Public spaces
We all know what spaces are. We all have personal space. If someone gets in to our personal space, they had better be invited or suffer the consequences of someone who feels trapped in a small space who will strike out at a threatening presence. When we are out and about we operate in the public space, and everyone agrees to play nice and not get into someone’s personal space. The boundaries of somone’s personal space vary slightly depending on where they are. The boundary moves from when we are at work, on the train/subway, and when we are among friends. Public spaces are an artificial creation designed to bring people to a single area for purposes of public entertainment, announcements, and common access to natural resources. Sample platforms include sidewalks, plazas, terraces, theaters, sports venues, retail establishments, markets, and parks. Places that push the interaction from a public to private realm mostly include transportation.
When we are in our car (with our personal attachments), it has its own space requirements, we have boundaries that mimic our own bodily boundaries. Scratches, dings, and fender benders offend our person as if we had received a personal affront into our personal space. However, when we ride the bus or subway and it gets crowded, we make some effort to establish our boundary by physical posturing and positioning. If the subway gets too crowded, we adjust until finally people are in our personal space and every effort is made not to engage people’s private spaces. These spaces that are intimate even to our friends.
So what does this all have to do with structures and buildings? I don’t know. No, I’m just getting there. The point is to create public spaces that address people’s personal spaces. Strategies exist for minimizing the impact of crowding in public spaces. So depending upon the space, you can also make an effort to keep someone from stepping on someone else’s toes.
Exits, entrances, and flow patterns for traffic generated by people are important elements in designing a proper public space. Let us begin with looking at what public spaces we have control over. We have the entrance, lobby, hallways, elevator, parking lots/structures, restrooms, break rooms, emergency exits, patio areas, walkways, mechanical equipment (because a good environment makes a difference), transportation access, traffic control studies for special conditions, and maintenance of the space to minimize the impact during service. (As an aside, did you ever wonder what the people in traffic control were thinking when they schedule work on a major highway in the middle of rush hour traffic?) We have the power to consider something besides occupancy. Providing for flexible and robust public spaces and accessways is the best effort you can put forward in to making sure people enjoy your building or public space.
You define the boundary of these spaces. You define the walls, shape of the building, location of the access points, vehicle access, pedestrian access, elevator location, daylighting, public furniture (for parks, plazas, transportation) and where the emphasis of the building is going to be from an architectural standpoint. People who face these challenges daily are designing hospitals, museums, universities, arenas, stadiums, transportation hubs, churches, apartment complexes, barracks, corporate campuses, oil platforms, submarines, cruise ships, senior care centers, casinos, airports, roadways, retail centers and parks (public/amusement). These are the public spaces of the city and sub-urban neighborhoods.
We find that public spaces used just for leisure and gathering are few and far in-between. Most of our public spaces are mixed-use commercial centers that accomodate housing, retail and professional offices. It seems that they are parking lots with places to spend our money attached. We do not gather at these places to engage in public discourse, cultural enrichments, social engagements, family activities, or as part of our path when we travel by foot. People are best able to appreciate their environment when they are not bombarded by advertising, work reminders and vendors asking them to part with their money.
It is the job of the designer to provide a public space that can be enjoyed by many people in a personal way. Give a path to the public to enjoy your achitecture and not rush them past so that they can avoid being trampled upon. This is not how I would want my building or structure remembered, as a inconvenience that had no place for me. Define spaces for the public with the public in mind.
