The essay aims to articulate an overview of contemporary approaches to urban public space design within the broader framework of the “City of Proximity”. Cities today are experiencing a great ferment of projects and reflections on the forms, use and valorisation of public space. This common resource is even more precious in the sustainable transition they are facing. Gathering stimuli from new models of development that are more sustainable and oriented towards innovation, the design process of urban spaces is increasingly characterised by multidisciplinary approaches and cooperation among multiple actors. Urban ecological sustainability is also social sustainability: the transformations of cities towards an ecological transition are processes of individual and collective learning of knowledge, behaviours, and lifestyles that feed each other. Urban public spaces play a crucial role not only in sustaining smart environmental development but above all because they represent the common platform for individuals and collectives in which experiences are shared, and mutual awareness is nurtured. Our essay explores the relationship between public space design and sustainable learning processes. We propose an interdisciplinary perspective that connects the fields of psychology and design. In the first part, we provide an overview of the conceptual frameworks related to environmental and social sustainability learning. The second part shows how these frameworks can be applied to analyse and transform urban spaces.

Public Spaces in Transition

Rebaglio A.;
2024-01-01

Abstract

The essay aims to articulate an overview of contemporary approaches to urban public space design within the broader framework of the “City of Proximity”. Cities today are experiencing a great ferment of projects and reflections on the forms, use and valorisation of public space. This common resource is even more precious in the sustainable transition they are facing. Gathering stimuli from new models of development that are more sustainable and oriented towards innovation, the design process of urban spaces is increasingly characterised by multidisciplinary approaches and cooperation among multiple actors. Urban ecological sustainability is also social sustainability: the transformations of cities towards an ecological transition are processes of individual and collective learning of knowledge, behaviours, and lifestyles that feed each other. Urban public spaces play a crucial role not only in sustaining smart environmental development but above all because they represent the common platform for individuals and collectives in which experiences are shared, and mutual awareness is nurtured. Our essay explores the relationship between public space design and sustainable learning processes. We propose an interdisciplinary perspective that connects the fields of psychology and design. In the first part, we provide an overview of the conceptual frameworks related to environmental and social sustainability learning. The second part shows how these frameworks can be applied to analyse and transform urban spaces.
2024
Designing Proximity. Reflections on Future Cities
9783031601446
9783031601453
urban sustainability; public space design; environmental learning
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11311/1277355
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