Morphology of traditional towns and the organisation of neighbourhood public spaces in the Kathmandu Valley
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Abstract
Traditional towns of the Kathmandu Valley boast a fine provision of public space and offer a unique setting for urban life. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of the morphology of these towns and the organization of public spaces within in the residential neighborhoods, with an aim to identify the key attributes of such spaces and the factors that are responsible for their formation and utilization. The chapter highlights that the physical form of the traditional towns exhibits a compact and dense character in the arrangement of buildings and urban spaces. A distinct pattern of settlement design is also evident in the organization of neighborhoods, where the town has been divided into several residential quarters to house communities based on caste and social status of the inhabitants. Most notably, public spaces have been developed as an essential feature of every traditional neighborhood, with a set of urban squares distributed over the entire town and arranged in an innovative and interesting way. The provision of public space, consisting of many elements of urban interest, has contributed to the development of an urban environment that is conducive to both daily social activities and occasional feasts and festivals.