Synopses & Reviews
Research has shown that successful public spaces are ones that are responsive to the needs of their users, are democratic in their accessibility, and are meaningful for the larger community and society. While considerable research has been done on needs and conflicts in open space, no one document integrates all this knowledge and makes it available to professionals, students, and researchers.
Based on archival research; published case studies; site visits; and interviews with researchers, open space designers, managers, and users, this case study looks across several seminal studies to glean significant findings and design implications related to user needs and conflicts. It reviews and identifies those critical user needs that must be considered in the planning, design, and management of outdoor spaces, and synthesizes that knowledge into an accessible and useful document.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. [77]-[82]) and index.
About the Author
Mark Francis, a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, is professor of landscape architecture at the University of California, Davis, and Senior Design Consultant with MIG in Berkeley and Davis. Trained in landscape architecture and urban design at Berkeley and Harvard, he is author of more than sixty articles and book chapters translated into a dozen languages. His ASLA-award-winning books include Community Open Spaces, The Meaning of Gardens, Public Space, and The California Landscape Garden Ecology, Culture and Design. His work has focused on the use and meaning of the built and natural landscape. Much of this research has utilized a case study approach to study parks, gardens, public spaces, streets, nearby nature, and urban public life.
Table of Contents
Foreword \ L. Susan Everett, Landscape Architecture Foundation
Urban Open Space: Case Study in Land and Community Design
Introduction: Designing for User Needs
Chapter 1. The LAF Case Study Method
Chapter 2. Urban Open Spaces: Why Some Work and Others Don't
Chapter 3. Design, Development, and Decision-Making
Chapter 4. Bryant Park: A Case Study of Designing for User Needs
Chapter 5. Community Participation
Chapter 6. Evaluating the Needs and Limitations of Public Spaces
Chapter 7. Conclusions and Recommendations
Bibliography
Photo Credits
Sources of Information
Index
About the Author
Author Acknowledgments
Landscape Architecture Foundation Acknowledgments