Warning, patrons ahead! A development assessment framework for public space for landscape architects drawing on lessons from the Festival City of Adelaide, Australia.

Abstract

A deceptively simple and benign sign placed in a public park states, ‘Warning: You may find event equipment and patrons on the pathway’ (Figure T-2). The sign hints at the complexity and contradictions of public space and poses a curious question that continues to gain currency in multidisciplinary discourse: How public is public space? This thesis poses a further question by asking, Do temporary events pose a threat to public space? To answer both questions, the thesis draws on the historic trajectory of urban public space, culminating in an extensive appraisal of 20th century forms and programs. In doing so, the thesis examines definitions of ‘public space’ and ‘public’, and considers how a more rigorous understanding of these terms can inform the practice of landscape architecture. As a result, the thesis proposes a new definition of public space, focusing on the value of publicly accessible space. It also proposes a new typology of publics—the defined public, the appropriating public, the transitory public and the illegitimate public—to better understand perceived and actual threats to public space. To test these definitions, the thesis critically reviews existing assessment methods, techniques and tools, and their application in landscape architectural assessments. It asks if current approaches adequately depict the typology of publics and the diversity of private use. As a result, the thesis proposes an integrated approach termed the Design Assessment Framework as a guide for alternative design strategies and policy formation for publicly accessible landscapes. The framework measures the degree of ‘publicness’ in public space by comprehensively capturing and assessing public space elements. The perceived conflict between public space and private use is explored through 16 case study sites in Adelaide, Australia. The city is recognised internationally for its urban plan, which includes a generous provision of public space and it is celebrated for the many festivals and events held within the city. The thesis offers an important and timely counter point to the majority voice that laments the future of public space, concluding that publicness is a spectrum, not an absolute. It positions landscape architects in a pivotal role to influence the effective design of public space and create a richer place for publics to interact. The typology of publics and the Design Assessment Framework are presented as new tools for landscape architects to assess public spaces and implement a spectrum of inclusivity. Finally, the thesis argues that events are not a threat to the publicness of public space, and should instead be viewed as opportunities to bring the community together for social exchange. Without social exchange, the question of threats to the publicness of public space may be a moot point.