Toward Regeneration of Public Open Spaces within Large Housing Estates–A Case Study of Niš, Serbia

Despite the multiple contributions of public open spaces (POSs) to the quality of life in large housing estates (LHEs), the comprehensive treatment of their improvement has so far been a rare occasion in post-socialist countries. This paper aimed to explore the transformations of POSs in inherited LHEs in the socialist and post-socialist period and the potential for their regeneration. The investigation was based on a comparative analysis of two case studies in Niš, Serbia, which represent typical modes of POS devastation. The performed research study has shown that POSs have succumbed to dilapidation, displaying a wide array of problems and that their regeneration is neglected. The paper proposes a comprehensive set of measures to regenerate POSs based on contemporary concepts of urban planning and design with a special focus on long-term actions and residents’ needs. Particular importance is given to establishing the development guidelines as future prerequisites for overcoming current institutional, economic, legislative, and social obstacles for sustainable implementation of regeneration measures. These findings might encourage future studies of creating a model option for improving POSs at the city of Nis scale, as well in other Serbian cities towards sustainable urban development.

Download Full-text

Multifunctional public open spaces for sustainable cities: Concept and application

Facta universitatis - series Architecture and Civil Engineering ◽

10.2298/fuace190327012z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 205-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jelena Zivkovic ◽

Ksenija Lalovic ◽

Milica Milojevic ◽

Ana Nikezic

Keyword(s):

Urban Planning ◽

Urban Design ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Academic Disciplines ◽

Sustainable Urban Development ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Planning And Design ◽

Urban Planning And Design ◽

Public Open Spaces

The idea that multifunctional open spaces support sustainable urban development has been widely accepted in theory and intensively used in practice of urban planning and design. It is based on the assumption that multifunctional spaces bring a wider spectrum of environmental, social and economic benefits to urban areas. And yet, multifunctionality of space is still a vague and diffuse concept that needs further clarifications. Besides that, different academic disciplines understand and use this concept in different ways. This makes the application of the concept difficult to assess and manage in relation to different aspects of urban sustainability. Through the literature review, this paper analyses and compares how the concept of multifunctionality is used in various spatial disciplines (urban planning and design, landscape architecture) in order to better understand and relate its different dimensions, applications and expected benefits for sustainable development. Based on this, a new, relational and multidimensional conceptualisation of the multifunctionality of public open spaces is proposed for analysis and assessment of urban design solutions. It is further applied and discussed in relation to students projects from ?Ecological urban design studio? from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture, as visions for development of multifunctional public open spaces in modernist mass housing area of ?Sava Blocks? in New Belgrade, Serbia.

Download Full-text

Public health and well-being in public open spaces through climate responsive urban planning and design

The Journal of Public Space ◽

10.32891/jps.v5i2.1279 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Urban Planning ◽

Well Being ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Local Climate ◽

Planning And Design ◽

Urban Planning And Design ◽

Active Lifestyles ◽

Controlled Environments ◽

Public Open Spaces

The urban fabric enables people to move between climate-controlled environments (such as home and indoors work) and non-controlled ones (such as parks and beaches). The planning and design of urban spaces, on the other hand, largely define the way we live and affect our health as it can, for instance, promote or hinder active lifestyles and social cohesion (Owen, 2009; Speck, 2012). But even when the cities have compact built form and provide key features and infrastructure conducive to healthy lifestyles, local climate can indirectly dictate and restrict the use of public open spaces if the weather is prohibitive (Tavares & Swaffield, 2017). Climate responsive urban planning and design is, therefore, key to secure a healthy urban lifestyle (Barton, Thompson, Burgess, & Grant, 2015; Kent et al., 2017; Mouratidis, 2017) especially in light of frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

Download Full-text

Update Cheryomushki: perspectives for future housing

проект байкал ◽

10.51461/projectbaikal.68.1813 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (68) ◽

pp. 112-120

Author(s):

Barbara Engel

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Living Environment ◽

Residential Housing ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Urban Fabric ◽

Living Space ◽

Large Housing Estates ◽

Residential Space ◽

Housing Estates ◽

Valuable Role

The shortage of residential space in many urban areas and the question about how this can be alleviated leads to the existing large residential housing estates, which are of great significance when it comes to providing living space for broad sections of the population in the future. Large housing estates potentially have a valuable role to play in providing housing – the dwellings there are highly adaptable, making them suitable for designing a living environment with few barriers, and they also have a high proportion of open spaces. In order to transform prefabricated dwelling areas into attractive neighborhoods and wanted housing not only the existing urban fabric have to be renovated and new types of dwelling integreated but as well the open spaces shall be improved..

Download Full-text

Public Health and Well-being in Public Open Spaces through Climate Responsive Urban Planning and Design

The Journal of Public Space ◽

10.32891/jps.v5i2.1290 ◽

2020 ◽

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Urban Planning ◽

Well Being ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Planning And Design ◽

Urban Planning And Design ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Public Open Spaces

Download Full-text

Participation and spatial transformation in large housing estates in Poland. Case study of Ursynów Północny

Urban Development Issues ◽

10.2478/udi-2018-0034 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 55-65

Author(s):

Krystyna Ilmurzyńska

Keyword(s):

Basic Assumption ◽

Real Life ◽

Business Environment ◽

Spatial Transformation ◽

Reciprocal Relationships ◽

Spatial Transformations ◽

Large Housing Estates ◽

Existing Housing ◽

Housing Estates

Abstract This article investigates the suitability of traditional and participatory planning approaches in managing the process of spatial development of existing housing estates, based on the case study of Warsaw’s Ursynów Północny district. The basic assumption of the article is that due to lack of government schemes targeted at the restructuring of large housing estates, it is the business environment that drives spatial transformations and through that shapes the development of participation. Consequently the article focuses on the reciprocal relationships between spatial transformations and participatory practices. Analysis of Ursynów Północny against the background of other estates indicates that it presents more endangered qualities than issues to be tackled. Therefore the article focuses on the potential of the housing estate and good practices which can be tracked throughout its lifetime. The paper focuses furthermore on real-life processes, addressing the issue of privatisation, development pressure, formal planning procedures and participatory budgeting. In the conclusion it attempts to interpret the existing spatial structure of the estate as a potential framework for a participatory approach.

Download Full-text

Influence of the Regeneration of Large Housing Estates on Sustainable Urban Living Conditions -Benefits or Threats?

Athens Journal of Social Sciences ◽

10.30958/ajss.2-3-4 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 199-212

Author(s):

Elham Madadi Kandjani ◽

Christian Kersten Hofbauer ◽

Jean Marie Corneille Meuwissen

Keyword(s):

Living Conditions ◽

Urban Living ◽

Large Housing Estates ◽

Housing Estates

Download Full-text

Social Evaluation of Public Open Space Services and Their Impact on Well-Being: A Micro-Scale Assessment from a Coastal University

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084372 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4372

Author(s):

Abdullah Addas ◽

Ahmad Maghrabi

Keyword(s):

Open Space ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Evaluation ◽

Open Spaces ◽

Rapid Urbanization ◽

Public Open Space ◽

The Impact ◽

Public Open Spaces

Public open spaces services have been shown to be profoundly affected by rapid urbanization and environmental changes, and in turn, they have influenced socio-cultural relationships and human well-being. However, the impact of these changes on public open space services (POSS) remains unexplored, particularly in the Saudi Arabian context. This study examines the socio-cultural influence of POSS on the King Abdulaziz University campus, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and the impact of these services on well-being. A field survey and questionnaire were used to collect data. Non-parametric tests (Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests) were used to find significant differences in the importance of POSS as perceived by stakeholders based on socio-demographic attributes. Factor analysis was performed for 14 POSS to identify those that are most important. The study showed that (i) university stakeholders are closely linked to services provided by public open spaces (POS) and dependent on POSS, (ii) there were significant differences in the perceived importance of POSS according to gender, age, and social groups, and (iii) 70 to 90% of stakeholders reported POSS as having a positive impact on well-being. Thus, the findings will help design and plan POSS to meet the needs of society and promote well-being.

Download Full-text