25 Urban Spaces

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Urban Open Spaces

Urban open spaces can be defined as spaces between buildings in the town which include paths, squares, gardens, parks etc. They give form and shape to the city. They provide space needed for recreation. They create chances for interaction between people, they preserve natural beauty, and they provide places for economic activities. There are lots of types of urban spaces such as waterways, playground, playing fields, green areas, parks, plazas, squares and streets.

Waterways include both natural lacks, rivers and streams which represent rich wildlife habitats and offer recreational value- they also include manmade lacks and canals that offer recreational value and they can also be used as movement paths.

Parks are natural preserved areas available for recreation- its landscape shall consists of meadows, water bodies, woodlands, and open shelters (e.g. meadows, waterbodies, woodlands and open shelters etc.) As for the surroundings, the park is surrounded by the city from one side and open to the natural and from each other with a minimum size of 8 acres.

A green area is an open space available for recreation- its landscape shall consist of lawn and trees. Playing fields are open spaces dedicated for playing sports such as football, basketball, golf courses- with the size dependent on the sport.

The playground is an open space which is designed and equipped for the children- it should be fenced and located near residential areas and they maybe included within parks and greens. Its landscape shall consist of lawn, trees, sand and playing equipment. The plaza is an open space available for civic purposes and commercial activities- Its surroundings are defined by buildings frontages and usually attached to important building.

Its landscape shall consist primarily of pavement, trees are optional. The minimum size shall be 0.5 acre and the maximum size shall be 2 acres.

The square is an open space available for civic purpose. It is defined by buildings frontages and is located at the intersections of important thoroughfares. Its landscape shall consist of lawns and trees and shall be formally disposed. The minimum size shall be 0.5 acre and the maximum size shall be 5 acres.

The streets are the connections between spaces and places and they are considered as spaces themselves. There are many types of streets differs in scale, characters, types of buildings that line them such as main street or pedestrian paths. The importance of urban open spaces are: Social importance (they create chances for interaction between people), Aesthetic importance (they preserve natural beauty), and Economic importance (they provide places for economic activities).

What makes these places successful? First is their distinctiveness, which means that the spaces reflect the local character of the area and have a variety of uses, built form, features, colors and materials that give the spaces and buildings their own identity within the overall character of the surrounding urban environment. For example, Al Azhar park which is located in the heart of Islamic, Its details reflect the local character of the area.

Second is their accessibility, meaning that good connections lead to open spaces and good connection from open spaces to other parts of the city. Third is safety, which means people use urban spaces without fear of tripping or falling, or being attacked. Fourth is comfort, which includes: Environmental factors (Shading from sun, wind, etc), Physical comfort (Comfortable and sufficient seating etc.) and Social and psychological comfort (privacy etc)

Fifth is the provision of active and passive engagement of spaces- passive engagement refers to people staying and watch passive engagement as provided in urban spaces by fountains, views, public art, and also forth. Active engagement means more contact with others in urban spaces, design of the urban space can create opportunities for contact, and the arrangement of urban elements such as benches, fountains can encourage the social contact.

And lastly, they have to be enjoyable- representing variety of pleasant events. Such as concerts, art exhibitions, festivals, and other social events.