INTRODUCTION:

Urban activity system:

Urban activities have spatial locations from which a landuse pattern is derived and influenced by the
existing urban form and spatial structure. This form is strongly related to the types of activities that can
roughly be divided in three major classes:

Routine activities are occurring regularly and are thus predictable. They involve journey to work
(residential to industrial / commercial / administrative) and shopping (residential to retailing). The
land use pattern generated is thus stable and coherent. Generally, these activities are zonal and links
are from areas to areas.

Institutional activities. Most institutions are located at specific points and generally have links with
individuals. This activity system is linked to an urban environment where links are occurring
irregularly and according to the lifestyle (students, sports, leisure, etc.) or special needs (health).

Production activities involve a complex network of relationships between firms, such as control,
distribution, warehousing and sub-contracting. This activity system can be linked to a specific urban
environment, but also to a region, nation, or even the world.

Urban Activity System

Urban activity systems is built upon the interaction between sets of elements within the urban
environment. Often, the urban area itself may be seen as a single activity system which contains a
number of inter related sub-systems. However, researchers examine a single one of those sub-systems
as an activity system.

Examples include:

 The study of office linkages in the central business district (CBD).

 The study of inter industry linkages within a metropolitan area.
 And for the household, the study of social interaction.
 The journey to work.
 And shopping trip behavior.
Urban activity systems are the interconnected mechanism in the urban areas (where observed
historically) where bulk of activities occur in ordered hierarchies by virtue of the nature of activities.

The urban activity systems can be illustrated through idealization of the hierarchy of some of the
activities located in urban areas.

One type of activity as household-workplace subsystem activities or movements rating households

and workplaces. Second, the household-service place subsystem.

These activity systems underline the importance of linkages between land uses, which involve
movements of people, freight and information. The results of these linkages are land use patterns.

Conceptual Framework of the Activity System: Hierarchical structure of household

based activities:

Figure illustrartes an idealization of the hierarchy of some of the activities located the urban areas.
Two activity systems are identified in figure and these are the household, workplace subsystems and
the household service sub system. Service places are of a very general nature and include schools,
 personal services, and certain types of culyural and environmental facilities. The activities labeled as
‘non-household serving employment’ are-

 Employment in basic industries.

 Employment in population serving industries.

The regional centers might contain government offices and specialized retail trade outlets and personal
service as well as the major cultural facility of the region.

Urban Activity System & Transportation System:

Transport system consists the set of transport infrastructures and modes that support urban movements
of passengers and freight. It generally expresses the level of accessibility.
Choice of space quality:
Space quality:
Information about space quality at and around the site includes the size, layout, condition of the space
and as well as the users perception of the relative importance of different kinds of space and its
satisfaction with respect to the situation.

In their paper "Towards an Urban Design Manifesto," Jacobs and Appleyard (1987) proposed seven
qualities of good urban environments, namely

liveability;

identity and control;

access to opportunities,

imagination and joy;

authenticity and meaning;

community; self-reliance; and

social equity (environment for all).

Urban framework components:

use and socio economic perceptual:
 Intensity & diversity of use and users.
 Social activities.
 Privacy.
 Identity etc

Physical and spatial values:

 Density
 Accessibility
 Connectivity
 Legibility
 Flexibility

Operational and management values:

 Public amenities
 Safety
 Maintenance
 Ownership
 Regulation & Management
 Participation, etc
 Public (open) spaces and their suitability for
appropriation and utilisation are decisive for
the everyday life and smooth daily routines of
the population
Public spaces also serve an important
compensatory function for lower-income
groups and hence contribute to establishing
social balance.
The development (health especially) of
children and older persons as well as the
independence of these groups are likewise
fostered by open spaces near the home.
Blending open spaces with a hierarchy of
urban space framework endangers quality.

Social benefits:
 Public spaces are open to all, regardless of ethnic origin, age or gender, and as such represent a
democratic forum for citizens and the society.
 When properly designed and managed, they bring communities together, provide meeting places
and foster social ties of urban areas.
 These spaces shape the cultural identity of an area, are part of its unique character and provide a
sense of place for local communities. Provision of good public spaces:
1. Enhances social interaction and user participation;
2. Caters to all, and especially the aging population;
3. Encourages a more outdoor lifestyle;
4. Fosters a sense of belonging and pride in an area;
5. Increases perceptions of safety and security within and beyond developments;

Economic benefits:
 A high-quality public environment can have a significant impact on the economic life of urban
centres and is thus an essential part of any successful regeneration strategy.
 The presence of good urban design attracts investments and is a vital business and marketing tool.
Good public spaces can strengthen the local economy by:
1. Attracting local visitors and tourists;
2. Responding to occupiers' demands;
3. Attracting investment through high-quality improvements;
 4. Producing high returns on investments (enhancing rental and capital value through good urban
design);
5. Reducing management, maintenance, energy and security costs;
6. Differentiating places and raising their prestige, etc.

Environmental benefits:
 Investment in public space contributes to environmental sustainability by:
1. Reducing the impact of climate change;
2. Creating more energy-efficient and less polluting development;
3. Minimizing carbon emissions through the choice of materials and construction
technologies, as well as through the encouragement of walking and cycling;
4. Delivering development sensitive to its context;
5. Returning inaccessible or run-down areas and amenities to beneficial public use.
6. Revitalizing urban heritage, etc.
7. Everyone benefits from high-quality urban spaces: Investors through favourable returns on their
investments and through