Social life of small urban spaces

1. The Social Life of Small
Urban Spaces
PEOPLE LIKE TO VISIT
PLACES WHICH ARE
LIVELY ,FULL OF
ENTERTAINMENT
.THEY AVOID
PLACES WHICH ARE
LONELY AND
SPACIOUS.
SUBMITTED BY:
ADIBA
M.ARCH (REC) 3rd sem
SUBMITTED TO:
Ar. AKSHAY KAUL SIR
• ELEMENTS OF
URBAN SPACES:
• Plazas
• Sitting Space
• Sun,
• Wind,
• Trees,
• Water Food
• Street
• Indoor Spaces
• Concourses and
Mega structures
• Smaller Cities and
Places
• Triangulation

2. • Plaza is an open urban public space, such as a city square
• The best used plazas are sociable places with a higher
proportion of couples than find in less used
places, more people in groups, more people meeting people
Key factors defining plaza:
• Surrounding enclosure
• Shape of plaza
• Amount of space
• Sitting space
The majority of the people who use plazas are in pairs or groups of three
or more
 Successful urban plazas
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES
https://my.vanderbilt.edu/greencities/files/2014/08/William-H.-Whyte-on-what-makes-public-spaces-fail-what-makes-them-succeed.pdf
 Key factors were identified for plazas that
succeeded as popular gathering spots.
Key features of urban plaza.
 Trees canopies
 water features,
 sculptures and
 food vendors
all played a role in attracting people to urban plazas and
parks, greater the number of these key features, the
more people attracted to these public spaces.The Seagram’ Public Square
https://publicspace14.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/l2_v34294_958_9
92_10444.jpg?w=319&h=33

3. Steps afford an infinity of possible groupings, and the
excellent sight lines make all the seating great for watching
the theatre of the street
https://i0.wp.com/www.pps.org/graphics/upopages/seagram3_large.jpg?
resize=360%2C233
https://www.pps.org/reference/sitwalls/
People will most likely sit where pedestrian flows bisect a
settable place. And it is not so perverse of them. It is by
choice that they do.
https://i0.wp.com/www.pps.org/graphics/upopages/seagram1_large.jp
g?resize=360%2C239
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES
 SITTING SPACES
• Important condition for small urban environments,
• Major elements used in plazas
• Provide an infrastructure for grouping and communication
between people.
• Movable chairs: Allow people to control where and how they
sit. People interact, themselves attracted other people,
Paley Park, New York City
http://3.bp.blogspot.com

4.  STREETS
• Street Life Project observed and
analysed the interactions and
behaviours of people at this and
other plazas.
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES
In the 1980s Bryant Park was redesigned following the recommendations of the
Street Life Project
http://betterwaterfront.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Bryant-Park-550.jpg
Fulton Street & Gold Street looking Southeast
across DeLury Plaza from Ann Street
http://www.newyorkinplainsight.com/zMSC/image
s/001a.jpg

5.  TRIANGULATION
• Triangulation would be defined as “the characteristic of a public space that can bring people
together, or things, actions, or activities that act as magnets to bring people together.
e.g. art installations, buskers, skating rinks, dance floors, street band, street artist, street sculpture;
https://ecourbanismworldwide.wordpress.com/2015/08/18/triangulation-public-
space-bringing-citizens-together/
http://www.habicurious.com/tag/the-social-life-of-small-urban-spaces/
Dubuffet’s “Monument with Standing
Beast”
http://www.frommers.com/slideshows/
Michigan Street African American Heritage
Corridor
https://www.albrightknox.org/community/ak-
public-art/freedom-wall
Street art
THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES
 performers provide a connection between strangers and
acquaintances
 Musicians and entertainers draw people together
• Rockefeller Plaza
• Increases social interaction among visitors
 Develops curiosity among kids.
 Encourage people to think over it.
 Street sculptures have strong social effect
Street sculptures Street music

6. THE SOCIAL LIFE OF SMALL URBAN SPACES
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