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Public Space
SUSTAINABILITY & URBAN DESIGNbeginner
Definition
Areas of a city that are open and accessible to everyone without charge — streets, squares, parks, and waterfronts. Public space is the connective tissue of urban life. Its quality determines how people move through, dwell in, and relate to a city. Well-designed public space encourages social interaction and democratic participation.
Example
The High Line in New York, converted from an abandoned elevated freight railway into a public park (2009–2014), became one of the most visited public spaces in the world and sparked widespread interest in adaptive reuse.