CIVIC CENTER/CITY CENTER | 1

TITLE: CIVIC CENTER/CITY CENTER

Roll No.- A-25
Name of the Student SAHIL PRASAD

Aim:
To design a civic center/city center in a city with taking consideration of the overall picture of the
society and vicinity.

Objectives:
Today’s era is called an Electronic era where at a single click everything can be achieved at their
doorstep. There is no sense of belonging seen in people towards the society and the neighborhood
culture which is missing in today’s life. There is no binding force that encourage people to gather at
single place for interaction. A society / an area is developed when different sectors of people come
together for socio-economic purposes.
Now a day’s a concept of Civic center/ City centers is developed where at a single place every amenity
that is essential for day to day life like from shopping sector, entertainment sector, public sector etc.
which is essential for that vicinity come to a single place. Because of these there is sense of binding
force/ a reason for movement developed for social-economic gathering. Though the basic fundamental
of the civic center is for the above case is to be fulfilled but the basic consideration of the people tend to
move toward the commercial viability of the project then the social viability. Thus, the use of the Urban
Haat is taken into consideration where the need of the social and the cultural viability taken into
consideration. By intermixing of the both the positive and the negative aspects of the city center and the
Urban Haat a space is to be developed.

Significance of the Study:

The development of the city is only achieved from the people that lives there and via versa so to
encourage people to consolidate at a single place one has to think about the facilities required. Because
of development of the Civic center / City center the development of the society and vicinity can be
archived and developed in such a way that encourage people to look the society as a home itself. While
taking the space as pubic space still the area itself work as a commercial space which has retained its
land upliftment as well as it will promote the regional architecture of the vicinity.

Methodology:
 Understanding of the regional aspect through many research papers and analyzing the facts and
research methodology of the same.
 Selection of the study area
After selecting the topic study area is selected as per topic requirement.
 Site visit of the study area.
 Method of collecting data
1. Observation –
(i) Locality study

SAHIL PRASAD | INDIRA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN | 2019-20

 CIVIC CENTER/CITY CENTER | 2

 To observe and analyses the local structure and amenities that are
provided in the vicinity.
 To observe and analyses important landmarks and area that give the
locality a specific characteristic.
 To observe and analyses typology of people that live in the vicinity (BPL,
MPL, HPL)
 To observe and analyses the required amenities that are to design and
develop in the vicinity.

(ii) To understand and study the local body by-laws that are to be followed and
applied in the designing process.

(iii) Plan –
 To observe and analyses the climatic aspect on the structure.
 To observe and analyses the orientation of the room in the structure.
 To observe and analyses the cultural influence on the planning of the
structure.

Research Work
 To study the society structure and need of the different amenities required.
 The influence of the colonial/local body architecture to the overall vicinity/area.
 To study how different structure function in that locality (for e.g. in pune the commercial
shops are oriented toward road facing whereas in Goa the commercial complex is taken
towards roadside as well as inner periphery also.)

SAHIL PRASAD | INDIRA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN | 2019-20

 CIVIC CENTER/CITY CENTER | 3

A civic center is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or
center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government
building. The term "civic center" has been used in reference to an entire central business district of a
community or a major shopping center in the middle of a community. (WIKI)

American cities, a multi-purpose arena is named "Civic Center", for example Columbus Civic Center.
Such "Civic Centers" combine venues for sporting events, theaters, concerts and similar events.

Australia, Civic Centre is used as a brand of Shopping Centre.

UK civic centers there are focus for local government offices and public service buildings.

SAHIL PRASAD | INDIRA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN | 2019-20

 CIVIC CENTER/CITY CENTER | 4

A city center is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart of a city,
especially those in the Western world. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English. In
North America, the term "downtown" is generally used, though a few cities, like Philadelphia, use the
term "Center City."

SAHIL PRASAD | INDIRA COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN | 2019-20