2024 - Game changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions, Paris, 8-12th July
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Item Open Access Program of the Game changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions(AESOP, 2024)Paris is now another example of the urban impact caused by significant events like the Olympics. However, it generally raises questions about all urban transformations intended to be virtuous but often proves counterproductive. Both great events and disasters teach us to adopt a rigorous and critical approach to significant events. Moreover, this occasion provides an opportunity to ponder the interface between new and emerging themes that Tracks, Round tables and Special sessions offer from the various networks connecting AESOP researchers, institutions and countries of origin. A new section introduced this year - French Cuisine - addresses the interface with researchers in France and the world of operational urban planning, which is in a constant dialogue with researchers in France Lastly, it entails reflection on the ongoing significant challenges, transitions, and changes, as well as the wars and conflicts that we cannot ignore, even though we may not know how to address them.Item Open Access Book of Abstracts : Game changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions(AESOP, 2024)Welcome to Paris and to the Urban School and the CEE of Sciences Po Paris is now another example of the urban impact caused by significant events like the Olympics. However, it generally raises questions about all urban transformations intended to be virtuous but often proves counterproductive. Both great events and disasters teach us to adopt a rigorous and critical approach to significant events. Moreover, this occasion provides an opportunity to ponder the interface between new and emerging themes that Tracks, Round tables and Special sessions offer from the various networks connecting AESOP researchers, institutions and countries of origin. A new section introduced this year - French Cuisine - addresses the interface with researchers in France and the world of operational urban planning, which is in a constant dialogue with researchers in France Lastly, it entails reflection on the ongoing significant challenges, transitions, and changes, as well as the wars and conflicts that we cannot ignore, even though we may not know how to address them.Item Open Access Book of Proceedings : Game changer? Planning for just and sustainable urban regions(AESOP, 2024) Cremaschi, MarcoParis is now another example of the urban impact caused by significant events like the Olympics. However, it generally raises questions about all urban transformations intended to be virtuous but often proves counterproductive. Both great events and disasters teach us to adopt a rigorous and critical approach to significant events. Moreover, this occasion provides an opportunity to ponder the interface between new and emerging themes that Tracks, Round tables and Special sessions offer from the various networks connecting AESOP researchers, institutions and countries of origin. A new section introduced this year - French Cuisine - addresses the interface with researchers in France and the world of operational urban planning, which is in a constant dialogue with researchers in France Lastly, it entails reflection on the ongoing significant challenges, transitions, and changes, as well as the wars and conflicts that we cannot ignore, even though we may not know how to address them.Item Open Access The Open Orchestra project in the public spaces of Athens: an urban utopia with transformative power?(AESOP, 2024) Kokkali, IfigeneiaThe Open Orchestra is a group of about 150 professional artists and amateurs, founded in spring 2021, in Athens, Greece. Its establishment is directly correlated to the Support Art Workers Action Group that has emerged during the pandemic of Covid-19, as a way to resist to the depreciation of culture and art-workers themselves, many of whom remained unemployed and with no support from the state, during the long quarantines imposed as a protection measure1. Even more importantly, the Open Orchestra comes as a continuation of the Paris Occupation of Odeon, when, on March 27, 2021, during the Agora organized by the occupants of the Théâtre de l'Odéon, professionals from the French Symphonic and Lyric Orchestras, musicians from specialized orchestras, occupiers of the Odéon, and students formed a large orchestra of solidary musicians2. Following this line, in spring 2021, the Support Art Workers Action Group gathered in Propylaia, Athens, sang and played the piece “El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido”, exactly as did the solidary orchestra at Odéon, Paris, a couple of months earlier. This has been the starting act of the Open Orchestra (O.C./ A.O. in Greek). Which started rehearsing once a week, at the Filopappou Hill, in a central public park of Athens, yet derelict and merely abandoned by the Municipality of Athens. It is called Open Orchestra, because anyone who wants to rehearse with it can do it at any time: there is no limitation on artistic level or degree of commitment (one can enter and leave the Orchestra at any time). Organizationally, there is a solid core of 100 people, who rehearse every Sunday. There exists a coordination group, yet decisions are made through open circles organized regularly, in which the whole group participates. This is particularly relevant to the organization of different projects. Every one or two months, rehearsals take place in a deprived neighbourhood of Athens (Victoria square, Perama, Amerikis Square3, etc.), instead of the regular one at the Filopappou Hill, and messages such as “Lively Squares” or “We want to danse in squares, streets and neighbourhoods” are delivered in any possible means (e.g. banners, posters, etc.). The A.O. also gives an open concert every June, in vicinity to the archeological site of Kerameikos and the Acropolis. Yet, most importantly, it provides solidarity to several people and events: performances in several trials of public interest (trial for the murder of Zac/Zackie4; trials for victims a sexual violence, rape5 & murder; etc.), as well as campaigns for social justice and peace, with the most recent example concerning the war in Gaza and Palestine6. The aim of this presentation is to explore how this impulsive bottom-up initiative can/has become “game-changer” at the local (city) and the very local (neighbourhood) level, essentially as an antidote to the harsh regeneration and touristification policies that hit actually the Greek cities. Building upon my own participation to the A.O. during 2021- 2022, I seek to understand to what extend such an initiative – a community of joy, care and solidarity, and an urban utopia, as I would like to call it – may be capable of transforming, in the mid-term, both public space and the relations performed within public space. Considering its ephemeral and sporadic performances and actions, to what extend can an initiative such the A.O. play a role in shaping the neighbourhood and the city fabric overall? I am particularly interested in examining the potential of such initiatives yet also the significant challenges they pose as regards appropriation, belonging, and reclaiming the city. After all, what would be needed, from a planner’s perspective, to enhance and leverage such initiatives in a view of coming closer to the ideals of the Just City and the Right to the City? How can planners ensure that such bottom-up initiatives can be taken under consideration in decision-making processes? What kind of spaces could accommodate such initiatives that promote interaction among diverse people yet often they challenge the established status quo? Keywords: Open Orchestra/Athens, culture, art/ist, solidarity, political action, spatial justice, public space appropriation, transformative powerItem Open Access On freedom, public space and women’s experiences of prostitution. The (in)visible world of the Bois de Vincennes in Paris(AESOP, 2024) Proto, BrigidaThis paper focuses on Nigerian women’s experiences of prostitution in a public space, the Bois de Vincennes in Paris, as democratic experiences questioning the value of freedom in pluralistic societies. It is based on the very provisional outputs of a collaborative field-research. It relies on an ecological-pragmatist perspective of analysis that suggests to consider public spaces as frontiers of capacitation: in-between spaces where Nigerian women reinvent themselves in the face of international and local, planned and unplanned, events. The aim of the paper is to rethink the political and cultural value of public spaces for just and inclusive territorial transformations. Key-words: prostitution, freedom, public spaces, social justice, cultural pluralismItem Open Access Study on Spatial Distribution of Fresh Supermarket Based on Street View Data(AESOP, 2024) Zhang, Yu; Sheng, QiangPeople's demand for fresh agricultural products of fruits and vegetables is absolute, and the demand for fruits and vegetables is also continuous and regular. The outbreak of COVID-19 has increased people's requirements for food safety. At the same time, the emergence of the digital economy has gradually increased the number of take-out shopping methods that reduce contact with people. Based on open data such as Baidu map and Dianping combined with field research, this paper analyzes the distribution and use of fresh supermarket before and after the epidemic. The results showed that the epidemic further reduced the service radius of fresh supermarkets and reduced the accessibility of the roads where the stores were located. However, regional fresh markets with different online degrees have different degrees of change. Under the influence of the epidemic, fresh markets that are easier to reach and have distribution services have developed more strongly, thus distinguishing the distribution pattern of fresh stores in different regions. To a certain extent, Internet services have given stores stronger stability, and areas with perfect online development have been developed after the epidemic, and store location distribution is more closely related to geographical factors. Key words: Fresh supermarket, Space Syntax, Space law, AccessibilityItem Open Access Repurposing abandoned transport infrastructure towards social inclusion: The case of Baana, Helsinki(AESOP, 2024) Mady, ChristineWith globally increasing challenges for the role of public spaces and their contribution to inclusion and justice within urban settings, this article examines the repurposing of transport infrastructure to provide dedicated walking and cycling public spaces, specifically the case of Baana in Helsinki, Finland, a former freight railway conduit. Building on the concepts of mobility design and walking as a social experience, the article examines Baana’s role both as a non-motorised transit space, and one supporting fluid encounters among diverse users. The impact of Baana’s design is examined – in terms of utility, attractiveness, and symbolism – on pedestrians’ activities, experiences, and perceptions. Initial findings reveal Baana’s barriers and potentials and serve to develop further research on addressing differential pedestrian experiences, to inform future mobility design processes. Keywords: Baana, fluid encounters, Helsinki, inclusion, mobility designItem Open Access The public space between land and sea. Quarteira's case(AESOP, 2024) Dal Cin, Francesca; Cristiana Valente Monteiro,; Nawaf Al Mushayt,; Franco, Maria Ines; Silva, Maria Matos; Barreiros Proença, SérgioIn the Portuguese coastal city of Quarteira, a case study of the research, the seafront is composed by two fixed linear infrastructure systems - the seashore streets and a dune park, Passeio das Dunas - succeed each other, separated by the port area. Methodologically, drawing as a qualitative tool allowed us to decompose the layers that compose the public space, thereby enabling us to represent the formal characteristics and thus highlight the material and immaterial characteristics of the place. Aim of the research is to describe the compositional grid of Quarteira urban public space, its formation and transformation process over time, as well as to debate the recent missed opportunities for effective adaptation to the effects of extreme weather events. In conclusion, we consider that a critical theoretical reflection on the spatial planning and design of public space in coastal cities permits the definition of operative compositional parameters - which make it possible to overcome project theories that, in the face of the effects of climate change, have become obsolete. Keywords: Public Space, Seashore Street, Passeio das Dunas, Quarteira, PortugalItem Open Access Playful Urbanism in Diyarbakır: Dynamics of Power and Play in Public Space Design(AESOP, 2024) Işık, Pelin; Reicher, ChristaPublic spaces embody the intricate interplay of power dynamics influenced by governmental, societal, and economic factors, shaping spaces to reflect idealized lifestyles guided by urban management, societal norms, and capitalist economies. However, the emergence of playful actions disrupts these norms, offering fresh perspectives on power structures and public spaces. Activities characterized by playfulness, illuminated by play theory, advocate for innovative approaches to public space design, exploring play's transformative role in nurturing social connections and enriching urban life while reshaping social interactions and landscapes. Focused on Şeyh Said Square and nearby parks adjacent to the Diyarbakır walls in Turkey, this study employs field research, observations, and surveys. Renowned for its vibrant culture and diverse societal representations, this locale fosters unique connections among users, authorities, and urban designers. Playful actions serve as a catalyst for challenging established power dynamics and fostering greater participation in the design and use of public spaces. Acknowledging play as fundamental in urban design, the research explores alternative narratives, emphasizing social engagement and public space utilization. Through a comprehensive and participatory methodology, it highlights play's significance in promoting participation and shaping urban design. Keywords: play theory, power dynamics, social interaction, participation, urban designItem Open Access Exploring User Preferences and Place Attachment in Urban (Public) Spaces: A Case Study of Kadıköy Historical City Centre, Istanbul, Türkiye Ulubaş(AESOP, 2024) Hamurcu, Aslı; Terzi, FatihThis study aims to explore the preferences of different user groups for urban (public) spaces and their selective behaviours within them. The study centres on the Kadıköy Historical City Centre (KHCC) in Istanbul, Türkiye. A public online survey was conducted with 473 participants representing residents, workers, and visitors. Survey data were analysed using mixed methods techniques, including descriptive statistics, discourse analysis, and mapping. It was found that there were notable differences in terms of urban space preferences among locals and visitors, and that the place attachment different user groups developed with the space were diversified and differentiated. The study underscores the need for inclusive urban spaces that cater to the needs and demands of all user groups, given the transformation of KHCC. Keywords: urban (public) space; user preferences; place attachment ExploringItem Open Access Continuing Community Spirit: Study on the Public Space of “Pu-Jing” Community in the Ancient City of Quanzhou(AESOP, 2024) Zhou, Yan; Shen, Xinjie; Jiang, HongExploring and continuing the spiritual connotation of community public space is of great significance to shaping the place identity. "Pu-Jing", the grass-roots organisation system of Quanzhou during the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, created the “Pu-Jing” community, a governance unit that combined official administration and folk beliefs, and had a profound impact on the community public space system. The purpose of this study is to interpret the spatial characteristics and cultural connotations of public space in Pu-Jing community by analysing the spatial carriers and social factors. The research examines the compositions of the community public space, explores their spatial structure, and then summarised the formation logic and building ideas of the public space. The study reveals a public space system with the Jing Temple as the core, the streets and alleys as the link, and the belief realm as the unit was formed in Pu-Jing community under the combined effect of official management and civil autonomy, creating a stable sense of spatial domain for the residents' ritual and daily activities. The wisdom of place-making implied in the public space of Pu-Jing community provide inspiration for contemporary community governance. Keywords: Community public space; spatial characteristics; place identityItem Open Access The Impact of Online Social Activities on Public Spaces in the Digital era - A Case Study of Guochuang Park in Nanjing(AESOP, 2024) He, QianhuiIn the digital era, public spaces are not only significant venues for daily recreational experiences in the physical world but also the focus of online social platforms. This study, using Guochuang Park in Nanjing, China, as a case study, to explore how online social activities influence the production of virtual spaces on social media platforms and the vitality and landscape of physical public spaces. The research indicates that users on the platform establish new social relationships and virtual spaces through online social activities. Additionally, platform activities can inject vitality into physical spaces but may also lead to some social and spatial issues. Consequently, this study advocates for urban planning to accommodate digital activities while preserving the significance of physical spaces. Keywords: Social Media Platform, Online Social Activities, Public Space Vitality, Production of Space, Local CultureItem Open Access Enhancing suburban life with Victor Gruen(AESOP, 2024) Giovannoni, GiulioThe essay deals with the theme of the prejudices that prevent us from designing vibrant suburban spaces and argues that we should rediscover Victor Gruen’s lesson in doing so. The first part analyzes the consequences determined by the advent of the car and the urban explosion on public spaces. The second section of the essay develops a critical reflection on the way we look at suburban collective spaces and proposes a change of perspective. The concluding section of the essay contains some specific proposals, of a planning and normative kind, to improve the quality of collective suburban spaces. Keywords: urban explosion; public places; collective spaces; non-places; Victor GruenItem Open Access Design climate-adaptive urban green regeneration: Nbs strategies for future-proof streetscapes(AESOP, 2024) Macaione, Ina; Raffa, Alessandro; Andaloro, BiancaIn the last two decades, global cities are addressing climate challenges, by transforming their infrastructural spaces through Climate-adaptive Nature-based regeneration, also aiming to cope with local ecological, social and economic asymmetries. Inside a prevailing technical and performance-based approaches, to date design research around Climate-adaptive Nature-based regeneration of urban infrastructure is limited, failing to impact on current transformations and to be implemented beyond larger cities. Taking advantage from a ‘research by design’ methodology, the research aims to leverage design potential for climate-adaptive green regeneration of infrastructural spaces and mainstream this approach in current practices. With this purpose, an operational Framework is defined, giving both conceptual and operational insight for Climate-adaptive Nature-based Streetscapes that will be tested inside a Southern Europe urban context in the future.Item Open Access Urban parks through people’s new lens: Opportunities behind COVID-19 for public spaces’ policies in Costa Rica(AESOP, 2024) Barrantes-Chaves, Karla; Centeno-Mora, Erick; Cruz-Zúñiga, NidiaThe lockdown and restrictions during the last COVID-19 health crisis confronted the population with an unprecedented situation for urban life. Green areas, mainly large urban parks, become highly valued spaces during and even after the pandemic. This work shows the visitation patterns of users from three large urban parks within the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica (GAM). The research is based on 8575 in situ surveys carried out between January and August 2023; our team also conducted an exploratory study between 2018 and 2019 (prepandemic), which was resumed to compare some aspects before and after the pandemic. The findings allow to explore challenges in public policies to improve access and enjoyment of urban recreational spaces in Costa Rica, replicable in other parts of the world. Keywords: COVID-19, post-pandemic, Costa Rica, public policies, urban parksItem Open Access Heterotopic Pocket Spaces through Intermittent Occupancy(AESOP, 2024) Todorovic Caldeira, Catarina; Čavić, LjiljanaIn the contemporary context of a profound crisis of public spaces in general, and the Portuguese context in particular, questions of intensive ‘touristification’, fast gentrification, and concentrated immigration are reshaping the use and values of traditional urban spaces. The introduction of new public actors, new communities, and associated different social practices, often lead to feelings of estrangement of the public space, as well as to the emergence of different intermittent uses of public space. In this context we aim to discover different formal and social conditions of space especially within ‘off-map’ places whose use and value are currently being rediscovered and/or shifted. In this article, we propose a new approach to public space as a threefold notion based on: (1) the idea of Pocket spaces, (2) Foucault’s heterotopia and (3) intermittent occupation. We analyse fifteen different potential heterotopic pocket spaces from a threefold perspective composed by the (1) morphological qualities of pocket spaces, (2) the socio-spatio-temporal relationships of Foucault’s heterotopia and (3) the social use based on the capacity of the space to accommodate different uses and practices. We argue that, due to its complexity and ability to embrace contradictions and conflicts, heterotopic pocket spaces can be used as a valuable concept for describing, analysing, and creating speculative designs for a more democratic city, embracing and re-signifying possible estrangement of the public space in the contemporary, everchanging context. Keywords: heterotopia, urban pocket spaces, intermittent occupancy, public spaceItem Open Access Designing the 'Right to Mobility': a Holistic Analysis to Rethink the Public City and Fighting Heat Waves in Urban Areas(AESOP, 2024) Pezzoli, Gregorio; Garda, EmanueleThis study examines the relationship between urban design, walkability, and climate change, with a particular focus on the necessity for public spaces that can accommodate rising temperatures and heat waves. Using Bergamo, Italy, as a case study, the research combines GIS-based spatial analysis with stakeholder interviews to assess the impact of urban heat islands on pedestrian mobility. The findings indicate that effective urban design must balance the practical needs of mobility with the social benefits of public spaces. The paper advocates for the implementation of adaptive design strategies that enhance walkability, promote social interaction, and mitigate heat-related barriers. These strategies are expected to support the health and well-being of urban residents, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Keywords: Urban Design, Walkability, Urban Heat Island (UHI)Item Open Access In the name of Peace, Sanitise!(AESOP, 2024) Makakavhule, KundaniSanitised space is a concept that is quickly gaining momentum in the disciplines of urban planning and architecture. It refers to the process in which urban space is ‘cleansed’ from all things that make it dirty, undesirable, and differentiated. The process can be achieved through the use of soft power or it can also be achieved through hard power. Through the use of semistructured interviews with municipal officials, this paper seeks to showcase the various efforts by the capital city of Tshwane, South Africa to sanitise space in the name of peace. With the use of examples from public parks, the paper argues that although the sanitisation of space is done in the name of public interest, peace, it often conflicts with the public experience. Key words: Sanitisation, Public Space, Safety and security, Peace, Symbolic violenceItem Open Access Analytical study of hospitality culture and urban identity and its impact on the future of marine tourism in Red Sea coastal port cities: case study of Jeddah Saudi Arabia(AESOP, 2024) Saeedi, May; Jefferies, Tom; Cullen, SeanThis paper discusses the oldest and most important port city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia focusing on the impact of modernity on development that occurred in the architectural and urban spaces in contemporary passenger ports in the city and their historical comparators. Contemporary passenger ports in the city are supposed to reflect the identity and spatial, cultural, and social heritage of the port cities in the Kingdom. The passengers’ experience and view of the culture and identity of these port cities is discussed within the context of the non-place theory (Auge, 2010). This paper will present a comparative study method based on literature review and personal interviews of cruise visitors’ experiences, evidenced and measured through different taxonomies (envelops). The study particularly focuses on the forms of architectural building space and the users understanding and interpretation of these spaces created during the arrival, visiting and departure process, resulting in a critique and dialogue between past rituals, culture, and future aspirations. Key words: Port cities - Culture – Hospitality spaces – Passenger experience - Maritime architecture-JeddahItem Open Access Research on the Psychological Health Impacts for Children in Urban Built Environments Zhang, Dongyu(AESOP, 2024) Leng, Hong; Yuan, ZiqingIn recent years, the incidence of psychological and behavioral problems in children has increased, making it a critical intervention target within the framework of the Healthy China Action. The development of children's psychological health is influenced by a myriad of factors, with psychological biases potentially accumulating over time and evolving into psychological health issues such as depression and autism. Various disciplinary fields address the development of children's psychological health through genetic factors, family dynamics, social surroundings, and material space. Among these, urban and rural planning disciplines optimize the material spatial environment through planning design and indicator regulation, mitigating or reducing biases in children's psychological development and thus preventing or ameliorating the psychological health risks they face. Existing studies indicate a substantial correlation between factors of the urban built environment and residents' psychological health, exerting long-term, sustained, widespread, and subtle effects on psychological well-being with the potential for optimization and improvement. Moreover, owing to their social vulnerability, health susceptibility, and highly malleable biological characteristics, children's psychological health is particularly susceptible to the influence of urban built environments. The developmental trajectory of children's psychological health possesses unique characteristics, and their utilization and experience of urban space differ from that of adults. Some studies have noted that certain material spatial elements relevant to adult psychological health may not hold the same significance among children and adolescents. Therefore, in urban planning research addressing the psychological health needs of children, the following questions merit further elucidation: (1) What constitutes the specific connotation of children's psychological health, and what comprises psychological health at different age stages? (2) What are the characteristics of the effects of urban built environments on children's psychological health? (3) What potential impact pathways exist during this process? This article aims to explore the impact of the urban built environment on children's psychological health across these three dimensions. Comprehensive interdisciplinary research seeks to clarify the concepts, processes, and compositions of children's psychological health, along with the psychological health characteristics of children across all age groups; extract and identify elements and characteristic indicators of the urban built environment, analyzing their impact pathways from various perspectives on the psychological health benefits for children. Keywords: Children's Psychological Health; Urban Built Environment; Interdisciplinary Research