Open Space: The Neglected Void in Urban Design

Many designers and architects view public space as the empty areas between buildings that are publicly owned. However, many of these spaces are abandoned, useless, or dangerous, rendering them ineffective as public spaces. Town planning norms often fail to treat open space as a functional part of the urban setting, with many open spaces lacking a specific program, hierarchy, or activity. As a result, many open spaces are under-maintained, scary, and dead, designed for mugging. Kevin Lynch's theory about the visual aspects of the cityscape suggests that ease of recognition and the ability to arrange parts into a coherent pattern are crucial to the visual dimension of open spaces. However, Henry Shaftoe argues that many of the spaces that people love contain variety and diversity, both in built form and activity, and that coherent space should have variety and diversity. Therefore, place-making should consider both aesthetic and functional aspects to make a place socially sustainable. Rasmussen's argument is that architecture must be experienced, not just seen. Lynch argues that the physical setting is strong enough to create a sense of place, while other commentators suggest that visual understanding of space focuses only on shape, while we should go beyond the visual and understand space as a comprehensive experience, i.e., three-dimensional. Project for Public Spaces hypothesizes ten principles based on case studies, and the learning from these studies suggests that design is a small component of making great places. However, it is challenging to apply these principles universally because open space is a fluid entity affected by socio-economy, politics, demography, and other social problems. Ali Madanipour expresses concern over designing without understanding the reality of urban societies, and Shaftoe stresses the psychological/non-spatial dimension of open space. Open space planning and designing is inherently critical compared to other building or land uses, but it has relatively low degrees of spatial innovation. In conclusion, open space has different interpretations for designers, architects, and end-users, and it is essential to consider both aesthetic and functional aspects to make a place socially sustainable. Open space planning and designing must also take into account the fluidity and unpredictability of open spaces and the psychological dimension of open space, and it should not be limited to the stereotype notion of aesthetic, beautification, breathing space, or lungs space. References: Carmona, M., & Tiesdell, S. (Eds.). (2007). Urban design reader. Routledge. Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. MIT Press. Lynch, K. (1984). Good city form. MIT press. Midanapour, A. (1997). Urban design: A challenging and problematic field of study. Cities, 14(4), 221-229. Porteous, J. D. (1996). Environmental aesthetics: Ideas, politics and planning. Routledge. Shaftoe, H. (2008). Urban spaces: Planning and striving for quality. Taylor & Francis. Worpole, K., & Greenhalgh, T. (1996). A guide to managing public spaces. Routledge. Town and Country Planning Act, 1990. Office of Public Sector Information. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1990/8/contents.