CONCEPT NOTE

URBAN PLANNING
AND DESIGN

PUBLIC SPACE IN THE GLOBAL

AGENDA FOR SUSTAINABLE
URBAN DEVELOPMENT
EXPERT GROUP MEETING
12 - 14 JANUARY 2014, ROME, ITALY

Background
Quality of the Urban Life through Public Space

Quality of urban life is essential a commitment to an improved quality

for cities to prosper. Cities that
improve the quality of life for their
citizens experience higher levels of
prosperity; they are also likely to find
themselves more advanced in terms of
sustainability. Such cities strive towards
social equity by generalizing access
to urban commons and public goods,
preventing private appropriation and
expanding the scope for improved
quality of life for all. Cities that re-
evaluate their notion of the ‘public’
and thereby provide street space,
green areas, parks, recreation facilities
and other public spaces demonstrate
of life.
Cities that improve and sustain the use
of public space enhance community
cohesion, civic identity, and quality of
life. The liveliness and continuous use
of public space as a public good leads
to urban environments that are well-
maintained and safe, making the city
an attractive place in which to live and
work. Having access to public spaces
does not only improve the quality of
life: it is also a first step toward civic
empowerment and great access to
institutional and political spaces.
“The proportion of urban areas
dedicated to streets and public
spaces is a crucial feature of the
spatial plans of cities. Indeed cities
that have adequate street and public
spaces and greater connectivity are
more livable and productive.”
Dr. Joan Clos,
Executive Director, UN-Habitat

PUBLIC SPACE IS A VITAL COMPONENT OF A SUCCESSFUL CITY

Green park in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad Public Space in Bogota, Colombia

© UN-Habitat/Alain Grimard © UN-Habitat/Laura Petrella
 2 P U B LI C SPAC E C O N CE P T N OTE 1
Using Urban Planning and Design to Deliver Public Space
Cities can and must reasert control over their destinies with
reinvigorated urban planning and design for the sake of
shared prosperity and harmonious development. Urban
planning is not about images, but is a way to make a
difference; it is a framework that transforms a vision into
reality using space as a key resource for development and
engaging stakeholders along the way. UN-Habitat promote
a reinvigorated notion of urban planning that involves
suatinable use and equitable access to the ‘common’
through appropriate policies and schemes.
UN-Habitat’s Mandate to work with Public Space
At the 23rd Governing Council of UN-Habitat, Member
States mandated and challenged UN-Habitat to address
the issue of public spaces and how these can contribute
to sustainable urban development and improved quality of
life (Resolution 23/4 on Sustainable Urban Development
through Access to Public Spaces). Specifically, UN-Habitat
is committed to undertaking the following actions in
compliance with this resolution:
a. To advance the agenda on place-making and public
spaces in a way that will consolidate local and
international approaches to creating inclusive cities,
enhance the knowledge of UN-Habitat partners and
local authorities about place-making, public spaces and
the quality of urban life, and facilitate and implement
exchange, cooperation and research between partners
working in this field;
b. To develop a policy approach on the role that public
spaces can play in meeting the challenges of our rapidly
urbanizing world, to disseminate that policy and its
results widely, and to develop a plan for ensuring its
application internationally;
c. To assist in coordinating UN-Habitat partners in
disseminating knowledge to existing sustainable urban
development processes at all government levels.
Public spaces - including streets - are and must be seen
as multifunctional areas for social interaction, economic
exchange and cultural expression among a wide diversity
of participants. It is for urban planning to establish and
organize these public spaces, and for urban design to
facilitate and encourage their use, in the process enhancing
a sense of identity and belonging. Safety and security are
important dimensions to be considered in any such design,
together with vital underground infrastructure (water,
energy and communications). Important conditions for
such planning to be successful is the contextual existence
of adequate governance and management arrangements,
as well as viable mechanisms to redirect part of the value
gains into the nurturing of better public space.
Since 2012, UN-Habitat’s Urban Planning and Design
Branch (UPDB) and Sustainable Urban Development
Network (SUD-Net)1 have jointly embarked on the
development and implementation of a Global Program on
Public Space, organized around three main areas:
1. Partnerships for public space;
2. City-wide strategies and pilot/demostration projects;
3. Knowledge management, tools and advocacy.
UN-Habitat is also mobilizing partners to work with cities
around the globe in improving the quality, supply and
reach of public spaces. A special focus is on cities in Least
Developed Countries, and cities with high percentages
of their population living in slums and in unprivileged
circumstances.
1
The Sustainable Urban Development Network (SUD-Net) was launched
by UN-Habitat in 2008. SUD-Net is an innovative global platform for
promoting a multi-level and inter-disciplinary approach to sustainble urban
development primarily through partnerships and networking. SUD-Net is
currently being managed thru UN-Habitat’s Office of External Relations.
Exp e rt Gr o u p Meet in g 12 - 14 Jan u ar y 2014, R o me, It aly
Cooperation with the National Planning
Institute (INU), Rome
The National Planning Institute (INU), Rome is a long-
standing cultural and research association created to
nurture and disseminate the culture of urbanism and
the practice of city planning. INU has consistently carried
out research in the various fields of urbanism and is
continuously updating and renewing urban planning
techniques, while creating a shared culture of concern for
the physical environment, cultural heritage, and the city.
In 2008, under INU’s aegis, the initiative of holding a
“Biennial on Public Space” was born. The 2011 and
2013 Biennials became a unique international forum for
professionals, administrators, researchers and community
groups for the identification, analysis and discussion of
projects, initiatives, best practices and principles for the
design, realization and management of good public spaces
in our cities. In view of the need to define public space
and identify universal principles for its enhancement and
enjoyment, the 2013 Biennial adopted a “Charter of Public
Space” which is becoming a useful reference for many
involved in public space development. In July 2013, the
Municipal Council of the City of Naples, host of the 6th
World Urban Forum, officially adopted the Charter.
UN-Habitat was a co-organizer and sponsor of the 2013
Biennale, and actively participated in the drafting, review
and adoption of the Charter of Public Space. INU is
therefore partnering with UN-Habitat in the production and
dissemination of policies, guidelines and projects regarding
public space.
STREETS AS PUBLIC SPACES
La Ramblas, Barcelona, Spain
© Flickr/Bert Kaufmann
3
UN-Habitat’s Policy Directions and Main
References on Public Space
A useful working definition and description of the essence
of public space is the one adopted by the Charter of Public
Space:
Public spaces are all places publicly owned or of public use,
accessible and enjoyable by all for free and without a profit
motive. Public spaces are a key element of individual and
social well-being, the places of a community’s collective life,
expressions of the diversity of their common, natural and
cultural richness and a foundation of their identity.... The
community recognizes itself in its public places and pursues
the improvement of their spatial quality.2
An important emphasis on the role of public space
intended as ‘commons’ is to be found in the presentation
of UN-Habitat’s latest Report on the State of World Cities:3
The Report advocates for the need of cities to enhance the
public realm, expand public goods and consolidate rights
to the ‘commons’ for all as a way to expand prosperity.
This comes in response to the observed trend of enclosing
or restricting these goods and commons in enclaves of
prosperity, or depleting them through unsustainable use.
2
Charter of Public Space, Article 1: Definition of Public Space.
3
State of the World’s Cities 2012/2013: Prosperity of Cities (http://www.
unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=3387).
Bicycle lane in Amsterdam, Netherlands
© UN-Habitat/Laura Petrella
 4 P U B LI C SPAC E C O N CE P T N OTE 1
UN-Habitat puts forward a list of recommended steps to be
followed in securing better public spaces in cities. These are
contained in the UN-Habitat publication Urban Planning for
City Leaders (2013).4
Furthermore, the issue of the street as an important public
space has been explored in depth in a recently published
technical report entitled, Street as Public Spaces - Drivers
of Prosperity (2013)5. The research looked at the case of
30 cities spread globally, and found evidence to prove that
prosperous cities are those that recognize the relevance
of public spaces (with proper layouts) and those that have
allocated sufficient land to street development, including
sufficient crossings along an appropriate, lengthy network.
Those cities that have failed to integrate the multi-
functionality of streets tend to have lesser infrastructure
development, lower productivity and a poorer quality
of life. The report also shows that the lack of street
connectivity increases social exclusion and generates
inequalities in various spheres of life, especially access to
basic services.
4
Urban Planning for City Leaders, 2013, “Define and Enhance Public
Space”, p.40-43 (http://www.unhabitat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?pub-
licationID=3385).
5
Street as Public Spaces - Drivers of Prosperity, 2013, (http://www.unhabi-
tat.org/pmss/listItemDetails.aspx?publicationID=3513).
public spaces as slum upgrading strategy
Integrating public spaces in slums in Medellin, Colombia
© UN-Habitat
Finally, UN-Habitat produced a practical placemaking
guidebook entitled, Turning Spaces into Places6 , as part of
its Municipal Spatial Planning Support Program in Kosovo.
The book was intended to increase awareness of mayors,
urban planners, developers, and all those concerned with
the development of towns and cities, of the quality and
importance of public spaces. While the book explored the
concept of placemaking as a way to enhance the quality
of life in Kosovo’s towns and cities, many of the principles
are generally applicable to the contexts of other cities,
particularly in developing countries.
On the basis of such policy directions and experiences
and those of partners, UN-Habitat is developing as
requested by the mentioned resolution, a policy approach
for urban public spaces to support the role of public
space in sustainable urbanization and quality of urban
life. In addition, in order to help translate these policy
directions into practice, UN-Habitat has decided to
produce a “Global Public Space Toolkit”. This toolkit
will gather tools, references and case studies from UN-
Habitat and its partners, and will be presented in a way
that will be accessible and of practical use, primarily to
local governments. The production of this toolkit will
greatly benefit from the advice of carefully selected
experts representing different disciplines and cultural and
geographical backgrounds. Such an Expert Group Meeting
(EGM) will be held in Rome from 12 through 14 January
2014 in order to allow UN-Habitat and INU to finalize the
Toolkit and present it at the 7th World Urban Forum, to be
held in Medellin, Colombia, in April 2014.
6
Turning Spaces Into Places, 2013, (http://www.unhabitat-kosovo.org/
repository/docs/UN-Habitat_Turning_spaces_into_places-c_478833.pdf).
Public space in Kibera slum in Naiorbi, Kenya
© UN-Habitat/Jose Chang
Exp e rt Gr o u p Meet in g 12 - 14 Jan u ar y 2014, R o me, It aly
5

Expert Group Meeting

Overall Objective
To contribute to the development of a policy approach and
direction for public space and to help meet the challenges
of our rapidly urbanizing world using as a basis policy
statements and project outcomes of UN-Habitat and its
partners, and the Charter of Public Space.
Expected Output of the EGM
The outputs of the EGM will be policy recommendations for
an overall public space policy to be adopted by UN-Habitat,
and specific suggestions for the content of the Global Public
Space Toolkit. The EGM will also provide an opportunity to
visit recent public space projects and initiatives in the host city.

The EGM is being supported by the Municipality of Rome

Capital.
Specific Objective
To enrich the production process of a “Global Public Space
Toolkit” designed to aid cities’ efforts to assess and improve
the quality, supply and equitable distribution of public spaces
as a powerful tool to increase overall attractiveness and fiscal
revenue of cities, and provide free opportunities for recreation,
encounter and mobility in a climate of conviviality and safety.
Important features of the toolkit will be guidelines for citywide
public space surveys and public space performance indicators.

EGM Agenda
Sunday, 12 January

Participants check in at Hotel Ponte Sisto, via dei Pettinari 64

Welcome buffet dinner at Hotel Ponte Sisto

Monday, 13 January
Opening Session, Sala Conferenze, Ground Floor.

Session I – Building blocks for a Global Public Space Policy

Session II – Definition and Typologies of Public Space

Session III – Overcoming Constraints: The Case for Public Space

Session IV – Urban Public Space Systems, City-wide Approaches and Situation - Specific Contexts

Tuesday, 14 January

Site Visit – “The Other City”: lower-income neighbourhoods (Primavalle, Quartaccio, Torrevecchia)

Session V – Public Space Strategies for fast growing & resource-poor cities

Session VI – Creating, Managing, Enjoying Public Spaces

Session VII – Resource for the Creation and Maintenance of Public Spaces

Session VIII – Surveys and Indicators

Closing Session

Farewell dinner.
 6 P U B LI C SPAC E C O N CE P T N OTE 1
Profile of Target Participants of EGM
1. Urban practitioners with documented expertise and
successful experience in one or more areas of public
space work: policy, academe, planning, design,
implementation, management, financing, legislation.
2. Local government representatives.
3. Academic and research institutions.
4. Global associations such as UCLG and ISOCARP.
5. Program initiatives such as the European Prize for
Urban Public Space.
6. UN agency (UNESCO).
7. UN-Habitat
The EGM will aim for a geographic balance in
representation. Participants will also represent different
scales of public space work: city-wide, neighborhood-level,
site or street-level.
green areas contribute to improved envornmental conditions
Green area along the river, China
© UN-Habitat/Thomas Stellmach
Approach and Methodology
The EGM aims to achieve its objectives by:
1. Reviewing policy recommendations on public space;
2. Reviewing the principles advanced in the Charter of
Public Space;
3. Building on the experiences and tools produced
by a diverse group of experts (in urban planning,
architecture, urban design, etc.), academia, local
government and civil society;
4. Using different formats such as multimedia
presentations, plenary discussions, working groups;
and
5. Reviewing background documents, sharing recent
case studies, and providing feedback on background
documents for the EGM.
Uberlandia public space, Brazil
© UN-Habitat/Alessandro Scotti
Exp e rt Gr o u p Meet in g 12 - 14 Jan u ar y 2014, R o me, It aly
Documents for Discussion during the EGM
The following documents will be provided to confirmed
participants prior to the EGM:
1. Policy notes and recommendations on public space
from UN-Habitat’s “State of the World Cities” and
other reports and publications;
2. Charter of Public Space;
3. UN-Habitat’s concept for its global Program on Public
Space;
4. UN-Habitat’s concept and outline for the Global Public
Space Toolkit;
5. Project outcomes from UN-Habitat, INU and other
partners (some of which to be submitted by the experts
themselves in advance of the meeting).
6. Inputs sent by confirmed participants.
urban plans define the separation between public and private space
Public space in dense urban setting in Beirut, Lebanon
© UN-Habitat/Thomas Stellmach
7
Logistical Arrangements for Participants
1. The organizers will cover travel and hotel expenses in
accordance with UN rules and regulations.
2. Participants will be provided with a roundtrip economy
excursion fare air ticket following the most direct route
to Rome, Italy.
3. Participants will be booked at the same hotel in the
historical centre for the nights of 12, 13 and 14 January
2014, and INU will settle the bill for accommodation
during these dates.
4. In order to cover all other expenses connected with a
participant’s travel and stay in Rome, each participant
will be paid a lump sum upon arrival, according to
United Nations rules and regulations.
5. Availability and interest in attending the meeting have
to be confirmed by Friday, 6 December 2013, via email
to Ann Pulver (annstpulver@gmail.com).
Public space near a transport node in Walnut Creek, California
© Sam Newberg
 8 P U B LI C SPAC E C O N CE P T N OTE 1

Presentation at the World Urban Forum 7, the Future of Places Conference,

and other fora

The outcomes of the Expert Group Meeting will be presented to the broader network of public space partners, which will
convene at the 7th World Urban Forum in Medellin, Colombia. The Global Public Space Toolkit is expected to ‘go live’ at
the WUF. Other major platforms for continued discussion and consultation on the policy approach and toolkit include the
next Future of Places Conference7 in Buenos Aires in September 2014, as well as the third Biennial of Public Space to be
held in Rome in the spring of 2015.

7
The Future of Places forum is a collaboration between UN-Habitat, Project for Public Spaces and Ax:son Johnson Foundation. The overall purpose is
to indicate the importance of public space and placemaking in city planning at Habitat III 2016. The means are three international conferences (2013,
2014 and 2015), national seminars, books and reports and an exhibition at Habitat III (http://futureofplaces.com/about-future-of-places/).

Medellin, Colombia
© UN-Habitat/Laura Petrella

January 2014

UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)

Urban Planning and Design Branch
P.O.BOX30030 Nairobi 00100 Kenya
Tel: +254 20 7623706
updb@unhabitat.org with the support of the
Municipality of Roma Capitale

www.unhabitat.org