As the world strives to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, this book deftly examines the capacity and potential of public space design to tackle key issues related to climate change, violence, safety, law, cultural and gender inclusivity as well as creative and community engagement.
Presenting empirical and theoretical insights from urban planners, criminologists, disability advocates, geographers and artists, Public Space and the Sustainable Development Goals highlights the increased demand for high quality public open spaces for diverse populations. It answers the pivotal question of how to transform public spaces into safe, vibrant, and inclusive places that are resilient to contemporary social and environmental pressures. Expert contributors explore solutions for improving public space planning, design and policy with a focus on UN SDG 11, Target 7.
This timely book is an essential guide for scholars of geography, urban design, sociology and criminology. It is also a useful informative resource for practitioners of urban planning and landscape architecture.
As the world strives to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, this book deftly examines the capacity and potential of public space design to tackle key issues related to climate change, violence, safety, law, cultural and gender inclusivity, and landscape design.
Recenzijas
Presenting the challenges of rapid urban development, the book Public Space and the Sustainable Development Goals exemplifies how and why public spaces are integrated and developed. As part of a series focused on the Sustainable Development Goals and how to progress these goals, this book centres on UN SDG 11, Target 7: creating inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and settlements. The editors have assembled an insightful range of perspectives and research approaches to underscore the tangible impact that urban development has on communities and the environment. It presents insights from urban planners, disability advocates, geographers and artists, making it valuable for policy makers and local authorities tackling the diverse fabric of the cityscapes through to those working at the grassroots community action level. -- Francesca Boyd, AIPH Green City Update April 2025
Contents
Reimagining public space: inclusion, safety, culture, nature 1
Joanne Dolley, Keiran Hardy and Tony Matthews
1 Libraries: activated public spaces reducing social isolation 8
Joanne Dolley
2 How urban planning can make public spaces in African
cities more inclusive 19
Prosper Issahaku Korah
3 Leveraging universal design and work health and safety
laws to promote and progress SDG 11.7: access to public
spaces for people with disabilities 30
Paul Harpur and Lisa Stafford
4 Will banning hate symbols in public spaces enhance
inclusion and safety? 45
Keiran Hardy
5 Planning for subcultures in public spaces: how
skateboarding can help to create safe, inclusive and playful cities 55
Christopher Giamarino and Indigo Willing
6 Gender inequities in the perception and use of public
green spaces in informal settlements: reasons and responses 68
Elgar Kamjou, Mark Scott and Mick Lennon
7 Inclusive smart public spaces: insights from Smart Cities
and Suburbs 81
Courtney Babb
8 Safety and inclusion in public space: taking street
harassment seriously 93
Bianca Fileborn
9 Public space and informal urbanism in the Global South 105
Hesam Kamalipour and Nastaran Peimani
10 Climate change impacts on public space: the role of street
greenery in mitigating and adapting to urban heat 115
Jiawei Fu, Silvia Tavares, David King and Stephen Naylor
11 Parktopia: exploring childrens agency on environmental
futures through socially engaged art 125
Kate Kantor, Tanja Beer and Marnie Badham
12 Rewilding public spaces in Ireland 140
Tony Matthews, Ciara Healy and Adam Stead
Edited by Joanne Dolley, Cities Research Institute, Keiran Hardy, Griffith Criminology Institute and Tony Matthews, School of Engineering and Built Environment and Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Australia
