The Use and Importance of Public Space - Essay Example

PUBLIC SPACE AND ITS USES/ IMPORTANCE As defined in the English Thesaurus, public space is an open space, crowd, or gathering. The ancient Greeks called it Agora and referred to as Commons in the Middle Ages. Now, among those considered as public spaces include streets, parks, town squares, pavement, government libraries, however, not all government buildings or establishments are considered as such. It is an open space accessible to people of different race, ethnicity, beliefs, gender, educational or professional achievement, socio-economic level, and political affiliations where there is no payment for entrance. Public spaces are commonly used as a venue of free speech expressing one’s philosophy and ideals, showcasing a citizen’s artistic ability and creativeness which made public spaces crucial part of towns or cities. It has been a point of diverse cultures hence it is a source of creative exchanges and ideas. But looking at it now, public space loses its importance and considered merely as a medium of movement. Crimes often happened and people find it is no longer safe to stay in public spaces. Measures have been implemented to prevent such crimes and lower crime rate by the use of CCTV, alarms, and standby policemen. Their presence, however, affect a person’s perception and response towards specific space. Furthermore, the rise of pseudo-public spaces such as malls, theme parks, stadiums, cyberspace and similar others provide an alternative venue of expression. One’s view or opinion can be rapidly spread and expressed through the internet. In contrast, these pseudo-spaces do not provide much freedom of expression as one can get in real public spaces. There are malls which prohibit the distribution of leaflets or making speeches inside. Public space does not provide the privacy of homes, but one can do things without being monitored or tracked. Public space could be a source of local pride and its being a social place relies on the attachment of people towards their locality. There must be a relationship between social behavior and physical features of the environment which could be a factor for its sociability. Efforts have been made by the government, and other concerned agencies to restore public spaces. Public space must not be made a venue of fights but rather a space where one finds solace, a space for retreat, a space to interact with others, and a space to linger. The pictures below show of a public space which could affect climate change adaptation and provide an area for positive social relations thereby encouraging people to get together for the betterment of the community and the environment. In contrast, the pictures below show a public space which was made as a venue of crimes, street fighting, and racial war. A far cry from the true meaning and purpose of a public space. PUBLIC REALM AND ITS IMPORTANCE The open spaces between buildings and streets, squares, lanes, parks, and common which form the framework for our use and perception of a space are referred to as public realm. It is the constituent parts that make up the public space (CABE; 2001) A high quality of public realm contributed to an increasing number of people who tend to stop and linger in squares and parks adding to its vibrancy and attractiveness to residents and visitors alike. Once people leave their homes they engage in different kinds of activities which include shopping, socializing, relaxing, enjoying the nature and the community around which makes public realm as important as the buildings that make up a town. There are several factors which determine if a place is successful or not which include economic, environmental, and social factors. It is also important to consider the perception of a pedestrian through their experiences in moving around the place. One thing that speaks of a town’s success is how well the pedestrian and visitors have enjoyed their experience that they contemplate of repeating it. To improve the quality of public realm it is necessary to maximize the use of spaces, to have a defined route and a better public spaces connection, and to enhance the quality of parks or squares which reflects the status of buildings. It is necessary that pedestrians be allowed to walk freely without overcrowding and limited interruptions and allow easy connectivity of destinations. Public realm must also be friendly and considerate for people with disabilities and provide an environment for social and cultural interactions, and a coherent sense of place. A quality public realm must be secured and safe and capable of providing a wide variety of uses during night and day. 24-hour surveillance, functional lighting solutions, well lit frontages of shops and buildings, big window displays, and good views of landmarks must be provided. It is also important to have a maintenance strategy for its public realm, management of litter collection, address issues on vandalism, and impose strict regulations on parking and vehicle movement. The quality or range of spaces must be of a size enough to provide shelter from weather. GOVERNANCE OF PUBLIC REALM The revitalization of public realm encourages the participation of local sectors and cohesion of communities. A question would arise as to how local sectors contribute to a stronger localism and engagement in community activity? It is about people taking responsibility over what happened in their locality and promotion to get people relates and get on well with one another. Considering the history of anti-social behavior today the manifestations of conflict, institutional discrimination, cultural differences and prejudices, and unequal access to resources it is realistic to encourage community cohesion as a solution to these social problems. A process called civil renewal engages the government and the citizens to work together. According to a definition from Civil Renewal Unit as cited in http://www.communities.gov.uk, civil renewal involves more people being able to influence decisions about their communities, and more people taking responsibility for tackling local problems, rather than expecting others to. Renewal in terms of solidarity, interdependence, mutuality and respect. Engaging the youth to participate in community activities help in many disadvantaged areas. The civil renewal emphasizes also to enhance relationships between citizens and strangers based on mutual respect. In a place or community, residents have different backgrounds and may have cultural differences but these should not be made as a source of conflict and tension. It cannot be prevented that diverse cultures often cause misunderstandings. Intensive promotion of positive and strong relationships with people of different cultures and belief is needed to achieve better community cohesion and equalities. It is a challenge to provide a public realm which convene and allow conversations about this kind of differences. A local government paper published in October 2006 provides for the following implications in terms of service provision at local level: 1. The need for thorough knowledge and understanding of the distinctive communities and neighbourhoods served; 2. Having arrangements in place to enable local people to be more actively engaged in shaping their collective future – giving them influence over local services and action, and helping them to develop the capacity to tackle local issues for themselves; 3.Ensuring that mechanisms are in place to allow local people and groups to shape services and hold their providers to account. As mentioned earlier, the success of a place can be determined from the satisfaction of the public. Hence, it is most important to involve the public and the community in the planning and decision making with the authorities. They must be included in consultative meetings and comprehensive strategies for the promotion of community involvement. There must be an assessment to evaluate the effectiveness and success of community cohesion. Community engagement is a long term process, it does not happen overnight. Thus, it requires a massive and continued interaction with the communities to build and nurture relationships. According to a local government white paper, the day to day activities of libraries, museums and archive services play a major role of social investment in community engagement. Jowell (2005: 1) states that in a healthy and open society that promotes social cohesion rather than fragmentation, it is clear that public services – local schools, health services, parks, and libraries – all serve as part of a shared public realm. An advertisement board outside a library that it is free of use is a clear indication of the fragility of a public realm. The privatization of social life such as the use of home theaters, getting information and spreading speeches and opinions from other sources such as the cyberspace contributed to a weakened public realm. Revitalizing the public realm include demolishing or refurnishing old buildings or building new ones which addresses the different needs of the diverse community. Understanding of Urban Theory is necessary for the success of renewal of the neighbourhood and the community. Theories go in and out of fashion since there is no perfect solution for urban dilemma. This is also the reason for an intensive promotion and engagement of the community. Environmental determinism had an effect on social behaviour. The designs of buildings and other public spaces affect interrelationships of people in the community. If the problem is derelict buildings or land it can be solved by physical solution but this does not provide as an answer to poverty. A better understanding of human and urban problems in terms of socio- economic disadvantage is needed to ensure success of community and environment intervention. IS THERE A CONFLICT BETWEEN MAKING SPACES INTERESTING AND MAKING THEM SAFE? Residents often looked at a neighbourhood that is safe, and it is a challenge for urban designers to create a design that is not only interesting to them but a design that also offers a sense of safety and security. Safety is not the only issue that residents’ value, they also want access to public spaces that meet their varied needs, a space that provides high quality provisions for children and a place where excellent social interactions exist and these are also the things that the public wanted to see. It is now the challenge of every urban designer to create such plan and a design that reduces crime and the opportunities for crime. It is a basic principle of good urban design to produce high quality public spaces that are inherently safe and encourage positive outcomes such as the social interaction of communities and an inclusive public realm that meet the needs of the public; it is necessary that is in accordance with government guidelines. Some of the interlocking design principles enumerated in By Design include: character, continuity and enclosure, quality of the public realm, ease of movement, legibility, adaptability, and diversity. It is the objective of these principles to create a flourishing community where one feels safe enough to go and hang out in public spaces and to build a strong community spirit. However, a research by CABE showed that a higher number of people did not find neighbourliness in the community which is also the cause of increasing anti-social behavior. The CABE along with the government are working together to create a master plan that develop strategic direction for a good public space existing in the neigbourhood. This plan gives priority on the pedestrian that gives security to the community and allow them to enjoy public spaces without fear of being dragged into any anti-social behavior. According to Michael Moxam, “our architecture of buildings offers two key vital contributions to urban experience. Architecture offers the scale, texture, color, and rhythm we experience in daily lives. More important, architecture defines open spaces between buildings and streets, squares, lanes, parks, and common”. Our buildings of any type have contributed to a certain degree in the urban development. These buildings serve as a landmark that offers a glimpse and very crucial for the understanding of the culture, development and progress of a place. All of our churches, public buildings, libraries, schools, government buildings, and public safety buildings have offered the opportunity and responsibility for urban development. Moxam further added that, “law-enforcement architecture is a potent civic landmark within our communities. A carefully designed police facility can support built the urban public realm much as policing activities support our community involvement”. Definitely there is no conflict between making spaces interesting and making them safe. As concluded by Moxam, community policing and urban regeneration are completely compatible. An in depth understanding of the community and its diverse cultures help in making public spaces safe and secure for members of the community and visitors. An urban dilemma as a result of socio-economic poverty could neither be a problem in making public spaces interesting nor making it safe. Through government intervention and community involvement working together lead to the success in the management and maintenance of public spaces. As a saying goes, a person’s eyes are the windows to one’s soul and similarly it could be said that public spaces are the windows to a town’s success and development. References: Dines, N.; Cattell, V.; Gesler, W.; & Curtis,S. 2006. Public Spaces, Social Relations, and Well-Being in East London. The Policy Press. Bristol, UK. Governance, the New Public Realm and Civil Society Organisations. Retrieved November 21, 2008 from http://www.unesco.org/most/globalisation/Governance.htm Harris, K. Localism, Governance, and Public Realm. Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council. Southampton Row, London. Harris, K. & Dudley, M. Public Libraries and Community Cohesion: Developing Indicators. Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council. London. Besser, H. 2001. Intellectual Property: The Attack on Public Space in Cyberspace. Retrieved November 22, 2008 from http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/~howard/Papers/pw-public-spaces.html Limerick Public Realm Design Guide. Retrieved November 22, 2008 from http://www.limerick.ie/Transport/LimerickPublicRealmDesignGuide/ Local Level: Understanding Life in Neighbourhoods. Retrieved November 22, 2008 from http://www.local-level.org.uk/Local_life_and _the_publicrealm.asp Mehta, V. 2007. Lively Streets: Determining Environmental Characteristics to Support Social Behaviour. Vol. 27, No. 2, 165-187. Moxam, M.A. Justice and the Public Realm: Conflict or Responsibility?. Academy of Architecture for Justice. Toronto, Canada. Onibokun, A.G. 1999. Managing the Monster: Urban Waste and Governance in Africa. International Research Centre. Ontario, Canada. Project for Public Spaces: Images. Retrieved November 22, 2008 from http://www.pps.org/imagedb/category?gallery_id=747 Public Realm Design Guidelines. Retrieved November 22, 2008 from http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/planning/deptorg/dhp/designguidelines/8APUBLICREALMDESIGNGUIDELINESREV.pdf Quinn, B. Regeneration and Anti-Social Behaviour. Retrieved November 21, 2008 from http://www.landscape.co.uk/resources/323 The Making of A Good City. Retrieved November 21, 2008 from http://www.dsdni.gov.uk/pr-masterplan06-ch2.pdf Urban Theory and Urban Policy. Retreived November 22, 2008 from http://www.psi.org.uk/publications/archivepdfs/Housing/JV3.pdf Read More

Public space must not be made a venue of fights but rather a space where one finds solace, a space for retreat, a space to interact with others, and a space to linger. The pictures below show of a public space which could affect climate change adaptation and provide an area for positive social relations thereby encouraging people to get together for the betterment of the community and the environment. In contrast, the pictures below show a public space which was made as a venue of crimes, street fighting, and racial war.

A far cry from the true meaning and purpose of a public space. PUBLIC REALM AND ITS IMPORTANCE The open spaces between buildings and streets, squares, lanes, parks, and common which form the framework for our use and perception of a space are referred to as public realm. It is the constituent parts that make up the public space (CABE; 2001) A high quality of public realm contributed to an increasing number of people who tend to stop and linger in squares and parks adding to its vibrancy and attractiveness to residents and visitors alike.

Once people leave their homes they engage in different kinds of activities which include shopping, socializing, relaxing, enjoying the nature and the community around which makes public realm as important as the buildings that make up a town. There are several factors which determine if a place is successful or not which include economic, environmental, and social factors. It is also important to consider the perception of a pedestrian through their experiences in moving around the place.

One thing that speaks of a town’s success is how well the pedestrian and visitors have enjoyed their experience that they contemplate of repeating it. To improve the quality of public realm it is necessary to maximize the use of spaces, to have a defined route and a better public spaces connection, and to enhance the quality of parks or squares which reflects the status of buildings. It is necessary that pedestrians be allowed to walk freely without overcrowding and limited interruptions and allow easy connectivity of destinations.

Public realm must also be friendly and considerate for people with disabilities and provide an environment for social and cultural interactions, and a coherent sense of place. A quality public realm must be secured and safe and capable of providing a wide variety of uses during night and day. 24-hour surveillance, functional lighting solutions, well lit frontages of shops and buildings, big window displays, and good views of landmarks must be provided. It is also important to have a maintenance strategy for its public realm, management of litter collection, address issues on vandalism, and impose strict regulations on parking and vehicle movement.

The quality or range of spaces must be of a size enough to provide shelter from weather. GOVERNANCE OF PUBLIC REALM The revitalization of public realm encourages the participation of local sectors and cohesion of communities. A question would arise as to how local sectors contribute to a stronger localism and engagement in community activity? It is about people taking responsibility over what happened in their locality and promotion to get people relates and get on well with one another.

Considering the history of anti-social behavior today the manifestations of conflict, institutional discrimination, cultural differences and prejudices, and unequal access to resources it is realistic to encourage community cohesion as a solution to these social problems. A process called civil renewal engages the government and the citizens to work together. According to a definition from Civil Renewal Unit as cited in http://www.communities.gov.uk, civil renewal involves more people being able to influence decisions about their communities, and more people taking responsibility for tackling local problems, rather than expecting others to.

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