Placemaking: What is it all about?

Whether you are an Architect, Urban designer or Planner, the concept of Placemaking is one of the widely discussed topic. So, let's delve into it...

SuperKilen Park : One of the successful example of Placemaking; right in heart of Copenhagen, Denmark designed by BIG Architects.

“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Think about it.......

Using the word from Malcolm Gladwell book, we have reached the tipping point in built environment. The decentralization movement that marked the turn of 20th Century by visionaries like Ebenezer Howard, Frank Lloyd wright and Thomas Adam led to the creation of garden suburbs or self-sufficient satellite towns in neighborhoods. The consequences of this movement have been urban sprawl and automobile based transportation system leading to environmental pollution, climate change, global warming, and physical and mental health problems in cities.

This trend has been long and ongoing; however, increasingly urban planners, designers and policy makers are coming forward to advocate the process and concept of place -making. This is a multidimensional approach for planning, design and management of public spaces which keeps the community at the heart of the process. In this approach, community resources, assets, inspiration, participation and intention comes into play with the motto by the people and for people.

A space could only become place if it carries meaning; therefore meaning is derived through community interests. In such case, the public realm becomes important and it becomes critical by planners and designers, to design lively, engaging, comfortable, accessible and sociable environments in conjunction with economic development and sustainability for the era. At this crucial juncture, mixed use, density, walkability, legibility, adaptive reuse and identity are some of the few imperatives that have come in play.

In my experience, successful places are built upon physical comfort and security of people using the space; relating to safety of pedestrian from traffic, shaded areas in hot weather, provision of public amenities like public toilets and adequate outdoor furniture. The welcoming and friendly facades of shops; designed in relation to human scale and proportion are important since blank walls and huge towers can create feeling of disorientation and fear. This problem in clearly manifested in cities designed on modernist principles like Islamabad by architect Dioxides and mega cities like Karachi in developing countries. Victoria, BC has been one of the good examples of cities designed with the understanding of scale and proportion with humane experience.

Circulation and Accessibility are the essentials to successful place-making. A comprehensive transportation network is integral to creating walkable streets with connected system for bikers, motorcyclists and car users; keeping in mind the people centered approach over traffic for success. Curtiba, Brazil and Barcelona, Spain are few examples of cities that are successful in comprehensive transportation system. In place-making, the transit stations like train stations, bus stops, street car stops can act as civic, lively and engaging public realm. Therefore, they must be designed to contribute to the community character, identity, social space, surveillance and its wellbeing.

The core areas like downtown or central business district (CBD) are vital to town and cities. Growth of these core areas must be aligned from public transit centered nodes to encourage density, compactness and walkability in region. Along with that, buildings are dominant part of city’s character; therefore mixed use development from apartments, shops, offices and single homes are to be designed to support an adequate density for economic viability as well as walkability. In this way, all spaces are used at all times and on all days. Building articulation must follow rhythm, varying heights and massing respecting the already built context. It is important to understand that density and variety are tough tasks to manage since eclectic design (postmodernism or Rococo in Architecture) and congestion can results in irreversible effects and cause loss of privacy and health hazards. This is dominant in metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Karachi etc. Alongside, buildings have be designed from outwards to inwards approach as they lend character to streets. They should reflect community values like green roof, wetlands; depicting approach towards sustainability. The base of building is part of public realm, the middle provides information and top part of building provides distant visual feature. Attention to details like materials, texture, and color with context is a must in building design. Innovation communities that support education, research and health should also be incorporated within proximate areas for successful places.

In place – making, local culture needs to be respected and considered by planners and designers. People from specific neighborhoods may have specific culture and traditions and therefore it must be designed in such way that cultural identity is maintained. This creates feeling of ownership and responsibility in community; for example New York has specific street culture unique from other European cultures which needs to be designed as such.

According to Kevin Lynch, legibility is a key factor for successful places in cities; occurring when parts are recognizable and arranged in cohesive pattern. Landmarks and other unique elements could be used to create distinctive visual character; examples are of streets in Paris having their own distant character to streets in Victoria depicting the character of local community.

Social and Economic Inclusion is the distinctive character of successful places. Lesson have been learned in terms of public housing where massive relocation in 1950 failed; therefore, subsidized housing needs to be mixed with market rate housing for inclusion. The character of diversity through mixed use economic opportunities within neighborhoods as well opportunities of various social interactions within space can create inclusive design. Using examples of Greek Agora and Roman Forum, places of public and civic engagement are critical for today’s knowledge based economy to thrive. Urban squares designed on human scale serving as stop at, as well as transitionary spaces add to successful place making strategies. Examples like Times Square in New York.

The tangible and the intangibles in Place–making are quintessential. Sensory design in terms of visual, tactile, smell, and hearing is part of street character. Adequate lightning, public art, community gardens, sculptures, fish ladders are design features that delight senses, animate activity, encourage walking and create distant realm for users.

Keeping in mind, already inherited suburban areas, smart growth is integral part of successful place – making to retool suburbs for density, reclaiming brownfield sites for development and preserving ecosystem through reserved wildlife areas. The climate change and it impact could be coped with building through resilience, using soft measures like barrier wetlands and sea walls for flood. Innovative strategies could be used like eco duct in Netherlands to prevent extinction and preserve ecosystem. Urban Regeneration and historic conservation are aspects of successful places especially in historic cities like Cairo, Egypt.

It is fundamental to understand the complexity of creating successful places. The Knowledge base and expertise that is being acquired is this process is ongoing. Hopefully in years to come, these point will increase and more successful places will be created.