Parks for the Planet Forum explores the unifying nature of public spaces
Parks and public spaces are places where community cohesion and a sense of belonging can be nurtured.
A deeper understanding of the values of communities, leading to more equitable access to green and public spaces for all in urban areas, and the transformative powers of a more inclusive approach to urban design were all focal points of the discussion at the second online program of the 2021 Parks for the Planet Forum, The Way We Live: Parks, People and Public Spaces.
Key Takeaways:
- Multi-actor collaboration in the design process of parks and public spaces is essential for the creation of places that foster a sense of community ownership.
- Understanding a community’s needs and concerns through consultation and inclusion is critical to creating spaces that truly serve the public and drive connectivity.
- Flexibility in the planning process and accounting for changing needs in time helps public spaces form a backbone for communities.
- Re-evaluating our relationship with nature is vital for wellbeing and viewing nature as a neutral space for gathering and breaking down barriers.
Understanding How Community Values Drive the Need for Public Space
A transformation project in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic offered a case study of the importance of the community as a starting point for the design process of parks and open spaces.
A busy street intersection that had been a focal point for the local community was transformed into a green space by local authorities, but this was not used by the public. It soon became clear that a lack of consultation with locals had led to a misinterpretation by the authorities about what the underlying reasons for such a previously vibrant area had been.
Two local coffee vendors had been the heart and soul of the community that congregated, and upon revisiting the plan with their assistance, a redesigned open space, with vendor stalls for other local businesses, was much more popular and helped to recover the area’s lively ambience.
Taking the concerns and requirements of a community, creating a platform where these demands can be shared, and constructing strategies for sustainable development around these views helps to achieve cohesion and a sense of belonging.
Adaptive Planning and Designing Spaces for Continual Development
This deeper level of understanding by planners gave rise to a discussion of the importance of adaptive planning, as opposed to conventional planning that had often failed to account for flexibility in the past.
Adaptive planning for spaces should factor changing needs in time into the process and allow for the possibility of dealing with future uncertainties—be they environmental, economic, demographic or political—and see the open space as a critical backbone for the local community.
This was underscored by the presentation of Hafencity, a waterfront quarter in the Hamburg-Mitte district of Hamburg, Germany, which has been redeveloped with foresight for how the space and its inter-connected elements will evolve over the next 30 years to continue serving the community.
Reconnecting With Nature Through Green Space to Promote Connections
One challenge facing many cities around the world is how to reconnect humans and nature, so that there is engagement with the natural environment and thus a sense of responsibility—as opposed to nature being viewed as a usable object.
The Organization for Environmental Education and Protection (OpEPA) in Bogotá, Colombia is successfully enabling youngsters to experience and understand the green spaces that surround their urban living environment, and is educating them on how this reconnection with nature can help in the construction of more sustainable communities.
The realization that one’s relationship with nature can mold emotional state and wellbeing can lead to a more intentional relationship with the environment. The use of nature as a neutral space for people to gather and have conversations that break down barriers was presented as an example of how public space had successfully helped individuals find common ground and promote real connections through OpEPA’s activities.
This webinar on Community Cohesion and Belonging was part of Salzburg Global Seminar’s Parks for the Planet Forum’s 2021 program, The Way We Live: Parks, People and Public Spaces. The program is in partnership with AIPH, Diplomatic Courier, The Future City podcast, ICLEI, ICUN, #NatureForAll and World Urban Parks. For more information, please visit: https://www.salzburgglobal.org/multi-year-series/parks
