Historically the "public square" has been an important element in the physical design of cities drawing its functions from the political, religious, commercial and leisure life of the community. Research of literature has lead the author to conclude that historically the pedestrian usage of public squares was determined by factors of form, internal development, adjoining land and building uses, and the relationship of the square to the urban structure. The analysis of these factors in an historical survey and in an investigation, by field, research of eighteen contemporary squares, is the subject of the thesis. Squares were classified according to form and function. Paul Zucker's spatial analysis was used for the classification by form. This identifies: 1) the closed square; 2) the dominated square; 3) the nuclear square; 4) grouped squares; and 5) the amorphous square. The author's analysis of functional types identifies four categories. These are: 1) the internal function square - its use is independent of its surroundings; 2} the associated function square -its use is closely affiliated with the land and building uses that front onto the square; 3) the arterial node square - this is primarily an intersection within the urban communication system; 4) the multiple function square - this combines in one urban space the functions of the former functional types. Assume that the most useful type of public square in the central business district of a city is one which receives much continuous use by the community for both formal and casual activities. Then the study sets out to isolate the factors that determine the volumes of square usage by pedestrians and the ways that pedestrians will utilize this community facility. It was observed that many functions which were historically associated with the city square have either been discontinued or are now removed to more specialized urban structures. Numerous other functions continue to be a very significant aspect of public squares. The most prevalent type of square usage observed was for functions of leisure. These include informal casual usage for social recreation, meetings, and the enjoyment of the urban environment, and formal or special usage for such functions as dramas and spectacles, musical concerts, festivals, some athletic events, and the display of art works. Some functions of political, religious and commercial origin continue in varying degrees in some squares. The people who use squares come from a wide spectrum of age groups and occupations. Squares seem to have an appeal to the community as a whole. Some groups tend to use squares at particular times of the day; others use squares throughout the day. The analysis of the data lead to the following conclusions. Form - The form of a public square was not demonstrated to be a factor influencing the volume of pedestrian usage. Internal Development - The usage of squares is likely to increase as does the availability of amenable elements of internal development such as pools, fountains, sculpture, seating, pavement, lavatories, refreshment sources. A limited amount of vehicular traffic in squares does not adversely affect usage. The presence of people and other animate objects (especially pigeons) are a positive influence on pedestrian volumes. Adjoining Land and Building Uses - The squares with the broadest variety of adjoining uses and the greatest total number of adjoining uses tend to have the greatest usage. Land uses with the greatest continuous "turnover" of clients are beneficial generators of usage. Examples of adjoining land uses that correlate with heavy-usage of squares are churches, museums, art galleries, libraries, tourist facilities, restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels, and certain retail shops. Low usage of squares was suggested, but not conclusive shown, to correlate with governmental and institutional uses, and theatres, cinemas, and auditoria. In some specific times, the adjoining land uses have no effect on the volume of usage. Urban Structure - Pedestrian usage tends to be greater when: the square is located in the approximate centre of the C. B. D. in an immediate area of high pedestrian levels, the availability of public open space in the vicinity is not abundant; the square is an arterial node in the urban transportation network with public transportation facilities available. If the square is to be developed as a vital element within the urban structure it should be planned so as to optimize the influence of those factors which will increase its amenity, desirability and hence the degree of its use. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Thesis (M.S. in landscape architecture)--Washington State University. / Includes bibliographical references.

Plaza de la Madre and Plaza de la República., located in Maracaibo, Venezuela, are two important urban plazas studied from a social perspective, based on the belief that people and their needs should be addressed in public plaza design and renovations. The research problem is based on the fact that many plazas in Maracaibo provide uncomfortable conditions for user enjoyment and satisfaction, in terms of poor climatic comfort, security and poor maintenance, among other conditions. The methodology used in this research consisted of interviewing users of both plazas and making observations of plaza use and physical characteristics. The research showed that climatic and security conditions determine, in most instances, the presence of social life and vitality in these public plazas. A combination of functional factors influence the vitality, attractiveness and the image of the plazas including the location of the plazas, the presence of supportive activities and uses which attract people to the context, the programmed activities developed in the plaza, the presence of other people and the presence of physical amenities that support different activities. It was found that environments that satisfy many human needs (such as security, thermal comfort and affiliation) are highly visited by people, and therefore more livable, with a greater frequency of use, and more meaning and attachment to those spaces. The study also showed that Plaza de la República had more favorable attributes that contributed to its enjoyment and livability than Plaza de la Madre. People preferred to be in spaces where others congregated and socialize for security reasons. Plazas have an important role in the social life of cities. Therefore, the study of these settings from a social perspective becomes critical for this research. The research findings provided valuable information that was used to develop design implications for plaza design in Maracaibo. Recommendations were mainly focused on improving the conditions of Plaza de la Madre and making recommendations for plazas with similar conditions in order to increase their use, people presence and livability. Design implications were directed towards reestablishing climatic comfort, security and incorporating more activities and physical amenities that could create more activities in the plazas and attract more people. Recovering the use and livability of plazas can promote a sense of ownership and territoriality of public spaces. If this sense of ownership could be established, attachment to and care for those spaces could increase. This attachment could also promote sociability in public spaces and subsequently social tolerance among strangers. The author concludes that the attitudes of designers and municipal authorities toward public space design need to be more inclusive and site specific (more aware of the range of people's needs and the environment). Therefore, addressing climate and security issues of a place, for example, become critical variables that should be incorporated in any public space design. / Master of Landscape Architecture

The city fabric has overlapping layers of physical, social, and experiential characteristics. The physical form created by the built structures, the social form shaped by the activities of the living beings, and the experiential form produced by the psychic implications of the interaction of living beings and the built environment. In my thesis I argue that the real understanding of the city fabric can only be obtained by observing it from all the physical, social, and experiential aspects.In this thesis, I have conducted a case study of the city fabric of Kathmandu. Its fabric comprises of a compact organic structure of chowks interconnected with alleys and streets with array of building facades. This study analyses the built structure, the social structure, and the interaction of human with the built environment in the chowks of Kathmandu city through a series of graphic illustrations. It has produced an in-depth understanding of the chowks and the city fabric as a whole. This type of study can be conducted to clarify the structure and setting of the city fabric. Urban designers can use this type of study to project potential strategies for further development of the city in the right direction and also assist in the urban design of new cities. / Department of Architecture

Despite their ubiquitous presence in the centre of the modern city, micro-scale outdoor environments like plazas and squares have remained almost totally free of any intensive research to suggest to designers: what physical make-up would render them perceptually good, what form and configuration would sustain public use and what would repel. This empirical study uses concepts and methods of psychological sciences to establish relationships between the visual quality and physical configuration of plazas and human use and feelings within them that may serve to suggest guidelines for their designs. The phenomenological impacts of several open spaces of the central business district of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the psychological states of people were measured through people's ratings on verbal psychological scales within these environments. The extent and nature of use of these spaces were observed over a period of seven months. The number of persons using these spaces, their overt activities, postures, demographic characteristics as well as physical distribution across various facilities and parts thereof were recorded at different points of time through time lapse photography as well as visual observation supported by behavioral mapping technique. Significant differences were found among nine plazas in terms of their observed popularity as well as verbally measured pleasantness and diversity in the visual environments. Perceived diversity in the visual environment of plazas accounted for 60% of their pleasantness and popularity. Season, weather condition, time of the day and vocational background of respondents (i.e. designer or nondesigner) had insignificant effects on the perceptual and emotional responses of people across these plazas. Across plazas located in the interior of the downtown, significant positive relationships were found between their verbally measured pleasantness and diversity in the environment and the variety (Average uncertainty; Re: Information Theory) as well as density in their internal furnishing elements. Furthermore, respondents' comments indicated that the amount and variety in their internal furnishing, the presence or absence of focal attractions and the colour of their pavements and enclosing surfaces were the most popular reasons for people's pleasure-displeasure and perception of diversity (or the lack of it) across these spaces. Waterfront plazas were more pleasant, more diverse and more popular, particularly in Summer, than most plazas in the interior of the downtown. Across these plazas, however, the surrounding view rather than the internal landscape was the determining factor in peoples pleasure and perception of diversity. Population distribution within plazas suggested the greater efficiency of small-sized, densely furnished spaces with articulated edges and limited and defined pedestrian circulation channels than extensive areas and expansive pavements. Activities tended to accumulate on artifacts, along edges, around focal elements and close to other activities while open and undefined paved areas and facilities remote from the area of population concentration, view or movement channels were rarely used. Pedestrian circulations took place along shortest routes between streets and buildings. Solitary persons and small groups were the predominant users of plazas. The observed use of furniture elements illustrated the greater efficiency of articulated shapes and arrangements that intrinsically provided defined territories and orientational choice for small-group users than non-articulated expansive forms and straight linear constructions of benches, railings, pools' and planters' edges. Diverse configurations, furthermore, provided niches for users of different demographic nature and supported their co-existence within plazas. The effects of extraneous factors like time, weather condition, season and landuse surrounding plazas on the use of these spaces were also analyzed. The findings indicate that subtle difference in the physical environments across these small outdoors may significantly alter people's feelings within them as well as the nature-and extent of use of these spaces. Specifically, diversity in their visual contents and articulation in their spatial configuration and facility planning are essential ingredients to render plazas pleasant, popular as well as supportive of personal and behavioral freedom of their users. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Thesis (M.L. Arch.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1989. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-89). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2005. / Title from PDF title page screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-105)

Day laborers are a visible indication of an increasingly problematic immigration policy in the U.S. Their presence in area parking lots has agitated local residents, who demand action by municipalities. This thesis explores the issue of day labor waiting sites in the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. region and proposes a physical design solution to help integrate these sites into existing neighborhoods. A literature review provides background in plaza form and history, as well as some theories on immigration and assimilation. The case study examines a publicly-funded day labor waiting center. Lessons learned from this case study, as well as site analysis and a review of user needs, are then applied to the final design. The design takes the resilient public space type of the plaza and adapts it to the day laborers' unique set of requirements, resulting in a multi-functional space that serves a diverse set of demands. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Thesis. 1977. M.Arch.A.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography : p. 61-63. / by Merle W. Hansen. / M.Arch.A.S.

This dissertation examines the nature of the American digital public square in the 2010’s, a place where people learn about and come together to discuss matters of public concern. The newly digital public square is a key component of any functional democracy in the twenty-first century. The dissertation seeks to shed light, not only on the capacities of today’s news media institutions to produce and efficaciously distribute news and information and support a capacity for discussion and deliberation that provides a “public intelligence” on matters of concern, but also on the newly enlarged role of the public in new rituals of digestion of such news. The work draws upon multiple systems-focused analyses of the public square, interviews, and analyses of news production, the economics and dynamics facing those who both produce and distribute news, and the broader literature about and studies of the public square. Despite the manifest uncertainty regarding how journalism will be supported and the success of a politics where rhetoric is often untethered to the truth, a temptation still exists to see the changes to the public square in a piecemeal fashion and to assume the institutions, business models, and practices of the future will be minor modifications on or variations of the past. Much scholarship concludes that the patterns of decay and growth in this area will eventually generate equilibria in terms of press freedom, news production, news distribution, and engagement that are familiar, no less efficacious than, and only marginally distinct from those of the latter half of the twentieth century. In his book The Marketplace of Attention, Professor James Webster concludes that “the cultural ballast provided by the old media will remain with us,” and that polarizing forces will meet their match with the forces that concentrate public attention (Webster 2016). In contrast, this dissertation argues that the combination of forces acting upon the digital public square and its emergent dynamics in the late 2010s means it is already functioning in a qualitatively different manner than the largely analogue public square of the past and, as structured, it is increasingly failing to serve individuals, groups, communities, the public writ large, and most importantly our democratic processes. This argument is built on insights from my nearly a decade of work in the media reform community—specifically, from three systems analyses I developed leading the Public Square Program at the Democracy Fund of the dynamics surrounding civic engagement and the production of local news, the dynamics of audience attention, and public trust and press freedom. After making the case for the difference that already exists, the dissertation argues that, without engagement of a wide range of actors (civic, political, and commercial) in support of much-needed changes to institutions, along with policies that will support a renewal of civic media and a focus on new practices more appropriate for the rituals of the digitally and data-infused world we live in, it is entirely possible the public square will fail to adequately support democratic ends. The dissertation concludes with recommendations to avoid this outcome.