Public Space In City Research Articles

Urban green equity and COVID-19: Effects on park use and sense of belonging in New York City

Public spaces in cities of today are characterized by socio-spatial inequalities that often result in restricted mobility for, and exclusion of, marginalized populations—inequalities that have intensified due to COVID-19. In this exploratory study, we distributed a survey comprised of close- and open-ended questions through convenience sampling in late July 2020 with the aim of understanding (1) if and how sense of belonging to urban green space (UGS) has shifted since the start of the pandemic and (2) how do changes in UGS use, satisfaction, and sense of belonging relate to sociodemographic characteristics of New York City (NYC) neighborhoods. Participants (N = 138) were racially diverse, predominantly female and between 18–44yo with a neighborhood median income of $67,500. While the level of satisfaction that people feel in relation to their UGS did not change with the offset of the pandemic, how much people use these spaces and how much they “feel at home” in them did. Participants reported higher use of UGS currently in comparison to their use of these spaces pre-pandemic. This increased use of UGS was particularly evident among White participants and participants living in more upper-middle- and upper-income areas. The same trend is evident when it comes to sense of belonging. New Yorkers in general reported a stronger sense of belonging to UGS spaces as a result of the pandemic. As with UGS use, while both reported a favorable sense of belonging, White and more affluent participants had a stronger sense of belonging pre-pandemic, and their sense of belonging showed greater rise due to the pandemic. Overall, our research suggests that COVID-19 has widened existing socio-spatial disparities in NYC, with the lowest income neighborhoods most effected. We suggest further exploration of sense of belonging to UGS as an avenue to promote urban green equity in multicultural cities.

Research progress on air pollutant distribution in urban street canyons

Urban street canyon is one of the most important characteristics and spatial forms of cities. It is one of the most frequently used public spaces in cities, with the most serious automobile exhaust pollution and the largest population density. The unreasonable space configuration and internal composition might decrease self-purification of urban ventilation but increase local air pollutant concentration. Here, we reviewed the impacts of street canyon morphology, street trees, vehicle flow and meteorological factors on the distribution of air pollutants in street canyons. We scrutinized the relevant methods of numerical simulation, wind tunnel experiments, and field monitoring on the distribution and diffusion of air pollutants in street canyons. We recommended that future research should concentrate on the impacts of various parameters on the distribution and diffusion of air pollutants based on the field monitoring data. Meanwhile, further research should develop optimization strategies for street canyon design which is conducive to the dispersion of air pollutants, and put forward scientific support and optimization scheme for the controlling of air pollutants from the perspective of urban planning and pattern optimization.

Public perception of nature conservation promotion in public spaces in Warsaw

Abstract The purpose of this preliminary study was to learn about citizens’ perceptions of promotion activities related to wildlife and nature conservation in public spaces in Warsaw, Poland. One hundred and fifty individuals, randomly approached, agreed to participate in the survey, 48 of whom were professionals in natural sciences. The survey contained 13 substantive questions, whereby predefined answers or were open-ended. The vast majority (81%) of respondents were interested in nature and environmental problems. They expressed views that the current efforts and activities in Warsaw to promote conservation of nature and endangered wild animal species are insufficient. In most cases, the respondents were able to list some activities for nature education they had observed in a number of the city's public spaces. The survey suggested that age and education of the respondents did not affect their attitudes toward nature conservation. However, the survey did indicate that women were more interested and concerned with nature protection than men, and they were willing to take part in the survey, when approached, more often than men. This study helps to consider directions for further research in this area.

Dampak Kebijakan Pemerintah Daerah dalam Pengelolaan PKL di Kota Jakarta, Bandung dan Surabaya

As a developing country, Indonesia has a huge number of street vendors. Because of that, the existence of street vendors needs a special attention. This special attention is needed because streer vendors mostly occupy city's public spaces. Street vendor management in Indonesia's cities is based on the regulations that was made by each regional government which is pointing to Indonesia's higher level of regulation. Each regional regulation has their own unique characteristics. Jakarta, Bandung, and Surabaya are big cities that have street vendor problems that also have street vendor management regulations. From those three cities, the advantages and disadvantages of their regulation's contents will be revealed, enriched by information digging and research results. From the regulation side, those three cities showed their concern about regulations regarding street vendors. The forms of restructuring that has been done are relocation and stabilization. Those three cities are also supported by private sector regarding street vendor management. Street vendor management has a vital contribution towards regional economical growth and street vendor's income growth. These positive impacts increases the efficiency of city space management, so the city itself will look tidy, beautiful, and not congested, but street vendors are still poppimg out in restricted areas and old spaces, if the new managed locations are far from the crowds, the impact will decrease street vendor's income

Study of city public open space elements as an urban tourism (case study of public open space in Yogyakarta City)

Alun-alun (Javanese) or lawn square is one of public open spaces that serves as a forum for social activities. Apart from its social functions, Alun-alun also has other functions, an ecological and economical. The ecological function aims to maintain the quality of the environment. Meanwhile the economical functions aims to improve the economical aspect. Considering the important existence of Alun-alun in an urban area, a public open space must be designed by considering the elements of urban space in order to function properly. The existence of a Alun-alun in Yogyakarta becomes the center of social activities for its society However, in reality, the social activities taking place in Alun-alun are still relatively low. This study aims to examine the elements forming urban space in Alun-alun Yogyakarta using descriptive qualitative methods. The results describe that the social activities occuring in Alun-alun Yogyakarta due to the elements which form the urban space in it.

Coexistence in the public spaces of Latin American cities (Convivencia en los espacios públicos de las ciudades Latinoamericanas)

ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of a descriptive correlational study that investigates personal evaluations of behaviours that characterize coexistence in public spaces in cities in seven Latin American countries. A total of 1,337 people of different genders and age groups participated in the research, evaluating the contribution of different behaviours associated with coexistence through an ad hoc questionnaire containing 50 items. Multidimensional scaling analysis (SSA) indicates that people assess the behaviours explored based on the function they attribute to coexistence. Albeit with some variations, there are overlaps in several of the dimensions into which the items in the questionnaire were grouped, including, for most cities, safety, environmental protection, socialization and mobility. The results are discussed on the basis of cultural differences, the consequences for quality of urban life and the formulation of public policy for citizen education.

New Rome: The Empire in the East by P. Stephenson

Reviewed by: New Rome: The Empire in the East by P. Stephenson Geoffrey Greatrex New Rome: The Empire in the East. By P. Stephenson. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. 2022. Pp. xxxi, 432. This new survey of late Roman history follows in the same series as the two sweeping treatments of the high empire and the late antique period by Michael Kulikowski, The Triumph of Empire (Cambridge, MA 2016) and The Tragedy of Empire (Cambridge, MA 2019). The approach of the two authors is quite different, however: while Kulikowski opts for a vivid narrative of the period, incorporating useful digressions on broader themes here and there,1 Stephenson prefers to subordinate narrative to a more thematic structure. He dedicates only the second part of the work, "Power and Politics," to recounting the period. The first part concentrates on "Life in the Later Roman World," describing how ordinary people lived in this period, drawing on recent scientific evidence. The third takes stock of the situation in the eastern empire in 700, examining how it had changed over the centuries, both materially and in terms of its mentalité. Part 1 has many strengths, ably exploiting scientific research for issues relating, for example, to the environment, to metallurgy, and to living conditions. It is immediately apparent that the author has delved deeply into the literature here, resulting sometimes in rather abstruse phrases, as for instance "The sum of the energy emitted by the sun that reaches earth, solar irradiation, can be measured through proxies known as cosmogenic radionuclides, which are radioactive isotopes" (8). The second chapter makes good use of papyrological evidence and saints' lives to explore family relations in late antiquity. It is followed by a chapter devoted to cities, a subject on which work continues to pour forth: both Mark Humphries's Cities and the Meanings of Late Antiquity (Leiden 2019) and Luke Lavan's Public Space in the Late Roman City (Leiden 2020), among many other works, appeared too late to be cited. The chapter surveys the empire's large cities, underlining the squalid conditions endured by many inhabitants. The lack of an earlier narrative obliges Stephenson to enter into considerable detail on doctrinal [End Page 152] disputes at the time of Athanasius (60–61). Chapter Four, "Culture, Communications and Commerce," has a particularly well-handled section on travel within the empire, even if the author is unduly downbeat on geographical thinking of the time (80), given, for example, Procopius' extensive geographical and ethnographical digressions. The chapter has interesting discussions of the recent excavations of the Roman harbours in Istanbul (90–91), which feature also in Chapter Five, devoted entirely to the eastern capital. Here Stephenson examines the government of the empire and the city's amenities, illustrated by numerous black and white pictures. To credit the city's senate with 300 members already under Constantine seems excessive (96),2 while the assertion that "until the reign of Anastasius, the [praetorian] prefect of the east was based at Constantinople" (98) is baffling: praetorian prefects of the East continued to be based in the city until the disappearance of the office in the 620s. The first of the narrative chapters concerns the Theodosian age. Stephenson offers a lucid narrative, embracing both secular and religious history, with nice vignettes of leading figures. He is well versed in the latest research, although on the scandal surrounding Theodosius' friend Paulinus and his alleged affair with the empress Eudocia, recounted at some length, one should cite Roger Scott's 2010 article,3 while on Nestorius (150–152) we now have an important recent study by George Bevan.4 There are some interesting remarks on the leading families of the time (157–158; cf. 190–191), where one might take into account Meaghan McEvoy's 2016 article on Aspar's family and the detailed study by Christoph Begass.5 Chapter Seven covers the period from Marcian to the death of Anastasius. Stephenson here displays a knack for introducing evidence seldom exploited in standard surveys, citing a description of a mosaic of Leo, his wife Verina, and their children Leo and Ariadne from which Zeno was...

Sound installation art and the intervention of urban public space in Latin America

This paper explores the relationship between sound installation art and the appropriation of urban public spaces in Latin America. Latin America is a continent full of contrasts, and in various places throughout the countries, space refl ects the history of each nation through its architecture. We fi nd pre-Hispanic pyramids coexisting with colonial churches and modern buildings. In the last two decades, these sites have been used for purposes other than those for which they were created. On the one hand, these spaces have been used to provide cultural experiences for people in areas that cannot access traditional venues such as concert halls. On the other hand, political manifestations have adopted such places as icons of social change, and sound has been used to provide a social/cultural meaning, using the space as a medium. These activities have changed the ways in which audiences and creators relate to sound and space. This research paper explores how sound art and technology have been used to re-formulate public space in cities. The study analyses the strategies of major works and installations (that have used space as a medium of creation over the last twenty years in Latin America) from social and spatial perspectives. This paper highlights the potential of sound installation art and intervention of space as a way to engage audiences in urban contexts.

Grey Systems Theory as an Effective Method for Analyzing Scarce, Incomplete and Uncertain Data on the Example of a Survey of Public Perceptions of Safety in Urban Spaces

Many processes and phenomena that occur in the natural and social environment have a complex character, and the interdependencies between social and economic phenomena are most often analyzed by identifying the relationships between multiple factors that shape urban space. Decisions concerning the visual attributes of cities are usually made by urban planners and civil officers, whereas social preferences are rarely considered in the planning process. The latest research indicates that urban planners should account for the needs and expectations of local residents who are the users of public spaces in cities. This paper discusses the results of selected research studies investigating the impact of geospatial attributes on perceptions of safety in urban areas. The theories that are used to improve safety in cities and selected methods for analyzing spatial data were presented. The analyzed attributes were selected by brainstorming, a heuristic technique for solving research problems. The selected attributes were ranked in a survey performed on an accidental (convenience) sample. In this study, Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), a type of Grey Systems Theory (GST) which supports the use of incomplete, uncertain and scarce data, was applied. The advantages of grey systems over statistical methods in analyses of spatial data were presented. Grey system analyses generate sequences of significant geospatial attributes and indicate which factors exert the greatest influence on the examined phenomenon. The results can be used to solve practical problems related to the shaping of space.

Growing public spaces in the city: Community gardening and the making of new urban environments of publicness

The demise of public space in cities across the Global North has received considerable scrutiny from urban scholars in recent years, with accounts of the loss, privatisation and increased regulation of public space prevalent within the academic literature. This paper seeks to complicate these dominant narratives of public space transformation by exploring the complexities of existing public spaces and the emergence of new spaces of publicness in the city. It uses a case study of community gardening in mundane and everyday neighbourhood spaces to provide a more nuanced and progressive reading of the relations between publicness and space in the city. Drawing on empirical materials from recent research on community gardening projects in 15 cities in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, the paper highlights how community gardening is creating new environments of publicness across public, private and in-between spaces that complicate both the end of public space discourse and conventional understandings of public space within urban studies.

The Impact of Congested Mobility on the Functions of Public Spaces in Cities, Ramses Square Case Study

The Impact of Congested Mobility on the Functions of Public Spaces in Cities, Ramses Square Case Study

Sustainable development and tolerance in the socializing and resocializing of the architectural environment of cities

The article considers the sustainable development of the city public spaces and the penitentiary complexes problems from the Synergetics and Socionics standpoint. These approaches provide consideration of the opposite processes of public spaces socialization and correctional complexes resocialization, sustainability, and dynamism its organization, and self-organization. The regularities of sustainable development are present in the cyclical nature of historical changes in public spaces and the penitentiary system. Cycles unfold in the alternation order of pairwise polarized processes, on the one hand, dispersion and concentration, and, on the other, – self-organization and adaptation. We have found that the interaction of universal processes and the natural change of cycles stimulates, on the one hand, growth and stabilization, and, on the other, – transformation and metamorphosis, which lead to the emergence of new forms and structures of public spaces and penitentiary complexes. We have proposed to use Socionical methods for increasing tolerance and democracy in the architectural environment of settlements. We have described the methodological tools to achieve the harmonization of the architectural environment of settlements.

Algorithm for the Development of Public Spaces in Large Cities in the Context of Urbanization

Introduction. When selecting urbanized locations for parks and squares as centers of improvement and comfort of the urban environment, it is necessary to involve not only public authorities, but also activists. The purpose of the study is to build an algorithm for the development of public spaces in large cities, taking into account the schemes of interaction between state, municipal and business entities and activists. Materials and Methods. The study was based on publications by Russian and foreign scientists, regulatory documents on the research problem. The Rostov Region was the research subject, as well as the center of the region, the city of Rostov-on-Don with a population of over one million. The authors have analyzed the results of sociological surveys and rating voting on the development of public spaces in cities. The use of analytical methods and research techniques (analysis, generalization, induction and deduction, systems approach) made it possible to substantiate the authors’ point of view and the algorithm for the development of public spaces in large cities. Results. The scientific knowledge on the issues of harmonizing the interests of the population of large cities, municipal authorities, and business entities has been systematized in terms of improving urban planning, social and environmental strategies for the development of the region, based on information resources of the main indicators of the state of the environment and the investment attractiveness of the Rostov Region. Practical recommendations have been formulated for regional public authorities to ensure effective use of public spaces in large cities in the context urbanization. Discussion and Conclusion. Based on the study, the authors have proposed an algorithm for the development of public spaces in cities, which will combine the efforts of public authorities, business entities and the population in creating a comfortable urban environment in large cities. The materials of the article will be useful for city managers and heads of regions, as well as for specialists involved in the landscaping of public spaces.

УПРАВЛІННЯ ПРОЦЕСАМИ СТВОРЕННЯ ПУБЛІЧНИХ ПРОСТОРІВ: ДОСЯГНЕННЯ СТАЛОГО МІСЬКОГО РОЗВИТКУ ШЛЯХОМ ПОДОЛАННЯ СОЦІАЛЬНОГО ВИКЛЮЧЕННЯ

The purpose of the article is to systematize the experience of European cities in creating public spaces capable of overcoming social exclusion and ensuring sustainable urban development. The scientific novelty is to substantiate the conceptual approach to the management of the process of creating public spaces in cities in the context of achieving sustainable urban development by overcoming social exclusion. The results of the research show that the creation of public spaces requires attention to the factors influencing the possibilities of overcoming social exclusion (economic, social, institutional). The analysis of the experience of five European cities (Varna, Bulgaria; Viterbo, Italy; Getxo, Spain; Copenhagen, Denmark; Malmo, Sweden) allowed highlighting the features and current trends in the creation of public space in cities. The main provisions of the approach to the management of public spaces in cities by identifying and systematizing: 1) the functions of public spaces: communication, recreational, political, territorial identification, integrating and aesthetic; 2) features of public spaces: openness and accessibility (convenience and ability to use the space for all regardless of age, race, health, affluence, etc.), safety and comfort (physical and psychological comfort, a sense of security in a comfortable and attractive space to use), interaction (the ability to establish contacts and cooperation in heterogeneous groups of users of the space); 3) forms (transformation of existing built-up areas, development of new territories) and tools (organizational and managerial, technical and technological, financial and economic) for creating public spaces. As a result, the study provided an opportunity to develop a mechanism for creating public spaces in the city. Successful implementation of the experience of European cities in Ukraine requires studying the needs of residents and guests of the city, researching existing analogues, identifying the potential of the city to create a public space of a certain type, taking into account risks, understanding the purpose of public space and determining the reasonable cost of projects.

Approaches to the formation of public space in cities with hot climates based on the concept of sustainable development

Approaches to the formation of public space in cities with hot climates based on the concept of sustainable development

Thermal comfort and pedestrian behaviors in urban public spaces in cities with warm and dry climates

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to move beyond the stage of analysis of exclusively physical microclimatic phenomena and extending ourselves to the study of the impact of the microclimate environment on the user behavior in public spaces. This paper will open up new opportunities for the development of urban open spaces and facilitate the decision-making for urban decision-makers, city managers and planners to make the right urban planning decision.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology for identifying the links between microclimatic quality of urban routes and behaviors was developed on the basis of the results obtained from field surveys carried out in nine public urban areas of the city of Biskra, three urban space are located in a traditional urban fabric (the medina) and the other five in new urban areas, in the two climatic seasons (winter, summer) of 2019. For this exploratory research, two types of instruments were used to collect data from environmental and human monitoring.FindingsImproving microclimatic conditions in urban spaces can allow people to spend more time outside, with the possibility of increasing their social cohesion. The overall objective of this research is to better understand the impact of microclimatic characteristics on pedestrian behavior of nine selected public urban spaces in the city of Biskra, Algeria. To characterize this impact, the authors developed an approach based on crossing data of field surveys, including structured interviews with a questionnaire and observations of human activities (video recordings), as well as microclimate monitoring, conducted during the two climatic seasons (winter, summer) 2019. The analysis of the results allowed to verify the impact of the two climatic seasons (winter, summer) on the variation in the density of occupancy of the different urban areas studied and the duration of the user stations. The authors also illustrated that the number of individuals higher in the traditional urban spaces of the city of Biskra or the conditions of climate comfort are more comfortable than the urban spaces in the new urban areas of the city of Biskra during the summer, which is the season most problematic.Originality/valueIn recent years, there has been a proliferation of scientific studies on the subject of control of microclimatic characteristics and, in particular, on the consideration of the thermal comfort of persons by qualitative analysis, prediction and representation of the perception of external environments. Improving microclimatic conditions in urban spaces can allow people to spend more time outside, with the possibility of increasing their social cohesion. This study highlights the importance of climate-conscious urban design and design flexibility. Urban environments can be modified in summer and winter to provide a better outdoor thermal environment for users. In addition, this study also shows the importance of harmony between microclimate and urban design. Such harmony can be achieved by including requirements for a climate-conscious urban design in the planning regulations for cities in arid zones.

Stuck in motion: Co-riding, interaction, and social distancing in public space in Ho Chi Minh City

Public space in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, appears to be malleable and unsettled. Located in a developing mega-urban region, the city is undergoing rapid economic growth and development. Its public spaces are emerging, disappearing, and transforming. The Saigon Bus network is a subsidised but flailing mass transit system. Taken as a public space, it highlights some of the particular features of public spaces in East Asian socialist contexts. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork among highly mobile residents of HCMC this paper aims to explore issues observed in shared non-private spaces in order to shed light on how public spaces in Vietnam’s largest city are made and used. Leaning on concepts of Lyn Lofland and Erving Goffman, I explore interactions of co-riders on Saigon Bus services and co-riders’ responses to experiencing an offensive odour. The paper concludes that, firstly, public spaces are made through practices that transform while-in-use and they can be self-regulating while under rules and regulations. Secondly, public spaces are place-dependent and in HCMC typically include anonymous, private and commercial activities. Thirdly, public spaces are socio-historically situated in the contemporary post-reform socialist context of pre-pandemic and post-pandemic times.

The Role of Green Public Spaces of the Old Canal in Downtown Bydgoszcz and Its Impact on the City’s Cultural Landscape in 1773 – 1971

One of the important roles of greenery in public spaces of cities is to shape and complement, on a par with architectural objects, the image of the city and building its identity. Identity is the existence of a physical reflection of the nature of history and the traditions of the city and its inhabitants or urban community, distinguishing them from other places and communities. Through conscious, rational and professional activities creating urban tissue, spatial order is achieved, which forms the basis of the identity of cities and determines their quality. Each city, developing its own social and cultural image, resulting from both history and tradition, as well as changes taking place, should cultivate its separate image. The greenery also decides about the identity of the urban space as the aforementioned factors. They are important in individualising and shaping his landscape. Harmoniously composed and decorated green areas also decide about creating the character of the city and urban spaces. Competition for urban areas and for economic spheres of influence, underestimation of the role of spatial planning, marketization of all activities and spatial chaos as a result - these are factors that have pushed into the background the priority of conscious urban landscape shaping, including greenery in the city center of Bydgoszcz. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of green public spaces with against the background of the history of the creation and significance of the Old Canal along with the regard to the history and significance of the Old Canal along with the process of individualizing the cultural image of Bydgoszcz over the last 200 years. Used in the past, urban composition solutions can be a reference for new studies and planning activities in this area of the city.

Agoraphobia: New York City Public Space in the Time of COVID-19

This paper explores how the first two waves of the Covid-19 pandemic (February – May 2020) in New York City had magnified extreme polarization between two different visions of public space: one clearly represented by the Hudson Yards Plaza in Manhattan, and the other epitomized by the Corona Plaza in Queens. It argues that the phenomenon of agoraphobia, the fear of others, translates into the fear of public space and by extension the fear of democracy driven by deep anxieties surrounding the definition of “the social.” This is clearly exemplified by Hudson Yards, which closed its doors to the public in May and approached early bankruptcy. On the other hand, Corona Plaza is still a vibrant public space providing vital social and community services. The Plaza was co-produced by the local communities, city agencies, the non-profit sector and public-private partnership, and it provides a resilient model for the production of public space in NYC. The paper argues that the process of producing an infrastructure of inclusion in Corona, which had preceded the construction of Corona Plaza and was strengthen through it, has enabled the Plaza to strive even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

СОЦІАЛЬНА ЗНАКОВА СИСТЕМА ВІЗУАЛЬНОГО ПРОСТОРУ МІСТ В КОНТЕКСТІ ДІАЛОГУ КУЛЬТУР СХОДУ І ЗАХОДУ

The purpose of the study is to reveal the characteristic artistic and figurative specifics of the social sign system’s organization patterns of visual spaces of China and Poland in the context of contrasting worldviews, mental, ethnic features of the population. Methodology. Historical method, method of visual observation, method of system-comparative analysis, method of artistic-compositional analysis. Results. The specifics of the social sign system’s organization in the urbanenvironments of China (the case of Xuzhou city) and Poland (the case of Opole city) are analyzed; the influence of worldview, mental and ethnic peculiarities of the populatio on the formation of aesthetic traditions of artistic activity in the public space of cities is assessed; a comparative analysis of the eastern and western artistic and figurative tendencies is carried out; the key focuses of strategies for organizing the visual field of cities are described. Scientific novelty. Cities’ visual space social sign system in the context of the opposition of aesthetic, artistic and figurative tendencies of China and Poland is studied; the socio-cultural preconditions for the formation of Chinese and Polish social sign system’s specific features of are revealed. Practical significance. The results of the research can become a theoretical, factual basis for the development of general and special courses in art history studies, as well as the basis of practical programs for the transformation of modern cities’ visual spaces.