Social Life in Small Urban Spaces

Last week in class we watched a video that discussed the use, placement, and factors that lead to the efficient and continued use of small urban public spaces. These spaces would include plazas and parks within cities. With cities growing the need for public space is great; many cities are trying hard to incorporate more public spaces into their design. One issue that is connected to this is where the funding for cities comes from: should money from public spaces come from the federal government, state governments, or local governments. As the article linked above suggests, there is a seeming dichotomy between the federal government calling for more public spaces and then not providing the funds to create them. The video, and these articles, suggest the public spaces in urban environments should be diverse and draw people from all social classes and ages. Public spaces in urban environments are crucial to the fabric of the our cities and cities around the world. Without them our cities would feel even more congested and conflated than they already do. It is the job of urban planners and designers to create a city that functions efficiently while not dismissing the ideals of beauty and form.