2 2 8.K I N G .S T .
P U B L I C
L I F E
B E T W E E N
B U I L D I N G S
“Providing for human use and enjoyment is a basic requirement in creating and maintaining successful open spaces. Past studies of parks, plazas, and neighborhood open spaces definitively have shown that providing for human needs is a prerequisite for successful public spaces.”
Francis, M.2003, Urban Open Space: Designing for User Needs, Island Press & Landscape Architecture Foundation, Washington, D.C., pg 13-35, passim.
Urban design within today’s context is dictated by the study of how people actually use and react to the spatial environment around them.
The use of urban design to mould the public life of society has become vital to maintaining a sustainable city. The presence of public spaces such as plazas, parks and squares within an urban environment have been proven by figures as Danish architect Jan Gehl, to play an integral role in the structure of public life.
An ordinary day on King St.
A cluster of pedestrians pass each other along the sidewalk. King St represents a multipurpose medium for transportation, pedestrian movement, retail and hospitality. It is interpreted as a main pathway, shared between suburbs, education, health and CBD utilities. It is known that during peak periods, it is faster to walk than drive through the dense areas of King St.
This conveys an extremely dense nature of use. One that should be accommodated for by means of an expansive boulevard. One that currently has no resemblance to what it is today.
In order to withdraw those pedestrians that use King St as a route from “a to b”, it is necessary to provide alternate (and obvious) pathways in surrounding streets. This can be achieved by providing expansive and inviting openings between King St and its parallel neighbors. By doing so it allows the current pathways along king St to be primarily occupied by those attracted to the retail and hospitality precincts.
The concept of using public space to increase pedestrian flow as well as public life has already been achieved by a few sites along King St. Namely, the public square opposite Newtown Station and the space occupied by 134-40 King St that allows access to Bucknell St at the rear. These gateways act as an inviting passage towards precincts surrounding King St. This increases public awareness of location and the imageability of the built environment.
The absence of public space concerned with this area of King St makes it hard to break up the well defined retail hub of King St. The presence of public space would successfully allow users to enjoy a range of public life experiences. At present, this particular strip represents a repetitive retail environment that lacks imageability and sense of place. It is often common for users to struggle to find “that great shop” upon returning for their second visit as they had no physical landmark, or icon to identify its location. Without these “wayfinding” tools, users of retail and hospitality precincts such as King St , struggle to develop emotional attraction and deter them from revisiting.
My design plan for 228 King St will increase public life, the imageability of King St and the public awareness of the positive effect of interactive public space on society.
