scholarly journals Neighbourhood Streets as Public Space. Covid-19 Public Life in Kimisange, Rwanda

2020 ◽  
pp. 39-52
Author(s):  
Josephine Mwongeli Malonza
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Life ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Urban Society ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Relationship

Since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Covid-19 a global pandemic in March 2020, countries have had to swiftly adopt lockdowns and social distancing measures in order to prevent worse public health outcomes that are likely to influence the relationship between urban society and space. Whereas the economic impact of the pandemic is obvious, its influence on public life remains uncertain, and yet the pandemic has drastically changed our relationship with our streets, public spaces and public facilities.A longer term concern lies in understanding the risk that living the new normal could have on our future perception and use of public space. Using activity mapping on a neighbourhood street in Kigali, Rwanda, this paper explores the relationship between public space and quality of life before and during Covid-19 lockdown. The research found that neighbourhood streets are increasingly becoming popular for recreational activities, and hence more valuable to users. This positive sensory experience, at a time when the pandemic preys on public life in urban areas, shines new light on the notion of street as public space.

Reconceptualizing the Public Spaces of New Urban Areas in Hanoi: The End or the New of Public-Making?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh-Tung Tran ◽  
◽  
Tien-Hau Phan ◽  
Ngoc-Huyen Chu ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
The Public ◽  
Doi Moi ◽  
The World ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City ◽  
Neighborhood Level

Public spaces are designed and managed in many different ways. In Hanoi, after the Doi moi policy in 1986, the transfer of the public spaces creation at the neighborhood-level to the private sector has prospered na-ture of public and added a large amount of public space for the city, directly impacting on citizen's daily life, creating a new trend, new concept of public spaces. This article looks forward to understanding the public spaces-making and operating in KDTMs (Khu Do Thi Moi - new urban areas) in Hanoi to answer the question of whether ‘socialization’/privatization of these public spaces will put an end to the urban public or the new means of public-making trend. Based on the comparison and literature review of studies in the world on public spaces privatization with domestic studies to see the differences in the Vietnamese context leading to differences in definitions and roles and the concept of public spaces in KDTMs of Hanoi. Through adducing and analyzing practical cases, the article also mentions the trends, the issues, the ways and the technologies of public-making and public-spaces-making in KDTMs of Hanoi. Win/loss and the relationship of the three most important influential actors in this process (municipality, KDTM owners, inhabitants/citizens) is also considered to reconceptualize the public spaces of KDTMs in Hanoi.

scholarly journals Lessons For Toronto From Melbourne’s City Centre Revitalization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent Gilliard
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Social Quality

Public space is important to a city’s economic and social quality. Downtown Toronto is not known for its public spaces but Melbourne is widely recognized for recently revitalizing its city centre with improved public spaces. A case study of Melbourne investigates its comparability to Toronto as well as the details of its "renaissance." It is concluded that Melbourne is, in fact, highly comparable to Toronto. Interventions in Melbourne were characterized by the principles: long-term vision, emphasizing local strengths, investment in quality, making space for people on foot, and using effective arguments and evidence. To emulate Melbourne’s city-centre revitalization, Toronto first should facilitate a civic conversation about the long-term vision for its downtown; second, it should initiate a public life survey of the downtown; third, it should invest is the physical quality of downtown public spaces; and fourth, it should begin an incremental program to reclaim roadway space from cars in locations of high pedestrian use.

scholarly journals Models of Community-Friendly Recreational Public Space in Warsaw Suburbs. Methodological Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6764
Author(s):  
Dorota Mantey ◽  
Agnieszka Kępkowicz
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Spatial Relations ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
The Other ◽  
Utility Value ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
The Relationship

In recent years, after the rapid and chaotic suburbanization in the 1990s, public spaces were gradually appearing in the new suburbs of postsocialist Poland. It is worth verifying to what extent these spaces are used on a daily basis. This paper aims to present a method of measuring the utility value of recreational public spaces and to determine the relationship between the utility value of space and its publicness. It suggests models of publicness of the most community-friendly recreational public spaces in Warsaw suburbs. As the research shows, intended diversity has the greatest influence on the prosocial character of space. Proximity, on the other hand, does not influence utility value so much. Location at some distance from the main nodes of activity and the highest concentration of houses, but with safe pedestrian access, is of more importance and should be promoted as a condition of successful suburban recreational space. The main conclusion from the research is that the most community-friendly recreational spaces do not have to be fully public. The measurement tools used in analyzing socio-spatial relations contributes to the development of the academic methods of studying the quality of public space.

scholarly journals Lessons For Toronto From Melbourne’s City Centre Revitalization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent Gilliard
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Social Quality

Public space is important to a city’s economic and social quality. Downtown Toronto is not known for its public spaces but Melbourne is widely recognized for recently revitalizing its city centre with improved public spaces. A case study of Melbourne investigates its comparability to Toronto as well as the details of its "renaissance." It is concluded that Melbourne is, in fact, highly comparable to Toronto. Interventions in Melbourne were characterized by the principles: long-term vision, emphasizing local strengths, investment in quality, making space for people on foot, and using effective arguments and evidence. To emulate Melbourne’s city-centre revitalization, Toronto first should facilitate a civic conversation about the long-term vision for its downtown; second, it should initiate a public life survey of the downtown; third, it should invest is the physical quality of downtown public spaces; and fourth, it should begin an incremental program to reclaim roadway space from cars in locations of high pedestrian use.

scholarly journals PUBLIC SPACES AND GENDER: TESTING THE RELATIONSHIP OF SPATIAL CONFIGURATION OF STREET NETWORKS

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Shakila Khalid ◽  
Raja Norashekin Raja Othman ◽  
Marlyana Azzyati Marzukhi
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Street Networks ◽  
Spatial Design ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of this paper is to examine the spatial dominance in public spaces from a gendered and women perspectives and to analyse the relationship with the spatial configuration of street networks. In analysing the street networks in Space Syntax, the question arises; to what extent the movement and activity may explain street integration among gender-based pedestrians. The result found that there is a correlation between spatial configurative analyses and women present in the streets. In essence, the less integrated streets attract more women pedestrians and improve better quality of space. The research is relevant to spatial design interventions and policymaking to enhance gender equal access to public space.

scholarly journals Integration of sustainable street furniture in Tunisian urban public spaces

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ons Ben Dhaou ◽  
Norbert Vasváry-Nádor
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Furniture Design ◽  
Social Attraction ◽  
Urban Public Space ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
Quality Of Living ◽  
Street Furniture

Abstract In order to develop the quality of urban spaces, street furniture seems to be the significant element that defines the city’s social attraction points. It stimulates outdoor spaces because of its location, buildings and sidewalk meet. This study explores the issues of design criteria that introduce sustainability into street furniture design in urban public space in Tunisia. This research is based on the role of street furniture and its importance in urban public spaces, and the possibility of supplementing a recycling design. This paper aims to explore the necessary criteria to design sustainable street furniture in order to present its importance in a way that helps to ameliorate the quality of living in urban areas and cities.

scholarly journals Modernization Of Public Space Floor And Its Impact On Area - The Example Of The Kościuszko Square In Białystok

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 121-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Tofiluk
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Design Solutions ◽  
Street Furniture

Abstract The last 25 years have been in many Polish cities a period of intensive modernization and renewals of the existing public spaces. Most of all the resurfacing of the pavement and changing of street furniture have been held. In many cases, the transformations in the urban areas were integrated with exclusion from traffic. The question arises what criteria architects or landscape architects follow and what design solutions apply. It is also interesting how the new shape of the floor in public spaces (understood here as a pavement and street furniture together) can help to create integrating and activating space for residents. And how it can affect the quality of life in a wider area. This article attempts to answer these questions based on new solutions on Kosciuszko Square in Białystok, executed in 2005-2009.

The Experience Of Public Space And Its Unfolding In Times Of Social Distance

2021 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 1171-1175
Author(s):  
Laura Gouvea ◽  
Claudia Mont’Alvao
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Protective Measure ◽  
Political Activities ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
The Face ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The City

This paper presents the current scenario in which the relationship between Cariocas and free public leisure spaces of the city of Rio de Janeiro is found: a supposed reduction in the population’s interest in public spaces, encouraged by the technological advances of the last decades, suffers a fulminating blow with the emergence of the new coronavirus and the adoption of social isolation as a protective measure. Social (and political) activities become exclusively virtual, while the streets turn out empty. The individualizing process that was already sneakily manifesting itself is now imposing itself. Does the impossibility of being physically in the city’s spaces cause an increase in the desire to experience these places? Trying to understand the momentary situation better, we applied a questionnaire as a method of collecting information. This questionnaire was designed, tested and applied, and its results are presented in detail to point out possible intercessions between society, the city and the practice of social distancing. The objective of the present work, to understand the relationship between Cariocas and the city’s PLSLs, led us not only to confirm that this relationship exists, but also to the understanding that it is so necessary for the quality of life of society that it ‘survives’ in the face of the numerous problems pointed out.

scholarly journals Observations on Death and Life of Public Space in Australia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 173-182
Author(s):  
Gregor Helmut Mews ◽  
Milica Muminovic
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Human Spirit ◽  
New Normal ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Social Encounter ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Global Pandemic

“Do not touch me, touch and deal with other people in the spirit of love” is stated upfront in Zizek (2020) recent reflection on the unprecedented global pandemic that has a firm grip on our societies. The quote makes two strong points that highlight the essence of this commentary. First, it implies that during the global COVID19 pandemic each and every one of use is forced to deal with their on human spirit embodied through the ontological state of existence and apply mindfulness and accountability for their actions in their everyday life routines. Second, public life in cities is different. Quickly the ‘new normal’ dictates our everyday life routines while systemic spatial issues being amplified, while social distancing measures are in place and restriction on social encounter being enforced. We present an argument that is based on direct observations of lockdown conditions during the first wave in 2020 in the Australian context. Careful framing around the concepts of ‘urban loveability’ and public space allows us to critically examine the synergy between aspects of the human spirit that celebrate and unite us. Whether the ‘new normal’ embraces death or life is evident if we pay attention to detailed traces of dynamic and intangible elements in public spaces. They remind us what makes us human and holding the possibility to realise a new ontological state of existence.

The Culture Zone in Katowice and its qualities as a public space

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-41
Author(s):  
Paweł Pistelok
Keyword(s):  
Public Space ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Public Life ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Social Functions ◽  
Upper Silesia ◽  
Industrial Heritage ◽  
Basic Rights ◽  
Post Industrial ◽  
Right Of Access

Abstract A city’s public spaces ought to meet a number of requirements to serve their main purpose, that is to foster public life. They need, for instance, to answer people’s needs, fulfil certain social functions, and let people use their basic rights, among them the most important right of access. In Katowice, one of the most prominent examples of the regeneration of public spaces is now the Culture Zone. The aim of this paper is to discuss the development of social functions in the area mentioned, a fine example of the post-industrial heritage of Upper Silesia. Applying some of the qualities of public space identified in the theories adopted, the paper discusses how the Culture Zone [in Polish: Strefa Kultury] fulfils the above-mentioned demands and requirements. Is it accessible? Does it meet the need for comfort? Does it function as a leisure space? By referring to analyses and opinions presented in the literature and comparing them with the results of the author’s own empirical research, this article discusses the importance, opportunities, and shortcomings of the Culture Zone as a public space.

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