The pedestrian bridge as everyday place in high-density cities: An urban reference for necessity and sufficiency of placemaking

Abstract

This article explores the pedestrian bridges in Hong Kong and the idea of pedestrian bridges as everyday places in a high-density city. On the basis of a physical survey of pedestrian bridges and intensive observations of people’s everyday use of such bridges, this study reveals people’s everyday bridge use, the multiple roles of pedestrian bridges in high-density cities and the process of everyday placemaking. More importantly, taking the concept of ‘pedestrian bridge as everyday place’, the frameworks of necessity and sufficiency for placemaking, and then for place-led development, are summarised and discussed. This article contributes to generate an elaborative framework of everyday placemaking with respect to the dynamic relationship between micro-scale spatial characteristics and people’s everyday behaviour. Built on the framework of placemaking, a performance-based actionable placemaking strategy is then proposed, to clarify the roles of designer, planner, regulator and ordinary everyday users in the process of placemaking.