Public Realm: Density Impact on Public Space

This essay explores the impact of high residential densities on public spaces and how urban planning and design can address these challenges. It discusses the significance of public spaces, the effects of high density on infrastructure and public services, and the importance of urban planning in creating effective and sustainable public areas. The essay also delves into various aspects of urban design, such as accessibility, connectivity, mobility, legality, spatial variety, and environment-friendly strategies. It emphasizes the need for a balanced approach that considers both the needs of the population and the environment. The essay also highlights the role of business improvement districts (BIDs) and information and communication technology (ICT) in enhancing public spaces. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of urban planning and design in mitigating the negative impacts of high residential densities on public spaces.

PUBLIC REALM: Significance,
Design, Experience
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Table of Contents
Essay on: “Do high residential densities have an impact on public space? If so, how should
planning and urban design address this?”........................................................................................3
References......................................................................................................................................10
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ESSAY ON: “DO HIGH RESIDENTIAL DENSITIES HAVE AN IMPACT
ON PUBLIC SPACE? IF SO, HOW SHOULD PLANNING AND URBAN
DESIGN ADDRESS THIS?”
Public realm includes various public and civil owned streets, buildings, pathways, parks,
right of ways, open spaces and other types of facilities. These all are known as public spaces that
are developed and maintained by the local and central government of country by which they
provide better environments to the general public for the purpose of living and working
effectively. For enhancing the quality of public spaces, urban design and planning is considered
that involves the procedure of shaping and designing the overall structure of villages, towns and
cities (Clark, Lloyd and Wong, 2002). With the help of urban design and planning, local
authority of any city, village and town deals with evolving various streets, buildings, public
spaces and the whole neighborhoods with an aim to make urban areas more attractive, functional
and sustainable. Along with this, government utilizes various elements such as landscape
architecture, municipal and civil engineering etc. while focusing on the enhancement of public
spaces.
In the present era, development of public spaces is very necessary as with the help of this,
government can provide better public services to different types of people. While developing
public spaces as well as services, there are various factors that put impact on the practices of
local authority. Among the all, high residential densities is the one that influences the central and
local government to focus more on the enhancement of various public services as well as areas.
Due to availability of more population, additional efforts are necessary to be given while
maintaining and designing public spaces (Dunleavy and Hood 2013). One of the major impacts
related to high residential densities is that availability of more population covers more areas for
the development of houses, shops as well as offices. Along with this, it leads to influence the
local government to focus more on the infrastructure of roads, streets, parks, electricity and other
natural areas related to river, bridge, lakes etc. Further, availability of more population can also
impact the effectiveness of public places as accessibility of such places by large number of
people can damage properties to a great extent and can make maintenance of these more difficult
for the government.
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Now days, people are suffering from various health issues that are related to obesity,
stress and depression. In order to overcome from these problems, they are focused on exercising,
walking as well as jogging and due to this, they prefer to use public spaces related to parks and
natural areas. As number of population is increasing with a fast pace so these areas related to
exercising must also have proper space so that all the individuals can use such places. With the
increment in population, number of children is also enhancing and according to this aspect, more
number of parks should be available and these should be large in space so that children can play
effectively there. It is a well-known fact that development of children is associated with playing
games so availability of parks is must but high residential densities create problem for local
authority while doing this (Jaeckel and van Geldermaisen, 2005). In some cities, land availability
is limited and number of population is very high so in such situation, local authority cannot
develop more public spaces in an effectual manner and thus, they are also not able to render
proper public services to a great extent. As increment in residential densities is also enhancing
the level of traffic and because of that, roads and streets are facing various damages. Availability
of more cars is also increasing the level of population which is harmful for both the individuals
as well as environment and along with this, it is impacting the public services related to water
and electricity.
By considering the above aspects, it has become clear that high residential densities have
various impacts on the public spaces and in order to overcome these spaces, proper accessibility
of urban design and planning is essential. Urban design and planning is the procedure of
designing and shaping the various places of city, village or town in order to make them more
effective economically and socially (Urban design, 2011). Such of planning and design is
conducted by the local and central government for making the infrastructure of city or country
more innovative and full of effectiveness. While focusing on urban planning and designing, it is
essential for the local authority of city to ensure about the availability of population so that
development of public spaces can be done according to that. As per the availability of residential
densities, new projects must be constructed related to roads, streets, parks and natural areas.
Along with this, roads and streets of city as well as town must be created in a manner that must
have proper capacity of traffic handling. Here, there is also needed for local authority to
segregate roads in an effective manner so that chances of accidents due to high residential
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densities can be reduced. Further, there must have availability of big parks so that high
residential densities can be maintained in an effectual manner.
In case of urban planning and designing, a systematic and organized framework is
prepared with focuses on investigating all the factors that impact the public spaces to a great
extent. Here, high residential densities is one of the main effects on public spaces and for
overcoming this, urban planning and design is focused on various attributes of spaces such as
accessibility, connectivity, mobility means, legality, spatial variety as well as environment
friendly strategies (Jensen, 2013). According to accessibility, perception of citizens is determined
regarding the enhancement of public spaces and to identify this, interaction with various is done
by the local authority. Involvement of accessibility in urban planning leads towards active living
as well as smart growth and this in turn can be helpful in reducing the impact of high residential
densities on public spaces.
Along with this, integrating connectivity in urban planning and designing leads to
maximize the level of social interaction as well as exchange and helps in rendering various
pedestrian routes by which flexibility can be enhanced and community can be developed in an
effectual manner. Availability of good connectivity includes the combination of human,
environment and architecture by which more flexible paths can be developed to eliminate the
impacts of high residential densities. However, mobility means include cycling, public transport
and vehicular that are necessary to be developed in a great manner so that more services can be
available for the accessible of more people (Lehre, 2008). Here, legality is also one of the best
attributes of urban planning and design that focuses on developing a proper balance between the
space and its accessibility. Along with this, it influences local authority to ensure that availability
of public space is proper in size and comfortable for the population of city. This analysis is
necessary on the yearly basis so that increment in population can be identified and according to
that, changes in public areas can be done. Legality includes five different attributes such as
districts, nodes, paths, landmarks and edges that must be structured properly by considering the
level of population as well as environment.
Furthermore, spatial variety is related to experimental, visual and functional diversity that
are associated within a physical setting. While conducting urban planning and designing, spatial
subdivision is done as with the help of this, sense of territory, distinctiveness and privacy is
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generated along with developing a physical and visual connection with the entire setting.
According to this, public spaces must be developed at the right place and there must have
availability of better weather conditions so that comfort of people can be enhanced and social
interaction can be encouraged (Palermo and Ponzini, 2012). If public space is designed as per the
comfort and choices of citizens so they prefer to adjust with more people at the place of small
size. Further, availability of environment friendly strategies should be considered while
developing public spaces otherwise it can create conflicts and by this, people can think to create
damages at such places. According to these strategies, there must have availability of water
features, sensorial comfort, ecological considerations and greenery. Availability of integrating
space and natural features makes it easy for local authority to manage large number of
population systematically at a single place.
However, urban planning is focused on integrating various perceptional as well as social
values of people and uses of public place. By making the combination of both of them, it leads to
maintain better relationship between space and population (Shatkin, 2008). Due to availability of
better relationship, impacts of high residential densities on public spaces can be reduced. Further,
such planning focuses on identifying various issues regarding seating facilities, privacy,
interactivity, choices of various activities and diversity related to uses of space. By considering
the expectations of population, it is very difficult to organize a proper public space and due to
this, urban planning and designing provides an effective platform by which perceptions of people
regarding the development of public spaces can be unidentified. Further, it leads to understand
the skills, tastes, values, practices, expectations, habits and dispositions while developing public
spaces so that services can be provided in a better way. However, availability of social activities
at public spaces is included in urban planning and designing so that they can get more
experience.
Due to availability of high residential densities, public spaces are covered with full of
public and because of that, chances of more traffic at roads are increased. In order to reduce such
situation, shared space is the best solution that can be adopted by the local authority of city. By
using this concept, areas related to the streets of city can be segregated on the basis of vehicles as
well as pedestrians. In this design, several forms are used to divide the ways of different
transportation means. So, it leads to decrease the chances of traffic and make easy for citizens to
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travel in less time (Belden, 2005). As due to availability of this segregation, people can walk
effectively on the road with full safety and security so it is one of the successful factors of
developing public places in an effectual manner.
As high residential densities can lead to damage public spaces to a great extent so there is
essential for local authority to ensure on the availability of proper guidelines regarding the use of
public spaces. By this, government can become able to deal effectively with the maintenance of
public areas and inform people to use public areas effectively. Along with this, there must be
availability of legal regulations and according to that, if a person finds guilty in the activity of
harming such places then court will take further actions regarding the same. Further, a
monitoring team should be available so any illegal activity related to public places can be
identified. As availability of monitoring team can be expensive so CCTV cameras can be used as
this focuses on capture every activities conducted by citizens at the time of day as well as night
(Sklair 2005). Further, police department of city is the main public body which has responsibility
to ensure the safety of public places by the unethical practices of citizens. In the present era,
education system is one of the best ways to enhance the awareness of people regarding any
subject so urban design and planning authority can influence government to add various
guidelines related to the safety of public areas in the syllabus of students.
However, increment in population influences government to enhance the level of supply
in terms of water, electricity and LPG. For maintaining proper balance in between the supply and
demand of water, it is essential for local and central authority to ensure on the construction and
development of bridge, lakes and rivers so that water supply can be conducted in a better way.
Along with this, rain water harvesting is also the best way by which rain water can be gathered
for further supply. In terms of generating more electricity, infrastructure of new projects is
essential so that electricity can be supplied to more people. Furthermore, it is required for local
authority serve proper guidelines to the citizens so they can save water and electricity to a great
extent. In the same way, guidelines can be set to make awareness regarding the use of LPG
(Gelbart, 2004). However, high residential densities also leads to maximize the level of
transportation and because of that, population and use of LPG are increased. So, in order to
reduce the level of population as well as use of LPG, local authority can encourage citizens to
focus on using cycle and walking on foot.
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Because of availability of more population, it has become a challenging task for the local
and central authority to emphasize effectively on urban planning and designing. Therefore,
taking help from business improvement districts (BIDs) is the best way for government by which
they can deal effectively with the enhancement of public spaces. BIDs are the type of
organizations that are formed by various private owners of businesses as well as properties
(Business improvement districts, 2016). Sometimes, such type of organizations are completely
independent form the local government and they focus themselves on managing, financing and
constructing various projects based on rendering public services and developing public areas. In
these organizations, a special type of tax is taken by every member and this amount is used to
maximize the development of public realm (Noll, 2011). With the help of such money, local
authority is focused on rendering better public services to the citizens.
With the help of these organizations, government focuses on rendering landscaping and
sanitation services for the purpose of expanding community and economic development. Here,
BID’s also plays a major role in preparing and conducting advertisement by which visitors and
citizens can be guided to deal effectively with public services as well as spaces. For reducing
complexity while dealing with the impacts of high residential densities on public spaces,
information and communication technology can be used by which development of public spaces
can be done as per the availability of population (Palermo and Ponzini, 2012). Now days, ICT is
the best source that helps in accessing new and updated technologies regarding information and
communication. As expansion of public spaces for more people is an expansive task so in order
to get more finance, tourism development can be done with the help of the various sources of
ICT as advertisement through television and radio leads to attract more number of travelers so
that high earning can be gained and by this, more construction can be started for developing new
public services as well as spaces. Furthermore, such advertisements are the right way by which
citizens and visitors can make aware regarding the safety of public areas.
From the above essay, it has been determined that high residential densities have several
impacts on public spaces and due to which, it is essential for local authority of every city, town
and village to focus on urban planning and design as with the help of it, impacts of high
residential densities on public spaces can be reduced. This type of planning and design helps in
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conducting better relationship between population and space as well as also assists in integrating
social values and expectations of people while developing public spaces.
REFERENCES
Books and journals
Clark, R., Lloyd, K. K. and Wong, P., 2002. "Amenities drive urban growth. Journal of Urban
Affair. 24. pp.493-515.
Dunleavy, P. and Hood, C. 2013. From old public administration to new public management.
Public Money and Management. 14(3). pp.9‐16.
Jaeckel, M. and van Geldermaisen, M., 2005. Gender sensitive urban planning. Paper presented
at the conference on Urbanism and gender: A necessary vision for all. Barcelona, Spain.
Jensen, K.B., 2013. A handbook of media and communication research: Qualitative and
quantitative methodologies. Routledge.
Lehrer, J., 2008. Old mega-projects newly packaged? Waterfront redevelopment in
Toronto. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 32. pp.786 - 803.
Palermo, P. C. and Ponzini, D., 2012. At the crossroads between urban planning and urban
design: Critical lessons from three Italian case studies. Planning Theory and Practice. 13.
pp.445-460.
Shatkin, G., 2008. The city and the bottom line: Urban mega-projects and the privatization of
planning in Southeast Asia. Environment and Planning A. 40. pp.383-401.
Belden, T., 2005. Convention Center expansion nearer. Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sklair, L., 2005. Transnational capitalist class and contemporary architecture in globalizing cites.
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research. 29. pp.485-500.
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Gelbart, A., 2004. Philadelphia Convention Center’s expansion advances in Pennsylvania
Senate. Philadelphia Inquirer.
Noll, M., 2011, Urban Europe – europäische Städte der Zukunft”, AIT Austrian Institute of
Technology. Conturen. 2. pp.83-92.
Online
Urban design. 2011. [Online]. Available through: <http://www.udg.org.uk/careers>. [Accessed
on 27 April 2016].
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