possessing almost no sense of community at all.
to this?
Woodlands on the West side of the city centre is on the other hand, an extension of the bustling city centre, possessing an animated street scape and a plentiful supply of community facilities. Walking around the place is heart warming, with laughter from children playing in the closes, neighbors chatting in the streets and feelings of love and care for the environment exhibited in gap sites transformed into community gardens, allotments, murals and mosaics.
Furthermore, there are far more derelict sites in Laurieston than in Woodlands, reducing the attractiveness of the public realm and possibly decreasing its safety, due to an unwillingness of those living in the area to spend time outdoors in the public realm. As a result residents are less likely to meet each other and form the neighborly connections that create community.
Looking at the design that is informing the contrasting character of these places, the differences in density is what strikes the most. Laurieston’s density stands at 9 dwellings per hectare and woodlands 85 (SNS UK Government Statistics, 2012). Could this be key to the poor sense of place evoked in Laurieston the reason behind the desolate streets that discourage the growth of community? Buildings used for all the same purposes lining street after street in Laurieston - with large retail units and workshops being the most common building use, which lie unoccupied at similar times of the day, compared to the multitude of building uses evident in Woodlands streets, may also contribute to the monotonous appearance of Laurieston.
Two key design determinants have arisen from this comparison study that seem to affect the quality of the public realm and affect whether ‘sense of place’ exists or not; 1) Density 2) Composition of Mixed Use Buildings These two concepts will be discussed later on in the thesis. In terms of building communities, a sense of ownership and pride in a place can encourage bonds to form within groups of people and add to their sense of togetherness in an environment, bolstering community characteristics.
Crime rates in Laurieston also seem to be inflated compared to crime rates in Woodlands (SNS UK Government Statistics, 2012). Could the low density and single use character of the streets be contributing
Why Build Community? 15