More and more, cities must learn to accept and address the culture of very late nights, and capitalize on this. And how do public spaces enhance the lives of those of us who need a late night every now and then?
Increasingly, public spaces are being privatised for the sake of generating an income. Perhaps, we have been illusioned by a capitalist system to disregard that investing in the social capital, in people, is far more effective than pumping funds into infrastructure. After all, it is the people who are building, and it is the people we are building for. An effective city would provide for public spaces which diversify and strengthen the economy. It would allow for communities to gather together and invest in each other. It should empower local and independent businesses. It should celebrate diversity, create opportunities and realize potential of the locality – which in a city is a beautiful mix of foreign localities.
Arguably, the most important aspect which all cities must address is environmental sustainability. A city must be able to provide for all its current occupants as well as be prepared for the future. And public spaces are most at risk with the current popular paradigm that everything comes at a cost – putting material things before human life. However, we must understand that in order to be sustainable, it starts with the people. And we must maintain and provide a good quality of life in order to attract people to stay and function within a given environment. Cities must have public spaces which can provide greenery, fresh air and clean rivers. It must allow for people to move and exercise. Public spaces must be accessible to anyone and everyone.
Public spaces can also be used to address important issues such as sustainable food production. Currently, urbanites access food through a long supply chain which completely desensitises them from the food they’re eating. We have forgotten where our food comes from, how it’s grown and who grows it for us. Public spaces could be used to grow our food right in the city. This would strengthen the community, empower local businesses and contribute positively to the environment. As a planet, we grow enough food to feed more than the world’s population but the problem lies in distribution and storage which leads to food wastage. Public spaces should be looked at as opportunities to solve issues such as this. And it will happen once we given a sense of ownership to the people – to create a truly public space for the public.
1st prize entry for the essay competition held by the 8th International Conference on World Class Sustainable Cities 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was organized to bring together ideas and best practices on what makes cities sustainable places to live and work in, as well as to increase awareness of our city dwellers and other stakeholders on what makes a city great. My essay explores the benefits of putting public spaces at the forefront of the discussion.
CITY SPACES,
PUBLIC PLACES.
“Exciting, surprising, enticing” are the words used to present this “city of contrasts & diversity” otherwise known as Kuala Lumpur to visitors and tourists. Locals were enraged, however, calling it “embarrassing” and “shameful”. City dwellers do tend to take a lot of pride in their own city, and this isn’t a bad thing. Major cities across the world boast their own personal identities which have come largely due to its population’s pride and sense of ownership over the city. It is a well-known fact that 2/3 of the global population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050. This projection alone iterates the importance of designing efficient, sustainable and conducive city spaces. Strong cities are at the heart of every nation which wishes to grow a prosperous and durable economy. But ultimately, what drives cities are people and Jane Jacobs, the urban activist, too claimed that...
Her notion of “social capital” influenced how we think of urban planning today and puts into a clearer perspective the importance of designing a rich and conducive environment for the city’s community especially through good provision of well-designed public spaces which allow the city-dwellers to truly take charge of their city. In this case, public spaces are defined as social spaces that is accessible by the public and which does not require the transaction of money. Public spaces can be seen as a cog of a great and complex machinery which is the city; others include accessibility, entertainment, culture, economy and so on. And if public spaces were not given the attention it deserves, the machinery may cease to function at its greatest efficiency. Each component must be taken care of and  looked at holistically – how does each component contribute to another component, and how these relationships sum to a total final output which is how the city functions. The three pillars of sustainability; social, environmental and financial are a good way at looking how public spaces can contribute towards social enhancement and ultimately, a sustainable city.
The culture which grows and thrives in a city is one of a complex melange of diversity: of which could be celebrated or conflicted. When all levels and classes of society come together each bringing with them their own set of ideals – it makes for an interesting movement. Every city will have its mix of the urban poor, homeless, migrants, tourists, middle-class and the very rich from other parts of the country, as well as other countries. A city’s provision of public spaces must cater to all – and ideally, bring them together. Spaces which allow for social interaction and which doesn’t restrict people from being themselves. Spaces such as markets, plazas and gardens. But also spaces not commonly thought of public spaces such as the street. Cities should provide freedom and liberty for city-dwellers to walk and cycle safely and comfortably, and not limit the movement of people to motor vehicles.
“The city is less about its physical spaces and more about how people can use them. The city is for people.”
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- Jane Jacobs
A city’s public spaces should belong to the public, and allow them to use it as they deem fit. It should allow for freedom of expression, especially through the arts. Music, dance and other forms of artistic expressions should be celebrated and not condemned. And when we decide to celebrate them, we must also be wary to not exploit them for commercial gains – human life cannot be institutionalised. Public spaces can be incubation spaces for a stronger role of arts which could address a host of social issues.
Not all cogs of the machinery need to provide for all aspects, but if all the cogs do what they are meant to, the machine will produce beautiful results.
We need to realize what public spaces are meant to do and that is to allow people to be people. We are a species which thrives on social interaction and we have done well as a species because of this. Public spaces, if done well, should be cures for the physical and mental health of its users. And this becomes terrifyingly important given the fact that 66% of the population are set to live in cities by 2050. We must also approach city spaces as organic spaces, which are meant to be built and rebuilt constantly to address current issues and needs of the current users. We must learn to be critical, honest and sensitive. We must learn to ask the right questions and approach these questions with hopeful solutions and lively discussions.
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What worked and what didn’t work?
What would make this place more lively and convenient?
What would make this place work? What do the people want?
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The city is a complex ecosystem, and it should be – it works best that way. But it should be streamlined. It must have clear goals, an identity, a sense of place and a direction. This can only be achieved through clear leadership which facilitates the locals towards a direction in which they desire together. Public spaces are just one cog of a great and complex machinery which is the city. But it is a cog which will only function if we understand its role in the machinery. It is a place for social interaction – for social goodness. It is a place where people meet, where people heal and where people live. I want to live in a city which is welcoming, full of life, one which is vibrant with a strong and brave culture. I want to live in a city which is alive. A city which works for everyone as a collective society, but also works for you and I as an individual.
Receiving the award at the conference from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Malaysian Institute of Planners and the conference organizer.
8th Sept 2016.
LET'S HAVE A DISCUSSION.
Leave a comment about what you think makes a great city :)