Public Plazas
Essentials |
Public space and
public life go hand in hand. They are shaped and molded by one another.
Without the public space there would be no public life and without the
public life the space would be worthless. The streets, squares, and parks
give a city the flow of human exchange. What attract people most to urban
spaces are other people. Urban space designs needs to be created by the
study of the people that would use them. Here is a list of factors for a
successful plaza design. 1- Function 2- Character 3- Ideal Layout |
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FUNCTION |
Through history, communities have developed public spaces
that met their needs, whether these were markets, places for sacred
celebrations, or sites for local rituals. Public spaces often come
to symbolize the community, society or culture. Specific places acquire meaning through their
functions, further deepening their roles in people’s lives. Basic active functions for urban spaces:
Basic passive functions:
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Festivals: Pioneer Courthouse Plaza offers the opportunity for all to join in the festivities at hand.
Sitting: The amphitheater style seating of Pioneer Courthouse Plaza allows for great views and easy people watching. |
CHARACTER Art: This statue in Pioneer Courthouse Plaza has become a landmark and meeting place for many over the years.
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Every urban setting has unique features that make it like no
other place. Historical artifacts,
information and educational markers, landmarks, and artwork express the
unique characteristics exclusive to that place alone. Authentic
places derive character and meaning from local history, local materials,
local climate, and local culture. Authentic urban spaces never
deceive the user about where they are. Artifacts: Memorials and historic markers lend particular significance to a space. Information and Education: Readily available facts, from history and neighboring buildings, to
the whereabouts or restrooms or the types of trees overhead and plants
underfoot, ensure that places are easy to use. Landmarks: Serve as meeting places or directional
indicators within the urban framework. Art: Whether steeped in social commentary or as
expression of beauty, approachable public art lends solemnity, joy,
wonder, or to debate to any space. |
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IDEAL LAYOUT
Portal and Enclosure: This plaza in Florence, Italy has a dramatic portal as well as enclosing buildings on all sides. |
Urban spaces need clear boundaries that create limits and include attributes that make them unique and give them focus. Spaces need to be enclosed, provide a sense of arrival, have scale
appropriate to the environment, and have character enhanced with
stairways, vantage points, and repeating patterns-all while being flexible
enough to allow a variety of functions to occur within. Portals: Create a sense of arrival when entering a plaza Enclosures: Buildings, landforms, landscape and water bodies define space and create boundaries. Vistas: People like to be able to examine
their surroundings in order to feel
comfortable with where they are. Scale: Create a scale that doesn’t overwhelm people Flexibility: Keep the center area open: multi-use areas without fixed features near the middle allow them to function like outdoor conference rooms. Patterns: The repetitious patterns in paving, in the landscape, and buildings
create soothing visual frames. |
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SITTING SPACE Seating: This seating in Pioneer Courthouse Plaza is not only functional, but artistic. As kids scramble over the scattered pieces, this becomes a multi-use object of the plaza.
Seating: A bench with a backrest and a view... what more could you ask?
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A successful plaza design provides ample seating. Seating allows users to rest, converse, and observe the world. Movable chairs or benches are best as they allow people to assemble seating groups as needed. Ideally, sitting should be physically comfortable: benches with back rests, and well-contoured chairs make this feasible. It is just as important, that the seating be socially comfortable. This means giving a choice of seating: sitting up front, in back, to the side, in the sun, in the shade, in group, and off alone. Other design factors to consider in urban plazas: -There should be one linear foot of seating space for
every thirty square feet of plaza. -For the benefit of the handicapped, 5% of seating
spaces should have backrests. -Seating should have a minimum depth of 16 inches.
Seating with backrests at least 12 inches high, should have a
minimum depth of 14 inches. -Picnic, play, and game areas need to have tables or
furniture that can be used by people in wheelchairs
(tables should be 28 to 34 inches high to allow ample knee space to place
a wheelchair in a comfortable position). |
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Sun Development should provide southern exposure where
possible and maximum sunlight in primary space. Where there is sun, people
will sit, where there isn’t, people wont. The days that bring out the
peak crowds on plazas are not the sparkling sunny days with temperatures
in the seventies, good as this weather might be for walking. It is
the hot, muggy, sunny days, the kind that you would expect people to want
to stay inside and be air-conditioned, this is when you find people out in
record numbers. Wind People seek the sun, but the absence of winds and
drafts are just as important to people as sun. Wood or glass canopies,
pavilions, semi outdoor spaces can be used in all but the worst weather. S Trees should be planted in groves and should be
combined with sitting spaces. If trees are planted close together, the
overlapping foliage can provide a shade and sunlight that can be very
pleasing. -For urban plazas of 1,500 sq. ft. or more in area, four trees are required. -For urban plazas of 5,000 sq. ft. or more in area, six trees are required. -For urban plazas 12,000 sq. ft. or more in area, one
tree is required every 2,000 sq. ft. Water Water features are a wonderful element in urban plaza design. Some of the best things about water are the look and feel of it. The sound of a water fountain is also very pleasing as it drowns out the undesirable street noises. The biggest factor about water features is that it should be accessible, touchable.
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ACCESS AND CIRCULATION
Access: This wide path through Pioneer Courthouse Plaza offers ample room for many people to maneuver to and fro. |
Well-designed plazas, especially those intended for public use, accommodate everyone. Not only the fit, but all, who by reason of age or disability, have special needs. All of us in our lifetime, from strollers, crutches, canes, to walkers and wheelchairs are at a disadvantage to some degree in terms of mobility or cognizance. Public agencies and physical planners have come to recognize the needs and possibilities, and have taken positive action. Now most building codes and regulations in corporate requirements designed to make life safer, more comfortable, and more convenient. Here are some of the major design factors to consider
for a successful plaza design: -A minimum clear width of walk space must be 36 inches. -Accessible routes of circulation should allow a
disabled person to arrive at, and enter, an open space from a public
transportation stop or from an accessible parking area or passenger
loading zone. -Where a route crosses a curb, a curb ramp must be
provided with a slope that is not steeper than a 1 foot rise in 12 feet,
unless a steeper ramp is unavoidable because of space limitations. -The route of circulation ought to be free of
obstruction or protruding objects that might reduce the maneuvering space
for persons in wheelchairs.
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FOOD Food: This street vendor offers tasty treats to passers-by. |
Food attracts people, who attract more people. The
smell of food creates an inviting atmosphere for pedestrians walking by.
Food allows for conversation. Consolidating the facilities into a small element
forces people to meet one another: waiting in the line or weaving their
way through tables, it makes it hard not to interact with one another. This creates the most
sociable places in the city. Common ways of providing food in a plaza: -Buildings that border the plaza, provide small outdoor cafes. -Food venders with umbrella carts. -A basic snack bar strategically placed in the
plaza to not only attract the people in the plaza, but also attract
pedestrians passing by. |
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| Plaza Examples |
Pioneer Courthouse Square
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Why Pioneer Courthouse Square works: Activities: Some of the square's activities involve flower shows, concerts and other public shows. Sociability: The square has many elements for guests to come the park like: public art, amenities, flowers, and tress. Access: Along with the many access points into the square, guests can get to the square by buses and the light rail. Comfort: The walls and stairs in the square where designed for the guests to sit on. The design of the Pioneer Courthouse Square was successful, because the project coordinators involved the residence of Portland.
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Lovejoy Plaza Portland, OR |
This plaza and interactive water feature originated when California landscape architect Lawrence Halprin was hired in 1967 to develop a landscape plan for the east capitol campus (built between 1961 and 1976). Due to the scale of the plaza, Halprin and his associates felt that a large-scale water fountain or pool (approximately 80 feet square) was needed to occupy and animate the expanse. As described in a 1969 planning report, "the future ornamental pool is conceived as a carefully designed series of poured-in-place sculptural concrete forms over which water would flow in a variety of ways terminating in pools and basins of varying depths. …The pool would present a series of sculptural shapes varying in height from below to above eye level." (http://nature.skku.ac.kr/~land1109/park/Lovejoy.htm)(http://www.ga.wa.gov/Visitor/Water.htm)
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The Campo Siena, Italy Campo: This shot of the Campo shows people enjoying the unique stadium style seating.
Campo: The tall bell tower overlooking the Campo serves as a landmark.
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Why the Campo works: Activities: Some of the activities of the Campo include soccer, mingling, meeting, and the all important Palio (bareback horse race). Sociability: The Campo is a place where the atmosphere is full of light-hearted fun and entertainment. The is a social draw for Siena. Access: Although the whole Campo is surrounded by tall buildings, every major street in Siena terminates at the Campo. Comfort: Interestingly enough, the seating for the Campo is right on the ground. The slope of the ground is like stadium seating offering views of all. Although rather hard, this is a unique way to approach seating. The design of the Campo is highly unusual for American ways, yet it fulfills the same requirements for a successful plaza. The design reflects the unique character of the Sienese people and their traditions.
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