and intricacy generating intimate encounters 78 
Fig. 71 Transit ional spaces ^ = = ^ s = ^ 79 
Fig. 72 Communa l activities discourage the through traffic 79 
Fig. 73 Common taps within courtyards of clusters create more privatized 
environments 80 
Fig. 74 Lay out- courtyard of cluster of houses 80 
Fig. 75 Comfortable environment for gathering 81 
Fig. 76 Al though a community space with a large play ground is provided, most 
of the communal activities are happening at informal open spaces 82 
Fig. 77 High-density development due to rapid urbanization 83 
Fig. 78 High-density living in high-rise built environments has created more 
crucial problems, which resulted the isolated, anonymous and helpless 
group of community 87 
Fig. 79 Presence of natural elements at high-density or at high-rise situations, 
create special meanings for people 91 
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