Public Open Space Research Articles

Model Lanskap Permukiman Tradisional Masyarakat Adat Rejang Provinsi Bengkulu Berbasis Budaya Lokal

Rejang is one of the original tribes of Bengkulu Province. This tribe mostly lives in the Bukit Barisan area. Some of their settlements are undergoing changes due to the rapidly growing flow of information and communication today. Conservation efforts need to be made, especially about their traditional settlement landscape model. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the character of traditional settlement landscapes and their constituent elements and compile a model of traditional settlement landscapes of the indigenous Rejang people. This research uses a descriptive method through a literature study approach, interviews, and field observations. The analysis was carried out descriptively and spatially. The landscape character of the indigenous Rejang tribe settlement is in the form of hilly landforms with land cover in the form of forests, gardens, and terraced rice fields, with the valley floor in the form of small and medium rivers. Traditional settlements stretch over ridges to mountain peaks. The character-forming features of landscapes include both natural and artificial features. Natural features consist of the elements of hills, forests, and rivers. Artificial features consist of terraced rice fields, gardens/fields, and settlements. The settlement itself includes traditional houses (including traditional chiefs' houses), circulation paths, public open spaces, and tombs. The elements that make up the Residential Garden include residential houses, rice barns (tangkiang), kitchens, fence plants, vegetable and flower plants, trees, yards, mortar (places to pound rice). Traditional ceremonial activities are held inside and outside the home, as well as communal activities such as planting and harvesting rice held in rice fields. The landscape model of the traditional settlement of the indigenous people of Rejang Lebong is linear with the center of the settlement along the main road on the ridge. The settlement is surrounded by gardens/fields and rice fields. The forest is on the outside away from settlements.

Public Satisfaction in the Management and Use of Green Open Space in Manado City, North Sulawesi Province

The community has the right to utilize public open spaces. Therefore, the government has the responsibility to provide public open spaces and provide supporting facilities that can be used by the community according to their designation. Manado City in implementing Law Number 26 of 2007 has provided public open spaces for the community. The availability of public open spaces has been utilized by the community for sports activities, recreation or simply interacting with others. The open spaces that are often used by the people of Manado City besides the Blessing Park and the coastal reclamation park are also the Sparta Tikala Field, the Wenang National Unity Park, and the KONI Sario Field. However, in its management and utilization, several complaints are still found from the community. This study was conducted to identify and analyze community satisfaction in the management and use of green open spaces in Manado City. The research design used is qualitative with a descriptive approach. Data were obtained by conducting interviews with the community who use green open spaces and the managers of green open spaces. Observations were made by visiting the existing green open spaces directly and observing all the facilities available and the activities carried out by the community when they were in the green open space. Secondary data collection was conducted by utilizing Google Scholar and ResearchGate to obtain references that can support the achievement of research objectives. Data analysis was conducted using the stages of data reduction,

Spatial heterogeneity and interaction effect of urban blue and green spaces on housing prices

Rapid urbanization presents policymakers and planners with the challenge of balancing public open spaces design with the conservation and improvement of natural resources. A comprehensive understanding of the land economic value of urban blue-green spaces (UBGS) holds immense significance for urban sustainable development, urban spatial justice and the promotion of human well-being. In this study, the MGWR model is employed to discuss the heterogeneous effects of UBGS on housing prices in Hangzhou. Additionally, the interaction effect between blue space and green space was examined at the district level, and the specific locations and spatial patterns were identified. The results show that (1) different types, features and accessibility of UBGS have different degrees and spatial scale of effect on housing prices, and will be affected by other attributes of UBGS; (2) in 30.92% of the main urban area of Hangzhou, the effect of blue spaces and green spaces on housing prices exhibits an interactive effect. The spatial patterns are divided into blue-green positive synergistic, antagonistic and negative synergistic regions; (3) green space has positive and negative effects on housing prices, while blue space has positive effects on housing prices at the regional level. The existence of water bodies can promote the positive effect of green spaces on housing prices or alleviate the negative effect. The results indicate that planners must transcend the singular focus on blue or green space planning and instead consider both in an integrated manner. This outcome can provide valuable references for UBGS planning.

Revitalisation Design of North Coastal Border in Lemahwungkuk Sub-District with Urban Design Element Analysis

Cirebon is one of the cities in West Java province. The city is located in the lowlands on the north coast of Java. The low topography factor is closely related to urban problems, such as slums in the Lemahwungkuk sub-district of Cirebon City. This research aims to solve urban problems because, according to the Mayor's Regulation No. 663/Kep.421-DPRKP/2021, Lemahwungkuk sub-district includes Cangkol coastal and Kesunean coastal areas among the eleven slum locations in Cirebon city. In addition, there is a plan to revitalize the coastal border area. The method used in this research is qualitative, using urban design analysis and site analysis. The data sources were obtained through interviews with 20 informants and mapping using ArcGIS 10.8 software. The concept of an environmental approach with an orientation towards the community in the design of the revitalization of the north coast area in Lemahwungkuk District emphasizes the physical environment, infrastructure, economy, socio-culture, disaster, and collaboration between the government and the community. The results of this revitalization design can also be a recommendation for development in Cirebon, West Java. In addition, it recommends conservation and tourism activities on the north coast of Cirebon, West Java. Efforts to overcome the phenomenon of urban sprawl at the research site by changing the pattern of settlements and building layout to improve the quality of the community environment and increase public space and green open space for conservation, tourism, and aesthetic functions of the region.

Meeting place

What is the essence and content of a modern city? Not buildings, not engineering networks and not roads. People, citizens, relationships and meetings between them are the central purpose of city life. The city is a space riddled with meetings. The news section of the current issue is devoted to meetings of architects. The anniversary of the oldest centre of theoretical architectural and town-planning thought and the Festival “Zodchestvo in Siberia” (ZVS) in Krasnoyarsk have become occasions for many heated discussions and celebratory meetings. This time the main exposition of the ZVS literally went out to meet the city – it was displayed on the museum avant-plaza above the Yenisei (11-44). The main theme of the festival – PERSONALITY – was developed in this issue of PB (45-92). Meetings can be constructive, and they can be conflictive. To prevent meetings from turning into conflicts, some flows need to be separated (e.g. pedestrian and car flows). A compulsory program of comfort growth is supposed to develop pedestrian zones in a modern city, as well as to make the embankments free from transport and industrial enterprises. To what extent is a contemporary citizen ready and eager for meetings? Has loneliness become a norm of life? Konstantin Lidin is discussing this issue in the leading article (94). The city’s public spaces can also be introverted and extroverted: Andrei Bokov introduces the concepts of INTRA and EXTRA in relation to different spaces – open and closed, which encourage people’s meetings in a different way (108). Who wins in the competition for full-fledged communication – social networks or open public spaces? This and many other questions were discussed in the PB Discussion Club dedicated to the theme of this issue: MEETING PLACE.

Exploring cross-modal perception: audio, visual, and thermal responses to changes in audio-visual Stimuli within virtual urban parks

Human perception is an essential factor in soundscape. Humans are multisensory beings, and thus, their perceptions are influenced by various multisensorial experiences. Our perception of a soundscape is not solely influenced by the sound in itself but also by various non-auditory factors. This research examines how visual factors, other than auditory, influence people's perceptions in public open spaces. An experiment was conducted using audio and visual stimuli. Three setups were compared: audio-only, visual-only, and combined audio-visual stimuli to observe differences in the respondent's perception. Furthermore, this research examines not only auditory perception but also visual and thermal perceptions, all of which are known to be important in public open spaces. The statistical test ANOVA showed that the Audio-Visual and visual-only stimuli produced a significant difference (p<0.05) in the thermal perception. On the other hand, the Audio-Visual and audio-only stimuli did not result in any significant differences. This study contributes to understanding the interaction between different sensory modalities and how it affects our perception. The findings underscore the importance of considering multisensory experiences, including auditory, visual, and thermal aspects when designing or evaluating environments in urban settings.

Urban street clusters: unraveling the associations of street characteristics on urban vibrancy dynamics in age, time, and day

Understanding urban vibrancy has been considered crucial to promoting human activities and interactions in public open spaces. Recent advancements in urban big data have facilitated the potential to understand and measure vibrancy patterns throughout cities. While streets are considered the center stage of human activity, previous studies have often overlooked their multifaceted nature and their association with urban vibrancy. In this study, we incorporate multi-source big data and combine a set of features that comprehensively describe the scale, function, and topology of street segments in two Seoul districts: Jung-gu and Gangnam-gu. Using these features, we employ a machine learning clustering technique to classify them into five distinct typologies. Then, with street-level aggregated mobile phone tracking data, we investigate whether street typology characteristics are associated with urban vibrancy with respect to age groups, time of day, and day types (weekends/weekdays). The results show varying relationships between street characteristics with age-, time- and day-vibrancy measures by the identified street typology. Further, we contrast the results of the two districts to evaluate urban vibrancy differences in organic and planned urban layouts. This study enables a more nuanced understanding of urban streets to better comprehend their impact on people’s use of street space. The derived novel insights could assist planners and designers to better pinpoint street management solutions for different age- and time-dependent needs based on the complexities in urban vibrancy dynamics.

Functional and Aesthetic Factors for Well-Being in Age-Friendly Residential Areas (AFRA) in Poland: An International Comparative Perspective

(1) Background: A precise and comprehensive diagnosis of the needs of older adults is the basis for developing concepts of aesthetic functional and spatial arrangements of public open spaces in residential areas that meet their expectations, termed “age-friendly residential areas” (AFRAs). The primary objective of the research was to determine the needs of older people concerning their preferences for the development of AFRAs. (2) Methods: This research was conducted on the basis of a survey conducted from October 2021 to April 2022, involving 1815 older citizens from Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, and Slovakia. The research aimed to determine the needs of older people regarding their preferences for the development of AFRA public open spaces. The developed research approach made it possible to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the needs of different generations of older adults, differentiated by gender and lifestyle, in terms of spatio-functional and landscape aspects with regard to the open spaces of residential estates? (2) Do older citizens from different countries living in various estates (single-family, multi-family) have the same expectations towards AFRAs? (3) Results: The research results showed a high convergence of preferences among older people regardless of gender, age group, or type of residential estate they live in (multi-family/single-family). Slight differences in AFRA preferences were noticed between Polish and non-Polish older adults, most often due to cultural habits. A correlation between the landscape attractiveness and aesthetics of the estate and the comfort of life for the older population, as well as their impact on the final assessment of the estate, was confirmed. As a result of the research, 33 spatio-functional and 16 landscape factors of AFRAs were identified and ranked.

Key Factors Influencing Urban Regenerative Strategies in Public Open Spaces: A Case-Study in Lhasa

Abstract In the last decades, significant efforts have been made in urban construction to achieve rapid economic development. However, with climate change on the agenda, there is a growing recognition of the importance of urban sustainable development and of its potential impacts on residents. Reflection reveals that many policies, measures, and tools are inadequate; therefore, public open spaces are regarded as a potential target of urban regeneration strategies. This study explores users’ perceptions of public open spaces through participatory methods. The developed methodology is applied to specific areas of Lhasa, the major city of the Tibet region, which was selected as a test-bed site. The survey involved a selected pool of participants and emphasized the coverage of different types of public open spaces. Investigate factors including personal background, overall satisfaction, user evaluation, usage preference, and willingness to change, analyze key factors based on quantitative survey results. Subsequently, identify the key regenerative design elements that require highlighting. The findings indicate that comfort and safety are emphasized by users of all types of public open spaces. Additionally, their initial impression upon entering a space significantly influences their overall satisfaction with it. Besides, although individual background differences play a role, they are not sufficient to significantly influence the user’s evaluation of the space. However, variations in the purpose of space use result in differences in user evaluations and needs, impacting their attitudes based on the type of space. Finally, urban regeneration design strategies are proposed for various types of public open spaces and users.

The Role of Age-friendly City Indicators in Predicting Social Belonging in Older Adults Residing in Mohammadiyeh County, Qazvin, Iran

Objectives A strong sense of belonging is crucial for the physical and mental health of older adults and their social interactions. The age-friendly city offers various opportunities for social participation of older adults. The present study aims to determine the role of age friendly-city indicators in predicting social belonging of older adults residing in Mohammadiyeh County, Qazvin Province, Iran. Methods & Materials This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 300 older adults in 2022, who were selected by a cluster sampling method from six municipal districts of Mohammadiyeh County. Data were collected using a demographic checklist, an age-friendly city scale, and a social belonging scale. Data analysis was conducted in SPSS software version 23 using multivariate linear regression analysis. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results The mean age of participants was 67.55±6 years, ranging from 60 to 84 years. The majority of them were male (n=157, 52.33%), married (n=216, 72%), and illiterate (n=157, 52.33%). Among the age-friendly city indicators, the highest score was related to the safety/ease of transportation (16.86±4.51) and open public spaces (45.61±11.47) indicators. The results of multivariate regression analysis showed that marital status (β=-0.150, P=0.006), lower than high school education (β=0.170, P=0.003) and high school diploma (β=0.192, P=0.001), and the age-friendly city indicator of safety/ease of transportation (β=0.328, P<0.001) were predictors of social belonging in older adults. Conclusion The majority of older adults in Mohammadiyeh County are dissatisfied with age-friendly indicators. Those who feel safe and have easy access to public transportation are more likely to have a stronger sense of social belonging. The results of this study can effectively help policymakers and city managers in proper planning in order to develop an age-friendly city.

Formation and Sustainability in Historical Squares: An Analysis on The Example of Nicosia Historical Urban Texture

Squares, which are social meeting and community areas of societies, have shaped important public open spaces of settlements. Located in historical urban textures, such spaces are also a source reflecting the history of the city with the artefacts from their formation processes. The squares acquired their identity through surrounding formations from different periods in the history of Cyprus and have come to the present day with their active lives. Sarayönü, Selimiye and ?nönü squares in the walled city of Nicosia have developed from their first formation during the Lusignan period of the island up until Venetian, Ottoman, British, Republic of Cyprus. The historical squares, which completed their development relatively during the British period, have been damaged by multi-storey reinforced concrete buildings, which are controversial and incompatible with traditional architecture, added to their textures because of inadequacies in protection, especially after the mid-1970s, and their historical textures have lost their sustainability. This study aims to analyse the historical squares in Nicosia, which have been formed over a period of more than eight hundred years with cultural heritage works from different civilisations, and to reveal the damage caused to their identities by incompatible buildings added to their textures and the importance of sustainability in historical textures with protection. Keywords: Square, sustainability, texture, Nicosia, historical

Measurement of the Attractiveness of Public Open Spaces to Visitors at Lifestyle Centers

Measurement of the Attractiveness of Public Open Spaces to Visitors at Lifestyle Centers

The Public Open Space Quality in a Rural Village and an Urban Neighborhood: A Re-Examination after Decades

The Public Open Space Quality in a Rural Village and an Urban Neighborhood: A Re-Examination after Decades

Campus Commons: Analysis of IIT Patna’s Public open Spaces

The Public open spaces offer amenities including areas for social interaction and physical activity, which are crucial for the overall wellness of society and the enhancement of living quality. Many studies on POSs have been conducted in developed countries (the US, Australia, and Europe, particularly Germany, Spain, and France). POSs for the Indian context haven't been thoroughly studied, though. Using importance-performance analysis (IPA), this study attempts to investigate the role and effectiveness of public open spaces on the campus of National Institute of Technology, Patna, India. It has been noted that stakeholders' perceptions of the importance & satisfaction, from the use of public open spaces within the IIT Patna campus, varies. Consequently, this study could be useful in determining the importance and satisfaction of public open spaces, enabling the prioritization of these areas in order to enhance management and restore them in order to accomplish environmental sustainability locally. Furthermore, this study recommends that public open spaces' benefits to education, recreation, & the environment be taken into account by those in authority over campus planning early on.

Small Open Space

People can participate in the public realm by using public open spaces. In contrast to the setting of home or job, it is a place where people can physically join the larger community. The absence of neighbour interactions and the isolation of people as a result of a lack of well-maintained public open spaces have been characteristics of a new emerging town. Many public open places around the world have been underappreciated and severely neglected. A well-planned public open space would entice residents to leave their homes and participate in a variety of activities. When it comes to use and occupancy, this can raise the quality of the area. By evaluating the architectural and urban elements of the public open spaces, this research intends to discover and analyse dysfunctional public open spaces and weak linkages in those areas, and come up with solutions to improve these spaces and stimulate public life.

Analysis of Public Satisfaction Levels in Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) City Forest Based on Socio-Cultural Functions

The Jakarta City Government, along with the central government, has implemented various measures to address the issue of air pollution that has become a serious problem for the city. One of the efforts undertaken is to increase the provision of urban green spaces and restore the function of the GBK City Forest as a public green open space (GOS). However, there has been no research showing the public's perspective and satisfaction with the utilization of the GBK City Forest. This study aims to determine the level of public satisfaction with the GBK City Forest based on social-cultural functions. The assessment indicators used to measure public satisfaction in this study are based on the theory of cultural ecosystem services developed by Shijie Gai et al. The data used in this study were obtained using mixed methods data collection techniques through questionnaires (quantitative) as well as in-depth interviews and literature studies (qualitative). Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the majority of the public is highly satisfied with the utilization of the social-cultural functions of the GBK City Forest. However, some people still complain about the lack of supporting facilities for recreational activities and the disturbances from external parties that make them feel uncomfortable when engaging in activities at the GBK City Forest. Therefore, it is important for the government and the GBK City Forest management to consider public feedback and improve the quality and safety of the existing facilities.

Mapping and Assessing Effective Participatory Planning Processes for Urban Green Spaces in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Diverse Communities

The multicultural landscape of Aotearoa New Zealand presents a rich tapestry of diversity and community needs, underscoring an imperative for inclusive participatory planning processes. This paper presents findings from an investigation of the challenges and opportunities inherent in community engagement initiatives, particularly within the context of New Zealand’s major ethnic groups, including New Zealand European, Māori, Chinese, and Pasifika. Drawing from the importance of community participation in reshaping public open spaces, this research addressed the gap in understanding which participatory planning processes are most effective across diverse cultural groups. To investigate the effectiveness of various approaches to community engagement, this research involved focus groups from the Wellington suburbs of Newtown and Porirua, utilising both on-site and online meetings. The findings identify the most effective participation processes for planning public open spaces in relation to each ethnicity. Correlations between participant preferences and their unique cultural backgrounds were assessed. In addition, the least effective participation methods along with several relatively effective participation methods are discussed. By highlighting engagement methods that can foster inclusivity, equity, and a sense of community, this research advances a collective goal of building a more cohesive and effective society for all its inhabitants.

Stand-off concealed firearm detection using motion tracking and convolutional neural networks

<p>The standoff detection of concealed firearms is crutial in managing public security in public spaces. Currently employed standoff concealed weapon detection techniques employ electromagnetic wave imaging which has been found to be extremely slow and may require expensive hardware and may not be applicable in public open spaces. Inorder to maintain safety in open spaces, artificial intelligence enabled video surveillance systems have been widely adopted. This poses an opportunity to explore video surveillance cameras as concealed weapon detectors. A review of existing video surveillance based automated weapon detection approaches discovered that the focus was on the detection of unconcealed firearms leaving a gap in the detection of concealed firearms. This study addresses the aforementioned gap by providing a standoff concealed firearm detection approach on video based on skeletal-based human motion tracking and convolutional neural networks. The motion of armed and unarmed persons was tracked using a depth camera and further classified using convolutional neural networks model. The developed model reported 100% accuracy, precision and recall scores. These results outperformed results obtained from traditional machine learning models therefore highlighting the superior capability of the proposed approach for concealed firearm detection on video to complement the efforts of human video surveillance operators.</p>

Public space and everyday heritage: An inquiry into children's and adults' perception

This paper examines how the spatial environment and the activities within these spaces contribute to their social value in turn informing the concept of everyday heritage within urban public spaces. We develop a novel methodological framework that combines visual representation and narrative analysis to provide insights into how the physical, emotional and perceptual dimensions of a public open space translate into associative social values. By including both adults and children in our study, we capture a comprehensive range of perceptions, highlighting the diverse ways in which different user groups give meaning to everyday heritage. Children and their guardians showed agreement on natural elements and personal representations, but differed on the garden's spatial layout and activities. While they shared values like childhood memories and family time, children prioritized play, forming new friendships, and connecting with nature, whereas parents emphasized children's happiness and personal space. Notably, both groups indicate that childhood – both lived and remembered – is that which gives this public urban space its everyday heritage status. The findings advocate for an expanded understanding of urban public spaces, recognizing the significance of everyday heritage in shaping collective cultural identity.

Crowdsourced data as a strategic approach to include the human dimension in outdoor environmental quality assessments

Outdoor environments extend living spaces as venues for various activities. Comfortable open public spaces can positively impact citizens' health and well-being, thereby improving the livability and resilience of cities. Considering the visitors' perception of these environments in comfort studies is crucial for ensuring their well-being and promoting the use of these spaces. However, traditional survey methods may be time- and resource-consuming to gather significant sample sizes, usually focusing on selected homogeneous samples. Crowdsourced data, then, has emerged as an alternative for assessing human perception, as it eases the collection of subjective feedback and potentially amplifies impact and inclusivity. This study presents a strategic approach for analyzing publicly available and willingly reported crowdsourced data from a digital mapping platform in outdoor comfort evaluations, aiming to verify whether these data are informative regarding environmental quality perception and to identify the environmental factors that people are most sensitive to. Urban parks located in New York City served as a case study. A multi-source, interdisciplinary information framework combined crowdsourced reviews with environmental data used to determine prevailing thermal conditions. Overall perception of parks was well-rated, revealing that their attractions and activities are probably the most appealing characteristics for park attendance. Regarding environmental perception, acoustic and thermal factors are clearly the most influential. Acoustics were well-rated, while the main aspect regarding the thermal domain is the recognition of shading as a mitigator for hot conditions. Environmental data provided complementary insights, particularly concerning the range of thermal sensations experienced in urban parks. The findings confirm that willingly reported crowdsourced data can provide valuable insights into urban crowd environmental perception, presenting a potentially suitable and effective method to include the human perspective in environmental quality assessments, as well as to evaluate and predict environmental-related risks.