Project+One

=Project One - Public Space Project= Caryn Laliberte

In successful campuses a feeling of community brings together students, teacher and visitors into public spaces, which allow for interaction. For this interaction to take place campuses need a number of large spaces to act as gathering and interaction centers [3]. toc

York University does not have enough pubic spaces to encourage a campus community – Does this lack of gather space affect students? Have modern technologies in these public spaces promoted isolation? Why is seating set up singularly, rather than in a group? How does York’s large commuter population fit into the community? How does this affect people living on campus? Why are there so many unused open spaces on campus? Why is there such a fear of interaction with others?

I think that the York University campus in general does not have enough public space that allows for a community to grow on campus. I believe that there are a number of issues that make York fell less like a community and increasingly like an isolated experience. From personalized technologies, lack of space, provided group seating and the large number of student commuters take away from the campus community. I feel as if having a greater sense of community on campus would serve students better, by giving them a connection to our campus, interacting with the student population more and providing a space for public debate.

I plan to investigate the public spaces at York University by setting out to see the public interactions taking place on campus. Living on campus makes the public spaces here seem more apart of my everyday life, so by stepping back and taking some photographs will allow be to view over people interactions with the space. In addition I will be researching my topic through publish writings on public space, in order to shine more light on the issues at York.

Images
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Concept map
Rough draft of Public Space Issue

Final Mapping



Inspiring Quotes
“Within any campus, there should be at least ten dynamic, well used public places that attract all kinds of people. This concept is what PPS calls ‘The Power of Ten.[PPS]’” Within these areas activities such as eating, reading drinking, socializing, playing games, etc. take place within a community setting [Wikipedia]. “Such places bridge the gap between the distinct and diverse communities within the campus; they are the settings for civic gatherings, residential life, and academic discussions, and they possess a variety of public, private, academic, retail and cultural amenities.[3]”

“Our cities drive citizens into privacy. Behind the closed doors of the home, the family, dog, domestic chores, television takes over and wraps us all away from our society. Yet the real world takes over once we step outside our front doors…The public park was once meeting places not only for neighborly nods and greetings, but where opinions could be exchanged on matters of the day, both private and public.” [4]

“Sennett claimed that empty of dead public space only intensified a transformation of the Western urban dweller’s public space ongoing since the massive urban populations increases brought on by the industrial revolution. In the preindustrial cities of the acient regimes, Sennett argued that the bourgeois citizen understood that clothes, manners and gestures were modes of civilty that were worn like masks in public space.” [2]

PDF Slide Show


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