ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the movement patterns of the delivery agents of chai (tea) vendors in a marketplace in Ahmedabad, India. The research maps the everyday routes of these actors at different times of the day. The study finds that as the actors traverse these paths, there are social encounters with other actors or stakeholders within the space. The duration and nature of the encounters differ across time, being related to the peak time of the vendor groups’ business and the peak time of the overall market activity. The research terms these as rhythmic encounters, those that are related to time and to the rhythm of the marketplace. The chapter establishes a relationship between social interaction, time and movement and suggests urban design principles that emerge from understanding the everyday rhythms of a marketplace.
