Sittable space
- Quantity, variety & flexibility are key
- Integral seating is important, people will happily sit on ledges, steps, walls, sculptures, planter edges, fountain edges, etc
- Opportunities should be available in both sun and shade
- Circulation & seating are complementary – people often prefer to sit somewhere along their chosen route, not in a zoned seating area
- Although weather-dependent & generally less comfortable, lawns provide additional seating
- Moveable chairs are preferable to fixed benches for groups to communicate
- Corners of steps can enable 45° angle spaces for groups (3+ people) to sit & communicate
- Benches that are designed to be sat on from two sides should 2 backsides deep to allow for physical and psychological comfort
“The human backside is a dimension architects seem to have forgotten.” William H. Whyte
“People tend to sit most where there are places to sit.” William H. Whyte
Streets & Plazas
- Human scale
- Ideally, not elevated or sunken – no greater than 1m change in level if unavoidable
- Doors & windows should be included, blank walls are hostile
- Shops, cafés, etc should be built flush with the pavement
- Corners & junctions are popular areas for chance encounters, planned meetings & for observing others
- The edges or fringes of plazas tend to be preferred, central open space is less used through feelings of exposure & high visibility (the amphitheatre effect) and often lack of sittable spaces
- Access points are often busy and provide secondary use through meeting points & visual access to the main site
Light
- Direct or deflected daylight (via buildings or water) is essential to the feel of a place
- Sun traps vary in appeal according to seasonal temperature!
Food
- Easy access via street vendors & outdoor cafés advertises availability
- Circulation & tables should be close enough to encourage social interaction, whilst still enabling ease of access & comfort
- Waste bins should be in plentiful supply, emptied regularly & well sited. Ease of use & social pressure will assist in keeping the area clean & tidy
“Food attracts people, who attract more people.” William H. Whyte
Water
- Accessibility is important – people should be able to see, touch, taste, hear & smell water
- Drinking fountains are too rare but an important resource
- The white noise of moving water, although often loud, is perceived as pleasanter than traffic noise, which it can mask
Trees
- Provide shade – welcome in summer
- Large trees create a sense of domain
- Improve the microclimate through transpiration & wind protection
- Help mitigate solar glare & urban heat island effects
Triangulation
- Sociability: crowds attract people & encourage social interaction
- The ‘shill effect’ – e.g. if you stand and point at a distant object in a public place, eventually other people will join you to see what you are pointing at.
- Shill [OED definition]: “Person employed to decoy or entice others”
“What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people.” William H. Whyte
“It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.” William H. Whyte
Brilliant....
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