Short answer

Design public spaces with a dual focus on immediate recreational needs and long-term civic resilience, ensuring they are accessible, adaptable, and serve as equitable community resources.

Field
Innovation & Design
Source
The Journal of Public Space (2020)
Method
Conceptual analysis and policy recommendation
Evidence
Strong effect

Public spaces should be re-envisioned from recreational amenities to essential civic infrastructure, prioritizing equitable access and adaptability for enhanced urban resilience. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2020 study published in The Journal of Public Space. Using Conceptual analysis and policy recommendation, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design public spaces with a dual focus on immediate recreational needs and long-term civic resilience, ensuring they are accessible, adaptable, and serve as equitable community resources.

Study
Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Public spaces as civic infrastructure: a post-pandemic design imperative

Public spaces should be re-envisioned from recreational amenities to essential civic infrastructure, prioritizing equitable access and adaptability for enhanced urban resilience.

The Journal of Public Space · 2020

01

Key Findings

  • 01Public spaces are critical for urban resilience, not just recreation.
  • 02Equitable access to quality public spaces is a key component of civic good.
  • 03Public spaces need to be adaptable to diverse and distanced activities.
  • 04Informal public spaces should be identified and integrated into land-use plans.
  • 05Historic neighbourhood design offers inspiration for equitable access and convenience.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Design public spaces with a dual focus on immediate recreational needs and long-term civic resilience, ensuring they are accessible, adaptable, and serve as equitable community resources.

How to apply

When designing or redesigning urban public spaces, explicitly consider their role in community resilience, emergency preparedness, and ensuring equitable access for all demographic groups. Incorporate flexible design elements that allow for a variety of uses and social distancing.

Project actions

  • 01When researching public spaces, consider their role during emergencies or times of need.
  • 02Analyze how different groups of people access and use public spaces in your community.
  • 03Explore how flexible design can allow public spaces to serve multiple purposes.
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow can the design and planning of public spaces be reframed from recreational amenities to essential civic goods to enhance urban resilience and ensure equitable access for all residents?
MethodConceptual analysis and policy recommendation
ProcedureThe research analyzes the role of public spaces in urban resilience, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and proposes a shift in perspective towards viewing them as civic goods. It examines how these spaces can accommodate diverse activities, ensure equitable access, and be integrated into urban planning for greater survivability and community benefit.
ContextUrban planning and design, public space design, resilience studies

Variables

IVDesign approach to public spaces (recreational amenity vs. civic good)
DVUrban resilience, equitable access, adaptability of public spaces
CVSocio-economic factors of the community, existing urban infrastructure, type of public space
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Timely and relevant in the post-pandemic context.
  • +Provides a strong conceptual framework for re-evaluating urban design priorities.

Limitations

It can be challenging to quantify 'resilience' or 'civic good' in a design project without extensive community surveys or long-term observation.

Reliability & validity

The conceptual nature of the paper means reliability and validity are based on the coherence of the argument and the relevance of cited evidence, rather than empirical data collection.

Think critically

To what extent can a single public space be designed to effectively serve as both a recreational amenity and a critical civic good during a widespread emergency?

05

Design Principles

"Design public spaces as adaptable civic infrastructure that prioritizes equitable access and community resilience."

This reframing encourages designers to move beyond aesthetics and recreation, focusing instead on the functional and social equity aspects of public spaces. By considering public spaces as critical infrastructure, design decisions can directly contribute to community well-being, safety, and adaptability during crises.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Think of parks and streets not just as places to hang out, but as essential parts of a city's survival system, like roads or power lines, and make sure everyone can easily get to them and use them safely.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this research when discussing the broader societal impact and functional requirements of your design project.
  • 2.Use the concept of public spaces as civic infrastructure to justify design choices that enhance community well-being and resilience.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research highlights the critical shift in viewing public spaces from mere recreational amenities to essential civic infrastructure. This perspective is vital for designing resilient urban environments that prioritize equitable access and adaptability, ensuring spaces can serve diverse needs during both normal times and public health emergencies, thereby enhancing overall community survivability and well-being.

09

Source

The Journal of Public Space

Reframing Public Spaces: from Recreational Amenity to Civic Good in Resilient Cities. COVID-19 Offers an Opportunity to Re-evaluate Neighbourhood Spaces to Ensure they are Available to All

journal · 2020

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about public spaces as civic infrastructure: a post-pandemic design imperative?
Design public spaces with a dual focus on immediate recreational needs and long-term civic resilience, ensuring they are accessible, adaptable, and serve as equitable community resources. Evidence: The Journal of Public Space (2020).
Why does "Public spaces as civic infrastructure: a post-pandemic design imperative" matter for design?
This reframing encourages designers to move beyond aesthetics and recreation, focusing instead on the functional and social equity aspects of public spaces. By considering public spaces as critical infrastructure, design decisions can directly contribute to community well-being, safety, and adaptability during crises.
How can designers apply this research?
Design public spaces with a dual focus on immediate recreational needs and long-term civic resilience, ensuring they are accessible, adaptable, and serve as equitable community resources.
What were the main findings?
Public spaces are critical for urban resilience, not just recreation.. Equitable access to quality public spaces is a key component of civic good.. Public spaces need to be adaptable to diverse and distanced activities.. Informal public spaces should be identified and integrated into land-use plans.
What research method was used?
Conceptual analysis and policy recommendation.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2020 journal from The Journal of Public Space.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing or redesigning urban public spaces, explicitly consider their role in community resilience, emergency preparedness, and ensuring equitable access for all demographic groups. Incorporate flexible design elements that allow for a variety of uses and social distancing.
What are the limitations?
The study is largely conceptual and policy-oriented, with less emphasis on specific, detailed design interventions or empirical testing of proposed solutions.