Public Space
Article 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals concerning the cities and habitats points out to the key role played by public spaces in the construction of safe, strong and sustainable cities that embrace everyone. By taking into consideration especially the needs of women, children, the elderly and the disabled, the green spaces and public spaces are intended to be inclusive and accessible until 2030.
Being open to all and enriching social life and determining public memory and urban identity, public spaces are common areas where all users in cities can come together equally and perform their daily activities. Public spaces are defined as “a vital component of successful cities” in the United Nations Human Settlements (UN-Habitat) program.
Evidently, the number of public spaces, which should be an integral part of urban open spaces accessible by pedestrians such as streets, thoroughfares and squares and provide equality between individuals, has been decreasing; meanwhile these spaces have become inadequate and been privatized. Public spaces, which are indicative not only of physical and psychological health of the community, but also determinative of the physical quality and economy of the city, add value to the city by enabling commercial and cultural activities.
Providing strong and lasting communication between individuals and groups in the city, public spaces serve the function of connecting different segments, provide common use and sharing of the city and play a key role in creating a sense of belonging to the city. Therefore, public spaces are significant with regards to social integration and acknowledgment, recognition and understanding of differences as well as recreation.
Given this framework, the “Public Spaces,” which should be included in the planning strategies and action plans of local and national governments, will be evaluated within the scope of MARUF and from the point of view of the different actors in the axis of global and local agendas.
Sessions
| Session Name | Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessible to all: In quest of public space | 2 October 2019 | 11:00 - 12:30 | Emirgan 2 |
| Design for all: Liveable public spaces | 3 October 2019 | 09:00 - 10:30 | Üsküdar 3 |
