The Changing place sensibility of an arterial neighbourhood: case study - Duplication road, Bambalapitiya

Abstract

The creation of a secondary arterial connection parallel to but less significant than Galle Road, in the late seventies cut through the Colombo suburbs of Kollupitiya and Bambalapitiya, breaking neighbourhood connections and dividing families. Unlike Galle Road, this second artery had no associated spaces or services that could help build its urban character or its edge condition, it cut through the urban fabric without regard for what was on either side. Even its name suggested its duplication of function rather than amenity. Another road running parallel – Marine drive was introduced subsequently along the coast also to take the load of the traffic in Galle Road. This dissertation proposes to study how a second sub-arterial road, Duplication Road, introduced in the early 1970’s has impacted the forms of neighbourhood character sustained by the urban relationships that were formative for Bampalapitiya’s Place-Sensibility.