Role of Public Spaces in Promoting Social Interaction in Divided Cities

Abstract

Divided cities originate as the result of divisions within a nation. With little to no relation between the two sides, they continue to develop independently. In cases where the citizens of these cities are allowed to move across the border, one place where they still have an opportunity to interact is public spaces, such as streets, plazas and parks. Public spaces, therefore, have the potential to build connections between different groups and promote social interaction. This chapter analyses the ability of public spaces to facilitate social interaction in a divided city by building an index of social interaction to quantify this ability. Expert interviews were used to build and validate the index and its results. We found that public spaces in Nicosia are not used to their full potential and there is a tendency for inhabitants to focus on spaces that offer activities such as shopping, cafes and restaurants, and festivals, which also have a higher potential to promote social interaction according to our index. The presence of both communities in the public spaces, as well as their occupant density, had a great impact on the outcome of the index and, therefore, on the potential of the public spaces to promote social interaction.