PROTECTION
introduction Protection against traffic & accidents - feeling safe
Protection against crime & violence - feeling secure
Protection against unpleasant sensory experiences
· Protection for pedestrians
· Lively public realm
· Wind / rain / snow
· Eliminating fear of traffic
· Eyes on the street
· Cold / heat
· Overlapping functions day and night
· Dust, noise and glare
· Good lighting
· Pollution
Opportunities for walking
Opportunities to stand/ stay
Opportunities to sit
· Room for walking
· Edge effect / attractive zones for standing / staying
· Zones for sitting
· Interesting facades · No obstacles · Accessibility for everyone
· Supports for standing · Facades with good details that invite staying
· Good places to sit · Benches for resting
COMFORT
· Good surfaces
· Utilizing advantages; view, sun and people
Opportunities to see · Reasonable viewing distances · Unhindered views · Interesting views
Opportunities to talk and listen
Opportunities for play and exercise
· Low noise levels
· Physical activity, exercise
· Street furniture that provides ‘talkscapes’
· Play and entertainment
DELIGHT
Human scale · Buildings and spaces designed to human scale
· In summer and winter · By day and night
· Lighting (when dark)
Opportunities to enjoy the positive aspects of climate
Positive sensory experience
· Sun / shade
· Good design and detailing
· Heat / coolness
· Good materials
· Shelter from wind / breeze
· Trees, plants and water · Fine views
PLACE
Part of public space network · Connected to pedestrian flows, destinations, functions and other public spaces · Easily accessible
Part of public space hierarchy · Strong identity · Understanding of character - local, district or city
quality criteria Attractive public spaces provide room for optional and social activities. How is it possible to transform the vision for an attractive and inviting public realm into actual physical spaces? Analyses of existing well functioning public spaces throughout the world show that they share common characteristics. Gehl Architects has categorized and summarized these characteristics in the ‘Quality Criteria’ on this page, described under the headlines ‘protection’, ‘comfort’, ‘delight’ and ‘place’. Public spaces must be inviting, attractive, and provide room for recreation, pleasure, exercise, and play. They must act as urban meeting places and be able to attract and welcome a broad variety of people; children, teenagers, adults, the elderly, and people with special disabilities. If public spaces are very attractive one can, in fine weather, expect necessary, optional, and social activities to take place - and expect people to spend more time in those spaces. Good public spaces reflect the majority, if not all of the 15 quality criteria. As such the list of criteria provides a good design checklist. In the following analysis these quality criteria have been the tool and method used to categorize the quality of the public spaces. A ‘ticking off’ of the 15 criteria is reflected in three categories: Good quality = 11-15 Average quality = 6-11 Poor quality = 1-5
Sense of place · Relation to context · Respect for historic aspects · Genius loci
· Reflect intended use
ANALYSIS - TH E CITY • SEATTLE PUBLIC SPACE & PUBLIC LIFE • GEHL ARCHITECTS
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