Exploring user needs in urban plazas: an empirical mixed-method analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12775/bgss-2024-0024Keywords
human needs, urban plaza, user, city dwellers, behavioral geographyAbstract
This research aims to investigate the relationship between humans and the physical area of their activity by identifying the needs of urban plaza users. The study used two research methods – IDI and CAWI survey. A total of 17 needs that are satisfied in urban plazas were identified. Analysis of the frequency of their satisfaction indicates that urban plazas are mainly recreational and leisure spaces. However, it is worth noting that the average ratings of how frequently individual needs were fulfilled differed insignificantly, indicating that urban plazas are highly multifunctional. At the same time, the frequency with which social needs were satisfied was rated relatively low. The survey results also suggest that the satisfied needs in urban plazas vary by gender and personality. The research points to generational changes that affect the fulfillment of differentiated needs depending on user age. A change in the “center of gravity” of the satisfied needs of young people relative to older users of urban plazas is observed.
References
Alderfer, C.P. (1969). An empirical test of a new theory of human needs. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 4(2): 142–175. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(69)90004-X.
Babbie, E.R. (2020). The practice of social research. Cengage learning.
Barker, R.G. (1968). Ecological psychology: Concepts and methods for studying the environment of human behaviour. Stanford University Press.
Bechtel, R.B. (1997). Environment and behavior: An introduction. Sage.
Bechtel, R.B. & Churchman, A. (2003). Handbook of environmental psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
Beck, H. (2009). Linking the quality of public spaces to quality of life. Journal of Place Management and Development, 2(3): 240–248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17538330911013933.
Bernaciak, A., Rzeńca, A. & Sobol, A. (2018). ”New” public urban space: Citizens’ initiatives in participatory budgeting in Katowice, Łódź and Poznań. Miscellanea Geographica, 22(4): 197–202. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2018-0028.
Bierwiaczonek, K. (2016). Społeczne znaczenie miejskich przestrzeni publicznych (Social significance of urban public spaces – in Polish). Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego.
Bierwiaczonek, K. (2018). Miejskie przestrzenie publiczne i ich społeczne znaczenia–próba systematyzacji (Urban public spaces and their social meanings-an attempt at systematization – in Polish). Przegląd Socjologiczny, 67(1): 25–48. Doi: https://doi.org/10.26485/PS/2018/67.1/2.
Bierwiaczonek, K., Lewicka, B. & Nawrocki, T. (2012). Rynki, malle i cmentarze (Markets, malls and cemeteries – in Polish). Wydawnictwo Nomos, Kraków.
Boros, L., Fabula, S., Horváth, D. & Kovács, Z. (2016). Urban diversity and the production of public space in Budapest. Hungarian Geographical Bulletin, 65(3): 209–224. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15201/hungeobull.65.3.1.
Burton, E. & Mitchell, L. (2006). Inclusive urban design: Streets for life. Elsevier.
Caprotti, F. (2018). Future cities: Moving from technical to human needs. Palgrave Communications, 4(1): 1–4. DOI: https://doi.org/DOI:10.1057/s41599-018-0089-5.
Caprotti, F., Cowley, R., Datta, A., Broto, V.C., Gao, E., Georgeson, L., Herrick, C., Odendaal, N. & Joss, S. (2017). The New Urban Agenda: Key opportunities and challenges for policy and practice. Urban Research & Practice, 10(3): 367–378. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17535069.2016.1275618.
Cardoso, R., Sobhani, A. & Meijers, E. (2022). The cities we need: Towards an urbanism guided by human needs satisfaction. Urban Studies, 59(13): 2638–2659. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980211045571.
Carmona, M., de Magalhães, C. & Hammond, L. (2008). Public space: The management dimension. Routledge.
Carr, S., Francis, M., Rivlin, L.G. & Stone, A.M. (1992). Public space. Cambridge University Press.
Cattell, V., Dines, N., Gesler, W. & Curtis, S. (2008). Mingling, observing, and lingering: Everyday public spaces and their implications for well-being and social relations. Health & Place, 14(3): 544–561. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2007.10.007.
Chmielewski, J.M. (2001). Teoria urbanistyki w projektowaniu i planowaniu miast (Urban planning theory in urban design and planning – in Polish). Oficyna Wydawnicza Politechniki Warszawskiej.
Costamagna, F., Lind, R. & Stjernström, O. (2019). Livability of urban public spaces in northern Swedish cities: The case of Umeå. Planning Practice & Research, 34(2): 131–148. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02697459.2018.1548215.
Dover, M.A. (2016). Human needs: Overview. In Encyclopedia of Social Work. National Association of Social Workers Press And Oxford University Press.
Duzenli, T., Bayramoglu, E. & Ozbilen, A. (2010). Needs and preferences of adolescents in open urban spaces. Scientific Research and Essays, 5(2): 201–216.
Dymnicka, M. (2009). Przestrzeń publiczna a przestrzeń społeczna (Public space and social space – in Polish). In: Współczesne kształtowanie Przestrzeni Publicznej województwa Pomorskiego. Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Pomorskiego.
Francis, M. (2003). Urban open space: Designing for user needs. Island Press.
Frankfort-Nachmias, C. & Nachmias, D. (2007). Study guide for research methods in the social sciences. Macmillan.
García-Doménech, S. (2015). Urban aesthetics and social function of actual public space: A desirable balance. Theoretical and Empirical Researches in Urban Management, 10(4): 54–65.
Gehl, J. (2009). Życie między budynkami (Life between buildings – in Polish). Wydawnictwo RAM.
Gehl, J. (2013). Cities for people. Island press.
Gibson, J.J. (1977). The theory of affordances. Hilldale, USA, 1(2): 67–82.
Gibson, J.J. (2014). The theory of affordances. The people, place, and space reader. Routledge.
Gifford, R. (2007). Environmental psychology: Principles and practice. Optimal books;
Glover, T.D. (2019). The transformative (and potentially discriminatory) possibilities of animating public space. World Leisure Journal, 61(2): 144–156. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16078055.2018.1550438.
Golledge, R.G. & Stimson, R.J. (1987). Analytical behavioural geography. Routledge Kegan & Paul.
Golledge, R.G. (1997). Spatial behavior: A geographic perspective. The Guilford Press.
Harun, N. Z., Zakariya, K., Mansor, M. & Zakaria, K. (2014). Determining attributes of urban plaza for social sustainability. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153: 606–615. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.093.
Jałowiecki, B. (2011). Miejsce, przestrzeń, obszar (Place, space, area – in Polish). Przegląd Socjologiczny, 60(2–3): 9–28.
Jian, I.Y., Chan, E.H., Xu, Y. & Owusu, E.K. (2021). Inclusive public open space for all: Spatial justice with health considerations. Habitat International, 118: 102457. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2021.102457.
Jurkovič, N.B. (2014). Perception, experience and the use of public urban spaces by residents of urban neighbourhoods. Urbani Izziv, 25(1).
Keleg, E.M.M., Salheen, M.A. & Abdellatif, M. (2015). Understanding people’s needs for a vivid public realm as a key step towards enhancing the modern Arab cities’ identity. Transformation of the Urban Character of Arab Cities since the Late Last Century, 201: 201.
Knaflic, C.N. (2015). Storytelling with data: A data visualization guide for business professionals. John Wiley & Sons.
Kołat, K., Furmankiewicz, M. & Kalisiak-Mędelska, M. (2022). What Are the Needs of City Dwellers in Terms of the Development of Public Spaces? A Case Study of Participatory Budgeting in Częstochowa, Poland. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9): 5171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095171.
Kvale, S. & Brinkmann, S. (2018). Doing interviews. SAGE.
Landman, K. (2020). Inclusive public space: Rethinking practices of mitigation, adaptation and transformation. Urban Design International, 25: 211–214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41289-020-00136-4.
Lewis, G. & Walmsley, D. (1997). Geografia człowieka–podejścia behawioralne (Human geography-behavioral approaches – in Polish). Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa.
Lorens, P. (2010). Definiowanie współczesnej przestrzeni publicznej (Defining contemporary public space – in Polish). In: Problemy kształtowania Przestrzeni Publicznych. Wydawnictwo Urbanista.
Low, S.M. (2010). On the plaza: The politics of public space and culture. University of Texas Press.
Madanipour, A. (2013). Whose public space?: International case studies in urban design and development. Routledge.
Madden, K. (2011). Placemaking in urban design. In: Companion to urban design, 654–662. Routledge.
Maga-Jagielnicka, R. & Bagiński, E. (2012). Publiczne przestrzenie miast odpowiedzią na kulturowe potrzeby człowieka (Public spaces of cities respond to cultural human needs). Civitas Hominibus: Rocznik Filozoficzno-Społeczny, 7: 115–123.
Marcus, C.C. & Francis, C. (1997). People places: Design guidlines for urban open space. John Wiley & Sons.
Maslow, A.H. (1943). Preface to motivation theory. Psychosomatic Medicine, 5(1): 85–92.
Maslow, A.H. (1954). The instinctoid nature of basic needs. Journal of Personality. Journal of Personality, 22(3): 326-47.
Maslow, A.H. (1962). Some basic propositions of a growth and self-actualization psychology. Perceiving, Behaving, Becoming: A New Focus for Education, 34–49.
Mehta, V. (2014). Evaluating public space. Journal of Urban Design, 19(1): 53–88. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2013.854698.
Moore, A., Boyle, B. & Lynch, H. (2023). Designing for inclusion in public playgrounds: a scoping review of definitions, and utilization of universal design. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 18(8): 1453-1465. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2021.2022788.
Moreno, C., Allam, Z., Chabaud, D., Gall, C. & Pratlong, F. (2021). Introducing the “15-Minute City”: Sustainability, resilience and place identity in future post-pandemic cities. Smart Cities, 4(1): 93–111. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities4010006.
Namar, J.M., Salheen, M.A. & Ismail, A. (2021). Investigating Users Changing Needs in Relation to Non-designed or Unplanned Public Spaces in Cairo. The Journal of Public Space, 6(1): 47–66. DOI: https://doi.org/10.32891/jps.v6i1.1442.
Naveh, Z. (2000). What is holistic landscape ecology? A conceptual introduction. Landscape and Urban Planning, 50(1–3): 7–26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-2046(00)00077-3.
Noor, W. & Kamar, M. (2022). The Role of Human Needs in Urban Renewal and Development of Urban Spaces for City Centers. Journal of Engineering Research, 6(4): 143–157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21608/erjeng.2022.265484.
Osborne, T. & Jones, P. (2022). Embodied virtual geographies: Linkages between bodies, spaces, and digital environments. Geography Compass, 16(6): DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/gec3.12648.
Parkinson, J. (2012). Democracy and public space: The physical sites of democratic performance. Oxford University Press.
Poerbo, H.W. (2001). Urban design guidelines as design control instrument with a case study of the Silver Triangle Superblock, Jakarta. PhD Thesis. Technische Universität Kaiserslautern.
Seamon, D. (2018). Life takes place: Phenomenology, lifeworlds, and place making. Routledge.
Smith, A. (2017). Animation or denigration? Using urban public spaces as event venues. Event Management, 21(5): 609–619. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3727/152599517X15053272359068.
Southworth, M., Cranz, G., Lindsay, G. & Morhayim, L. (2012). People in the design of urban places. Journal of Urban Design, 17(4): 461–465. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13574809.2012.720757.
Tonnelat, S. (2010). The sociology of urban public spaces. Territorial Evolution and Planning Solution: Experiences from China and France, 84–92.
Wallis, A. (1977). Miasto i przestrzeń (The city and space – in Polish). Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.
Wejchert, K. (1984). Elementy kompozycji urbanistycznej (Elements of urban composition – in Polish). Wydawnictwo Arkady.
Whyte, W.H. (1980). The social life of small urban spaces. Project for Public Spaces, INC.
Wronkowski, A. & Lorek, A. (2022). The modern agoras-the relationship between urban open public space and political expression. The case study of the city of Poznań, Poland. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-Economic Series, 58: 61–73. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12775/bgss-2022-0034.
Wyckoff, M.A. (2014). Definition of placemaking: Four different types. Planning & Zoning News, 32(3): 1.
Zhang, S., Zhen, F., Kong, Y., Lobsang, T. & Zou, S. (2023). Towards a 15-minute city: A network-based evaluation framework. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science, 50(2): 500–514. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23998083221118570.
Živković, J., Lalović, K., Milojević, M. & Nikezić, A. (2019). Multifunctional public open spaces for sustainable cities: Concept and application. Facta Universitatis-Series: Architecture and Civil Engineering, 17(2): 205–219. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2298/FUACE190327012Z.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Adam Wronkowski
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Title, logo and layout of journal Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series are reserved trademarks of Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series.Stats
Number of views and downloads: 138
Number of citations: 0
