Use Of Public Space Research Articles

The Sacred Building and the City: Decoding the Formal Interface between Public Space and Community

The reflection on sacred places continues to assume significant relevance today in urban space production. The public value of sacred buildings has consolidated over time an aggregating sense of community, representing spaces for meeting and sharing. Their historical relevance as spaces for meditation represents for mankind places of personal reflection, while they have always played an important role in the city and in its symbolic and spatial structure. Thus, starting from the hypothesis that the sacred space is affirmed as an interface, because it welcomes the individual and serves the community, we examine the architectural features that enhance this ambivalence, exposing transition systems between private and collective spaces, seeking to systematize essential composition matrices for new urban spaces for public use. Assuming Lisbon as a framework, this article proposes a comparative reading between two paradigmatic buildings—Sagrado Coração de Jesus Church and the New Mosque of Lisbon—with similar goals according to the relationship between architecture, place sacrality, and the urban public space. Methodologically, drawing is used as an interpretative tool and, through formal decomposition, this article tries to demonstrate that these buildings are the result of a reflection deeply determined by the value of the place’s identity in the city’s public space system. According to these case studies, sacred buildings are conceived based on formal and spatial links that are rooted in Lisbon’s urban layout. It is sacred buildings that are at the origin of urban places for public use. Each one of these buildings share an idea of architecture with an urban and public role which integrates the objects with the shape of the city and contradicts the tendency for the dissociation between urban elements. In a way, they can be considered paradigmatic examples of architecture with an urban vocation.

Emergent temporary appropriation versus lockdown regulations: The case of Venice

This paper explores the nexus between temporary appropriation (TA) and the sense of community (SOC) in the context of Venice, Italy. Inspired by an agential realism and diffractive methodology, it focuses on spatial material composition of matter, examining the emergent assemblage of TA and its role in enhancing SOC. The findings reveal the interplay between cultural, legal, and built-environment factors in shaping TA opportunities. The human-scale and fractal design of Venice, the coexistence of various legal and customary laws, and the social bonds amongst residents contribute to the emergence of TA, fostering a strong sense of community. It selects Sestiere Santa Croce, examining the laws set out by the Italian government which regulate public space's use during the last pandemic lockdown. The study emphasises the temporal dimension, highlighting the dynamic relationships and intra-actions amongst these elements. However, limitations such as a small sample size and contextual specificity to Venice are acknowledged. By understanding and harnessing the potential of TA, architects, urban designers and policymakers can create more inclusive and vibrant public spaces that promote social resilience. This research contributes to alternative ways of knowing and understanding the world, calling for interdisciplinary approaches to analyse urban dynamics and community development.

Assessment of ecosystem functions of public green spaces in the city of Berezhany, Ternopil region

Researching the possibilities of using modern approaches and tools for evaluating the ecosystem services of green spaces is relevant and requires theoretical justification and applied research, especially in the context of the importance of ensuring the sustainable development of Ukraine. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to work out the procedure of quantitative and cost evaluation of ecosystem services of green spaces for public use and search for opportunities to present the received information to stakeholders. For this, an inventory of green spaces was carried out with the measurement of their biometric and sanitary indicators. For quantitative and cost assessment of the ecosystem functions of plantations and individual trees, the i-Tree Eco toolkit was used, and the Google My Maps application was used for their visualization. The conducted study helped obtain information about individual ecosystem functions of green spaces (reduction of pollutants, carbon absorption and sequestration, oxygen production volumes and regulation of surface water flows). As part of this utility, the annual ecosystem function for the absorption of 770 kilograms of harmful compounds (ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particles of various sizes) was calculated, which is estimated at UAH 128,648,000 annually; reduction of air pollution by 7.43 metric tonnes of gross carbon sequestration (19 kg per 1 plant), with an estimated cost of UAH 41,028,000 and a reduction of water runoff by 684.9 cubic meters, which is estimated at UAH 47,042 of annual utility. Furthermore, as of the moment of the study, the researched green spaces retain carbon in their tissues, which creates an ecosystem benefit in the amount of UAH 1,493,009 thousand (€36,901). The highest indicators of ecosystem usefulness are inherent in park stands, while the trees and bushes of the central part of the city are more effective in absorbing pollutants. Trees capable of achieving significant biometric indicators in local conditions are characterized by greater ecosystem productivity. The conducted study creates conditions for better awareness of the ecosystem value of green spaces, but its popularization is also important. The practical value of the results also lies in the possibility of bringing them to authorities, enterprises, and organizations, activists and other stakeholders, which will create conditions for improving environmental awareness, promoting the security and protection of tree stands, improving management and making informed decisions in the field of green construction

Distributed Energy Systems: Constraints and Opportunities in Urban Environments

Cities need to make themselves energy self-sufficient by exploiting renewable sources and, above all, to evaluate the potential and constraints that each city can express by virtue of its own characteristics. This study focused on how the realisation of a renewable energy community could be approached in urbanised contexts. The methodology involved the selection of three case studies in Rome analysing the feasibility, programming and design scale, and the implications of planning RECs. Through simulation at three levels of detail, this study identifies elements to assess the feasibility of RECs and to elaborate scenarios to support their planning and dimensioning. The practical importance is to identify a possible methodological path and relevant factors which public or private stakeholders can consider at different levels in setting up RECs in an urban context. The research conclusions of these simulations point out that the specificities of a context affect many factors, among which an important role is played by the facilities and spaces for public use, as they are synergetic to a shared use of energy between residential and non-residential functions, but above all, because they are also available to accommodate services for the energy community.

Ecological and phytosanitary diagnosis of an urban park in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Mexico

Urban parks are open spaces for public use, where we can find human relations of leisure, recreation, sports, community living,among others, activities. They also provide benefits, through ecosystem services. In the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, urban parkshave not received enough attention. Traditionally, it was assumed that the trees that comprise it, must be developed without anyintervention of forest management or at most plantations in which very little is intervened with protection and silvicultural work toachieve their establishment and good development. The park of "La Solidaridad Iberoamericana'' is an ecosystem where treespredominate, it is immersed in a densely populated area and offers facilities for recreation. Hence the importance of this work,which provides lines of action aimed at promoting and managing the park's urban forest. The leading goal of this work was todevelop a comprehensive diagnosis to identify forest management needs. The methodology consisted of making a stand for thepark, establishment of 108 sampling sites of 500 m², survey of dasometric, silvicultural, biodiversity and phytosanitary variablespresent in the trees. The results are: five stands were defined, the main species susceptible to mistletoe were Jacaranda mimosifolia,Bahuinia americana and Casuarina equisetifolia. The main phytosanitary problem is Struthanthus interruptus, a mistletoe speciesthat affects trees, followed to a lesser extent by Psittacanthus calyculatus. The biodiversity and richness of tree species are 20, theybelong to 16 different botanical families, standing out Fabaceae, Bignonaceae, and Salicaceae. The silvicultural management needs detected are pruning and thinning; 18.6% of the trees require pruning to raise the crown, 75.4% require sanitary pruning, 19% of the trees must be felled, since they represent a danger of falling due to rain and strong winds.

(Re-)Imagining Neighbourhood Spaces from a Transdisciplinary, Inclusive Research Perspective: The Vaartkom Case

Cities and dense urban areas are dynamic environments, always adapting to changing circumstances and shocks, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The Vaartkom (or the Canal Bowl in English), a neighbourhood in Leuven, provides an interesting case study, having undergone a drastic transformation in the past two decades from a dilapidated industrial zone to mixed neighbourhood and cultural hotspot. This has introduced renewed and ongoing community dynamics, which inevitably influences the use of public and private space in the neighbourhood, creating new areas for inclusion and exclusion. This threefold transdisciplinary research focuses first on the spatial dynamics on the level of public space under COVID-19 as part of a wider series of neighbourhood dynamics. Second, it dives into the aspect of inclusive environments and third, it uses the transdisciplinary research process to reflect on a meta-level. Employing various methods – such as interviews, site visits, stakeholder and physical mapping exercises, we worked with community members to explore these spatial dynamics. Our findings highlight the conflicting expectations about the present and future use of public space. These opposing opinions reveal the tensions that exist among community members about how public spaces are used and whom they are for. This suggests there are multiple understandings of the Vaartkom. These multiple understandings were drawn from responses collected during a public engagement activity, which were subsequently analysed in a thematic and spatial way. This analysis brought forward influences of a temporal and spatial nature – that is, we acknowledge that the selected locations at which we engaged with community members, and the time of day, played a role in who we reached in the community and the responses we collected. This highlights the degree of awareness and participatory effort required to be truly inclusive. We therefore pro pose that future engagements involve the creation of a "Third Sphere" – a space for open, transparent and neutral dialogue – allowing the opportunity not only to imagine a collective future, but also to build bridges and help community members feel heard and empowered to contribute to the creation of a more inclusive post-COVID-19 environment.

Urban Green Spaces; Strategic Design Proposal for Conservation: the Case Study of Hyderabad City (Provide Future Development Control Guidelines)

This research intended to highlight the urban green open spaces for public use in Hyderabad city, which may already face intensive development and planning deficiencies, mainly the ignorance of the governing authorities. Consistent ignorance of urban green spaces may cause various issues within the city and directly affect the health and performance of the inhabitants of the metropolis. To achieve the task SPSS and GIS software are used to manipulate data gathered from the users as well as the municipal authorities. This research with help highlight the problems and focus to provide a future development plan that may enhance city aesthetics and the overall environment.

InclusiVaart: (Re)defining shared neighbourhood spaces

Cities and dense urban areas are dynamic environments, always adapting to changing circumstances and shocks, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Vaartkom, a neighbourhood in Leuven, provides an interesting case-study, having undergone a drastic transformation in the past two decades, from dilapidated industrial zone to residential quarter and cultural hot-spot. This has introduced a demographic shift, which inevitably influences the use of public and private space in the neighbourhood, creating new areas for inclusion and exclusion. Our research focuses on how the use of public space has changed under COVID-19, and how community members envision their neighbourhood in a post-COVID context. We employed various methods – such as interviews, site visits, stakeholder and physical mapping exercises – and worked with the community to identify the different areas of in-and exclusivity. Some findings relate to the conflicting expectations about the use and future of public space and the link between the location of public engagement and the level of inclusiveness. This illustrates the magnitude and consciousness of the effort required to be truly inclusive. Above all, our own understanding of inclusivity broadened significantly over the duration of the project, illustrating the clear advantage of using a transdisciplinary approach in research. Our findings have been summarised in a small video.

Innovation in Coping with the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Best Practices from Five Smart Cities in Indonesia

In relation to innovations which help to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, the best practices of several smart cities become an important input to organize and create strategies for future cities. This research aims to identify the responses of cities to the COVID-19 pandemic; analyze their innovation in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic; and create strategies and planning for the future of the cities. This study analyzes aspects such as the use of information and communication technology (ICT), smart city implementation, the biological disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic, the environment, and spatial plans. This research was carried out in five smart cities using a case study. The results indicated that each case had innovations for coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. They showed a uniqueness and local innovations adapted to the problems faced in the five case areas. The innovations were demonstrated by the use of ICT-based applications in several public services as part of smart city implementation. The concept of a smart city, which addresses the biological disaster of the COVID-19 pandemic through the existence of ship-based isolation centers and sociotechnical innovations, was then adapted in various cities throughout Indonesia. In terms of the smart environment concept, this is translated through technological and social innovation approaches to improve medical and domestic waste management, public service systems, and the socialization of environmental protection programs in cities during the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is allegedly accelerating the implementation of the smart city concept in spatial planning. There is a tendency for the use of public space in the city center to shift to local-scale service centers. Additionally, other activities are increasingly occupying the digital space so that it affects the arrangement of spatial organization and increases the need for ICT infrastructure. The efficient and flexible use of applications for supporting the implementation of smart cities needs to be broadened for the public services provided by both the government and private sectors. Meanwhile, in relation to the dimensions of a smart environment, it is necessary to take into account the waste management as a result of COVID-19. The same case is the aspect of spatial planning in which it is necessary to redesign open spaces for public use. City planning in the future also needs to be capable of the smart mitigation of non-physical disasters, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Climate-Responsive Green-Space Design Inspired by Traditional Gardens: Microclimate and Human Thermal Comfort of Japanese Gardens

Urban green spaces can provide relaxation, exercise, social interaction, and many other benefits for their communities, towns, and cities. However, green spaces in hot and humid regions risk being underutilized by residents unless thermal environments are designed to be sufficiently comfortable. Understanding what conditions are needed for comfortable outdoor spaces, particularly how people feel in regard to their thermal environment, is vital in designing spaces for public use. Traditional gardens are excellent examples of successful microclimate design from which we can learn, as they are developed over the generations through observation and modification. This study analyzed how Japanese gardens affect people’s thermal stress on extremely hot summer days. Meteorological data was collected in three Japanese gardens, and human thermal comfort was evaluated through physiological equivalent temperature (PET). Statistical analysis examined the relationship between spatial configurations of the gardens and thermal comfort. Our study revealed that Japanese gardens can efficiently ameliorate thermal stress. Spatial analysis showed that garden elements affect thermal comfort variously depending on time of the day and spatial distribution.

Public Space and COVID-19: Contraction, Expansion, and Adaptation

COVID-19 has hit cities hard. With the closure of places of work and learning, third places, places of leisure and consumption, and more, the pandemic has diminished our territories and contracted public space and public life. But a keen observation reveals a more nuanced picture. In many neighborhoods, an interesting phenomenon of reclaiming much neighborhood space for public use is evident. The repurposing of residential streets, sidewalks, parking lots, and other modest public spaces in neighborhoods shows an expansion of public space and sociability. This expansion is also that of agency. The elimination of events and programming and the cordoning off of standardized equipment has left public space in an unembellished state of bareness. Space is available for citizens to make public. This pandemic has revealed our desire for publicness of the everyday, our ingenuity to use spaces for public life, and what is possible in our cities and in our public spaces.

EARTH OBSERVATION TO SUBSTANTIATE THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 11: PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS AND EXPERIENCES FROM AUSTRIA

Abstract. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is widely appreciated and increasingly known by a wider public. However, less obvious are the enormous coordination and harmonization efforts to reify these goals into 169 targets and 232 indicators. We exemplarily outline a tangible pathway to address SDG11 and one associated indicator 11.7.1 “Average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all, by sex, age and persons with disabilities”. We highlight some specific problems for reporting on indicators related to urban green spaces (UGS) and make suggestions for this indicator by illustrating the potential of Earth Observation data and spatial accessibility analysis.

ARCHITECTURAL TREATMENT AND PLANNING OF MODERN SCHOOL LIBRARIES

The professional circles in Russia are discussing changes to the concept of modern school. The architectural treatment and planning of modern school spaces for public use should involve a new, innovative set of functions. One of the key spaces in the educational process to experience planning changes is the library. In this article, the architectural and planning principles of modern school library design are determined, and its functional modules are identified. In a modern Russian school, the library is expanding its functions and possibilities for integrating meta-subject formats. The library is becoming integrated information and communication center, a place of easy access to information and knowledge, collaboration between students and teachers, and experimentation and implementation of creativity and ‘meta-subject’ projects. Library premises should be mobile, transformable and flexible to accommodate any future modifications in the longer term and provide a kind of semantic experiment with cultural, social and professional values in design and research activities.

Enhancing Social Sustainability Through the Planning of Third Places: A Theory-Based Framework

With constantly changing societal needs, along with population growth and increasing urbanisation pressures, open public spaces are constantly competing against other land-uses to accommodate the increasing urban pressures. Societies and cities call for an approach to reclaim public space for public use, to provide opportunities for people to meet and interact, and to develop a sense of belonging to a place. It is for this reason that social sustainability is becoming a crucial consideration within the urban context, seeking balance between economic developments, environmental challenges and the demands and preferences of modern societies. This article includes various theories and literature, reflecting on the importance of social sustainability in the urban context and the role of the Third Place in facilitating social sustainability. The concept of Third Places is considered as any space other than our homes (First Place) or work (Second Place), manifesting as a component of well-defined public places designed to enhance civic identity, quality of life, social capital and community revitalisation, whilst improving economic development. The Third Place concept is thus introduced in this article as an umbrella concept combining the physical realm and design of the social space and is considered from the perspective of the place-making approach, the lively planning approach and the green urbanism approach. These approaches were collectively employed as part of a qualitative enquiry to inform a theory-based framework to enhance social sustainability through the planning of Third Places. Although social sustainability has become increasingly influential in the urban planning context, limited research to guide urban planning approaches towards enhanced social sustainability exist, especially within the South African context. The lack of practical application of existing planning theories has resulted in the widening of the theory–practice gap and alternative approaches should be considered to enhance social sustainability. The proposed theory-based framework, based on the theory and literature of this article, will finally aim to inform the study of Third Place consideration for enhanced social sustainability within the South African planning context.

Loneliness and Life Satisfaction Explained by Public-Space Use and Mobility Patterns.

Previous research has shown that personal, neighborhood, and mobility characteristics could influence life satisfaction and loneliness of people and that exposure to public spaces, such as green spaces, may also affect the extent to which people feel lonely or satisfied with life. However, previous studies mainly focused on one of these effects, resulting in a lack of knowledge about the simultaneous effects of these characteristics on loneliness and life satisfaction. This study therefore aims to gain insights into how public-space use mediates the relations between personal, neighborhood, and mobility characteristics on the one hand and loneliness and life satisfaction on the other hand. Relationships were analyzed using a path analysis approach, based on a sample of 200 residents of three neighborhoods of the Dutch city ‘s-Hertogenbosch. The results showed that the influence of frequency of public-space use on life satisfaction and loneliness is limited. The effects of personal, neighborhood, and mobility characteristics on frequency of use of public space and on loneliness and life satisfaction were found to be significant. Age and activities of daily living (ADL) are significantly related to each other, and ADL was found to influence recreational and passive space use and loneliness and life satisfaction. Policymakers should, therefore, mainly focus on creating neighborhoods that are highly walkable and accessible, where green spaces and public-transport facilities are present, to promote physical activity among all residents.

Stepwise Development of Managing Outdoor Urban Spaces for Public Use

Stepwise Development of Managing Outdoor Urban Spaces for Public Use

Вартість відновлення екосистем малих міст Київщини як показник екозбалансованості

Проаналізовано динаміку структури територій малих міст Київщини та визначено екозбалансованість територій шляхом порівняльного аналізу міст за вартістю відновлення їх екосистем. Вартість екостабілізувальних біотопів на 1 га міської площі розраховано для попереднього стану кожного міста і на 20-річну перспективу. Виявлено, що зростання площі відбувалося у 72 % малих міст із розширюванням їх забудови. Найвищим рівнем забудови характеризуються міста Вишневе, Переяслав-Хмельницький, Васильків, Фастів, а найменшим – Кагарлик і Яготин. Значна частка в загальній площі міських біотопів належить присадибним садам, питома вага яких змінюється в межах від 4 до 30 %. Орні землі представлені вкрай нерівномірно і в деяких містах відсутні, хоча їхня частка в окремих містах сягала 80 %, а в перспективних планах – 50 %. Ліси відсутні на території третини дослідних міст. Площа водних поверхонь найістотніше позначається на вартості біотопів, характеризується нерівномірним розподілом і її частка сягає 30 %. Здебільшого присадибні сади займають найбільшу питому вагу в загальній вартості міських біотопів. В окремих випадках їм належить до 85 % вартості. Найбільший відсоток лісів у загальній вартості відзначено для міст Ржищів, Вишгород, Ірпінь, а водойм – для міст Яготина, Тетієва, Миронівки, Богуслава, Кагарлика. Ці показники важливо враховувати у перспективних планах розвитку міст, де для обґрунтування нормативної площі зелених просторів потрібно брати не тільки рекреаційні норми зелених насаджень загального користування, а сукупність екосистемних послуг багатофункціональних зелених територій, які гарантуватимуть екозбалансований розвиток територій.

The existence of street vendors (PKL) as supporting activities in Jalan Taman Siswa, Semarang

Sekaran area has rapidly developed nowadays, especially the development of street vendors’ existence asthe facility of fulfilling students’ needs from the very first establishment of Unnes. There is not only street vendors’phenomenon but also there exist change of land function, the development of building and traffic density. Severaladditional activities to the developed area would relatively increase such impacts towards street vendor developmentin Sekaran, especially in Jalan Taman Siswa. This phenomenon is interesting to be studied because a part of JalanTaman Siswa becomes one of the important corridors in Semarang State University area. This corridor,unfortunately, has been changed into the center of street vendors.The data collecting employed by the writer wasobservation, interview, and documentation. This study employs qualitative approach. Whereas the method used isdescriptive design. By implementing this method, the writer will elaborate the problems appeared briefly andcomprehensively. Theoretical data are collected by reviewing the related literature, which means that the writergathers the data by reading much relevant literature. This data is managed by conducting analysis and applying thedata to the study. The existence of Unnes as one of the big campuses in Semarang triggers the occurrence of severalstudents' activities such as to fulfill students' daily necessity. Along Kinanti boarding house to Ulul Albab Mosque,there exist several supporting facilities for Unnes students and people around the campus. This is interesting sincethe occurrence of supporting activity such as PKL in that area has the strong relationship with the use of publicspaces. Thus, it could be formulated that the presence of PKL as activity support in Taman Siswa corridor increasesalong with the development of Semarang State University Campus.

Political theatres in the urban periphery: Medellín and the Library-Parks Project

Los Parques-Biblioteca de Medellín son cruciales en el proyecto de ‘mejoramiento urbano y social’ de esta ciudad. Ellos consisten en una combinación de programas culturales y generosos espacios exteriores y interiores para uso público, construidos con la intención de producir un nuevo sentido de comunidad y ciudadanía mediante la arquitectura y su apropiación. Este hecho abre una serie de preguntas sobre el uso instrumental de la arquitectura dentro de proyectos más amplios de transformaciones urbanas. En particular, estos proyectos urbanos intentaron transformar áreas que hasta ahora eran periféricas en la economía, la cultura y la política de esta ciudad. Este artículo intenta abordar cómo el ‘Proyecto de Parques-Biblioteca’ materializa y produce ideologías de política y cultura en contextos de periferia (cultural, económica y política).

Citizen participation as a social shift tool in projects of urban fluvial space recovery: A case study in Spain

This article reviews the impact of social participation on the results of projects aimed at the improvement and conditioning of fluvial spaces for public use. This work focuses on a partially materialised fluvial rehabilitation in Arévalo (Ávila), a Spanish rural settlement. The hypothesis of the study was that the project́s success depended not only on its technical aspects but also on the involvement of local population from its beginning and on the information and environmental education that they received. Once the first stage of the project was completed, and in order to measure the project́s performance, some indicators related to the developed activities were collected and a survey was carried out. The results show that, thanks to a social feedback process, there was a rise of the fluvial space knowledge and consciousness of the environment among the population, as well as a reconciliation with the river area.