From Parking Lots to Public Realms: How Landscape Design Increases Footfall for Indian Retail
Introduction: Retail Is Competing on Experience
In Indian cities, malls and high streets are no longer competing only on brands and discounts. They are competing on experience—where families can comfortably spend a few hours, where kids have space to move, and where elders feel safe and oriented.
Landscape—the space between car and shopfront—is becoming a powerful differentiator. A thoughtful exterior can quietly move a site from a pure parking lot to a true public realm.
Haldiram at Modi Mall, Noida: landscape as an extension of the brand and public realm.
The Invisible Journey: Car Door to Cash Counter
Most retail journeys share the same basic steps: arrive, navigate parking or drop-off, walk to the entrance, transition inside, and decide whether to linger or leave. If this outdoor experience is hot, confusing, flooded, dusty, or uncomfortable, the brand starts with a trust deficit before anyone sees a single product.
Haldiram at Modi Mall, Noida: Landscape as Brand Amplifier
Our proposal for Haldiram at Modi Mall approached landscape as part of the brand experience, not an add-on. Safe, non-slip pathways make movement easy for seniors and children; drainage design prevents waterlogging and muddy “kichad”; and family-friendly pockets with kids’ play and seating encourage longer stays.
- Non-slip, light-toned paving that stays cooler and safer underfoot
- Shaded approaches that protect visitors from heat while queuing or waiting
- Kids’ play zones that integrate visually with the overall design
- Composed views and planting that naturally encourage photo moments and sharing
Kake Da Hotel: Interior Edges as Experience
Inside Kake Da Hotel at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, interior “landscape” also shapes experience. A contemporary interpretation of Punjabi dhaba culture, warm materials and lighting, and intuitive circulation all contribute to the space becoming one of the mall’s most photographed dining destinations.
Why Landscape Matters for Footfall
- Extends dwell time through comfortable shaded seating and play pockets
- Encourages social media sharing with distinctive, photogenic corners
- Signals care and safety through good lighting, planting, and clear paths
- Softly buffers chaotic roads and parking from the calmer retail core
Four Design Moves for Retail Landscapes
- Treat entry as a sequence, not just a door—design the entire arrival journey.
- Design for the non-shopper—make grandparents, kids, and companions comfortable.
- Use planting as signage and zoning—guide movement without heavy-handed barriers.
- Plan for monsoon from day one—no flooding, mud, or awkward stepping-stones.
Conclusion: The Public Realm Is Part of the Brand
For Indian retail—especially F&B and experience-led brands—the space outside the door is not neutral. It can either leak value or quietly generate it.
By investing in landscape as public realm, brands like Haldiram and Kake Da Hotel can turn sites into destinations that people remember, photograph, and return to. At Ukiyo Habitat, we see this edge space as a shared canvas between brand, city, and everyday life.