Successful Public Spaces

‘The major attraction of any city is its people, its life and vitality. This is clear, as the benches with the best view of public life are always the first

ones to be occupied; we can see this in the fact that the café chairs all over the world are oriented towards the pavement, towards the passers-by. The most essential quality of the street café is simply the opportunity to people

watch’ Jan Gehl

Content:The primary focus of urban design is the shaping of the public environment. It seeks to create engaging places for people to go about their lives in safety and to make connections with other people and with places and buildings.Public spaces are important for developing key social aspects of human life. Comfortable and stimulating public spaces provide opportunity for social interaction and participation in public life and for observing the behaviour and interactions of others.

They can include: Streets: are the most common public space of our towns and cities:- They

are the arteries which allow places of every shape and size to function. They can make up about 30% of land area in urban environments and are multi-functional spaces, providing settings for activity as well as for movement.

Places: are areas of intensity and focus for a diversity of social activities. They can include plazas, malls and squares and are generally pedestrian oriented.

Parks and natural environments such as green landscapes and waterfronts/waterways.

Successful public spaces are shaped by the attitudes, experience and skills of a wide range of people who make or influence decisions about development and the management of change in those places.

This one day course will look specifically at the key ingredients for developing a successful public space, including vision, practical quality design, implementation and management. It will introduce participants to issues in creating public spaces relating to design quality, style, integrating heritage, public art and cultural elements, character appraisal and sustainability.

It will analyse the structure of public spaces, the value of well designed public places and the impact of public and private development on achieving successful outcomes. The course will include a tour of public spaces in Dandenong.

Designed for: Statutory and strategic planners, architects and designers, landscape architects, property developers, transportation planners, civil and traffic engineers and land surveyors.

Learning outcomes: Greater awareness and understanding of the principles of urban design as

applied in the Victorian context Enhanced understanding of the role and function of public spaces, why

people will use a public space and why they will not Improved ability to analyse public spaces, and the connections and

interactions with buildings ‘on plan’ and on site Better understanding of the tools available to assess and negotiate public

space design proposals

Course presenters:Senior urban designers with DPCD Representatives from City of Greater Dandenong

Date: Tuesday 15 October

Drum Theatre, Dandenong Town Hall226 Lonsdale Street, Dandenong

Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm

Cost: $250 (incl GST)

PD Points: 7