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2.1.5 Nocturnal terrain evolution
Nocturnal terrain in metro cities
Fixed lifestyle of people from 9am to 6pm are slowly fading in various cities, with the economy moving towards patterns where production and regeneration overlap. Additionally, leisure has become an essential part of everyday life. This lifestyle has blurred spatial boundaries between workspace, domestic space and leisure space, and between the public and the private.
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During a conference organized by the Graduate School of Design and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University, titled “After Dark: Nocturnal Landscapes and Public Spaces in the Arabian Peninsula”, the following challenges were identified in designing nocturnal terrain for the urban realm
2.1.3 Challenges in addressing nocturnal terrain
The night as segments
The absence of safe public spaces has led to the concentration of most social night-time activities in private spaces such as shopping malls(Steven Velegrinis). As a result, the night becomes a highly restricted space for use, where the character of most exchanges is economic and dominated by consumption. In this context, elaborated on the the importance of “third places” (professor Farah-Al Nakib) or neutral spaces such as cafes, libraries, parks, and cultural centers where inhabitants of the city can meet and create strong social bonds outside the home and the office. But, possessing these venues alone doesn’t necessarily solve the problem. These spaces can act as “third places” as long as the events are free and accessible to a diverse crowd of all users in the city. Otherwise, they can become subject to elite domination which in turn leads to greater social sequestration.
The night as a heavily supervised space
Whether guided by cultural appropriations or by social control, many aspects of night-time activity are severely restricted. The nocturnal terrain is often perceived as a space where
Marian College of Architecture and Planning, Thiruvananthapuram 16
