Access To Public Space Research Articles

ACCESS TO EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES IN PUBLIC SPACE - VIEWS OF PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA

People with dementia value staying active and continuing with their everyday lives in public space, however there is a lack of knowledge about how they experience accessibility, problematic situations and how to manage these situations. The aim is to illuminate experiences of accessibility in public space in people with dementia with focus on places, activities and problematic situations. A Grounded theory approach was used in the thesis with multiple data collection methods (interviews, focus group interviews, observations and visual methods). Findings show that having access to everyday activities at different places in the neighbourhood was very important for the participants when they perceived themselves as being a part of the society and being active and independent persons. Engaging in familiar activities in familiar places was important. However, their activity radii in the community became smaller. The findings inspired the development of the questionnaire Participation in Activities and Places Outside Home.

AGE-FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES: ENHANCING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Age-friendly communities promote active, healthy, socially connected aging. Opportunities for social connections are key for older residents to enjoy the best possible health and well-being. Communities that join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities (AARP NAFSC) include an aging lens in eight areas of community life—social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, housing, transportation, community support and health services, and outdoor spaces and buildings. By addressing factors in these eight areas, communities encourage residents to enjoy formal participation in activities and groups and informal contacts with friends, neighbors and other residents. The purpose of this exploratory study was to find out if communities that join the AARP NAFSC plan and implement changes to enhance social connectedness. A review of 62 AARP-approved action plans nationwide, showed that social connectedness was included in 74% of the mission statements and was a goal in 92% of the plans. The lack of resources in rural communities creates special challenges; many age-friendly initiatives depend on community volunteers to implement changes on a shoe-string budget. To learn how rural age-friendly communities promote social connections, an email survey was distributed to 46 AARP NAFSC communities in rural Maine. All the communities responded. Fostering social connectedness was an explicit goal for 88% of the communities. Areas of implementation included services and activities (83%), communication (61%), transportation (30%), programming to include isolated residents (26%), accessible public spaces (22%), and intergenerational volunteering (17%). Implications will be discussed.

INTERIORITY OF PUBLIC SPACE IN THE DEAF EXHIBITION CENTER IN BEKASI

The study aims to show the implementation of Deaf Space design guidelines application in the Deaf Exhibition Center building. Even to increase society's understanding of the need for public space access facilities for hearing disabilities. The relation between persons with hearing disabilities and space is the most fundamental thing in creating a space experience (interiority). Interiority is processed prioritizing high visual orientation, and encourages the totality of other sensory experiences based on the philosophy of Deaf Space. In terms of interior design, persons with hearing disabilities have other space needs and are more specific.. Space experience, using the principle of Deaf Space design, namely 1) space and proximity, 2) sensory reach, 3) mobility and proximity, 4) light and color, dan 5) acoustic as a concept of implementation, is one way to create a particular space experience. As a conception of application, is one way to create a particular space experience. Deaf space design guidelines are considered an important aspect in determining design concepts and are influenced by hearing disabilities' behavioral characteristics of interiority (relations between space and humans). Context of hearing disability behavior which includes a series of stages of exploration process and interpretation by subject in it gives birth to an interiority. Interiority is the presence of oneself being able to comfort in this space. Interiority isnot merely a spatial concept, but concept in which disunited spaces can be one uniting body, mind, and space. The interiority in exhibition space toward hearing disability behavior can be implemented in design concept for hearing disability, so hearing disability users or visitors can engage in community interaction conversations and need space called "deaf space". The results of this study contribute to application of the Deaf Space design concept in DEC building toward behavior of hearing disability user, so that they can activity independently and productively.

Streets as Public Spaces: Lessons from Street Vending in Ahmedabad, India

Public spaces go beyond the typical definition of being an open space. They reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the urban fabric and hold the power to create memories. Among all public spaces, streets emerge as the most public. Streets are engines of economic activities, social hubs, and platforms for civic engagement. They break socio-economic divides and foster social cohesion. Planning, designing, and managing better public spaces have become important global discussions. Sustainable Development Goals (8 and 11) and the New Urban Agenda emphasize the significance of inclusive and sustainable economy and safe, accessible and quality public spaces for all. The proposed article uses the case of street vending to understand the manifestation of these goals in an Indian context by assessing street vendors’ role in Ahmedabad’s urban fabric through extensive spatial analysis of 4,000 vendors at four different time points of the day, perception studies of their clientele disaggregated by gender, income and age, and their relationship with surrounding land-use and street hierarchy. It showcases how street vendors make the streets more vibrant by increasing activities, safer through ensuring inflow of people, and inclusive in its true sense by allowing people from different backgrounds to participate in the exchange of goods and services. It further argues that street vendors are vital elements of more equitable and exciting streets and public space.

Evaluating the cultural ecosystem services of India: Comparison of budget allocations to improve the use value of recreational open spaces

Recreational open spaces (ROS) like parks and playgrounds are vital cultural ecosystem services. Provision of universally accessible, safe and inclusive green public spaces is one of the SDGs. There is a gap in the identification of the qualitative and quantitative aspects that impact the ‘Use Value’ of cultural ecosystem service like ROS. Comparative analysis of the budget allocation of ROS in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Chennai was conducted and further corroborated with the use value of the select ROS derived with an empirical study of sample open spaces from the three cities. The evaluation criteria were identified and weighted using an expert survey. To assess the impact of the budget expenditure on the use value of ROS, the budget cost per square meter for the three Indian cities was computed. Furthermore, an evaluation tool was derived using the ROS use value and the derived budget provision for the respective ROS. The study highlighted the need to incorporate a comprehensive goal-based financial planning structure for ROS management along with incorporating ‘use value’ as a parameter of assessment to ensure holistic policy design and implementation. The study concludes with various policy recommendations to improve the use value of Indian ROS.

Site dance as activist methodology: Creating performance/protest in sites of assembly

To date, there has been minimal discussion of site dance’s ability to foster discourse addressing large-scale geo-and sociopolitical issues in public and civic spaces. In this article, I examine a certain site-adaptive project, Rooms (2015–16), to consider how site dance practice may further public discourse around pressing issues, via the careful honing of methodological process. Here, I argue that to realize the aims of advancing political discourse, site dance methodologies must work to: empower participants through constructive mechanisms/processes; foster inclusion of diverse publics in both creation and presentation stages of a work; and locate such projects in accessible public civic spaces historically associated with assembly. By endeavouring to methodologically craft site dance practice for spaces that are intended for public assembly and discourse, we may realize the goal of creating a diverse, empowered and engaged public that will address the critical systemic concerns of our time, including neo-liberalism, globalization and climate change.

Anti-social behaviour in the square. Differentiation mechanisms among non-native groups in a peripheral neighbourhood of Barcelona

ABSTRACT This paper analyses differentiation processes between non-native groups in a stigmatized peripheral neighbourhood of Barcelona. Its more established dwellers – internal migrants from the South of Spain – have set in place differentiation processes between them and the more recently arrived international migrants. To substantivize differentiation processes, in a context where race has been largely silent, they appropriate the “civic terminology” that has become popular in the city in the last decade. In the global context of hyper-regulation and increasing privatization of urban public spaces, this group’s discursive strategies, based on the civic/non-civic divide, aim to ensure control over accessible open public space, a resource that is locally scarce. Using the ethnographic example of the tensions around “proper behaviour” in the area’s main square, the article explores processes of identification and differentiation in a context where autochthony cannot be unproblematically called upon.

WhiteSpace, Brown Place: Racialized Experiences Accessing Public Space in an Arkansas Immigrant Community*

This article examines the experiences of Latinos in Northwest Arkansas as they partake in community life within the Jones Center as a public setting traditionally dominated by legal and cultural practices intended to maintain white outlooks. We develop a conceptual model of race and space to theoretically frame how the implementation of an entrance fee system in this community setting shapes public space access into a restrictive racialized place. Drawing on ethnography and visual data gathered between fall 2014 and spring 2015, we found that the administration of the Jones Center made no effort to foster a more inclusive environment, creating a social atmosphere wherein participants construct the place as a whitespace. Whereas some challenged the exclusionary dimensions of symbolic white markers through spatial practices of resistance, others remained in what we call racialized subspaces. We argue that this form of restricting access aims to systematically, yet subtly preclude access to specific areas of the setting—i.e., swimming pool and ice rink. Nevertheless, participants in this study also demonstrate how community resiliency enables them to use “non‐restricted” areas within the whitespace as mechanisms to disrupt the meaning of white markers symbolically embedded in areas where access cannot be negotiated by local Latinos.

Assurance of Quality and the Accessibility of Public Spaces under Current Legislation

Assurance of Quality and the Accessibility of Public Spaces under Current Legislation

Assessment of physical environment factors for mobility of older adults: A case study in Hong Kong

To cope with the challenges of increasing older adults residing in cities, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the “Age-Friendly City” framework in 2007 (World Health Organization, 2007). One of the main themes is accessible physical environment that has major impacts on mobility, independence and quality of life of older adults, and their ability to “age in place”.Mobility of older adults is conducive to their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. Mobility patterns of older adults, how built environment impacts older adults' mobility have been well-studied by academics. These studies often required advanced research technique and substantial data collection; it is challenging to incorporate these study approaches into the Age-Friendly City (AFC) framework that emphasizes bottom-up participation of stakeholders. On the other hand, studies led by local stakeholders often relied too much on subjective data sources. To facilitate the formulation of strategies and action plans towards age-friendly city, a concise set of age-friendly city indicators needs to be developed: a set of indicators that has high objectivity but agrees well with subjective views of local older adults, that could be easily understood, and is easy to implement.This study piloted the adoption of the core indicators set proposed in “Measuring the age-friendliness of cities: a guide to using core indicators” (World Health Organization, 2015) in an old urban district in Hong Kong. This study focused on factors related to mobility: walking environment, public transport, and accessible public buildings and spaces. Objective assessments have shown generally high level of performance in these physical environment attributes; the subjective ratings by local older adults were found to have medium relationship to the respective objective indicators. However, the relationship is weak in the subdomains of “neighbourhood walkability” and “accessible public spaces and buildings”. It was found that the set of indicators is concise, easy to understand, and easy to implement. Yet, some refinements are suggested, such as: (1) include “affordability of public transport” in the indicator set, and (2) incorporate “quality of access” on top of “having a mean of access” into the objective indicators under “neighbourhood walkability” and “accessible public spaces and buildings”. The “input” resources and “output” facilities and services by the government and private sectors that have led to the age-friendly city “outcomes” reflected by the indicators are also introduced.

Walking accessibility for individuals with reduced mobility: A Brazilian case study

The objective of this work is to evaluate the accessibility in public spaces from the perspective of the person with reduced mobility. Two methods of evaluation were used: the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), to consider the multiple criteria that define a quantitative index of the pedestrian accessibility; and the Commented Paths Method (Méthode des Parcours Commentés) for a qualitative analysis of the practical subjective experience. In order to apply the methods and compare the results, a case study was carried out in the city of Itajubá, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The results of the application of the methods when compared to the on-site observation, demonstrated coherence with the actual situation. One method complemented the other by providing greater potential for interpretation of the phenomenon, especially by adding individual perceptions, increasing the study’s validity. The research provides support for more inclusive public policies, including accessibility with a view for sustainable development and a special focus on social sustainability.

Environmental Justice in Accessibility to Green Infrastructure in Two European Cities

Although it is well-established that urban green infrastructure is essential to improve the population’s wellbeing, in many developed countries, the availability of green spaces is limited or its distribution around the city is uneven. Some minority groups may have less access or are deprived of access to green spaces when compared with the rest of the population. The availability of public green spaces may also be directly related to the geographical location of the city within Europe. In addition, current planning for urban regeneration and the creation of new high-quality recreational public green spaces sometimes results in projects that reinforce the paradox of green gentrification. The aim of this study was to explore the concept of environmental justice in the distribution of the public green spaces in two contrasting cities, Tartu, Estonia; and Faro, Portugal. Quantitative indicators of public green space were calculated in districts in each city. The accessibility of those spaces was measured using the “walkability” distance and grid methods. The results revealed that there was more availability and accessibility to public green spaces in Tartu than in Faro. However, inequalities were observed in Soviet-era housing block districts in Tartu, where most of the Russian minority live, while Roma communities in Faro were located in districts without access to public green space. The availability of public green spaces varied from 1.22 to 31.44 m2/inhabitant in the districts of Faro, and 1.04 to 164.07 m2/inhabitant in the districts of Tartu. In both cities, 45% of the inhabitants had accessible public green spaces within 500 m of their residence. The development of targeted new green infrastructure could increase access to 88% of the population for the city of Faro and 86% for Tartu, delivering environmental justice without provoking green gentrification. The outcome of this study provides advice to urban planners on how to balance green space distribution within city neighbourhoods.

Rooms Of The Habitability For The Study Of The Public Space. Case Study Frontera, Centla, Tabasco

Public space and habitability are two concepts that despite being addressed in urban manage- ment and defined institutionally, are constantly in the process of construction, so they must be approached discreetly according to each case of study in particular. In view of the importance that UN-Habitat gives on the issue of creating safe, comfortable, inclusive, accessible and green public spaces, this work raises the concept of habitability areas for the study of public space issues. The study considers the environment, as the physical representation of the social structure, where the subject is immersed, which allows him to satisfy his needs, based on physical and environmental aspects that are specific to habitability. The areas of habitability that are addres- sed are based on research carried out in Spain, Colombia and Mexico. A mixed, qualitative and quantitative approach is used, using them at a street level scale, adapted to the conditions of the city of Frontera. Considering that it is essential to know the main problems of the urban context in the planning and intervention of cities. This paper presents the tools that incorporate the relevant areas, derived from a direct observation process to diagnose functionality, accessibility, safety, environmental comfort and attractiveness; with the objective of having arguments of impact for decisions in public policies and in the reco- very of habitability in open public space.

Contribution of older urban residents

UN-Habitat’s biennial World Urban Forum (WUF9) took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this year from 7-13 February. Following 18 months after Habitat III, its theme appropriately focused on “Cities 2030, Cities for All”.I participated as the co-chair of the General Assembly of Partners (GAP) official civil society group for older persons. Given very limited resources, we organized several panels with others: an official 2 hour Older Persons Roundtable; one with GAP Persons with Disabilities on accessibility and universal design; another representing older women as part of the Women’s Assembly; a fourth contributing the civil society perspective to one by Business & Industry; and a fifth organized by City Space Architecture focusing on the importance of safe and accessible public spaces which can reduce isolation faced by many older urban residents.Urbanisation and population ageing are century defining demographic trends. Over 500 million urban residents are older people. Yet cities everywhere are failing to address the changes brought about by global population ageing with increasing inequality and insecurity. Physical, social and economic barriers prevent older people in particular from fully enjoying their rights and living in dignity and safety in cities. By 2030, older persons are expected to account for over 25 percent of the population in Europe and northern America, 17 percent in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and six percent in Africa. Over half the ageing population, 289 million, currently lives in low- and middle-income countries, and is increasingly concentrated in urban areas. Older persons are the fastest growing population group globally, expected to reach 22% by 2050 (UNDESA 2017). In 2015, 58% of the world’s people aged 60 and over resided in urban areas, up from 50% in 2000.

Urban cemeteries’ potential as sites for cultural encounters

Population increase has drawn attention to the need in cities for easily accessible and attractive public spaces that will promote interaction regardless of gender, age, ethnicity and religious belief. This paper focuses on the role urban cemeteries play in a culturally and religiously diverse society. Norway is described as an increasingly secularised society. Immigration and transmigration, on the other hand, have brought a revived interest in religion and interreligious interaction. We explore two questions that relate to the cemetery as a public shared urban space: The first concerns the need for communities of all faiths and none to access burial space that meets their need. The second relates to the appropriateness of using cemetery as amenity space in a multicultural context. Diverse qualitative methods have been used; a focus group interview with participants from different religious and life-philosophy communities, interviews with key informants representing various religious communities and with visitors in two cemeteries in Oslo in 2014. The findings imply that there is a commonality that bridges differences: sharing human compassion. These sites have a potential in stimulating intercultural and interreligious encounters. Their special character as open shared urban sites can increase understanding and acceptance of each other’s difference and hereby render strangeness and differences harmless.

City profile: Medellin

After being known as the ‘murder capital of the world’ in the 1990s, Medellin has pioneered innovative forms of city planning and management and was acclaimed the most innovative city in the world by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in 2013. Hosting the World Urban Forum in 2014 allowed it to showcase its approach, key elements of which have been: creation of innovative transport infrastructure linking poorer peripheral districts to the city centre; culture-led regeneration; strong support of local development from the local business sector; and a successful municipally-owned utilities company. However, the city is spreading outwards without services and employment being provided; new low-income developments are replicating high-rise models which failed worldwide; there is limited intervention in the existing informal areas, many being in highly vulnerable locations where the level of risk is likely to increase with climate change; development has little regard for topography, ecological and environmental considerations; investment in accessible and good quality public space is restricted to some areas; the quality of the public realm does not always support health and wellbeing of the ageing population. This paper explores the institutional and socio-economic context in which Medellín has achieved the internationally recognized status of an ‘innovative city’. It questions to what extent social equity, environmental sustainability and citizen empowerment have been promoted as per the ULI claims when it conferred the prize. The paper queries the extent to which ‘urban innovation’ is happening in Medellín, which has considerable implications given its recently found role as a ‘model’ city in Latin America and beyond.

Designing Cities with Children and Young People: Beyond Playgrounds and Skate Parks

Book and Film Reviews 132 Designing Cities with Children and Young People: Beyond Playgrounds and Skate Parks Kate Bishop and Linda Corkery, Editors (2017) New York: Routledge, 278 pages $59.95 (paperback); ISBN 978-1138890824 This important publication on urban planning and design for children and young people, edited by Kate Bishop and Linda Corkery, brings together a significant number of viewpoints on issues relating to the re-thinking and re-designing of our cities with children and youth in mind. This publication aims to represent an interdisciplinary and international body of work by researchers and practitioners to set out suggestions that will inform policy-making and design around the world. The editors are taking up a very ambitious endeavor at two levels: first, by attempting to address the paramount goal in childhood and youth studies, namely to include children’s and youths’ own views and perspectives in policies that affect them (Askins & Pain, 2011; Nolas, 2015; Valentine, 2004); and second, by balancing being both a scholarly work of high quality as well as a policy-informing document that aims to address policies on change in urban planning and design. The volume is separated into four sections, complimented by a very significant appendix which presents particular case studies of the issues discussed. The first section of the book addresses global and general issues on the topic of children’s and youths’ engagement in urban design within the frame of sustainability—in social as well as environmental terms—and functions largely as an introduction of the debates discussed across the rest of the book. A number of innovative methods are discussed, if briefly, as in the chapter by Derr, Chawla and van Vliet--. The second section of the book addresses the very issue of research with children and youth, setting forth among others, questions that relate to difficulties and particularities of such research, as well as how to conceptualize findings and reach the right audiences. Chapters in this section aim to demonstrate the potential of research to inform urban planning and design. The last two chapters of the section, following up from two more generic chapters, discuss site- and project-specific examples, and thus bring the section’s overall argumentation forward. For instance, a very interesting chapter by Carroll and Witten explores the significance put forth by children on accessible urban public space, drawing on a project of redesigning urban spaces facilitated by the authors in Auckland. The third section of the book explores questions of impact, with experts discussing policies and the impact of research, raising significant points on both state-level as well as more grassrootsinitiated discussions on policies. The chapters of this section aim to demonstrate how, when state-level political processes take into consideration the views of children in a substantial way, political ground could be gained that might set forth socio-political change, as is demonstrated in the chapter by Corkery and Bishop in a study of how this has functioned in a particularly persistent way in a case from New South Wales. Beyond state-level policy making, the chapter by Wooley explores how similar political pressure and social change may be set forth through grassroots activism—drawing from a case study of campaigners for the use of Book and Film Reviews 133 outdoor environments in the UK. The fourth section of the book presents the perspective of practitioners working in the field, focusing on participatory and action research projects. The contribution from Dimoulias in this section addresses a significant issue that is characteristic of the often-problematic gaps that may exist between policy makers and young people, namely in this case the influence that the young can have on the design of community youth centers. On a methodological level, the book authors suggest a number of useful innovative methods for researching with children and youth, as well as a number of suggestions for actively engaging participants on redesigning spaces in the urban environments. Epistemologically, perhaps more ethnographic approaches that focus more on children’s actual views and uses of existing urban environments (Varvantakis, 2018; Ward, 1979) might have benefited the overall project. Additionally, while the chapters of the book address an impressively international range, the foci...

How Placemaking and Positive Incentives Can Enhance Urban Walkability and Revolutionize the Citizens’ Experience of Streets as Public Spaces ( symposia )

Background Cities increasingly celebrate their public spaces incl. streets through placemaking as one tool to create awareness on their societal value. Strong partnerships are required from grassroots to governments in promoting safe, walkable and accessible public spaces. Events from Nairobi and Cape Town will be illustrated. For too long – strategies such as charging, restrictions and regulation – were used to “force” a shift to sustainable mobility. It is time to adopt a ‘reward rather than punishment’ approach. The EMPOWER project looks at positive behaviour change incentives that guide and enable, rather than eliminate or restrict mobility choice. Aims To promote walkability and vibrant streets – incl. examples from the Global South; To illustrate ways on activating streets through a variety of low-cost interventions including pop-up activities; To advocate for rewarding change via positive incentives such as information points, discounts, community support and games, and; To generate partnerships and exchange among audience. Method Speakers will present on Case Studies that come from developed and developing contexts in order to compare and assess walkability incentives. Examples: Nairobi: Nairobi’s Placemaking week happened in November 2016 which led to a revolution of experiencing the city differently. The event leveraged on the expertise of stakeholders from government, civil society and academia. The week was initiated by the Nairobi City Council with technical support from UN-Habitat; Cape Town: Open Streets Cape Town was founded in 2012 and enjoys the full support of the City. OSCT has its roots in street action and research, and has grown as a dynamic movement of street-minded citizens. OSCT challenges the paradigm of urban mobility via campaigns, temporary interventions, dialogues and walks to spark public debate, and drive behaviour change around the role of streets; Europe: The activities of the EMPOWER project started in May 2015 to gather evidence on the power of positive incentives and social innovation to promote Sustainable Transport. Using smartphones, new mobility services are designed to deliver personalised incentives to the public. Examples will be shared where positive incentives delivered on enhanced walkability. Conclusion The session will share successful projects and promote partnerships for future collaborations.

The Coupling Strategy Research of Urban Public Space and Traffic for Improving the Residents’ Low-Carbon Travel Accessibility: A Case Study of Hexi New City Central Area in Nanjing

Under the current model of advocating urban intensive development and updating built-up areas, promoting the coupling optimization of space and public transport in built-up areas is an important way to realize sustainable urban development. Apart from researching the space and accessibility of the central area in Hexi new city of Nanjing and analyzing problems from various aspects, i.e., urban land use, road network planning, bus station distribution, non-motorized traffic, and space and environment design, combining with the OD (Origin & Destination) survey, this paper further put forward the corresponding improvement strategy for the public space accessibility of different levels and optimized design of non-motorized traffic.

Animation or Denigration? Using Urban Public Spaces as Event Venues

City events are increasingly staged outside purpose-built venues in urban public spaces. Parks, streets, and squares have always been used for civic events, but there is now pressure to use them for a wider range of occasions including large-scale, ticketed events. This article identifies why this trend is occurring and outlines the implications for public spaces. The use of London's parks as venues for music festivals, elite sport events, and trade exhibitions is the main focus of the article. These events challenge the established functions and meanings of public parks. Noted positive effects include challenging the rather stiff character of Victorian parks and encouraging different users/uses. However, ticketed events restrict access to parks and various processes currently afflicting urban public spaces—privatization, commercialization, and securitization—are exacerbated when parks are used as event venues. These effects are often dismissed as inherently temporary, but staging events can have enduring effects on the provision and accessibility of public space. The article concludes that staging events in public spaces is increasingly driven by a neoliberal agenda, with place marketing and revenue generation key priorities. This needs to be more fully acknowledged in analyses of the eventful city.