Designing Public Space for the New Urban Lifestyle
Over the past year, the way we live and work has changed dramatically. The pandemic has shown that many of us can work from home, and cities have adapted to this new reality by creating more bike lanes, widening sidewalks, and closing streets to cars. As we move towards a post-pandemic world, how can we continue to make our cities more livable and sustainable for the New Urban Lifestyle? In this blog post, we explore the potential of tactical urbanism, the "15 Minutes City" concept, and the importance of community engagement and public programming in creating more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable public spaces.
Tactical Urbanism: an iterative approach to Public Space
Tactical urbanism is a grassroots approach to urban design that involves using low-cost, temporary interventions to transform public spaces. Examples of tactical urbanism projects include pop-up parks, guerrilla bike lanes, and street art. These projects can be a powerful tool for communities to take ownership of their public spaces and create more vibrant, livable neighborhoods. By experimenting with new possibilities, we can constantly iterate and improve the conditions of the cities where we live.
Reimagine your public space.
Experiment, develop, and evaluate projects in real time to give public life the space it deserves.
#tacticalurbanism #publicspace #communityengagement
The 15 Minute City: promoting community, place, and pride
The 15 Minutes City is an urban model that promotes the accessibility of daily needs within a short distance. In this model, citizens can access essential services, like transport, education, healthcare, and social places, all within a 15-minute walk, bike ride, or public transport trip. For the new hybrid work lifestyle, the 15 Minutes City model provides a highly flexible system that decreases carbon emissions, reduces commuting time, and establishes more public spaces. When implementing the 15 Minutes City model, there is a need to consider the functions and uses that would be suitable for the location.
Hyper-local is where its at.
Creating a vibrant, unified hub where everyone has equal access to the amenities they deserve and the community they desire!
#15minutecity #communityspirit #placeandpride
Scalability, Modularity, and Flexibility: Keys to designing Successful Public Spaces
Scalability, modularity, and flexibility are key to successful designs and community activation. A flexible design can adapt to different uses, seasons, and times of day, and make spaces easily adaptable and reused. Meanwhile, modular designs allow spaces to be added or removed as needed. Over time, the successful implementation of these design aspects can help make space more inclusive and welcoming to all.
Test, learn, and iterate.
An experiment based on portable and regenerative architecture.
#MountainOnTheMoon by Enorme Studio
design matters
The formal aspects of design are also essential to the success of a public space - colour, texture, and the shapes of each element can make or break the user experience. The choice of materials, lighting, and signs must be carefully considered to create welcoming and inspiring spaces. By utilizing public programming, placemaking, and cultural sensitivity, we can create public spaces that are inclusive, safe, and welcoming, and promote their use for communal activities.
Community Engagement
Community engagement is essential for creating successful public spaces. Community groups, developers, artists, municipalities, and urban designers must all work together to create public spaces that meet the needs of everyone. By working collaboratively, we can ensure that public spaces reflect the needs and values of the community they're intended to serve. Public programming, such as community events and performances, can invite people to engage with public spaces in more meaningful ways.
Community is the superpower.
A community that is heard and invested is the key to transforming public spaces into vibrant and successful hubs for creativity, connection, and joy.
#communityengagement #publicspacesmatter #creativityconnectsus
Final Thoughts
Creating more inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable public spaces is possible through a range of tactical urbanism projects, flexible designs with modular elements, and the 15 minutes concept to maximize access to daily necessities. The formal aspects of design and cultural sensitivity in design are crucial, as is community engagement in the process to harness creativity and generate a sense of community ownership. Urban design can create more livable and sustainable cities that meet the needs of our new hybrid work lifestyle. By building resilient public spaces, we can forge community connections and support each other's well-being.
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