Empowering Architecture: Citizen Participation in the Design of Urban Public Spaces

Citizen Participation;Public Spaces;Participatory Design;Architecture

Man, Christine Wing Sze

University of Waterloo

关键词: Citizen Participation;    Public Spaces;    Participatory Design;    Architecture;   

Others  :  https://uwspace.uwaterloo.ca/bitstream/10012/5159/1/Thesis%20Christine%20Man.pdf

瑞士|英语

来源: UWSPACE Waterloo Institutional Repository

【 摘 要 】

As our contemporary cities continue to revitalize, redefine, and reassertthemselves on an international scale, public spaces provide an opportunityto lend the sense of place which makes cities unique and compelling. Severalcities such as Toronto, Chicago, and most notably Bilbao have commissionedworld renowned architects to design a project in their signature style. Theseprojects are generally anticipated with great excitement, yet once they arecompleted and a few years have passed, the initial enthusiasm fades alongwith the international recognition which originated the object. In the end,these projects, regardless of how well they are liked by the citizens of acity, seem to lack a sense of authenticity. Citizen participation offers anopportunity to develop public spaces in a way that will reintroduce thecitizen into its built environment. Rather than merely offering a beautifulspace, the participatory design model recognizes the collaborative potentialwith the citizen, and embraces it.This research-based thesis seeks to understand the growing movement ofcitizen participation and the role it can play in the design of urban publicspaces. Furthermore, it examines the role of the architect and how onecan begin to successfully integrate the citizen into the design process. Theresearch is divided into three sections. First, a survey of the literaturesurrounding the field of participation provides an understanding ofdifferent attitudes and methods regarding citizen involvement and why itsintegration into the design of public spaces is important. Second, a seriesof case studies with varying levels of citizen participation were examinedfor the role the architect and his/her relationship with the citizen, as well asthe overall effectiveness public participation had on the end result. Finally,the third section illustrates two applications of a participation workshop,originally designed by Proboscis, both located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.This thesis maintains that citizen participation is not only beneficial to thedevelopment of urban public spaces but is essential if one wishes to designa space that can empower a neighbourhood and its city. Moreover, publicspaces designed through the participatory design model allows for citizensto take ownership for the space and appropriate it as their own, which willlead to its continual development, transforming the space into a locus forthe city.