PUBLIC SPACE PLANNING & DESIGNING FOR SMALL TOWNS

by Darik Zebenigus Wuhib (PhD Candidate)by Darik Zebenigus Wuhib (PhD Candidate)Advisors: Prof. Ahmed Khan & Prof. Philippe Bouillard (ULB), Dr Fisseha Wogayehu (EiABC)

BACKGROUNDUrbanization is a current phenomena of our world where for the first time in humanhistory we have more than half of the world’s population is residing in urban centers.And even though Ethiopian is one of the least urbanized it has one of the highesturbanization rates with an expected doubling of the urban population by 2050 (from19%-38%) according to UN world urbanization prospects ,2014.

HYPOTHESIS:§ Successful public spaces promotes better qualities of life in cities.

§ If so then they need to be assimilated in the planning & design of a city.

§ This will contributing towards social equity, cultural vitality, environmental viability &

economic prosperity. Which can be done by developing a tool for.19%-38%) according to UN world urbanization prospects ,2014.

So livable, working and shared urban centers are mandatory. Public spaces in the urbancenters are the platforms for our day-to-day activities: necessary, optional and socialactivities.(Ghel, 1987)

Understanding, identify and categorizing; their Role; their Values contribution towardsthe city's development

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Even though much of the daily activities of inhabitants in urban areas happen in public

economic prosperity. Which can be done by developing a tool for.

OBJECTIVES:§ To understand and identify the contextual values of a successful working public space

and public realm in the local context by learning from the global as well as the

international scale.

§ To find out public spaces' contribution towards sustainability and identify strategies for

using in current planning and design and in the process identify limitations as well.

§ to find/ generate mechanisms(tools) that can be used for integrating public spaces asEven though much of the daily activities of inhabitants in urban areas happen in publicspaces, currently, such spaces are either congested, not well managed, lack cleanness,are left over or fenced off. They are not efficiently giving the much needed service for thepopulation. Regarding planning, the government's policy is focused on housing and otherphysical infrastructure (GTP 2, 2015) which does not give emphasis on the public andcommunal spaces.

As a result, public spaces are not sufficiently integrated in the design and planningprocess for sustainable development.

§ to find/ generate mechanisms(tools) that can be used for integrating public spaces as

key elements in planning and design process

RESEARCH QUESTION:§what is a public space? What are the contextual qualities of a working public spaces?

§What is the role of public spaces in design & planning for sustainable development?

§How could public spaces be integrated and what analytical methodologies /tools/

could be developed for it?

Public Spaces

Methodological Framework

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Learn, Understand & Contextualize 1. Understanding public spaces (Global, African & Ethiopian; typology of spaces…)2. classifications/ typologies (function/use, character/quality, factors, …)

LearningArticle I

Thematic areas/ Work packages

Looking Scale/PerspectiveLocal Case

Ethiopian–Small town

OutcomeEconomic, Social,

Environmental

Values

Global TheoryInternational – African

Product

Cohesion, Identity/ Quality - Jan Gehl, Jane Jacobs, Ali Madanipour, Matthew Carmona, Stephen Carr, Camillo Sitte,

Nobert Schulz, …

Case Study

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Generating (constructing)1. Analytical tool (developing vocabularies to make analysis of public spaces)

2. Form the integrative methodological framework (from the literature review + case study)

Empirical Analysis/Application Calibration & Validation

Learning

Testing

Article II

Article III

Sustainable Urbanism

Diagnostic Methods

Strategies

Tools

Process, relation and Gap identification1. Knowledge on sustainability, the process of planning & design (production process principles, factors, conditions, …) 2. Role of Public Spaces in the process (integration scheme and gap identification…)

Analysis

Shaping of public space - Mathew Carmonal, John Montgomery , Tridib Banerjee, Kevin Lynch, Henri Lefebvre,

Ernest Stenberg,…

Perceptual & spatial (technological / non-technological) - Bill Hillier- space syntax, Kevin Lynch, Binxia& bingshi, Fuzzy Delphi method, Teryer Lukas (ongoing PhD )

PUBLIC SPACES; THEORIES & HISTORY CASE EXAMPLE: Sholla Market

Case Study Field work/ mapping/ interviewing/ analysis Si

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Empirical Analysis/Application Analysis of the case using the developed methodology (tailored to the context… Field work, case study analysis, mapping…)

& Validation

Pedestrian CountTime extrapolated

over the hour8:00 - 9:00 22869:00 -10:00 2850

10:00 - 11:00 376211:00 - 12:00 412212:00 - 13:00 306013:00 -14:00 176414:00 - 15:00 224415:00 - 16:00 348616:00 - 17:00 427817:00 - 18:00 353418:00 - 19:00 552019:00 - 20:00 6180

Total populationover the day 43086

Policy Direction to Foster Place MakingSource: adapted from Montgomery (1998)

Quality of the Physical EnvironmentPoor Good

Necessary activity

Optional activity

•Place making attributes (Physicalaspect, perception and activities) areindividually looked at to alter the senseof place•Successful public spaces promotesbetter qualities of life in cities.

Historically small Ethiopian towns arepredominantly retailing centers whichexist to provide goods & services to thesurrounding territory in public realm.

Periodic Market StructureSource: TOWNS IN ETHIOPIA, Ronald J. Horvath

Building Use

Different activities over the market area

Street activity (8:00-15:00) Street activity (15:00-19:00) Land UseFinishing Material

01000200030004000500060007000

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Pedestrian Count extrapolated over the hour

Pedistrain Count extrapolated over the hour

over the day 43086

April 28 – 29, 2016

• Gehl , J. (2011). Life Between Buildings: Using Public Space Qualities of Public space. (J .Koch, Trans.), London: Island Press. (Original work published 2006).• Matthew Carmona (2010) Contemporary Public Space: Critique and Classification, Part One: Critique, Journal of Urban Design, 15:1,• Matthew Carmona (2014) The Place-shaping Continuum: A Theory of Urban Design Process, Journal of Urban Design, 19:1, 2-36• Megersa, S. (2015). Reimagining urban street spaces for a better urban life (Unpublished Msc Thesis). Addis Ababa University, EiABC-AAU.• Montgomery, J (1998). Making a city: Urbanity, vitality and urban design, Journal of Urban Design, 3:1, 93-116

Resultant activity(social activities)

Relation Between The Quality & Rate of Occurrence of Outdoor SpaceSource: adapted from Gehl (2011)

•Survey showed a significant proportion of people live, work and socialize there having their life depend on the market. And so they would like to see a betterquality area with shades and trees, proper working space, the addition of a cafeterias and recreational facilities near by.•It also revealed majority like the market activity with the diversity of people coming but dislike the quality, sun intensity, shade problems, especially the noisepollution which is the first think they think about.