What makes a Public Place “Public”? In the 1960s, authors such as Jane Jacobs and William H. Whyte introduced ideas that became the basis for the development of placemaking as a concept, even though it became consolidated only decades later. Their vision towards the creation of active neighborhoods, welcoming public spaces, and cities that actually meet the needs of their inhabitants on different levels were some of the main contributions to the establishment of this concept later SUPPORT on (Moreira S., 2021). SOCIAL & INTERACTION Placemaking shows that the creation of places transcends the material dimension and involves aspects such as sociability, uses, activities, access, connections, comfort, and image, to create bonds between people and a sense of place.As Jan Gehl says“Culture and Climate differ all over the world, but people are the same; they will gather in public if you give them a good place to do it.”
WHAT MAKES A GREAT PLACE?
Fig 2.2.1 Elements of making a great public place Source: https://www.placemakingweek.org/
are also associated with premature mortality) the fastest growing household type in the 12are | Research and Analysis 7 United States. Growing evidence is showing how placemaking efforts work to build social capital, generating what the James L. Knight Foun-
(opportunities for social interaction and citizen caring); (2) Openness (how welcoming a place is); and (3) Aesthetics (its physical beauty and green spaces). These qualities mirror those that PPS uses in defining a “great place” (see diagram above). Notably, the Soul of the Com-
