L'objet de cette recherche urbanistique se situe à l'intersection de deux grandes dynamiques : la production officielle de l'espace public dans la ville contemporaine et le développement de l'activité commerciale dans les rues. Il s'agit d'une coproduction de l'espace public de facto. Cette thèse, en se construisant à partir d'études de différents types de terrain à Nankin (Chine), souhaite lancer une réflexion sur l'image et l'usage, la régulation et l'inventivité du quotidien. Elle cherche à démontrer les dimensions cachées du commerce de rue et son impact dans la vie quotidienne des habitants, car sa valeur sociale a souvent été ignorée, voire méprisée, dans la régulation de l'espace public ou dans la mise en place de projets urbains / The core topic of this urban research is situated at the crossing of two important dynamics: the official production of public space in the contemporary city and the development of commercial activities in the streets. It is a co-production of public space de facto. The thesis, originated from studies conducted on different types on land in Nanjing (China), wants to encourage a reflection on the image, the use, the regulations and the creation of everyday life. The scope is to demonstrate the hidden dimensions of street commerce and its impact in the daily lives, because its social value has often been ignored or even despised in the regulation of public space or in urban projects operations

The thesis called Crisis of public space and the attempts for its revitalisation is trying to analyse public space from the perspective of urban anthropology and sociology and it introduces the role of semiotics in this issue. It presents the crisis of public space and tries to uncover the causes and possible solutions. It opposes the modernistic concepts of the city which looked away from the human aspect and focuses on everyday life of people in urban space. The thesis adverts to the necessity of blending various fields which deal with the issue of public space and perceiving the city as a whole. It takes notice of the mutual relationship of space and people, of creating individual's identity and character of the society based on the environment which surrounds it and at the same time the possibility for everyone to participate in changing their surroundings, mind patterns and perception. At first, this thesis addresses the issue of the definition of public space, presents the fundamental theoretical publications dealing with its origin and crisis. Then it in detail describes the characteristics of the city, analyses the demand for good-quality space and takes notice of the tendencies that threaten public space. In terms of the attempts to revitalize public space, this thesis points out the...

In today’s increasingly diverse and multicultural societies, the need for inclusive public spaces that bridge cultural boundaries becomes desirable. “Interlace” explores the fusion of Persian and Swedish architectural aesthetics within public space, aiming to foster cross-cultural dialogue and enhance social interaction.  This project seeks to blur the lines between cultures, creating a harmonious atmosphere where diverse communities feel a profound sense of belonging. Interlace delves into the atmospheric qualities of public space, emphasizing inclusivity and unity among individuals from diverse backgrounds. Drawing inspiration from traditional Swedish boat houses and Iranian architectural heritage, the design focuses on seamlessly blending elements while respecting the natural surroundings and existing architectural features. The outcome is an architectural proposal—a public sauna on a deck in the Stockholm archipelago—symbolizing the merge of two distinct cultures. By incorporating Persian geometric patterns and Swedish architectural techniques and local material resources, the design creates a tranquil and contemplative space conducive to social interaction and community engagement. Interlace delves into the atmospheric qualities of public space, emphasizing inclusivity and unity among individuals from diverse backgrounds. Drawing inspiration from traditional Swedish boat houses and Iranian architectural heritage, the design focuses on seamlessly blending elements while respecting the natural surroundings and existing architectural features. Interlace delves into the atmospheric qualities of public space, emphasizing inclusivity and unity among individuals from diverse backgrounds. Drawing inspiration from traditional Swedish boat houses and Iranian architectural heritage, the design focuses on seamlessly blending elements while respecting the natural surroundings and existing architectural features.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / John W. Keller / In the 2009-2010 academic year at the Kansas City Design Center, four students undertook a design project seeking to transform an underutilized traffic median into a usable urban public space. The space, known as “Triangle Park,” is located at Avenida Cesar E. Chavez (West 23rd Street), West Pennsylvania Avenue, and Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri. This report describes the existing site conditions and challenges to creating an inviting public space. The report explains how the students arrived at the finalized design using precedent studies, multiple design iterations, and community input from the Westside and Crossroads neighborhood stakeholders. The finalized design focuses on providing connectivity between people, the site, and the city as a whole. Opportunities for connection are offered by improved pedestrian circulation and a comfortable, well-defined outdoor space. Three major structural interventions are proposed: an illuminated overhead canopy beneath the Interstate-35 overpass provides shelter for pedestrians; a raised walking path enhances an already prominent pedestrian route; and a wooden deck provides opportunities for sitting and lingering. The ability of the design to meet the community’s stated needs and to serve as a social public space is evaluated to determine the likelihood of positive and worthwhile project outcomes.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Laurence A. Clement / Street musicians and performers attract people to public spaces. These performers, or ‘buskers’ as they are commonly referred, typically congregate along specific streets, parks, plazas, and transit stops in a city. The term pitch describes the place buskers perform. Pedestrian flow, visibility, and acoustics are just some of the factors that street performers consider when selecting a pitch. While performers resourcefully adapt to the challenges of different pitches, public spaces often do little to accommodate performers and their audiences. William Whyte observed how street performances facilitate social interactions between strangers and give character to cities and neighborhoods. Relative Pitch explores where performances occur and how they benefit public places. Case studies of popular busking locations establish a typology of squares, streets, and transit stops. Video clip analysis of street performances demonstrates the spatial relations between performer and audience. Dimensions and observations from these case studies provided insight and information for the application of the typology to proposed sites in Wichita, Kansas. Buskers adapt pitches relative to their physical environment. Point, linear, planar, and volumetric elements define and articulate temporary stages, audience space, and circulation paths during performances. Design proposals for the typology sites in Wichita illustrate how flexible performance spaces can be incorporated in squares, streets, and transit stops. This project looks at ways to activate public spaces by encouraging street performance.

This thesis investigates the relationship between access to public gathering spaces and self-reported health with indicators of community life as the intervening variables. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the access to public space and self-rated health status in multicultural communities. A survey of 785 randomly-selected households was conducted across four low-income Toronto neighbourhoods. The investigation is framed by the 'production of healthy public space' model, which conceptualizes the pathways between the lived experience of space and health as impacting an individual’s likelihood of establishing place attachment. The results support the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the lived dimension of space and health. Mental health appears to be the outcome most affected by indicators of place attachment. Several of the aforementioned relationships were found more commonly in the densest of the four neighbourhoods and variations were found between foreign- and Canadian-born subpopulations.

Magistro studijų baigiamajame darbe projektuojama mediateka Vilniaus senamiestyje, tarp Odminių, L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus, Šventaragio gatvių ir Gedimino prospekto. Darbe surinkta ir išanalizuota medžiaga, susijusi su mediatekų projektavimo ypatumais, jų koncepcijomis ir įgyvendinimo rezultatais, atlikta vietos sąlygų analizė, sukurti konceptualiai skirtingi eskiziniai projekto variantai, parengtas mediatekos projektas. Pastato architekrtūrinėje išraiškoje integruojama viešoji miesto erdvė, informacija, perduodama naujosiomis medijomis ir istorinis teritorijos kontekstas. Kuriama atvira visuomenei, skirtingiems individų ir grupių interesams pritaikyta viešoji informacijos erdvė. Baigiamąjį darbą sudaro: įvadas, analitinė dalis, projektinė dalis, bendrosios išvados. Taip pat pateikiami du maketai ir grafinė medžiaga planšetuose. / The final project of master studies is the design of mediatheque buiding in Vilnius Old Town between Odminių, L. Stuokos-Gucevičiaus, Šventaragio streets and Gedimino avenue. The specific features and concepts of mediatheques design and their realizations is being analysed. After the site analysis conceptually different variations are created and the final mediatheque project is designed. The public city space, new media and historical context is integrated in the architectural expression of the building. Open for society and different individual interests public space of information is created. The final work consist of preface, analitic part, project part, conclusion. Also two models of the building and the graphic material.

Magistro baigiamojo darbo tyrimo objektas yra didžiųjų Lietuvos prekybos centrų viešųjų erdvių estetika. Darbe tiriami šį objektą formuojantys veiksniai, vertinimo ir analizės kriterijai, istorinės, sociokultūrinės ir politinės aplinkybės, filosofinis, psichologinis ir menotyrinis jo vertinimas, santykis su šiandieninės globalios vaizdų kultūros tendencijomis. Didžiausias dėmesys darbe skiriamas septyniems didžiausiems Lietuvos prekybos centrams, kuriuos analizuojant išskiriami Lietuvos didžiųjų prekybos centrų viešosioms erdvėms būdingi estetiniai dėsningumai ir savybės. Estetikos tyrimo metodas paremtas trimis pagrindiniais erdvės vaizdinio elementais: prasme, struktūra ir identitetu. Prasminis kontekstas darbe akcentuojamas pirmajame skyriuje, perteikiant viešųjų erdvių prasmės pasikeitimą istoriniame raidos kontekste. Daroma išvada, jog prekybos centras – tai ekonominės galios estetinės reprezentacijos laukas. Antrame skyriuje nagrinėjama erdvės struktūra. Keliant hipotezę, jog prekybos centro viešosios erdvės imituoja miesto viešųjų erdvių struktūrinius modelius, taikomas miesto ir prekybos centrų viešųjų erdvių struktūrų palyginimo metodas. Išskiriami pagrindiniai prekybos centrams būdingi miesto viešųjų erdvių elementai, paaiškinamos jų transformacijos bei ryšys su formuojamu vartotojiškumo imperatyvu. Trečiajame skyriuje nagrinėjamas identitetas. Jis analizuojamas tiriant prekybos centruose naudojamas interjero dizaino temas ir motyvus, taip pat lyginant su... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of master thesis’ research is the aesthetics of public space in shopping malls in Lithuanian cities. The paper researches the object-forming factors, evaluation criteria and analysis, historical, socio-cultural and political context, philosophical, psychological and art research findings, the ratio of the global image culture. The thesis of the paper analyses seven major shopping malls in Lithuania, rendering the most common aesthetic patterns and inherent aesthetic qualities, that are peculiar in Lithuanian largest shopping centres. The method of research is based on three key elements of visual space: meaning, structure and identity. The context of meaning is presented in the first chapter, overviewing historical development of the concept of public space. Its conclusion is that a shopping mall is a field for aesthetic representations of economic power. The second chapter examines the structure of space. It is suggested that shopping malls are simulating urban public spaces for the consumer-oriented reasons. Therefore, the method of comparison between urban and shopping mall spaces is applied. As a result, the most specific elements and their transformations common both to the shopping mall and urban public spaces are distinguished and analysed. The third chapter examines identity. It analyzes themes and motives of interior design, also comparing aesthetics of shopping malls with the global image culture. It is concluded that the shopping mall is an inherent... [to full text]

Miestas - tai teritorija, suskaidyta į funkcines erdves: gyvenamuosius, pramoninius, paslaugų rajonus, senamiesčius ir naujamiesčius. Planuojant miestus reikia atsižvelgti ne tik į erdvę, kaip vietą, bet ir į specifinę, kiekvieną žmogų supančią individualią erdvę. Miestas – yra jo gyventojų „namai”, o miesto centras - branduolys, tai tarytum „svetainė”, reprezentatyviausia namų erdvė, erdvė, kurioje renkasi svečiai, rengiami susiėjimai, susitikimai su draugais. Šiame darbe kalbama apie miesto branduolį, kuris yra įsitvirtinęs pačioje seniausioje miesto dalyje, susidaręs per daugelį metų, turintis savo vystymosi raidos istoriją, užstatytas įvairių epochų statiniais. Kaip miesto branduolys, centrinis miesto taškas įvardijama - pagrindinė miesto aikštė, nuo kurios ir užsimezga miesto raida. Marijampolė, vienas jauniausių, gana sudėtingos praeities, šiuo metu besiplečiantis ir modernėjantis Lietuvos miestas, turintis savo raidos istoriją, bei jau susiformavusį miesto branduolį, su savo privalumais ir trūkumais išryškėjusiais per daugelį metų. Čia mes susipažinsime su miestų branduolių formavimosi tendencijomis, išsiaiškinsime priežastis darančias įtaką miestų raidai. Pirmoje darbo dalyje aptariama miesto branduolio sąvoka, jo reikšmė miestui, taip pat apžvelgiama miestų centrų raida, bei projektavimo kriterijai nuo antikos laikų iki šių dienų Lietuvoje ir užsienio šalyse. Antrojoje darbo dalyje atliekama užsienio šalių branduolių regeneracijos pavyzdžių paieška, bei analizė... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / A town is a territory, divided into functional spaces occupied by living, industry, and service, old and new parts of town. Specific, individual space surrounding each person must be taken into account when planning a city as well as the space itself. The city is home for the local citizenry, and the center of city is the space which can be compared to the sitting-room of the home where various celebrations are held and guests invited. The core of a town is the main topic of the master thesis. The core was built up during a long period of time, has its own development history (therefore buildings associated with different periods of architecture can be found here) and is located in the oldest part of the town. The town square which is the beginning of the development of the city is considered to be the core of the town. Marijampolė is a town of complex past nevertheless it is one of the youngest and currently developing compared to other similar towns in Lithuania. It has its own development history, a core with its advantages and disadvantages, and the core is formed during the years. We are going to get acquainted with the trends of formation of town cores and find out the reasons making influence to the development of towns. The first part of the master thesis is dedicated for the analysis of the term 'core of the town'. Also, the influence a core is making to the town is depicted as well as history of centers of towns, design criteria beginning from the antiquity and... [to full text]

The research aim of this study is to explore how locally anchored women with interest for feminist questions perceive and reflect upon the production and reproduction of gender dichotomies in public space in Husby. Moreover, space is flexible and part of a socio-spatial-dialectic which is both produced and reproduced through social interaction which contain power hierarchies. These dialectic notions and gender contracts have been utilized in this study in order to explore perceptions regarding production and reproduction of gender dichotomies. This is a qualitative study and data was collected through semi-structured interviews with locally anchored women in Husby with interest in feminist questions. The results revealed that patriarchal orders and fear of male violence, the city planning, habits, traditional gender contracts, lack of jobs and apartments, and intersectional tendencies were perceived by the interviewees as factors which influence production and reproduction of gender dichotomies in Husby.