Esplanades: the neglected urban spaces and the potential of design to change them

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Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

School of Arts, Design and Architecture | Master's thesis
Location:
P1 OPINNÄYTTEET D 2018 Blanchard

Date

2018

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Spatial and Product Design

Language

en

Pages

111+11

Series

Abstract

Public places are a necessary factor for the social and economical welfare of cities. The big squares, here referred to as “esplanades”, often form sorts of vacuums that tend to obstruct urban life. Also, despite an abundance of available information on the importance of public places, the sizable squares recurrently seem to be neglected, both in the real world and in the literature. In the actual context of important demographic changes across a more globalised but fearful world, the physical connecting anchor offered by the public place attains its utmost relevance. Since the adage: the bigger dimension, the greater impact - advocacy is made that the often overlooked esplanades deserve attentive consideration. The present document exemplifies a qualitative research combining knowledge from Urban Design to Ethnography where spatial experimentations enter in dialogue with the theoretical research. The social dimension of the public place is considered as central, also the intention of the research is to examine the value of the common and its role in the contemporary urban context, as well as to identify the potential inputs capable of changing the dynamic of an under-used space. Finally the last question is: what planning and spatial elements can foster revitalisation and so facilitate the social interactions in a vast place? The argumentation works to enrich the discussion on the importance of fine grain design and human research in city planning and aims further to provide practical foundations to trigger change and exploration.

Description

Supervisor

Kareoja, Pentti

Thesis advisor

Kholina, Anna

Keywords

esplanade, public space, urban design, urban ethnography, Hakaniemi Square, city

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