Public Spaces and City Life

About public spaces Possibly everybody heard about problem of public spaces among the specialists community. During nineties this issue started to be important for specialist urbanism and architect community and for municipal politicians after years of lack of interest and devastation. In these days it gradually attracts attention of common inhabitants as well. People learn to judge particular cities and town according to the quality of their public spaces, existence or nonexistence of pedestrian zones and residential squares. Then they evaluate the life in the city as complex according to these experiences. The problem of public spaces is not just question of small group of architect and politicians. Public spaces are the main research object of many professions, e.g. sociology, psychology, ecology and traffic engineering.

About conference "Public spaces and city life" is the title of the conference which tried to unite specialists of above mentioned professions in one conference room at least for a while and so create at least general complex picture of this problem. Conference was held in October 24, 2002 and it was organized by Urban Theory Department, Faculty of Architecture, Technical University at Brno in cooperation with NGO Civitas per populi. The conference was focused mainly on contribution to evaluation and connection of today's practice and research of public spaces, not just in the frame of urbanism and architecture, but environment protection, sociology, psychology and social geography too. The conference was dedicated to civil and municipality servants - officers of Head Architect, City and Region Development, Culture or City Property Management Departments. Also designers and science, research and pedagogue workers, everybody interested in public spaces was welcomed. All these people influence significantly appearance and function of our public spaces and so of our cities and towns.

About organizers Faculty of Architecture, Technical University at Brno is traditional institution concerned on education of Urbanism and Town Planning and site of intensive science research of towns and their public spaces. Many studies and theoretical works about this theme originated here at past and present. Granted research of Czech Grant Agency with theme "Public spaces in regional planning practice", which also supported the conference "Public spaces and city life" is the most current. Co-organizer was NGO Civitas per populi newly established beside Faculty of Architecture. This NGO proposes mainly post-graduate and whole-life education in branches influencing form of urban environment in sense of healthy living and housing city environment creation (e.g. urbanism, architecture, social geography, sociology, psychology). Means of realization of this goals are especially organizing of educational events for students and specialists community - lectures, lecture cycles, summer schools, excursions, study travels, stages and so on. One of the first activities of this NGO was here presented conference "Public spaces and city life".

About program Dean of Faculty of Architecture, Technical University at Brno, Assistant Professor Dipl.Ing. Josef Chybik, Ph.D. opened the conference "Public spaces and city life" and also presented briefly the history and present state of our Alma Mater. Vocational program was then divided into three thematic blocks - A - Urbanism vision of public spaces, B - Public spaces and people, C - Public spaces, green and traffic. Altogether 12 speakers presented their papers from various branches at the conference. Assistant Professor Dipl.Ing.arch. Jan Koutny, Ph.D., head of Urbanism Theory Department, Faculty of Architecture guaranteed the conference as an expert.

First block "URBANISM VISION OF PUBLIC SPACES" opened Assistant Professor Dipl.Ing.arch. Jan Koutny, Ph.D., head of Department of Theory of Urbanism paper "The importance and evolution of public spaces". He introduced problem of public spaces in wider urbanistic and historical context, especially with emphasis on their change during break of historic and modern period in 19th and 20th century. Mr. Koutny concerned during his presentation on modern conceptions and needs directing to creation and renewal of public spaces. These are mainly motor traffic restriction, emphasis laid on pedestrian or bicycle movement, traffic organization, economy and calming, demands on public spaces livability formulation, traditional public spaces rehabilitation (streets and squares, pedestrian and living zones), new public spaces, events and movement - Project for Public Spaces, Healthy cities, Cities without cars, Agenda 21, and so on, psychological and sociological perception of public spaces - J. Jacobs, J. Gehl and public spaces incorporation into town development conception principles. Next paper presented by Dipl.Ing.arch. Vladimira Silhankova, Ph.D. named "Evaluation of public spaces success" talked about problem of demands laid on modern public spaces, to be judged as successful which means living and popular among inhabitants and visitors. Five main principles of successful public place were formulated: 1 - good accessibility, 2 - lucidity, 3 - man scale, 4 - equipment for activities and 5 - pleasant climate creation. The second part of the paper was dedicated to methods for research of public spaces and evaluation of their success. These methods were adapted for Czech conditions in mid of nineties of 20th century according to model of American architect W. H. Whyte and they are "pedestrians counting" and "behavior mapping" methods. "Pedestrians counting" is the technique of field information collection researching number of people present at observed place - "density" of people at the place. The second technique - "behavior mapping" - researches especially people activities at public places. We can find activities brightening place of interest and set conditions to develop them by use of these methods. First conference block was finished by paper of Dipl.ing. Marketa Cablova with title "Nature elements at public space". This paper occupied itself with nature elements as components of public spaces that revive them. Author included to these elements not just standard green at public space with its fundamental influence and functions (climatic, hygienic, aesthetic). Also other nature elements such as static and dynamic water as well as stone and wood, sun and wind were discussed.

The second conference block was concentrated on interpersonal relations - inhabitants and users of the city and it had the title "PUBLIC SPACES AND PEOPLE". Associated Professor Lubomir Kostron opened this part with paper "Memory of the places". It was concerned on psychological perception of public spaces and their importance for our not just physical, but as well for spiritual being. Paper understands public spaces as places where "we learn unaware to see, create our images and form opinions and mainly we adopt the most complex and complicated skills of social coexistence. We learn almost everything there, values, ethics, what is and what is not polite, where and how to behave, aesthetics, skills of practical life, ways how to manage our future days. Briefly we learn to be us. We verify and develop lectures of our parents (and television) on public spaces. Memory of the place is than the idea inside individual minds that says how to behave properly in certain places in accordance with rules of particular culture. Two papers followed Mr. Kostron from sociological branch. First of them was presented by Mgr. Eva Gregorova under name "Public spaces as reflection of society - society as reflection of public spaces". It talked mainly about problem of public spaces as places where many activities and events take place starting from those necessary which must happen till those which occur only when high quality and attractive public space support their presence. Processes fulfilling basic human needs as contact, inspiration and stimulation then take place in the frame of those activities. Public spaces should fill also whole society ethic function. Author occupies herself with public spaces societal importance comparing traditional social platform function of public spaces with their today's understanding as battlefield of particular interest groups. Following contribution "Before realization" presented by PhDr. Radka Cicvarkova presented pure practical view of public spaces. Author showed us work of Brno Head Architect Department sociologist and demonstrated concrete examples of cooperation and involvement of public into planning processes of Brno Svoboda square. She went step by step from first information campaign about intention through planning weekends to interactive exposition of plans and explained whole process of communication with public. It is necessary to emphasize authors experience that at time and intelligible information presentations and discussions and public presence and partnership (not antagonism) at any public space creation are very important and essential. The final contribution of second block presented Mr. Martin Nawrath with title "Presumptions for effective public participation in public spaces creation - The importance of asking proper questions and taking care of details". This paper discussed the importance, ways and techniques of correct communication with public during public spaces creation. Author specified and summarized reasons for public participation at deciding about public spaces. "Public spaces should serve to public, they are financed from public budgets and especially those who use these places daily can mediate reverse information about their functioning or non-functioning". Author also shows basic presumptions of good and contributive communication where includes long time development of confidence between municipality and citizens, architects and politicians interest to listen, outspoken preparation, independent leadership of public dialogue and suitable aids and methods.

The third conference block named "PUBLIC SPACES, GREEN AND TRAFFIC" was focused on two most important phenomena influencing quality of our public spaces. There were three papers about green in this block. The first of them was "The history and presence of the world parks" by Dipl. Ing. Miroslava Prokopova. It presented France and Germany examples of recent realizations of city green areas. Examples of Paris parks Bercy, Citroën, La Villette or Diderot at La Defence and many others occurred during presentation. Next paper of Dipl. Ing. Eva Sojkova "The rehabilitation of green at public spaces" presented situation of green in our regulation plans and allowed to observe changes of green at our public spaces (on Prague examples) during last seventeen years. Many interesting conclusions came out of this presentation. The green is well maintained, reconstructed and used at living, functioning and clearly determined public spaces. The problem is caused by activities not belonging to particular spaces, for example supermarket at city center supports change of green into parking lot, green area on rest of the place without use creates very improper affect same as green at the places without clear borders, use, dimensions or equipment. Next paper presented by PhDr. Marek Franek under the title "City green influence on people behavior" concerned on importance of city green and its influence on human behavior, efficiency, well feeling and psychic health. It arose from the presentation that research confirmed strong city and street green impact on people mental efficiency, psychic and physical health as well as on their social behavior. Very visual green influence is very important. It is not just green color effect but specific visual characteristics of nature environment, which help mental strength regeneration. These characteristics are fascination (natural attraction), complexity (it is combined from many various elements), coherency (it is combined from elements belonging together) and continuity (it enables space image and its continuation).

Dipl.Ing.arch. Eva Stankova reported about VIA and Partnership Foundations common project in a block "Public spaces and traffic". Project title is "Traffic for 21st century" and it finished its first year in September. The project is a cities and towns competition in their innovative approaches to traffic resolution focused on optimalization of motor, bicycle and pedestrian traffic during public spaces changes. The goal of competition is to emphasize the traffic problems of our cities and possibilities of their solution as well as to create databases of model traffic and public space solutions in towns and cities of Czech Republic. Dipl ing. Stanislav Prokes appeared with paper "Pedestrian, space and speed" at close of conference. During his presentation he discussed relation of particular components of traffic in our public spaces. Author suggests that pedestrian should have two fundamental free movement conditions - sufficient size of sidewalks and sufficient number of protected crossings. These demands can be reached by change in particular traffic types conditions - change in lanes width, change in numbers of parking places, … Author compares spatial demands on traffic lanes and parking places in our norms with those from Austria (and other foreign countries) that are much more public spaces life friendly.

Associated events Presentations of VIA and Partnership Foundations were prepared in hall of conference room as an associated program. These foundations are Czech two most important organizations working in the field of support of public spaces revitalization, public involvement into planning processes at town and city level and civil society development in whole. Further there was presentation of new publishing house ERA that is focused on development, architecture and ecology sphere and offered its publications there. There were also posters with presentation of public spaces oriented events in Hradec Kralove, results of analyses of Hradec Kralove center public spaces from autumn 2001 and result of Hradec Old Town planning weekend.

Conference conclusions Conference "Public spaces and city life" was one of pilot events on this theme. It should support development of wider discussion about public spaces. We would like to contribute with this event to move public space theme from Universities and scientific workplaces to every day interest of wide specialists community, especially at municipalities and town councils, because these are just the places where the best possibility exists to influence condition and character of public spaces. Many problems of public spaces were presented during conference in frame of particular papers, many of them occurred during rich and non-formal discussion. However many problems were not discussed and because of time limitation could not be. We have not talked about public spaces in outskirts of the cities for example - revitalization of panel housing estates spaces, existence or better nonexistence of public spaces in new family dwelling development, or change in shopping behavior patterns - shift to hypermarkets at city edge and its influence on the central public spaces function. We marginally noticed public participation in process of planning changes in public spaces or their importance in community life or in the sustainable development field. Obviously we can see many very interesting and important themes connected to public spaces that need to be discussed. We hope we will follow up the conference "Public spaces and city life" with other similar events in 2003. This article is processed with use of particular papers texts presented in conference "Public spaces and city life". Complete texts of all presented papers will be available at NGO Civitas per populi web pages: www.volny.cz/civitasperpopuli.

Report author: Dipl. Ing. arch. Vladimira Silhankova, Ph.D. External teacher at Urban Theory Department, Faculty of Architecture, Technical University at Brno NGO Civitas per populi chairman vladimira.silhankova@atlas.cz.

English translation: Dipl. Ing. Marketa Cablova, Ph.D. student at Urban Theory Department, Faculty of Architecture, Technical University at Brno NGO Civitas per populi secretary