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1 – 10 of over 5000Azlan Ariff Ali Ariff, Emma Marinie Ahmad Zawawi, Julitta Yunus and Qi Jie Kwong
Despite its worldwide reputation as an effective solution to sustainable building development and energy efficiency, green roofs in Malaysian cities are rarely accessible. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite its worldwide reputation as an effective solution to sustainable building development and energy efficiency, green roofs in Malaysian cities are rarely accessible. The architecture of the building primarily influences public accessibility, crime watch and safety level and events that encourage the public's engagement, which is evident in crowd density. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the social potential of highly accessible Malaysian green roofs as public space, initiated by the lack of local published material discussing on this topic.
Design/methodology/approach
This study reviews the current issues concerning limited public accessibility on Malaysian public institution green roofs by systematic literature review and thematic analysis by comparing the effectiveness of applicable public space strategies on the green roof.
Findings
The criteria that have been identified and considered as study parameters include architecture, safety and surveillance, and active functions. Through systematic review of available literature, these characteristics contribute positively to public participation within the public realm.
Social implications
The exploration of the social potential would establish a green roof as a thriving public space that welcomes the public from all ages and backgrounds, addressing the general public accessibility towards outdoor recreational areas, especially within dense urbanisation with diminishing green spaces.
Originality/value
This research highlights the key characteristics of the highly functional public space that could be applied in developing a guideline for designing future green roofs with high accessibility potential for the public in the city area, in parallel with the anticipated future growth in demand for green roofs infrastructure surrounding public buildings.
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Faezeh Ghaffari, Maryam Shabak, Nima Norouzi and Siyamak Nayyeri Fallah
This study aimed at the identification of perceptional environment properties in hospital public spaces that can affect salutogenic components and patients' overall satisfaction…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed at the identification of perceptional environment properties in hospital public spaces that can affect salutogenic components and patients' overall satisfaction and suggested a conceptual framework.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review focused on specific steps to clarify the impact of public spaces' environmental quality on patients' satisfaction through the salutogenic approach. Searches were conducted in five databases and four scientific journals.
Findings
Five perceptional environment components of hospital public spaces: physical–psychological comfort, visibility, accessibility, legibility and relationability can be related to three indicators of salutogenic approach: manageability, perception and meaning and can be evaluated in patients' overall satisfaction: desire to use hospital again, to recommend the hospital to others, to prefer hospital to other healthcare environments and to trust in the hospital.
Originality/value
Despite studies on healthcare environments, there is a lack of research on the salutogenic approach in hospital public spaces. Therefore, this paper focuses on the environmental quality in public spaces as an influence on patients' satisfaction with the salutogenic perspective to create a health-promoting environment.
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The “unplannable” is a welcomed exception to the formal order of urban planning. This opinion article explores some examples of informal urbanism and discusses its ambiguous…
Abstract
The “unplannable” is a welcomed exception to the formal order of urban planning. This opinion article explores some examples of informal urbanism and discusses its ambiguous relationship to public space and unplanned activities in the city. The informal sector offers important lessons about the adaptive use of space and its social role. The article examines the ways specific groups appropriate informal spaces and how this can add to a city’s entrepreneurship and success. The characteristics of informal, interstitial spaces within the contemporary city, and the numerous creative ways in which these temporarily used spaces are appropriated, challenge the prevalent critical discourse about our understanding of authorised public space, formal place-making and social order within the city in relation to these informal spaces.
The text discusses various cases from Chile, the US and China that illustrate the dilemma of the relationship between informality and public/private space today. One could say that informality is a deregulated self-help system that redefines relationships with the formal. Temporary or permanent spatial appropriation has behavioural, economic and cultural dimensions, and forms of the informalare not always immediately obvious: they are not mentioned in building codes and can often be subversive or unexpected, emerging in the grey area between legal and illegal activities.
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Faezeh Ghaffari, Maryam Shabak, Nima Norouzi and Siyamak Nayyeri Fallah
This study aims at identifying the key perceived environmental attributes that can influence patients’ sense of coherence (SOC) in hospital public spaces and can improve hospital…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims at identifying the key perceived environmental attributes that can influence patients’ sense of coherence (SOC) in hospital public spaces and can improve hospital quality to create a salutogenic environment.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 205 patients from the two hospitals in Sari City, Iran, participated in a questionnaire survey. The data were analyzed through structural equation modeling using partial least squares to investigate the impact of environmental qualities of public spaces on patients’ SOC.
Findings
Results confirmed that public spaces’ quality is positively associated with patients’ SOC. Accessibility has the most effective role in patients’ SOC, closely followed by relationability and intelligibility indicators. Environmental comfort also influences patients’ SOC in hospital public spaces. In comparison, the quality of the visibility is less important to patients’ SOC.
Practical implications
Findings will help hospital managers and designers to identify influential factors to improve the quality of health-care environments. Furthermore, the study will provide a picture of patients’ views and SOC intentions regarding public spaces in health-care environments.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, there is a lack of studies on the relationship between hospital public spaces and users’ SOC. Thus, this study investigates the experiences and perceptions of patients toward the quality of public spaces in hospital environments in physical, social and psychological aspects to find out its effects on patients’ SOC.
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Rhiannon Stephanie Bettivia and Elizabeth Stainforth
The purpose of this article is to investigate digital public spaces and audiences and to explore the relationship of digital public spaces to both ideas of nationhood and physical…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to investigate digital public spaces and audiences and to explore the relationship of digital public spaces to both ideas of nationhood and physical public institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
The article investigates tensions arising from the conjuncture of public spaces and digital culture through the lens of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). This research uses qualitative content analysis of a range of data sources including semi-structured interviews, primary texts and secondary texts.
Findings
The construction of the public library space as a digital entity does not attract anticipated audiences. Additionally, the national framing of the DPLA is not compatible with how audiences engage with digital public spaces.
Originality/value
Drawing on original, qualitative data, this article engages with the prevalent but undertheorized concept of digital public spaces. The article addresses unreflexive uses of the digital public and the assumptions connected to the imagined audiences for platforms like the DPLA.
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Muge Unal Cilek, Mehmet Faruk Altunkasa and Cengiz Uslu
Public spaces, which offer opportunities for social, cultural and recreational activities, enhance urban life quality (ULQ). Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
Public spaces, which offer opportunities for social, cultural and recreational activities, enhance urban life quality (ULQ). Thus, this study aims to investigate the impact of public spaces and physical-environmental criteria affecting the usability of ULQ in Adana city, Turkey.
Design/methodology/approach
The study method consists of three stages. Firstly, public spaces and physical-environmental criteria that can be effective in ULQ were determined. Secondly, the effect of the determining criteria on ULQ was evaluated through a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire (1 = very negative, 5 = very positive). The survey was conducted with 601 people in the four central districts of Adana, including Çukurova, Seyhan, Sariçam and Yüregir. Participants evaluated ULQ for both the residence district and Adana city. Lastly, factors affecting ULQ were determined using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). In addition, MANOVA was used to determine the changes in factors according to socio-demographic characteristics.
Findings
Based on the EFA, the results show that the criteria affecting the ULQ are grouped into four factors, including (1) open spaces, (2) cultural, sports and recreation, (3) environmental and (4) transportation. In evaluating these factors, while gender does not affect the perception of ULQ, residence districts show a statistically significant difference in the perception of ULQ. Cultural and transportation factors show statistical differences according to education and age.
Research limitations/implications
This study has a limitation in that it relies solely on the quantitative perceptions of residents with varying demographics, such as age, gender and educational level, to evaluate public spaces and physical environment criteria. While these perspectives are valuable, they may not necessarily reflect the qualitative reality of the urban environment. Therefore, future studies combining quantitative and qualitative data could provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors affecting ULQ in urban areas.
Social implications
The implementation of the survey showed the subjective perception of ULQ in Adana city. Urban green spaces, including cultural, sports and recreational areas, should be improved in areas with insufficient facilities that affect the quality of urban life. Additionally, the impact of climate conditions on the quality of life should be taken into account when designing the city to ensure maximum utilization of public spaces. Furthermore, safe cycling transportation networks should be developed.
Originality/value
The novelty of this study lies in its unique approach to investigating the effects of public spaces and physical environmental criteria on ULQ based on combining residents' perceptions, literature review and data analysis. The study provides a valuable perspective often overlooked in urban planning research, especially in developing countries like Turkey. Additionally, the study's findings can inform the development of strategies to enhance ULQ.
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Mohammed M. Alnaim and Emad Noaime
The general concept of public space in Saudi Arabia is relatively recent; it is the result of an attempt to modernize several conservative traditions and norms, as well as the…
Abstract
Purpose
The general concept of public space in Saudi Arabia is relatively recent; it is the result of an attempt to modernize several conservative traditions and norms, as well as the ambitious vision of 2030, which reprioritized Saudi cities' public spaces by implementing a quality-of-life improvement program. This study aims to investigate the relationship between mosque location and surrounding urban context as a significant urban design issue in order to comprehend the potential for transforming such an element into a multifunctional public space destination in a dense urban fabric.
Design/methodology/approach
The study's objectives are divided into two areas: a spatial configuration analysis to examine the urban context and an urban analysis of the mosque site with a study area boundary of a 400-m buffer zone. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies were utilized; in addition, a user feedback survey was conducted in which several key insights were compiled, such as the importance of safety urban element factors, aesthetic elements and green areas in the built environment in making mosques places that are active public spaces.
Findings
The study’s main finding encourages governmental institutions to change their mindset from “open space around the mosque” to “the mosque as an element within public space,” which will have a significant impact on how the authors approach, improve and redevelop existing mosque locations. Several concepts were presented that should be reconsidered and redeveloped in order to align with the most recent sustainable urban design tools; the mosque to be overlooked as a community gathering place rather than just a place for religious rituals.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to sacred mosque sites primarily found in Islamic countries; it focuses on Saudi Arabian urban and planning practices in relation to sociocultural norms. The authors believe that increasing the number of study samples or broadening the scope of the study to include other Saudi regions or other Middle Eastern countries could yield new findings and insights.
Originality/value
The study offers a conceptual design model based on survey results and qualitative analysis and recommending strategies that planners, designers and policymakers can use to design successful mosque places and pedestrian-oriented developments.
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Bahar Ferah, Ayse Gul Gemci and Omar Algburi
This paper's main objective emphasizes the importance of waterfront design in coastal cities. It reveals that a location is associated with the activities it hosts to become…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper's main objective emphasizes the importance of waterfront design in coastal cities. It reveals that a location is associated with the activities it hosts to become attractive for people or, in other words, to be a destination. In this respect, it proposes students' concept projects for the selected waterfront field study in Istanbul.
Design/methodology/approach
This study's conceptual framework is designed according to the qualities compiled from the place-diagram and the power of 10+ (plus) concepts of the PPS (project for public spaces). Accordingly, a fieldwork study based on the qualitative and quantitative research method was conducted as fieldwork in the Istanbul Sarayburnu waterfront, where historical and touristic sight-seeings of the Golden Horn meet with the Bosphorus coastal line. In addition to photo-video recordings, survey questions were also prepared during the field study.
Findings
Survey questions inquiries multi questions searching for the place-diagram qualities provide suggestions of 90 people who responded in situ. Results of the case study highlight six alternative proposal projects for the fieldwork prepared based on the power of 10+ concept by the third grade students of the School of Architecture of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU). Based on the survey questions and literature review findings, 10 sub-spatial qualities of waterfronts were disaggregated at the end of the study.
Research limitations/implications
The power of 10+ concept in the study provides a gauge for architects and urban planners; it gives them an excellent tool for assessing the quality of public spaces for placemaking in waterfronts.
Originality/value
Previous studies have generally been based on the PPS's place-diagram qualities with little mention of the interaction with the power of 10+ concept in placemaking. The proposed sub-qualities in the paper's conclusion contribute to architects and urban planners considering a model approach derived from those PPS concepts.
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The Instagram site, teacherwhispers, was created as part of a qualitative research project that chronicled the stories and lived experience of preservice and graduate teachers…
Abstract
Purpose
The Instagram site, teacherwhispers, was created as part of a qualitative research project that chronicled the stories and lived experience of preservice and graduate teachers. Since 2020, the purpose of the study was to identify themes connected to the participants' experiences of current trends in education. The intent was to situate the research as a critical interruption into the bigger political discourses surrounding education. The study sought to question why pedagogical practices are increasingly being positioned and located for political and economic reasons and to frame the questions of how we emerge as teachers in specific moments in time.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology employed in the project was ethnographic and narrative-based, representing stories of teachers and teaching. Ethnography as embodiment contributes to an evocative portrayal of the participants' experiences. Teacher stories can be used to progress understandings of schools and schooling and play an important role in reflecting upon and learning from experience.
Findings
The selection of posts from teacherwhispers have brought into sharp focus the broad range of difficulties and rewards that are inherent in teaching. The site has been a microcosm of current issues in education. As a problematic and uncomfortable site of public pedagogy, it has been a site for sharing the realities, specificities and challenges of situatedness. The places where teachers work within their respective communities are highly diverse and can be a source of pressure both professionally and personally. Consequently, in the analysis of teacherwhispers, generalisations have been avoided.
Research limitations/implications
As a repository of data for research, a public online site has its challenges; research is meant to be generalisable but in teaching each setting is unique and generalisations can be problematic. Sites of public pedagogy for teachers tend to be kaleidoscopic representations: diverse locations, groups, interests and disciplines. They are a stark reminder to be sceptical of accepting the statement, “research tells us” without questioning the positioning and biases that are inherently at play.
Practical implications
Practical elements of the project have included navigating a public online space for the dissemination of data.
Social implications
Created in the spirit of problematising the methodology of public pedagogy, the online space at the centre of this project eventuated into something of a definition of what can be problematic in defining teachers' spaces of connection. The site was a place where opinions were expressed in confidentiality and that problematised methodology by putting into question what that methodology may be in a public sphere. What came forth as a result of putting methodology at the centre, rather than a definite answer, was unpredictability.
Originality/value
The online space has been an original place to display unanalysed data. The willingness to tell stories through an intermediary was juxtaposed by the public readership's unwillingness to engage with the stories, which would have meant exposing their identity. The online space is one that is increasingly relevant in public sharing and communications relating to communities of practice. This research is a critical interruption to the bigger political discourses in education. It questions why pedagogical practices are increasingly politicised. The project has been significant in mapping the stories of emerging educators at a time of unprecedented pedagogical change.
School climate strikes are opening spaces of appearance, becoming differently active forms of public pedagogy where new and previously unthought collective climate action is…
Abstract
Purpose
School climate strikes are opening spaces of appearance, becoming differently active forms of public pedagogy where new and previously unthought collective climate action is possible. This inquiry contributes to understanding school climate strikes as important forms of climate justice activism by exploring how they work as public pedagogy.
Design/methodology/approach
The inquiry process involved poetic inquiry to produce an affective poetic witness statement to an event of school climate strikes, and then a performative enactment of diffractive reading using the poem created. The diffractive reading is used to conceptualise school climate strikes as public pedagogy and move towards an understanding of how school climate strikes work as public pedagogy. Diffused throughout is the question of where the more-than-human fits in public pedagogy and youth climate justice activism.
Findings
School climate strikes are dynamic and differently acting (diffracting) public pedagogies that work by open spaces of appearance that enable capacities for collective action in heterogeneous political spaces. Consideration of entanglements and intra-actions between learner, place, knowledge and climate change are productive in understanding how phenomena work as public pedagogy.
Originality/value
This inquiry extends on important considerations in both climate change education and public pedagogy scholarship. It diffuses consideration of the more-than-human throughout the inquiry and enacts a move beyond the humanist limits of existing public pedagogy scholarship by introducing climate intra-action, heterogeneous political spaces and non-conforming learning to an understanding of activist public pedagogies and the educative agent.
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