Extended transition in urban street
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Date
2026-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
AIKTC
Abstract
For centuries streets had an economic, civic, cultural, social and political value.
Streets used to be the major ‘places’ where people gathered to socialize, trade and relax.
However, since the growth of motorized vehicles started in the 1950s, the ‘place’ function of
streets has been overlooked. As a result, streets have been planned for one major purpose
only, that is, the mobility of vehicular traffic. However, with today’s growing emphasis on urban
and social sustainability, it is being recognized that there is a need to shift the function of
streets and instead favor the ‘place function’ over the ‘traffic function’. Streets are much more
than a corridor of vehicular movement. In recent years, concepts such as ‘streets for people’
and ‘streets as places’ have gained much attention. These concepts aim to put people first in
the design of streets.
All around the world cities are reclaiming streets as public spaces for people. This
research focuses on understanding the experience of transition along urban street edges. It
explores how spatial changes influence behavior, comfort, and presence in public areas. The
aim is to examine how the everyday use of streets is shaped when transitions are extended
when change is not immediate but slow, layered, and responsive to how people actually
move and gather
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