Abstract
Water has played an essential role in developing human communities since antiquity. It has permitted the growth of diverse social and cultural spheres, establishing social links between small-scale communities through daily household activities, recreation, religious practices, and traditional celebrations. Blue spaces, such as ponds and Dighis (large ponds), are the principal sources of fresh water and focal points for water-based activities in small-scale communities. Blue spaces in cities are important in climate management and drainage and give residents social, cultural, and recreational advantages. Rapid urbanisation challenges water bodies by diminishing their associated activities and capacity for sustainable life. This study explores how the water-related activities correlate frequency with the surrounding spatial features of the urban pond. In a mixed-method process that combined observation survey and spatial assessment of nine urban and less urban ponds selected through purposive sampling. The result shows that the frequency and variety of activities are significantly different in the two contexts. From the regression, it is apparent that access route and activity frontage strongly influence the activity rates, while some factors display a moderate association. The study contributes to the urban design literature by highlighting how micro-scale spatial configurations affect blue space engagement and by offering context-specific planning recommendations to safeguard such aquatic environments. Methodological limitations, including perceptual subjectivity and seasonal variability, are acknowledged. This research contributes to the global discourse on urban blue infrastructure and provides planning insights for climate-adaptive and socially inclusive cities.