A BEHAVIORAL APPROACH TO PUBLIC SPACE DESIGN

North South University, Department of Architecture, Dhaka

Project idea

A Behavioral Approach to Public Space Design.
How Behavioral Mapping Guides Urban Designers in Designing Successful Public Spaces.
This project explores how behavioral mapping can help urban designers create more active, inclusive, and successful public spaces. The study focuses on understanding the relationship between spatial quality and human behavior through observation, user opinion, and environmental analysis.
The selected site, Ghatpar, is a food-based urban public space where certain corridors remain underused despite having similar commercial activities. Through literature review based on the works of Jan Gehl, William H. Whyte, Amos Rapoport, and Rahul Mehrotra, several key factors influencing public space success were identified, including accessibility, openness, visibility, seating quality, shaded spaces, and environmental comfort.
Behavioral studies and spatial simulations revealed that improving porosity, circulation, and visual connectivity between corridors could significantly increase user engagement and pedestrian movement. Based on these findings, the project proposes a porous spatial configuration along with shaded public areas and reorganized commercial spaces to improve overall spatial performance.
The project demonstrates that successful public spaces should evolve from human behavior and social interaction rather than forcing users to adapt to architecture.

Project description

The scope of this project focuses on improving the spatial quality and usability of urban public spaces through behavioral mapping and user-centered design strategies. The proposal addresses issues related to underused spaces, poor connectivity, lack of openness, environmental discomfort, and weak social interaction within the selected site, Ghatpar.
The project develops solutions through spatial reorganization, improved circulation, enhanced visual connectivity, shaded public areas, and flexible gathering spaces. By introducing porosity between corridors and improving pedestrian accessibility, the design aims to create a more active, inclusive, and behavior-responsive public environment.
The project also explores how environmental strategies, such as a super roof structure and increased greenery, can improve thermal comfort and encourage longer public engagement. Additionally, the proposal demonstrates how commercial activities and public life can coexist while maintaining economic functionality and increasing spatial efficiency.
Overall, the project establishes a design approach where architecture evolves from observed human behavior, social interaction, and user needs to create more successful urban public spaces.

Technical information

The project is designed as a behavior-responsive urban public space intervention focused on improving accessibility, circulation, environmental comfort, and social interaction within the existing Ghatpar food street environment.
The design proposal consists of spatial reorganization across six commercial corridors, introducing increased porosity and visual connectivity between previously isolated zones. Several ground-floor commercial units are vertically relocated to the first floor to improve pedestrian movement and create interconnected public spaces while maintaining commercial activity.
The project includes:
- A porous circulation system to improve accessibility and pedestrian flow.
- Integrated seating and gathering spaces to encourage social interaction.
- A large-span super roof structure for shading and thermal comfort.
- Improved visual connectivity across corridors.
- Enhanced greenery and shaded areas to improve environmental quality.
- Reorganized commercial units to optimize spatial efficiency.
- Dedicated service and waste management zones for operational functionality.
The commercial shop structures are designed using reinforced concrete column and beam systems combined with brick walls for durability and structural stability. The super roof structure is developed using a lightweight steel framework with colorful plastic sheet coverings to create shaded public spaces while establishing a visually vibrant urban identity.
To strengthen the public character of the project and attract users toward the upper-level spaces, the first-floor corridors and staircases are highlighted using red-colored elements, creating strong visual connectivity and enhancing user experience within the public realm.
The project also incorporates service considerations and waste management strategies through the introduction of two dedicated service zones containing garbage rooms to support cleaner and more organized public space maintenance.
Environmental and spatial performance were analyzed through behavioral mapping, accessibility studies, visibility simulations, and heat radiation analysis. The final design solution was selected based on its ability to improve user engagement, movement patterns, openness, and overall public space usability.
The project increases the number of commercial units from 76 to 83 while simultaneously enhancing public accessibility and spatial quality.

Documentation

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