Public space as urban space

The fourth criterion of the compact city is the protection of public space. Public spaces are not merely surfaces for traffic: they are the arenas of urban life, of encounters and of the local economy — their quality influences how liveable a district is.

1.Human scale versus car scale

Before the arrival of the private car, cities were planned according to the human scale — the 5 km/h pace of walking. As the car spread, mobility accelerated, the human scale was pushed into the background, and the proportions of urban space shifted towards the large spatial demands of motor vehicles: a car park with 20–30 spaces is as large as an average urban square, and a person occupies on average twenty times as much space by car as by public transport.

2.The five steps of turning away

According to David Engwicht, people turn away from the street in five steps as traffic grows: first the street is divided into pavement and roadway, then the pavement in front of the house, later the front garden, and finally the back garden too lose their communal character because of increased traffic and noise pollution. As people turn their backs on the street, the quality of street life deteriorates and retail activity declines as well. This is why the preservation of urban spaces and the improvement of their quality deserve particular attention. Thanks to higher-quality public spaces, people also perceive a denser urban fabric more positively.

3.Green spaces and liveability

Dense development is best broken up and counterbalanced by green spaces. An urban green space mitigates the heat-island effect, ensures ventilation and ecological connections, and — as a recreational area with free access — also supports social equality and reduces the demand for private gardens. Quality green spaces make a city friendlier, strengthen urban identity, and can also be put to use for city-marketing purposes.