Public Open Space Research Articles

Mixed-Use Building with Threshold Space Approach in Central Jakarta

This research aims to emphasize the relationship between the two functions of private and public space which can be achieved by applying the concept of a transitional space (threshold) with the integration of public open space in the middle of a mixed-use area. This phenomenon shows that overcoming mental health problems in urban communities with the integration of public open spaces with a perceptual research approach from the study of criteria and visual elements of public space. This research was conducted using quantitative methods with data revealed by explanative analysis. The research instrument used is in the form of a perceptual assessment survey regarding the transition space simulation that has been measured based on the threshold space and public space parameters. The needs for a mixed-use threshold space parameters that can become a new communal space for urban communities requires a design approach that supports the creation of sustainable architectural designs (eco-architecture planning) in terms of social aspects.

Identification of Local Accessibility Hubs and Leisure Amenities in Suburbanized Settlements: Case Study on the Suburban Zone of Prague

This paper focuses on the topological definition of the system of public spaces in suburbanized settlements. It identifies hubs with the best local accessibility within the system of public open spaces using the Space syntax method and analyses their leisure amenities. The topological investigation was performed on the example of the suburban zone of Prague, the immediate surroundings of which have been developing dramatically in recent decades. About 44 rapidly developing settlements in this area were included in the study and their system of public open spaces was analyzed using the Integration HH metric and local accessibility hubs (those with the highest Integration HH value) were identified. Subsequently, the placement of existing leisure amenities with respect to these accessibility hubs was evaluated. Only 32% of leisure amenities were located in the accessibility hubs, which indicates an unfulfilled potential of locally well-accessible places. At the same time, the placement of leisure amenities within new developments in areas difficult-to-access from other parts of the settlement poses a threat to the integration of the population from these new developments with those from other parts of the settlement. This paper offers solutions for preventing these issues, for identifying natural centers with the best accessibility, and proposes possible measures for mitigation of the identified problems.

A Pattern of Public Open Space Utilization in Tondo I Permanent Resettlement Residential Area (HUNTAP) as Evacuation Space

Learning from the disaster in Palu on September 28, 2018, disaster management in residential areas needs to be facilitated, such as a disaster evacuation or gathering point. This study tries to see the other side of the function of public space as an evacuation shelter in a settlement, with the study case of Huntap I Tondo. This study aims to formulate a pattern of public open space as an evacuation space in Permanent Residential (Huntap) I Tondo. The method is descriptive with field observation of data collection techniques and questionnaires. The stages of the research are 1) conducting spatial analysis to map the location of public open spaces and 2) using the behavioral mapping method and describing it to reveal the spatial pattern created from the reciprocal relationship between humans and space. 3) Distributing questionnaires to determine perceptions and preferences of public open spaces as evacuation spaces. The results obtained the pattern and factors of public open space as an evacuation space in the Huntap I Tondo area are influenced by, (1) the physical aspect of the availability of the nearest public space in the form of environmental roads and open spaces in residential areas. (2) Non-physical aspects include survivors’ and refugees’ social interactions.

Existing status and spatial characteristics of public open space after planning in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

Public open space is a space that can be freely used by anyone and is becoming increasingly popular in Japan. This study categorized the spatial characteristics of public open space based on an analysis of its spatial composition elements. We also investigated how the land use of public open space has changed from the time of planning to the present. As a result, the spatial characteristics of public open space were classified into three categories: 1)the first is public open space for rest, 2)the second is public open space for long periods of rest, and 3)the third is public open space for interaction with nature. The change and the existing land use status of public open space up to the present was identified based on aerial photographs after the public open space plan were established. Furthermore, a comparison of the planned area of existing and non-existing public open space revealed that there are differences in the existing ratio depending on the location and the planning period, but not significant change in the size.

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE (CI) PROTECTION FOR FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT AND FLOOD VULNERABILITY INDEX IN SUNGAI PINANG, PULAU PINANG

Infrastructure that is rated "critical" has a significant long-term impact on a large number of people when it fails. This study's objective is to rank Sungai Pinang's Critical Infrastructure (CI) for flood risk assessment and vulnerability index. According to the literature research, there are seven (7) indicators that are linked to CI, including industrial areas, infrastructure and utilities, institutions and public facilities, commercial areas, transportation, residential areas, and open space and recreational areas. Experts from local governments and technical agencies in the state of Pulau Pinang that are concerned with and related to CI ranked the indicators during the focus group discussion. The most significant degree of CI was used to order these indicators. According to the results, residential areas received the maximum score of 165 points. With a total score of 160, institutions and public buildings are the second-ranked indicator. Infrastructure and utilities, which are ranked third, received 102 points, while transportation, which is ranked fourth, received 100 points. The fifth-ranked indication is commercial areas (65 marks). Open space and recreational areas are the indicator that came in sixth (64 marks). Industrial area ranks last among the indicators (58 marks).

An urban neighbourhood framework for realising progress towards the New Urban Agenda for equitable early childhood development

ABSTRACT Children consistently exposed to positive, stimulating environments, including their spatial neighbourhood, experience foundations for ongoing optimal development. Recognition of the neighbourhood as a mechanism to enhance wellbeing is reflected in the United Nation's New Urban Agenda. Through a series of innovations and advancements, this paper aims to describe a spatial indicators' framework, the Neighbourhood Early Childhood Development Framework. Once tested, it can be used to assess and monitor urban neighbourhoods for their ability to equitably support early childhood development. Eight domains were included in the framework: Early childcare and education services, family-friendly destinations, food outlets, housing, public open space, public transport, traffic, and walkability. Overall, 44 indicators were conceptualised for calculation at the smallest appropriate geographical scale available (i.e. a child's home address). Different scales of analysis were chosen to represent a child's local neighbourhood in an urban setting. The Framework supports commitment to action in the New Urban Agenda through improved measurement, monitoring, and research capabilities, alongside provision of tools to support evidence-based and interdisciplinary policy and practitioner decision-making. Once tested with child outcomes, it can inform more precise, evidence-based place-based interventions, while offering the potential to reduce childhood developmental inequities at scale.

Social and spatial impacts of changing urban form in Ayazağa, Turkey

The politics of spatial reproduction have been at the heart of Turkey’s economic growth over the past two decades, accelerating rapid urban change in İstanbul. In addition to the transformation of the existing building stock in the city, natural spaces are also being developed through the partial revision of master plans and reproduced through large- scale new investments. This study examines the spatial changes in the Ayazağa Neighbourhood on the northern periphery of İstanbul. The region has become one of the areas where large capital owners have invested extensively in the last decade. Most of the new spatial interventions are large- scale mixed- use buildings. Based on morphological analysis and in- depth interviews with residents, the study investigates the existing urban fabric and the new interventions through four specific cases. The reproduction of urban space in the case study areas is discussed in terms of spatial characteristics and social aspects. As a result, the lack of public open spaces, massive new buildings with privately owned public spaces, and the social and spatial segregation between the residents of the informal settlements and the new upper- class housing are addressed as problem areas.

Design and Implementation of a Real-Time Crowd Monitoring System Based on Public Wi-Fi Infrastructure: A Case Study on the Sri Chiang Mai Smart City

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in many aspects of daily life, including learning, working, and communicating. As countries aim to recover their economies, there is an increasing need for smart city solutions, such as crowd monitoring systems, to ensure public safety both during and after the pandemic. This paper presents the design and implementation of a real-time crowd monitoring system using existing public Wi-Fi infrastructure. The proposed system employs a three-tiered architecture, including the sensing domain for data acquisition, the communication domain for data transfer, and the computing domain for data processing, visualization, and analysis. Wi-Fi access points were used as sensors that continuously monitored the crowd and uploaded data to the server. To protect the privacy of the data, encryption algorithms were employed during data transmission. The system was implemented in the Sri Chiang Mai Smart City, where nine Wi-Fi access points were installed in nine different locations along the Mekong River. The system provides real-time crowd density visualizations. Historical data were also collected for the analysis and understanding of urban behaviors. A quantitative evaluation was not feasible due to the uncontrolled environment in public open spaces, but the system was visually evaluated in real-world conditions to assess crowd density, rather than represent the entire population. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of leveraging existing public Wi-Fi infrastructure for crowd monitoring in uncontrolled, real-world environments. The monitoring system is readily accessible and does not require additional hardware investment or maintenance. The collected dataset is also available for download. In addition to COVID-19 pandemic management, this technology can also assist government policymakers in optimizing the use of public space and urban planning. Real-time crowd density data provided by the system can assist route planners or recommend points of interest, while information on the popularity of tourist destinations enables targeted marketing.

Using a Data Mining Method to Explore Strategies for Improving the Social Interaction Environment Quality of Urban Neighborhood Open Spaces

With the intensification of population aging and the increasing awareness of public health protection in the post-epidemic era, the renewal of the old urban community neighborhood space is facing many new challenges and problems. Neighborhood Public Open Space (POS) is the main place for people to carry out various social activities in community life. The quality of the social interaction environment that a neighborhood POS can provide can have a vital impact on people’s well-being, as well as their physical and mental health. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify and clarify the key physical environmental design attributes/features of the old urban community neighborhood POS, and to explore the relationship between them from the perspective of creating a high-quality social environment. Through the investigation of relevant cases in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, China, the classification performance of each case on the key physical and environmental elements is used as the conditional attribute, and the quality of the social interaction environment in the current situation of each case is used as the decision making attribute to conduct a data mining analysis. Using rough set theory, this study screened out four important elements: greenbelt form planning (C1); ped and bike system (C2); space organization and zoning planning (C6); Public facilities (C8). Moreover, this study also presents a set of hierarchical decision rules to describe the classification status of the matching physical environmental design elements when the social interaction environment reaches a high quality in the neighborhood POS. This study provides local policy makers with key current situation assessment and diagnostic tools in urban-built environmental renewal projects. The results of this study can help designers draw up the renovation design plans of neighborhood POS on the basis of efficiently obtaining the practical experience of relevant cases, and then create a high-quality social interaction environment.

Innovations in Utilizing Public Open Space in Sustainable Development

In this era, cities and urban spaces face social and environmental challenges that endanger their sustainability. These challenges are the result of years of development based solely on the economic dimension, where natural resources are exploited in an unsustainable way. The purpose of this study is to find out how innovations are used in the use of public open space from the perspective of sustainable development in Majalengka district. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach, with secondary data collection and literature study as well as primary data taken by means of interviews with officials or authorized staff at the relevant agencies. The sampling technique used in this study was purposive sampling. The results of the research showed that the Department of the Environment, Cleanliness, and Landscaping in Majalengka Regency has several innovative products, both in the form of public goods and public services. The economic sustainability felt by visitors is almost nonexistent, because a lot of economic sustainability is felt by the surrounding community as traders, street vendors (PKL), and parking attendants.
 Keywords: urban spaces, Majalengka regency, innovative products

The influence of the age of granite paving blocks in outdoor public spaces on the ambient temperature during the warm months affecting their users

In this research, we present the results from the comparison of temperature measurements that were made over different external points of public spaces in the old town of Xanthi. The area is located in northern Greece and is a protected settlement. All the points where the measurements were made are paved with dark gray granite blocks. This material has always been used to pave the open public spaces of the old town. Through the comparison of temperature measurements, it was found that the older paving materials develop higher temperatures compared to similar, but newer materials. Thus, it was concluded that the age of the paving materials affects the comfort of the users of the open public spaces. To test this, measurements were made during two months in spring and summer. During this period, the temperatures are higher and thus affect the users of the outdoor areas more; this results in a more useful comparison of the coating materials.

Between “Glórias”: Landscapes of Forgetting in Glória Neighborhood — Rio de Janeiro

The article looks at everyday public open spaces and the different forms of their appropriation in the surroundings of the short wall located in the neighborhood of Glória, in Rio de Janeiro, through a multiscale landscape analysis that identified the short wall as a landscape structuring element. The short wall is a vestige of the past, driving the ‘displacement’ and forgetting of the Guanabara Bay, while also being a remembrance of the place’s bygone waters and histories. It also works as a physical limit that conforms different spaces, occupied mainly by social groups formed by workers, transvestites and homeless people who make these spaces their place of living, working and resisting, but even so continue to be “forgotten” by society and the government. This text results from the author’s Master’s research at the UFRJ Post-graduate Program in architecture, and from her personal experiences in the neighborhood of Glória. By identifying different landscape units, evaluation criteria were defined and divided into five perspectives, making it possible to characterize the territory through different aspects that shed light on the intangible dimensions of the landscape, particularly its conflicts and contradictions. The results are presented in maps and section cuts, and summarized in an analytical chart.

Tactical Chor(e)ographies: Tactics of Inhibition as a Threat to Public Space in Limassol’s Seafront

This article explores the area that spans between the boardwalk and the Limassol Marina to highlight the tensions between two major trends in terms of the constructions of urban spaces worldwide, namely, open public spaces and segre/gated communities. Between them, lies the area of the boardwalk, one of the most successful public spaces in the island in terms of public access, openness, and inclusion. Employing ethnographic methods, this article examines walking in and other uses of these areas. It challenges de Certeau’s binary framework by suggesting that power may be more complex than simply two discrete levels, hence tactics are not a monopoly of the “powerless.” I argue that those striving to be perceived as powerful and “in control” employ a range of “tactics of inhibition” to limit possible uses of space. “Tactical chor(e)ographies” is proposed as an analytical term that can capture these processes.

Public Open Space Assessment and Management: A case of Damak Municipality, Jhapa, Nepal

Abstract: Most of the public spaces are being used for the development of public buildings in the name of schools, hospitals, multi-purpose halls, temples, community buildings, etc. The lack of lively and quality public places is faced by all in recent years. There are several reasons why our city continues to encroach on public spaces. The public, even the city leaders are not well aware of the concept and importance of public space. A lack of capacity for development activities and a lack of competent human resources still exist in the establishment and management of public space. Political will and interest play vital roles in achieving lively and vibrant public spaces. The total area or percentage composition of public open spaces to the total area of the municipality illustrates how much people-friendly environment the municipality has been able to provide to its citizens. The aim of the research (which is based on the field survey of 2019 A.D.) is to identify the public open spaces in Damak municipality, assess their use and potentiality; and formulate policies regarding the management of these spaces. A combined strategies technique was considered for the facts series, which includes a self-administered questionnaire survey and observations. The research has identified 167 public spaces in this municipality and it concludes that the formulation of guidelines and laws, with their proper implementation, is a must to secure safe public spaces

PENATAAN PEDAGANG KAKI LIMA DI BATU KAJANG KALIMANTAN TIMUR

The existence of public open spaces that accommodates people's social activities in Paser Regency, especially in Batu Kajang, is very minimal. The lack of intensity of land for productive open spaces that is economically profitable for street vendors has an impact on the emergence of street vendors that sell along the side of the road in Batu Kajang. The impact of the existence of the street vendor caused the traffic jam. Therefore, to anticipate such conditions, open spaces area that can accommodate the selling activities of street vendors are needed. The method used is architectural programming which is a process of gathering information, analyzing, and making recommendations for the success of the design. In this case, the concept applied to the design area is placemaking which is a form of space through human interaction with buildings and building interactions with the environment.

Exploring adults' passive experience of children playing in cities: Case study of five urban public open spaces in Copenhagen, Denmark

People's passive experience constitutes a major part of their public life in urban public open spaces. While many public life studies examine the influence of the physical environment, others show people influence other people's public life. How children influence others' public life is rarely studied.This article studies sensory experience – examining whether adults' passive experience of children playing is pleasant or unpleasant, and sensory attention – descriptively studying various factors influencing adults' attention to children playing.The study was conducted through an on-site questionnaire-based survey (N = 1810) at five study sites in Copenhagen, Denmark. The sites were selected through a systematic analysis of the spatial characteristics of the physical environment, which describes different spatial and visual relationships between playgrounds and their adjacent public open spaces providing for the varying spatial potential for adults' passive experience of children playing.The study reveals that children playing overwhelmingly creates pleasant experiences for adults at the study sites. Besides the different spatial characteristics from the spatial analysis, the sites' shape, the playground's spatial proportion within the sites, and adults' site familiarity may also influence sensory attention to children playing. While the article does not present precise design guidelines, it provides valuable insights into urban design practices.

Policy relevant health related liveability indicator datasets for addresses in Australia’s 21 largest cities

Measuring and monitoring the spatial distribution of liveability is crucial to ensure that implemented urban and transport planning decisions support health and wellbeing. Spatial liveability indicators can be used to ensure these decisions are effective, equitable and tracked across time. The 2018 Australian National Liveability Study datasets comprise a suite of policy-relevant health-related spatial indicators of local neighbourhood liveability and amenity access estimated for residential address points and administrative areas across Australia’s 21 most populous cities. The indicators and measures encompass access to community and health services, social infrastructure, employment, food, housing, public open space, transportation, walkability and overall liveability. This national ’baseline’ liveability indicators dataset for residential address points and areas can be further linked with surveys containing geocoded participant locations, as well as Census data for areas from the Australian Statistical Geography Standard. The datasets will be of interest to planners, policy makers and researchers interested in modelling and mapping the spatial distribution of urban environmental exposures and their relationship with health and other outcomes.

Cluster Organization of Open Public Spaces of the Post-Socialist City

The spatial organization of post-socialist cities in Ukraine requires the creation of an adequate, comfortable urban environment in the conditions of crisis phenomena caused by problems of an economic, ecological, social and military nature. The problem of reforming cities requires a review of the "functionalism" paradigm and a new systemic consideration at three interconnected territorial levels: macro, meso, micro. The article describes the change in the paradigm of functionalism of spatial planning in post-Soviet countries, considers new methodologies of urban development of cities, proposes a new approach to the study of open public spaces, namely, as an element of the system of the urban planning environment. This approach reflects the important role of public spaces in shaping the urban fabric. Particular attention is paid to the integration processes of sustainable development of cities, which reveal a new meaning of human coexistence in the surrounding environment. In the context of a new look at open public space, the text describes the assumption "space creates the environment", which allows us to consider urban planning in a completely new dimension. The latest developments in scientific research on the typology of public spaces are separately considered. The article singles out physically accessible and physically inaccessible categories of public spaces. The article assumes that the city, as a cluster structure, is the sum of independent environments (elementary systems), which consist of public spaces united by certain characteristics. The issue of the micro-territorial level is considered, where the priority is the spatial organization of the city's public spaces on the basis of an urban cluster. An important feature is the pedestrian accessibility to various service functions of the urban environment. Based on the assumption, new approaches to the study of open public spaces at different urban planning levels are proposed, taking into account the human-oriented principles of the formation of a sustainable urban environment.

Social interaction in public space: Spatial edges, moveable furniture, and visual landmarks

Research on the relationship between space and social interaction has focused on indoor spaces, such as museums and offices. However, empirical evidence on the connection between the intensity of social interaction and outdoor public spaces is still lacking. Applying machine learning algorithms to a 9-hour time-lapse video of an urban park, we decipher the effects of two spatial features, edges, and landmarks, on visitors’ activities. We identified dynamic visitor groups in the videos through a graph-based method and mapped the clustering pattern of interaction activities over time and space. In parallel, we used a computer vision algorithm to delineate fixed objects (notably the harbourfront, landside park boundary, a carousel, four benches, three pavilions, and four heart-shaped seating) and dynamic edges (formed by moveable furniture as park visitors repositioned them) onsite. We found that dynamic edges formed by moveable furniture and the fixed edge of a visual landmark consistently attracted more social interaction and group activities. In designing public spaces that encourage group activities, urban planners and designers can leverage the combination of fixed objects and flexible furniture to maximise the choices for visitors and curate a more engaging public open space.

Public perceptions on urban open space and city livability in Barishal, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Parks and green spaces in neighborhoods encourage physical exercise. Lack of POS design guidelines, budget restrictions, and public input have rendered these few POSs obsolete and unable to meet modern visitor needs. The objectives of this study are to understand and evaluate the residents’ perceptions regarding existing open space and its relationship with the city’s livability. Public open space physical and activity parameters were surveyed using a field physical and observation survey—an interview based on a questionnaire collected opinions about public open spaces. After gathering stakeholder data, the Spearman correlation in SPSS is used to analyze the association between public open space perception and quality of life. The study shows that the mean value of satisfaction level is 2.95. Which indicates the overall satisfaction level is “unsatisfied to neutral.” On the other hand, the correlation coefficient between public open space and City Livability is 0.1752 or 17.5%. It indicates that public open space account for 17.5% of the variance in city livability, with the remaining variance explained by other factors. The most significant takeaway from qualitative data analysis is that there is no blueprint technology for providing, managing, and maintaining public open spaces in the BCC area.