Tiggo

FEATURE ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Generating public space where it seems impossible

Camilo Osorio

This article calls out valuable examples where public space has been successfully carved out amidst significant challenges such as limited space, high crime rates, and threats from water. Barcelona, Medellin and Rotterdam provide examples of How insightful urban planning can result in creative, adaptable strategies against the odds.

The 3 key approaches include:

Barcelona's Superblocks: These urban cells group several blocks, reducing car traffic and creating more pedestrian-friendly areas, turning previously private spaces into public ones.

Medellin's social urbanism: This concept focuses on integrating marginalized communities through projects like Integral Urban Projects and Articulated Life Units, significantly improving public safety and quality of life.

Rotterdam's Water Management: Rather than fighting against water, Rotterdam adapts to it, using innovative solutions like Dakpark and Benthemplein Water Plaza to manage water while creating functional public spaces.

These public spaces in urban environments provide valuable lessons for other cities facing similar challenges.

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Almost a century later, the paradigm has shifted: the city is, above all, its public space. But what happens when public space is threatened by car proliferation, insecurity, or even water?

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The 3 key approaches include:

Barcelona's Superblocks: These urban cells group several blocks, reducing car traffic and creating more pedestrian-friendly areas, turning previously private spaces into public ones.

Medellin's social urbanism: This concept focuses on integrating marginalized communities through projects like Integral Urban Projects and Articulated Life Units, significantly improving public safety and quality of life.

Rotterdam's Water Management: Rather than fighting against water, Rotterdam adapts to it, using innovative solutions like Dakpark and Benthemplein Water Plaza to manage water while creating functional public spaces.

These public spaces in urban environments provide valuable lessons for other cities facing similar challenges.

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Designed to "make waiting fun", the bus stop in Jurong Gateway Road is a ground-up idea by a group of architects and part of a broader vision to make Singapore livelier by The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

Designed to "make waiting fun", the bus stop in Jurong Gateway Road is a ground-up idea by a group of architects and part of a broader vision to make Singapore livelier by The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).