LIMITS FOR LIMITLESS
For a public space to fully serve its function as gathering space, equity and inclusivity are crucial. People should not be discouraged to come and take a part in that everyday social activity because of how that environment is designed. In eliminating those physical barriers, universal design has become a key. Now, public spaces are much more capable of serving people with different physical needs. But still, why are there so many public spaces abandoned or avoided by city dwellers?
In order to allow different activities to happen, which could be considered as tactic of inclusivity, public spaces holds generous tolerance in how they are utilized. But above certain point, it starts to confuse people. There clearly are non-physical barriers stopping people from utilizing the space. Let’s think about middle school cafeteria as an example. Though, people from different generations might need to stretch your imagination. Until 6th grade, each class was assigned a table and you had to sit with your classmates. We weren’t allowed to sit with friends from other class but nobody sat alone. The situation changed in 7th grade. Students could sit wherever they wanted to but some started skipping lunch. Maybe, our public spaces are 7th grade cafeteria. Maybe too much autonomy is not welcoming people anymore.
For a public space to fully serve its function as gathering space, equity and inclusivity are crucial. People should not be discouraged to come and take a part in that everyday social activity because of how that environment is designed. In eliminating those physical barriers, universal design has become a key. Now, public spaces are much more capable of serving people with different physical needs. But still, why are there so many public spaces abandoned or avoided by city dwellers?
In order to allow different activities to happen, which could be considered as tactic of inclusivity, public spaces holds generous tolerance in how they are utilized. But above certain point, it starts to confuse people. There clearly are non-physical barriers stopping people from utilizing the space. Let’s think about middle school cafeteria as an example. Though, people from different generations might need to stretch your imagination. Until 6th grade, each class was assigned a table and you had to sit with your classmates. We weren’t allowed to sit with friends from other class but nobody sat alone. The situation changed in 7th grade. Students could sit wherever they wanted to but some started skipping lunch. Maybe, our public spaces are 7th grade cafeteria. Maybe too much autonomy is not welcoming people anymore.
