IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i21p8896-d435270.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Higher Density Environments and the Critical Role of City Streets as Public Open Spaces

Author

Listed:
  • Liang Wen

    (Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute, Curtin University, Perth 6845, Australia)

  • Jeffrey Kenworthy

    (Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute, Curtin University, Perth 6845, Australia
    Fachbereich 1, Architektur, Bauingenieurwesen and Geomatik, Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences, 60318 Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

  • Dora Marinova

    (Curtin University Sustainability Policy (CUSP) Institute, Curtin University, Perth 6845, Australia)

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between crowding and streets as public open spaces in high-density urban environments from the perspectives of perceived density and human needs, two antecedents to crowdedness. City streets are the places through which various forms of crowding are perceived and experienced. Hence, they can play a role in easing this sense of crowding if corresponding strategies are put in place. The paper argues that practices, such as traffic calming and self-building, can transform the streets to serve as public open space, which increases spaciousness and eases crowding. It also puts forward tactical urbanism as a strategy for city governance to create the right conditions encouraging flourishing civil society initiatives in a dense primary environment that is invigorating and at the same time has a level of crowding perceived as both comfortable and liveable.

Suggested Citation

  • Liang Wen & Jeffrey Kenworthy & Dora Marinova, 2020. "Higher Density Environments and the Critical Role of City Streets as Public Open Spaces," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-34, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:21:p:8896-:d:435270
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/8896/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/21/8896/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mace, Alan & Holman, Nancy & Paccoud, Antoine & Sundaresan, Jayaraj, 2015. "Coordinating density; working through conviction, suspicion and pragmatism," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 56768, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Donovan Finn, 2014. "DIY urbanism: implications for cities," Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(4), pages 381-398, December.
    3. Jeffrey R. Kenworthy, 2017. "Is Automobile Dependence in Emerging Cities an Irresistible Force? Perspectives from São Paulo, Taipei, Prague, Mumbai, Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-30, October.
    4. Hass-Klau, Carmen, 1993. "A review of the evidence from Germany and the UK," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 21-31, October.
    5. Mike Biddulph, 2010. "Evaluating the English Home Zone Initiatives," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 76(2), pages 199-218, April.
    6. Kelvin MacDonald & Bishwapriya Sanyal & Mitchell Silver & Mee Kam Ng & Peter Head & Katie Williams & Vanessa Watson & Heather Campbell, 2014. "Challenging theory: Changing practice: Critical perspectives on the past and potential of professional planning," Planning Theory & Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 95-122, March.
    7. Dafna Fisher-Gewirtzman, 2018. "Perception of density by pedestrians on urban paths: an experiment in virtual reality," Journal of Urban Design, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(5), pages 674-692, September.
    8. Stefano Moroni & Francesco Chiodelli, 2014. "Public Spaces, Private Spaces, and the Right to the City," International Journal of E-Planning Research (IJEPR), IGI Global, vol. 3(1), pages 51-65, January.
    9. Arne Arnberger, 2012. "Urban Densification and Recreational Quality of Public Urban Green Spaces—A Viennese Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-18, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lamthai Asanok & Torlarp Kamyo & Monthon Norsaengsri & Teeka Yotapakdee & Suwit Navakam, 2021. "Assessment of the Diversity of Large Tree Species in Rapidly Urbanizing Areas along the Chao Phraya River Rim, Central Thailand," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-13, September.
    2. Liang Wen & Dora Marinova & Jeffrey Kenworthy & Xiumei Guo, 2022. "Street Recovery in the Age of COVID-19: Simultaneous Design for Mobility, Customer Traffic and Physical Distancing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-23, March.
    3. Le Zhang & Xiaoxiao Xu & Yanlong Guo, 2022. "Comprehensive Evaluation of the Implementation Effect of Commercial Street Quality Improvement Based on AHP-Entropy Weight Method—Taking Hefei Shuanggang Old Street as an Example," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-19, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Goodwin, Phil, 1999. "Transformation of transport policy in Great Britain," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 33(7-8), pages 655-669.
    2. Kevin Credit & Elizabeth Mack, 2019. "Place-making and performance: The impact of walkable built environments on business performance in Phoenix and Boston," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 46(2), pages 264-285, February.
    3. Kafui Attoh, 2017. "Public transportation and the idiocy of urban life," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(1), pages 196-213, January.
    4. Stefano Moroni & Ward Rauws & Stefano Cozzolino, 2020. "Forms of self-organization: Urban complexity and planning implications," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 47(2), pages 220-234, February.
    5. Haeryung Lee & Seung-Nam Kim, 2021. "Perceived Safety and Pedestrian Performance in Pedestrian Priority Streets (PPSs) in Seoul, Korea: A Virtual Reality Experiment and Trace Mapping," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-17, March.
    6. Lu Liu & Yu Tian & Haiquan Chen, 2023. "The Costs of Agglomeration: Misallocation of Credit in Chinese Cities," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-19, February.
    7. Jay Mitra & Mariusz Sokolowicz & Ursula Weisenfeld & Agnieszka Kurczewska & Silke Tegtmeier, 2020. "Citizen Entrepreneurship: A Conceptual Picture of the Inclusion, Integration and Engagement of Citizens in the Entrepreneurial Process," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 6(2), pages 242-260, July.
    8. Gornik, Markus, 2020. "Smart governance: Kashiwa-no-ha smart city in Japan as a model for future urban development?," Wuppertaler Studienarbeiten zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy, volume 22, number 22.
    9. Delso, Javier & Martín, Belén & Ortega, Emilio, 2018. "A new procedure using network analysis and kernel density estimations to evaluate the effect of urban configurations on pedestrian mobility. The case study of Vitoria –Gasteiz," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 61-72.
    10. De Borger, Bruno & Russo, Antonio, 2017. "The political economy of pricing car access to downtown commercial districts," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 76-93.
    11. Jukka Heinonen & Michał Czepkiewicz & Áróra Árnadóttir & Juudit Ottelin, 2021. "Drivers of Car Ownership in a Car-Oriented City: A Mixed-Method Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-26, January.
    12. Jeffrey R. Kenworthy, 2020. "Passenger Transport Energy Use in Ten Swedish Cities: Understanding the Differences through a Comparative Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-27, July.
    13. Tahvonen, Outi & Airaksinen, Miimu, 2018. "Low-density housing in sustainable urban planning – Scaling down to private gardens by using the green infrastructure concept," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 478-485.
    14. Teoh, Roger & Anciaes, Paulo & Jones, Peter, 2020. "Urban mobility transitions through GDP growth: Policy choices facing cities in developing countries," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    15. Jaecheol Kim & Seungnam Kim, 2019. "Finding the Optimal D/H Ratio for an Enclosed Urban Square: Testing an Urban Design Principle Using Immersive Virtual Reality Simulation Techniques," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-19, March.
    16. Debrunner, Gabriela & Kaufmann, David, 2023. "Land valuation in densifying cities: The negotiation process between institutional landowners and municipal planning authorities," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    17. Peter Barlow & Sean Lyons & Anne Nolan, 2021. "How Perceived Adequacy of Open Public Space Is Related to Objective Green Space and Individuals’ Opinions of Area-Level Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-15, July.
    18. Liang Wen & Dora Marinova & Jeffrey Kenworthy & Xiumei Guo, 2022. "Street Recovery in the Age of COVID-19: Simultaneous Design for Mobility, Customer Traffic and Physical Distancing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-23, March.
    19. Luca D’Acci, 2014. "Monetary, Subjective and Quantitative Approaches to Assess Urban Quality of Life and Pleasantness in Cities (Hedonic Price, Willingness-to-Pay, Positional Value, Life Satisfaction, Isobenefit Lines)," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 115(2), pages 531-559, January.
    20. Thorsten Schuetze, 2015. "Zero Emission Buildings in Korea—History, Status Quo, and Future Prospects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-23, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:21:p:8896-:d:435270. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.