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TopIntroduction And Background
After decades of decay and relegation to secondary importance behind the demands on space made by wheeled transport and parking (Brandis 1978), making open spaces more livable, hospitable and attractive and ensuring that they are fully enjoyed, has once again become one of the objectives of urban design and planning (Carr et al., 1993; Marcus and Francis 1998; Gehl and Gemzoe 2004; Maruani and Amit-Cohen 2007). The condition of public space is an indicator of the civic and democratic health of a society.
Urban design determines the quality and habitability of open spaces. The quality of a space determines the leisure, social and economic activities that occur within it, and the use of public spaces entails many social, physical, environmental and economic benefits (Jacobs 1961, Whyte 1988, Hass-Klau 1993, Hakim et al., 1998).
On the one hand, urban microclimate conditions the use of the public space (Gehl 1971). The use of public space can be intensified, and its hours of effective usage can be extended if environmental variables are taken into account for the creation of microclimates adapted to the local climate across different seasons (Culjat and Erskine, 1988). Although numerous studies have been carried out, the general framework for evaluating people's behavior in public spaces and the effects of microclimates on this behavior is still under discussion (Chen and Ng 2012). The first of the investigations to use quantitative and qualitative data to address microclimatic conditions, thermal comfort and the use of space were authored by Nikolopoulou et al. (1999). This study places an emphasis on people's adaptive capacity and the importance of the psychological factors in creating a sensation of comfort. Zacharias, Stathopoulos, and Wu (2001) evaluated by means of regressions and analysis of variance the relationship between microclimates and the level of use of space in plazas in Montreal. They determined that 12% of variations in use could be attributed to microclimate. They concluded that temperature is the main parameter that conditions the sensation of comfort, but that transitory exposure and preconceived expectations are also very important in subjective evaluations of thermal comfort. Katzschner (2006) also studied the relationship between microclimates and the use of space, establishing neutral temperatures by means of the index PET-Physiological Equivalent Temperature (Höppe, 1999) and by observing people. His study reached the conclusion that expectations were important in the use of space. Eliasson et al. (2007), in contrast with many other investigations, did not find a close relationship between microclimatic conditions and the use of space but instead suggested that use was culturally conditioned. They highlighted the importance of considering existing uses of public space and the importance of climate sensitive planning.
In addition to climactic comfort factors, the use of public space is also affected by social and cultural factors, as well as the uses given to the space and by design factors. For that reason, Chen and Ng, (2012) indicate that studies of thermal comfort in open spaces should combine “climatic knowledge” with physiological and physical factors and psychological factors as “human knowledge”, with interviews and observation of people using the space.
In the 1960s, Kevin Lynch (1960) carried out studies on how people perceived their cities. Jan Gehl (1971) and William H. Whyte (1980) authored numerous studies on the relation between physical aspects of urban design and the level of activity and use that the citizens made of public space. Other investigations such as those by Newman (1996) and Katz (1994) are centered on the importance of public spaces as meeting points between people. They argue that a well-defined space can increase the sense of belonging and strengthen relationships between neighbors. This author also indicates the importance of the mixed usage in public spaces as a way of fomenting the relationships between individuals, a point also made by Jacobs (1961).
Quality urban design foments social activities, and being in public space is the starting point for those relations. Other factors, such as the legibility of the space, accessibility, the existence of benches and seats, urban greenery and street furniture among others, have been demonstrated to foment the use of space (Gehl, 1971; Whyte, 1980). This use attracts other types of activities (Jacobs, 1961).