Design Of Public Spaces Research Articles

Analysis and Evaluation of the Service Capacity of a Waterfront Public Space Using Point-of-Interest Data Combined with Questionnaire Surveys

The analysis and evaluation of the service capacity of an urban public space is of great importance for optimizing spatial design and ensuring sustainable regeneration of the space. Point-of-interest (POI) data analysis is a common method for evaluating the performance of public space since it contains various geographical information about specific facilities. However, this method is incapable of providing intuitive and clear feedback on the usage of the space, such as visitor experience and satisfaction levels. In this paper, we present a hybrid approach that combines POI data with questionnaire surveys to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the service capacity of the facilities in a waterfront public space. By taking the Changning section of the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai as an example, we evaluate and verify the utilization rate and satisfaction level of public facilities based on this hybrid approach with three satisfaction factors: accessibility, landscape visual quality, and service functions. The results reveal that the service space that can be reached on foot provides the most satisfaction in terms of accessibility, followed by the space that can be reached by bicycle. When it comes to landscape visual quality, visitors are more concerned with the view around the facility than with the greenery. Regarding service functions, the service facility with beverage outlets, fitness, and small gatherings is more appealing. The proposed approach will be useful for further developing advanced public space evaluation strategies with real-time feedback capabilities, as well as for the intelligent design and long-term regeneration of future public spaces.

Geographies of Encounter, Public Space, and Social Cohesion: Reviewing Knowledge at the Intersection of Social Sciences and Built Environment Disciplines

This article seeks to address long-standing questions in academia, practice, and policymaking regarding the role public spaces might have in promoting cross-cultural encounters and experiences of social cohesion in socially and culturally diverse urban contexts, and what theories and methods researchers and practitioners might use to objectively evaluate this. To answer these questions, this article carries out a systematic literature review of theories and methods for studying person-environment relationships from a range of social science and built-environment disciplines. The review provides a basis for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange to develop an innovative theoretical and methodological framework that draws together key analyses of social cohesion with recent urban design literature, to hypothesize how key social dimensions that characterise intercultural encounter and their social experience of cohesion link to physical, management, and use attributes of public space design. The proposed framework provides a multi-dimensional account of how public spaces with different design approaches are connected to different experiences of social encounters, which in turn impact varied experiences of social cohesion, paving the way for new knowledge about the geographies of encounters.

Rural Markets an Attractor for Social Interaction in Rural Communities: A Case Study of Owena Market, Osun State, Nigeria

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is determining the level of social interaction that occurs in rural community using markets as an attractor for residents. Design/methodology/approach- A mixed method approach (questionnaires and interviews) was used to obtain data from the market users. The mean score which was used in rating the level of interaction and the spaces where interaction occurred was calculated using descriptive statistics. Findings – The analysed data showed that good social interaction occurs within some places in both planned and unplanned rural markets. Research limitations/implications– The data used for the study was obtained from a rural market that serves other communities, the result could have been more revealing if other rural markets with different demography were included. However, the findings added to the expanding knowledge of user centred design of buildings and public spaces, by presenting the users perception on social interaction in a rural market that is organic in its design. The finding would also help shape the view of architects in researching user behaviours for public spaces. Practical implications– The perception of professionals in the built environment that rural communities cannot impact knowledge is discredited by the findings of the study. Practical inferences can be drawn from the study by the professionals and academics. The study findings shows that a market is a major point of attraction in a community and social interactions can be greatly affected with the type, arrangement pattern and nature of spaces provided within the market. The finding also revealed that even in a seemly organically evolved market there exists some form of social interaction spaces within it. Originality/value- The study explored markets as an attractor for social interaction and rank the spaces used for interaction while determining the level of interaction and ability of the spaces towards improving social interaction.

Transcending boundaries in Architecture: A Transdisciplinary inquiry into public space

This chapter offers a comprehensive exploration of architectural public spaces through a transdisciplinary lens, focusing on morphology, security, and daylight. In the context of urban development, these spaces play a vital role in shaping social interactions, fostering community cohesion, and enhancing the quality of life. The transdisciplinary approach adopted in this research integrates insights from environmental psychology, sustainable architecture, landscape design, architectural anthropology, spatial analysis (space syntax), perception theories, and concepts of self-security. This paper illuminates the complexities involved in the design, usability, and impact of these spaces, aiming to bridge existing knowledge gaps. It further provides practical recommendations for architects, urban planners, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders. By merging diverse disciplinary perspectives, the paper underscores the importance of a transdisciplinary discourse in the design and utilization of architectural public spaces, contributing to a broader understanding of urban life quality and sustainability.

Research on the Optimal Design of Community Public Space from the Perspective of Social Capital

In the process of rapid urbanization and accelerated transformation of urban community public space structures, the optimization of community space structure and the quality of the living environment has attracted the attention of academic circles. Existing research has shown that the well-being of community residents is positively correlated with community social capital. The starting point of this study was howaimed to increase residents’ social capital and enhance their sense of life happiness through a good community space environment design. This paper focuses on the analysis of the spatial perception level of community residents and the correlation between environmental space design elements and social capital and explores the environmental factors that affect the accumulation of social capital of community residents to put forward suggestions for the optimal design of community public spaces. A field survey of 30 communities in Shanghai City was conducted based on relevant theories and practical cases both at home and abroad. The six dimensions of “social cohesion”, “sense of community belonging”, “social participation”, “social network”, “social interaction”, and “neighborhood relationship” are used to assign social capital, and the six dimensions are respectively regressed with residents’ environmental perception of the community and the objective environment of the community. The correlation between the social capital of community residents and the three elements of public space (space, facilities, and social elements) was obtained. According to the public space optimization design strategy of the three elements, public space design principles for improving community social capital are proposed, including the principles of diversification, humanization, suitability, and inclusiveness, and the corresponding suggestions are proposed from three aspects: point space, line space, and surface space.

A method for evaluating the impact of universal design on the attractiveness of military tourism sites

Motives: The interest in military tourism has been increasing steadily around the world, especially among tourists interested in military history. Given the lack of methods and studies examining the impact of universal design on the attractiveness of public open spaces in military tourism sites, an innovative method should be developed to diagnose the accessibility of such sites for all social groups within the realm of the possibilities offered by universal design. Aim: The main aim of the study was to propose a method for assessing the impact of universal design on the attractiveness of public open spaces on the example of the Wolf’s Lair, a popular a military tourism site in Poland. The specific objectives were to describe the origins of tourism, with special emphasis on military tourism, and to present the unique characteristics of public space design. Public space attributes that contribute to effective design of tourist space were identified based on the results of a questionnaire survey. Indicators and measures for assessing the identified attributes were developed and presented, and the principles for their implementation were described. Results: The analyses carried out in the study revealed that the assessed site has considerable appeal for tourists, especially those interested in military history. Based on the results of the assessment conducted with the use of the proposed method, it can be concluded that the examined site is characterised by a high level of tourist attractiveness. The presented findings constitute valuable information for the management of the Wolf’s Lair (State Forests).

BEYOND PHYSICAL BOUNDARIES: THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL RENDERING ON SPATIAL IDENTITY

This research investigates the concept of spatial identity by examining its definitions and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, as well as Michel Foucault’s concept of heterotopia, to explore the relationship between the physical and digital worlds. To analyze the concept of spatial digital identity, we conducted a literature review of academic articles and case studies that focus on the intersection of digital technology and spatial identity. Using a thematic approach, we identified key themes regarding the influence of digital technology on physical spaces and its impact on spatial identity. Through a case study of Times Square, we examined the role of the digital world in shaping spatial identity, paying particular attention to the impact of urban screens, social media, online interactions, and digital applications. The study highlights the importance of considering the digital world in the planning, design, and use of public spaces, as it plays a critical role in shaping their spatial identity. Finally, the research highlights the importance of being aware of the impact of the digital world on spatial identity in order to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach to the design of public spaces in the contemporary world.

Study on the landscape design of public space for Weimin Village in the perspective of local culture

The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance and application value of local culture in rural landscape design, and the significance of using it in landscape design to connect human-land relationship, unite rural emotion, protect local culture, inherit rural culture and create cultural landscape to enhance rural image. This paper takes the design of yarn-dyed yarn-dyed homespun fabric Park in Weimin Village as an example, and introduces in detail the site overview, existing problems of the site, the overview and current situation of Nantong color-woven yarn-dyed yarn-dyed homespun fabric, and elaborates the concept and practice of extracting yarn-dyed yarn-dyed homespun fabric elements to be used in rural landscape design. The analysis of this case demonstrates the positive influence of local culture on rural landscape design and provides reference and inspiration for other rural landscape designs.

The potential of a tree to increase comfort hours in campus public space design

The rising global temperatures have led people to avoid outdoor activities, especially during the day in tropical countries, because of the high average temperatures when the comfort hours are relatively low. This problem has led to higher indoor energy consumption, health problems, and problems in social interaction. One way to encourage people to use outdoor public spaces is to design them to increase their comfort hours. This study focused on increasing the number of comfort hours through the influence of trees as one of the green infrastructure and using simulation methods in the ENVI-met version 4 program. For the simulation, we gathered field data for the correction of weather data from a weather station representing 52 weeks at the outdoor space in the Faculty of Engineering campus, Chiang Mai University, which is a target area for development from the campus policy. The alternative design was created by adding a Millingtonia hortensis, a local plant for the location. The results showed that a single large tree strongly influenced annual comfort hours in campus outdoor public spaces. The simulation results throughout 52 weeks showed that a tree increases by 7.37% in comfort hours while an 8.65% decrease in overheating hours. This study can provide an alternative approach for designing public spaces on campuses and encourage the use of more effective design in the future.

The Use of ICTs to Support Social Participation in the Planning, Design and Maintenance of Public Spaces in Latin America

Recent research indicates that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can support social participation in the planning, design and maintenance of public spaces (PDMPS), specifically to create comprehensive knowledge among different stakeholders. However, critics point out that the use of ICTs by planners and decision-makers often ignores the needs of local residents. For this research, we inquired how ICTs can support social participation in PDMPS. Our case study combines a literature review and 21 semi-structured interviews with government officials, non-governmental organisations, academics and architecture/urban planning consultancy companies in Mexico to understand how different stakeholders use ICTs to improve the quality of public spaces. We developed an approach that facilitates the analysis of ICT aspects related to hardware and software supporting social participation in PDMPS. The findings show that Mexico has a base of digital tools requiring technical capacities and spatial literacy at various stages of PDMPS, and ICTs are seen as an opportunity to engage with residents. However, in practice, our interviewees mentioned that ICTs are rarely implemented to support participatory processes due to high costs, a lack of political support and the insufficient technical expertise of technical staff to engage with residents using ICTs. The paper closes with recommendations and suggestions for future research on how ICTs can better support participatory processes in PDMPS.

Research on the Application of Holographic Images in Public Spaces of Children's Hospitals

As a cutting-edge field, holographic imaging has developed rapidly. It is widely used in stage performances, commercial displays, and other aspects. While enriching the visual language of contemporary art and design, it also reflects its widespread application value. From the perspective of children's psychological healing, innovative research methods are used to provide new design applications for the art design of public spaces in children's hospitals through holographic imaging technology, and to contribute development ideas to design innovation in this field. With the rapid development of China's society and economy, as well as the opening up of national population policies, the healthy growth of young children is increasingly receiving widespread attention. As a special group, children involve various aspects such as society, culture, education, psychology, etc. The integration of art into children's medical environment forms an important part of modern hospital design, which directly affects the rehabilitation effect of children and the medical level of the hospital. This article focuses on conducting in-depth healing research by combining the physical and mental characteristics, cognition, and contemporary aesthetic language of children. Under the support of children's psychology theory, explore the new application of holographic imaging technology in children's hospital space. Apply holographic stage technology to the innovative design of children's activity centers in children's hospitals. Utilize holographic stage cartoon images to enhance emotional communication and interaction among children, create a space for artistic healing, inject cultural connotations into children's hospitals, and achieve the goal of happy medical treatment for children. Extract design concepts and overall solutions for interactive experience, spatial environment, artistic healing, emotional care, and other aspects. Through innovative digital media art design, a new application experience has been formed in medical space art, media and other designs, optimizing children's medical spaces, and providing useful reference and reference for the development of children's medical design and digital media art design in China.

An integrated multi-level feature fusion framework for crowd behaviour prediction and analysis

<p>The uncontrolled outburst in population has led to crowd gatherings in various public places causing panic and disaster in certain unpleasant and extreme conditions. A study on the analysis of crowd accumulation has been carried out for various reasons that include management of crowd, design of a well-planned public space, the possibility for surveillance at every area and transportation systems. A lot of disasters also occurs due to uncontrollable crowd behaviour and poor crowd management. It could result in loss of property, fatalities or casualties. To avoid this, the conduct of a crowd of people has been studied and analyzed to control their movement and traffic. Hence, in this research work, integrated multi-level feature fusion (IMFF) framework is designed to predict the behaviour; further classification based on the local region is carried out to enhance the prediction. In the case of multi-level feature fusion; first level feature fusion utilizes the motion and appearance; second-level feature fusion utilizes the spatial connection and third-level utilizes the temporal connections. Further, the classification approach is integrated based on the local region is used to enhance the crowd behaviour prediction in terms of accuracy and faster. Moreover, performance evaluation is carried out considering the two distinctive datasets.</p>

Participatory design practice, event (s) and the activation of public space

ABSTRACT Festivals and events make use of public space (s) as sites for people to gather in, or process through. In urban planning and design the activation and curation of flexible public spaces which enliven places has gained prominence. On one level, programming public space is eventified to make spaces more interesting and convivial. On the other, the process of participatory design is mediated through “events” that seek to disrupt conventional planning techniques and attract participation from a broader cross section of the community. In this paper, we bring together thinking from urban design and critical event studies to explore two live public space design projects that draw on the event concept in both described forms. Our findings demonstrate that the event format loosens social and spatial relations, opening possibilities for new configurations of public space that would otherwise have been difficult to envisage and realise. Second, we contend that facilitating planning and design processes through the lens of events helps involve a wider set of public(s) to participate and can also make the resultant public space itself more attractive for diverse range of users and uses.

Biophilic Concept as a Public Space Design

Biophilic Concept as a Public Space Design

Biophilic Concept as a Public Space Design

Biophilic Concept as a Public Space Design

Humanized Design of Public Space under the Background of Aging in China

Meet the needs of the elderly has become an important topic. It has also become a hot spot in society. The design of public Spaces in the residences of the elderly becomes very important. This paper summarizes the background of the Chinese aging society, aiming at the lack of humanized design for the elderly living public space, the author discusses the public space design strategy suitable for the elderly. For the aging trend of new requirements as well as the status quo of China's public space design, this paper, based on the physiological and psychological needs of the elderly, to listen to the voices of the socially vulnerable groups through the way of humanized design, improve the construction of urban public space for elderly tolerance, promote the fairness of the social environment.

THE EFFECT OF PUBLIC FACADE CHARACTERISTICS ON CHANGING PEDESTRIAN BEHAVIORS

The facades that define the public open space shape the pedestrian behavior by affecting the visual perception of the pedestrians. In the literature on facade and human interaction, there are pioneering studies in the perspective of environmental perception, but there is a lack and method limitation on the effect of the facade on pedestrian behavior. For this reason, the research aims to evaluate pedestrian behaviors in two areas that are variable in terms of facades, together with video analysis and heat maps. Areas of similar typology in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district are compared because of the temporary exterior decoration of the historical candy store in case 1 during the New Year’s Eve. According to the research findings, there is a significant difference between the quantity of pedestrians exhibiting stagnant and flowing behaviors and the distribution of these pedestrians in the space. In addition, the subcategories of fluid and static behavior in evening and day conditions also reveal interpretable results regarding the front. The results of the research reveal that the facade features of the public space significantly affect the pedestrian behavior, and therefore this issue should also gain importance in the future of public space design.

Urban FM and POPS – implications for UN’s SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Urban FM (UFM) is usually understood as micro level Facility Management (FM) methods and tools applied on macro level challenges in communities and neighbourhoods in urban areas, among others to improve the citizens’ wellbeing. UFM is also often associated with smart cities, technology, and UN’s SDGs. However, many studies of UFM overlook property rights and other institutional matters that establish many of the ground rules. Property rights are frequently understood as a bundle of rights, i.e., the right of use (USUS), the right of enjoyment (USUS FRUCTUS), and the right of disposition (ABUSUS). UFM usually takes place across property boundaries, on properties with disparate bundles of rights, including restrictions through public zoning. Many urban transformation projects have established privately owned public spaces (POPS), leading to a restructured division of responsibilities between public authorities and private owners in the management, design, access control, and use of urban public spaces. This paper investigates whether and under which conditions UFM and management of POPS can contribute to realisation of UN’s SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, hereunder to facilitate development of inclusive, safe, robust, and sustainable cities and local communities.

Assessing human emotional responses to the design of public spaces around subway stations: a human factors research

Transit-oriented development (TOD) is a powerful urban planning strategy to enhance sustainability and provide socioeconomic benefits for cities. The human-centered design of public spaces around subway stations is a critical issue in TOD. In this study, a socio-technical system-based perspective was adopted to investigate the impact of using different design strategies in public spaces around subway stations on human emotional responses. The novelty of this study lies in performing a human factors experiment to examine human emotional reactions to outdoor public spaces surrounding transit stations using a comprehensive method combining physiological assessment and subjective self-report. Thirty-four participants were recruited for the experiment, which was conducted at the catchment areas of two subway stations in Nanjing, China. Urban design characteristics related to open space enclosure and visual elements, natural elements, pedestrian access, surrounding buildings or walls, and land use and activities were tested in both semi-underground and above-ground public spaces. Additionally, human emotions were assessed using the pleasure, arousal, and dominance model and by investigating the four response systems that predominantly reflect people’s emotional states. These results led to design and policy suggestions that could assist practitioners and researchers in selecting relevant approaches for human-oriented and place-based TOD planning.Graphical abstract

‘Waste to Wealth, Art of Reuse’- Learnings from Innovations in Urban Public Space Designs

The paper aims to explore innovations in architecture & urban design (UD) of public spaces executed with materials created out of waste products to demonstrate concepts of circular principles as exemplar to the society at large. Focus on designing public spaces is to showcase- firstly, immediate need to address waste crisis; secondly, ways by which recycled waste can be adopted as a mainstream attitude. Trash need not be abused in landfills, rather can become input for production. Study objectives dwell in addressing developing countries, where paradigm of ‘Waste to Wealth’ becomes one of the fundamental criteria for emerging as Smart cities. Once civic spaces attribute responsibility to the impending environmental crisis, momentum gains at grassroot-community level as public spaces bear more visibility & appeal. Need for industrial ‘re-revolution’ is sensed to reverse the negative impacts and encourage upcycling culture with efficient management of Municipal solid waste (MSW) which forms largest component of a city’s waste-output. This study discusses theories and case studies which adopted MSW in innovative ways under two broad objectives of design- aesthetics and functionality. Highlight will be on Zero-waste economical urban initiatives to enhance imagery. The study derives a ‘Toolkit for public space design’ using MSW as framework for UD schemes.