A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Reviving public space through socially sustainable urban furniture
A bench is there to sit on. That’s its purpose. That’s what it was built for. But if this bench is placed in public space, it can do much more than that. It livens up a place. It offers a place to rest. It leads to random encounters. But it can also displace, erect boundaries, restrict the scope for action. Although the German term “mobiliar” (furniture) derives from the Latin “mobilis” for mobile, urban furniture usually stands for the opposite: uniform and immobile elements. These are subject to legal norms and strict regulations in terms of design and use. What forms can and should urban furniture take? Is it just about sitting down or can it also contribute to new (social) qualities of public space? Can urban furniture promote exchange between people? Does it create new meeting places? Can it foster transformation processes in a neighbourhood that go far beyond a purely physical redesign? Together with residents Social Design Studio redesigned a park in Vienna’s second district. The park is located in a neighbourhood with a high density of large social housing complexes and home to an above-average number of children, young people and people over 65. A previous study by the Social Design department in 2017 – which conducted an artistic and research-based analysis of the area – showed that the open spaces close to the residential area offer too little recreational quality and are hardly accessible and used despite the high need for social spaces in the area. The creation of new urban furniture in a new micro-centre with the involvement of the residents was identified as a possible lever to improve the opportunities for local recreation and to promote neighborhood and coexistence. (see Schraml, Färber, Kohlmayr, Plášková and Valencic 2017; Schraml 2018) In the continuing project "Stadt aufmöbeln - eine Plattform zur Erforschung unentdeckter Möglichkeiten von Stadtmobiliar" (2021; supported by MA 19 - Architecture and Urban Design), the potentials of urban furniture, participation processes and ecologically, socially and economically sustainable urban design were explored – with special consideration of the previously defined target groups (predominantly young and older people). Parallel to this, the redesign of the park was set up in collaboration with Wiener Stadtgärten and the second district of Vienna. Within a year, the park was redesigned based on the principles of citizen participation and circular economy. By identifying and utilizing (previously) unnoticed resources in the city, the project questions linear routines in the design pf public space and demonstrates an alternative, scalable and (internationally) transferable approach to a socially circular city.
Reviving public space through socially sustainable urban furniture
A bench is there to sit on. That’s its purpose. That’s what it was built for. But if this bench is placed in public space, it can do much more than that. It livens up a place. It offers a place to rest. It leads to random encounters. But it can also displace, erect boundaries, restrict the scope for action. Although the German term “mobiliar” (furniture) derives from the Latin “mobilis” for mobile, urban furniture usually stands for the opposite: uniform and immobile elements. These are subject to legal norms and strict regulations in terms of design and use. What forms can and should urban furniture take? Is it just about sitting down or can it also contribute to new (social) qualities of public space? Can urban furniture promote exchange between people? Does it create new meeting places? Can it foster transformation processes in a neighbourhood that go far beyond a purely physical redesign? Together with residents Social Design Studio redesigned a park in Vienna’s second district. The park is located in a neighbourhood with a high density of large social housing complexes and home to an above-average number of children, young people and people over 65. A previous study by the Social Design department in 2017 – which conducted an artistic and research-based analysis of the area – showed that the open spaces close to the residential area offer too little recreational quality and are hardly accessible and used despite the high need for social spaces in the area. The creation of new urban furniture in a new micro-centre with the involvement of the residents was identified as a possible lever to improve the opportunities for local recreation and to promote neighborhood and coexistence. (see Schraml, Färber, Kohlmayr, Plášková and Valencic 2017; Schraml 2018) In the continuing project "Stadt aufmöbeln - eine Plattform zur Erforschung unentdeckter Möglichkeiten von Stadtmobiliar" (2021; supported by MA 19 - Architecture and Urban Design), the potentials of urban furniture, participation processes and ecologically, socially and economically sustainable urban design were explored – with special consideration of the previously defined target groups (predominantly young and older people). Parallel to this, the redesign of the park was set up in collaboration with Wiener Stadtgärten and the second district of Vienna. Within a year, the park was redesigned based on the principles of citizen participation and circular economy. By identifying and utilizing (previously) unnoticed resources in the city, the project questions linear routines in the design pf public space and demonstrates an alternative, scalable and (internationally) transferable approach to a socially circular city.
Reviving public space through socially sustainable urban furniture
Christina Schraml (author) / Martin Färber (author)
2024
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
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