Spazio pubblico
Peri-urban settlement’s public spaces: a tool for their investigation
Abstract: How can we characterize “peri-urban settlement’s public spaces” and how can we measure their quality and potential? This paper offers a methodological tool for their investigation, applied to a case study in southern Switzerland (Rivera sector settlements, part of Monteceneri municipality in the Ticino Canton). The Geographical Information for Public Space Investigation (GIPSI) tool combines a traditional GIS approach to a qualitative examination of public space, with the purpose of classifying, evaluating, and comparing peri-urban public spaces in a simple and systematic way. The dynamic nature of its qualitative components allows adapting this analysis tool to different perspectives and research goals. GIPSI gives a general overview and a clear evaluation of public spaces configuration in peri-urban areas, emphasizing their improvement potential, and their differences and similarities. For our case study, the tool highlighted that traditional settlement spaces have a better quality than recent residential ones, although both have an improvement potential. We believe that this type of analysis is beneficial for other similar peri-urban contexts in Switzerland and abroad. Hence, GIPSI is a starting point for the revaluation and promotion of public space; it is mainly addressed to policy-makers and urban planners, but it could potentially implicate an interdisciplinary participation at different scales involving local authorities and residents.
Testo completo:
Buob, G., Torricelli, G. P., Ponzio, S. and Vallenari, L. (2022) “Peri-urban settlement’s public spaces: a tool for their investigation. A case study in southern Switzerland”, Italian Journal of Planning Practice, 12(1), pp. 20-42
Urban mobility and public space
Abstract: Public space and mobility are two challenging topics in many contemporary cities. These topics give rise to important questions such as how does the element of public space affect the sustainability of urban mobility in contemporary cities? And how does facilitating mobility contribute to the livability of the public realm? The purpose of this paper is to attempt to answer these questions. On one hand, the paper explores the relationship between public space and urban mobility in the contemporary city, specifically by addressing the extent to which urban mobility can create better public spaces and even assist in producing a more sustainable model of mobility. Although ignored for a long time in the discourse on urban planning, the relationship between public space and urban mobility has the potential to create livable cities. Indeed, the use of public space by walking and cycling contributes to economic, environmental and social sustainability. Hence, together with economic, ecological and social indicators, public space and urban mobility also constitute relevant city components, when measuring a city’s sustainability performance. On the other hand, this paper seeks to suggest a set of measures related to public space and soft mobility that can be integrated into an already existing set of indicators commonly used to measure urban sustainability. In this regard, the paper contributes to the debate surrounding the need to invest more in public spaces and at the same time suggests to planners and policy makers that it is necessary to develop international measures for the evaluation of urban mobility and the sustainability of public space.
- Testo completo: Ravazzoli, E., Torricelli, G. P. (2017) “Urban mobility and public space. A challenge for the sustainable liveable city of the future”, The Journal of Public Space, 2(2), pp. 37-50.
Small City Public Space
Nel 2014 all’interno dei lavori accademici dell’OST, in collaborazione con il Politecnico federale di Losanna (EPFL), è stata realizzata una tesi di dottorato sul tema dell’importanza dello spazio pubblico per la piccola città.
Riassunto. La piccola città rappresenta una situazione urbana particolare. Nel corso del tempo questa realtà, caratterizzata in apparenza da una ristrettezza di risorse, ha subito delle trasformazioni significative innescate dalla globalizzazione: se prima rappresentava il gradino più basso di un’ipotetica gerarchia urbana, oggi s’approccia alle grandi città in termini comparativi e non solo di dipendenza. La piccola città è in costante ridefinizione e sembra oscillare tra uno stato d’intensità urbana, che la rende dinamica, diversa, imprevedibile, vitale, intrigante, unica e competitiva; e uno d’inconsistenza urbana quindi prevedibile, statica e monotona. In quest’ottica, è proprio lo spazio pubblico che è in grado di far tendere la piccola città in direzione di una delle due propensioni.
I giovani e la città
L’obiettivo è di rispondere alla necessità di indagare sui cambiamenti dell’uso della città da parte di giovani e adolescenti. Una proposta di ricerca in questo ambito è stata inoltrata al Fondo nazionale svizzero per la ricerca scientifica (FNS) nel 2013.
- Atti del workshop realizzato nel maggio del 2012 presso l’Accademia di architettura (PDF)
