ENHANCING THE PUBLIC REALM THROUGH DESIGN

Design plays a critical role in shaping the public realm and creating functional, attractive and meaningful spaces for communities. Good design can enhance the aesthetic appeal of public areas, improve accessibility and create a sense of place, encouraging social interaction and community building. It also has the ability to solve complex challenges, such as improving safety and traffic flow, reducing our environmental impact and promoting sustainability. Here, All Urban explains how lighting and street furniture can frame these spaces.

By considering the needs of users and the wider community, design can contribute to creating public spaces that are not only functional, but also foster a sense of belonging, and serve as a source of pride and identity for local residents.

Our cities and spaces are being constantly transformed and we all share a common mission in their design: to reshape the contemporary urban landscape and reintroduce it to nature using welldesigned and functional elements to create a positive, social experience.

In order to achieve this, the products must not be the only focal point during the design process. Think about what surrounds them. The city, trees, buildings, shops and streets. Creating a balance between nature and urban environments is key, everything is equally important and has a purpose. Enhancing quality of life, improving the environment, embracing nature and creating playful and beautiful spaces is what urban design is all about.

Of course, investment and collaboration are a must. Architects, landscapers, designers, councils, universities etc. need to be actively integrating street furniture and lighting solutions into their landscape design plans. There is a need for a new flexibility with these designs in transforming spaces whilst maintaining any historic heritage.

This more flexible, harmonious and people-friendly approach creates multi-use areas that blend existing trees with new lighting and furniture to create a beautiful but functional meeting, living and play space.

The hope is that pieces of intriguing and aesthetic furniture and lighting captivates people’s curiosity and imaginations, which is certainly the case with MoveArt, a Swiss company which specialises in designing and manufacturing interactive playsculptures. Fusing beauty, functionality and creativity into the public space, the playsculptures represent harmony with their surroundings. All of their special forms are derived from the double helix, the DNA chain: the symbol of the origin of life and metamorphosis. Working alongside nature’s rhythms, they revitalise urban landscapes in new ways by bringing people from different age groups together via the use of organic forms. This enlivens urban spaces and inspires human beings in a completely new way. Made from 100% ecological and sustainable Accoya, which is fully biodegradable and is a ‘Gold’ Cradle to Cradle-certified product, this company is also hitting the mark from an eco-friendly perspective with its products and designs.

Lighting can make or break a space from a design and use aspect, it has the ability to be visually stunning, but it also has other important purposes. It can bring an area to life in darkness and give it an entirely new look and feel, allowing the space to be enjoyed for longer periods of time (especially in those winter months). Better ambient lighting makes people feel safer when spending time outdoors in their community as it creates a feeling of security.

Of course, some areas may not be suitable for lighting at night, for example, if they are too close to residential areas. Human factors are not the only thing to consider as the impact of lighting on wildlife should also be assessed on a project-to-project basis. Urbidermis, designer and creator of urban furniture and lighting states: “We select top-quality light and control sources. We demand high-performance, energy-efficiency or low light pollution, with the idea that urban lighting should respect the lifecycles of all the people, fauna and flora in our cities.”

Leading supplier of designer street furniture and lighting, All Urban worked with Urbidermis to complete a large project at Imperial College in London, where they supplied a combination of outdoor furniture, lighting and bike racks. Creating a sense of community, social space and safety was key for this project.

Design process

In essence, the entire design process needs to consider factors such as:

Urban planning: How public spaces and buildings can be arranged to create functional and attractive environments.

Landscape design: How green spaces, paths and other outdoor areas can be enhanced.

Architecture: The design of buildings, structures and other physical elements of the built environment.

Wayfinding: Making it easy for people to find their way around an area.

Lighting: Ensuring that public spaces are well-lit, safe and visually appealing.

Materials: Selecting durable, lowmaintenance materials that are safe, accessible and aesthetically pleasing.

Technology: Incorporating technology to enhance the user experience, such as digital signage, Wi-Fi and interactive displays.

Ultimately, designing the public realm with care and attention to detail can help create communities that are vibrant, safe and inclusive and can help to build a better future for all.