Public Spaces and Well-Being

How can we create the most inspiring and versatile places with the space that we have? There is so much to add to this topic. Living nearby a recreational park potentially increases our well-being, but who is lucky enough to have such a park nearby, and are you using it regularly? So, to me the next question is: how can we achieve that people are using these spaces? What exactly are the purposes of these spaces? Many towns are built for cars. We have distinct areas where we live, distinct areas where we shop, and distinct areas where we chill out. One problem is that all these areas are set apart and we need a car to get from one to the other. Many open green spaces are exactly just that: vast green boring lawns. There are no trees to provide shade, there are no water features to play in, there is no café adjacent to it, there might be a plastic playground with a shade cloth if you’re lucky. My plaidoyer is: create more places where people can meet, play, rest, walk, talk, accidentally bump into each other, and find inspiration. Landscape them so they are truly attractive, attractive for people to walk their dogs, parents push prams, kids to explore and discover, sporty people to run and play games, oldies to sit on a bench and dream, readers to read under a shady tree, birds to visit and sing... Connect these places together so people can bike and walk these paths that thread though areas where you can shop, get a snack, pick up a drink. Create piazzas that are surrounded by cafes and book shops. The piazza has a play area for adults and kids. Trees, a water fountain, art. Remember the Italian piazzas, where the oldies play boccia and chess, where kids run free, students park their bicycles and read their books. Remember…?