Abstract

Being the vital element of successful cities, public spaces play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals and in coping with climate change. The new urban agenda considers public spaces indispensable for sustaining the productivity of cities, social cohesion and inclusion, civic identity, and quality of life. Accordingly, there is no doubt about the importance of public spaces, while their quality is generated through the symbiosis of various elements. On the basis of normative theories of urban design, several public space design frameworks have been established in order to define what makes a good public place. Such a framework for public space quality evaluation is developed and tested at the Chair for Planning and Design in Landscape Architecture at the University of Belgrade—Faculty of Forestry. The framework covers six criteria which illuminate key aspects of public spaces: safety and security, accessibility, legibility, comfort, inspiration and sensitivity and liveability. In this research, special attention is paid to the criteria of comfort analysed on two scale levels in Belgrade, Serbia. In the past, Belgrade was affected by extreme weather events that caused serious and sometimes disastrous consequences. The most pronounced challenges among them are heat waves in summer that, due to the shortage of vegetation combined with the proliferation of tarmac and concrete surfaces and reduced air ventilation, particularly threaten the densely populated central municipalities of Stari Grad, Savski Venac and Vracar. The first scale level covers the analysis of the public space network and the degree of establishment of green infrastructure in Lower Dorcol quartier, which is located in the Municipality of Stari Grad, using quantitative and qualitative indicators and GIS (Geographic Information System) digital tools. The aim of this study is to observe the actual state of the public space network and to define a future scenario of its development in line with climate change challenges. Jevrejska Street, as an element of the above-mentioned public space network, is the subject of the next phase of the research. The study on this scale level will cover qualitative and quantitative analysis of public space elements such as paving, urban equipment, greenery, lighting, water facilities, etc. Next to that, by using the ENVI Met platform, the actual and proposed improvement of the street will be explored. The final part of this research will include a discussion about the research methodology used in order to improve the public space design process and to point out the need for the careful consideration of comfort as an important aspect of good public space.

Highlights

  • It can be said that we are living in the era labelled as Anthropocene

  • Considering the impacts on the planet, characterized by this epoque, Ellis [5] has noted several issues such as fire, intensive hunting and agriculture, accelerated into rapid climate change, widespread pollution, plastic accumulation, species invasions, and the mass extinction of species that contributed to the changes that have left a permanent mark in the geological record of the rocks

  • The purpose of this research is reflected in the intention to improve the open public space design process, focusing on comfort criteria in order to emphasize the use of vegetation seen as the elements of green infrastructure and its careful and thoughtful use and inclusion in public space design proposals and interventions

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Summary

Introduction

It can be said that we are living in the era labelled as Anthropocene Considering the impacts on the planet, characterized by this epoque, Ellis [5] has noted several issues such as fire, intensive hunting and agriculture, accelerated into rapid climate change, widespread pollution, plastic accumulation, species invasions, and the mass extinction of species that contributed to the changes that have left a permanent mark in the geological record of the rocks. From this perspective, some authors consider the Anthropocene as a source that could be used as “a call to action for environmental sustainability and responsibility” [2,3,6]. As Hawking said, “most of the threats we face come from the progress we have made in science and technology, but we do not have to stop making progress, or reverse it - we have to recognize the dangers and control them” [7]

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