URP500: Images of Public Spaces

@planspace

This page is a collection of public space images from Michigan planning graduate students. Please upload an image (plus your name, image location, image source, and a short caption). Use the link icon to add links. For instructions, see see your class email -- archived on ctools -- for instructions on how to post.) Consider: What makes a great (or alternately overrated, misunderstood or problematic) public space? There is a wide range of public spaces, of various sizes and uses, and of varying mixes of public and private use, ownership, control, access. I look forward to seeing a wide variety of images and places (and not just the predictable ones). Identify good public spaces in unusual locations, such as in low density suburbs or poor neighborhoods, or in reclaimed spaces. Optional: add tags (keywords) to your entry. Click on images to see larger image size (high-res photos enabled: Photos without a click-through link will automatically link to a high-res version).

248 posts

Simon Rivers

Southfield Public Library

Southfield, MI

Brigitte Smith, personal photo of ‘La Playa de Malvarrosa,’ Valencia, Spain

The beach, particularly the wide sidewalk that runs along the beach, is used in many ways that vary day and night. In the daytime you will see people of all ages walking, biking, or skating on the sidewalk. They pass by people playing volleyball, sunbathing, flying kits, or eating/drinking at a restaurant down the road. Every weekend in the summer, a portion of the sidewalk is also used for pop-up vendors. By night, families will line the sidewalk on both sides to picnic. They will bring a table and chairs, food and drinks along, and cards to play or just chat for many hours late into the night. In the summer, families start to gather around 9pm as the temperature is cooling off from a hot day. What makes this such a great public space is that the sidewalk is wide enough to accommodate everyone that would like to make use of it, day and night. In addition, the local policy allows people to gather for hours and have beverages in this public space. Both reflect the interest of the residents. Despite all the public spaces, plazas and parks, throughout the city, families will come to the beach for the breeze of the sea and the beautiful sunset and there is a place for them to.

The High Line--New York City

Niuniu Zhang

This is the High Line park in New York City. It is a great spot to watch sunset, to walk, to jog, and to do yoga. It is not just a park. It is an elevated park. Unlike the Central Park, which allows New Yorkers to breath and relax in nature and only natture, the High Line integrates urban and natural beauty perfectly.

Barton Springs -- Austin, Texas Robert Svoboda

Barton Springs is a spring fed pool in Austin that has become a gathering place for many. With water at a temperature of 68 degrees, it is a massive draw in the summertime. Austinites from all backgrounds arrive by varying means because of the congestion and lack of parking that surrounds the springs. On foot and by bus or bike community members and out-of-towners arrive to take a dip. In some ways this “public” space is restrictive. There is a $5 cost to get in but if you are a local you get $2 off. This has priced out some who now congregate in the spillway area just outside the gate (second photo) with dog owners (dogs are not allowed in the pool area) in what is known as “Barking Springs.” Photo Credit: Free Fun in Austin

Downtown Beirut, Lebanon

Caroline Lamb

When I visited Beirut in 2018, my sister (who lived there at the time) didn’t really bother with showing me downtown Beirut because she told me it was not the part of Beirut that was worth seeing. The area was popular prior to the Lebanese civil war, but required reconstruction after the war; in the 1990s it was rebuilt into luxury buildings. The company leading the revamp pushed property owners out and this privatized public space turned it into a ghost town. Last year, I read an article in CityLab about the Beirut protests, which talked about how protestors were reclaiming public space by building a tent city downtown. As an economist quoted in the article put it, “The tents set up during the revolution attacked this model, and helped bring back regular people to the heart of the city. They helped regain privatized public spaces.”

Photo credit

Philadelphia Streets

Genevieve LaMarr LeMee

Philadelphia is an incredibly walkable city and one filled with beautiful street art, much of which has been created in partnership with community members. In thinking of public space, streets, sidewalks, and underpasses are often overlooked in favor of destination spaces such as parks. I love how Philly’s murals have the power to transform public spaces and corridors that Philadelphian’s travel every day while walking to work/school or catching public transit. The 1st mural is located at South Philly High School and was designed by students. The 2nd is located at the 10th and Norris underpass and is still a work in progress.

Photo credit: Philadelphia Mural Arts

Rebeka Rooks, Barcelona, Spain, Taken by me in July of 2019.

I took an Urban Design and Architecture class in Barcelona for the month of July last summer. For one of the classes we walked around the superblocks in the Eixample district. In a 9 block design, roads are blocked off and cars are limited to one-way traffic that directs traffic out of the 9-block section. The rest of the space is reserved for pedestrians, bikers, mini-parks, and restaurants.

Mission Dolores Park- Mission District, San Francisco

During my time living and working in the Bay Area, I would spend many afternoons relaxing in Dolores Park with friends. This is a pretty large green space located in the Mission District of San Francisco. It attracts people from all over and is a meeting place where people seem to feel free to use the space in all sorts of different ways. The Mission District has one of the warmer microclimates of the region, so this is where you can enjoy lots of sun most days and picnic with food from local restaurants. Along one side of the park, you can find tennis courts and more areas for sports.

These are a few photos I have saved. Featured in the second picture is my old roommate’s Corgi.

Laura Melendez

This is Civic Center Park in the heart of Downtown Denver. This space traverses the distance from the Capital building to the United States Mint and is surrounded by government buildings, the Denver Art Museum and other important landmarks. The focal point of the park can be seen in the first image, which depicts a large amphitheater which is used for various things like concerts, protests, holiday events, etc. The park area is turned into a food truck gathering place in summer months, and also hosts a variety of festivals ranging from celebrations of local artisans, to cultural heritage events. I’ve also included the third picture, to shine a light on the often unpictured (yet most common use of this public space). In recent years, though increased development of luxury housing and the displacement of many low-income households, there has been a push of those experiencing homelessness into the city center. More often than not, Civic Center Park is a small tent city. A small anecdote to this effect is that during the pandemic, while working in the homelessness advocacy field, our team encouraged street campers to move to Civic Center Park because the city had authorized funding of multiple housing subsidies to “tent campers” at this location. We knew it was their best chance to be drawn for these subsidies, and as such actively engaged in their movement to this space.

I chose it because I feel it’s a fascinating public space that in the best of times is a place for urban residents to congregate and participate in social activities, and in the worst of times serves as a stark reminder of the deficiencies that remain in the planning methods that have been implemented in this major US city.

Submitted by: Elise Grongstad

Riverfront Stadium - Grand Haven, MI

Jane Dixon

The City recently redeveloped this space that sits between the public museum housed in the old train station and the Grand River. This is a prominent location as it is part of the riverwalk leading to Lake Michigan as well as the “dead-end” for the downtown’s central street. The tiered grass amphitheater replaced old metal bleachers, and the sound stage to the right in the photo replaced a temporary stage trailer. This redesign of this space really incorporated the best of the natural features and the various uses. The space comfortably welcomes visitors to enjoy concerts, the musical fountain across the river and other community events.

Photo credit: Progressive AE https://www.progressiveae.com/portfolio/lynne-sherwood-waterfront-stadium/

“Circle” Accra, Ghana

Roland Amarteifio

This is the Kwame Nkurumah Interchange in Accra, Ghana. Locally, this location is simple known as “circle.” While many highway interchanges like this one would not be considered a public space or have much activity, circle is constantly packed. There are all sorts of informal shops and markets for any food or item you might need. When I needed a computer charger last summer in Ghana, my good friend who lives in Accra, told me, “let’s go to circle.” I was shocked when we arrived and I saw such a busy area, with merchants trying to sell all sorts of things. This location also includes a transit stop for the “tro tro” which are privately owned minibuses. I believe circle is a great example of how a public space can be made so by the people and their activity and less about the design.

Eastern Market - Detroit, Michigan Alicia Adams

Eastern Market captures some of the most amazing qualities of Detroit. Its active market days are an opportunity to gather, shop, eat and run into friends. It’s a chance to catch up with your favorite market stand - a pair of twin brothers that seem to specialize exclusively in root vegetables and game meats. At times, you are packed in so tight that you resort to shuffling, ankles clipped by the rolling cart wielded by a determined suburbanite. And serenaded by a pair of young singers testing their skills, a balloon artist astonishing young children, a saxophone player - or equally-talented bucket player. Other times, you seek respite at the edge of the market and find yourself drawn to smells sidewalk barbecues.

The allure of Eastern Market comes from the people and energy of the place. The flexibility and openness of the space permits a wide range of uses, while Eastern Market Corporation’s programming keeps the space active and alive year-round.

Photo Credit: Eastern Market Corporation, Michelle and Chris Gerard via Curbed Detroit and Eater Detroit

Town Square Park - Anchorage, Alaska

Catherine Kemp

Town Square Park is a public space in the middle of downtown Anchorage. To me, it represents how much effort is required to maintain and activate a “good public space” - the hundreds of hours spent by the city’s horticulture department to plant and maintain flowers for tourists and residents, the concerts and movies sponsored by the downtown partnership organization (with funding from Alaska Airlines and oil companies), the city-run Zumba classes, etc. It also provides a place for more organic and unintended activities - it’s a popular space for protests, summer lunchtime meetups, people experiencing homelessness, and skateboarders. The city has a history of discouraging park usage by the latter two groups, which brings up questions about who is really included in the “public” of this public space.

The first image of Town Square during a midweek summer concert series doesn’t provide a complete picture of the space - for six months of the year, it looks like the middle picture and sees much less use, which speaks to the realities of living in a winter city. There are at least 2-3 days of winter events every year, as evidenced in the third photo.

Photo credit: Andrew Elegante, Tripadvisor, Municipality of Anchorage

Praia de Ipanema (Ipanema Beach)

Ipanema Beach is for everyone. This is a public space where people visit from all parts of the world. Vendors commonly walk the beach selling all types of foods, drinks, and goods. Beaches offer endless recreational opportunities. Visitors may swim in the ocean, walk or run along the beach, play soccer and volleyball, fly kites, build sandcastles, or simply lay in the sun. The downside to outdoor public spaces is that their use is highly influenced by the weather. The day after these photos were taken, it rained for days.

As the sun sets on the beach, the hill in the distance slowly lights up to reveal an unplanned community commonly referred to as a favela. It is a vivid reminder of the disparities that exist between the community on that hill and Ipanema, one of the most expensive districts in Rio de Janeiro.

Post by Sarai Zelada

This is Place de l’Horlogue or Place of the Clock, in Avignon, France courtesy of google images.

When I visited here for a school trip, everyone always wound up passing through or winding up at the Place de l’Horlogue. You can see the clock tower from most of the city. There is a small merry-go-round, a well known hotel, and the Avignon Theatre Festival has a stage/museum off of the place as well. It is a central location in the city and one that in older times welcomed guests after they passed through the city walls. The walls were built by the Pope Clement V after he refused to move to Rome, the next six popes all lived in Avignon.

Aaron Cohen

Quebec

These pictures show Lake Eola Park, located in the center of Downtown Orlando, Florida. A focal point of Downtown, Lake Eola offers plenty of space for people to come together in the heart of the city for food, entertainment, and recreation. Some of the prominent features and amenities of the park include the Centennial Fountain, swan paddle boats, various sculptures and art exhibits, a playground, a koi pond, several fields, and the Walt Disney Amphitheater. Lake Eola Park is a major gathering place for city and county events, like concerts in the amphitheater, regularly scheduled movies or yoga in the park, a weekly farmers market, and an annual memorial in remembrance of the 49 victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. People flock to the park to take a break from work, exercise, play, and relax in this beautiful urban greenspace.

As an undergrad living in Orlando, I frequented Lake Eola Park. I attended their weekly farmer’s market a few times a month, took laps on my breaks when I worked in one of the buildings across from the park, and spent hours reading in the grass fields on sunny days. There were no shortage of people exercising, children playing, and various activities going on at Lake Eola at any time of day.

By: Danielle Stewart

Photo Credits: https://www.timeout.com/orlando/attractions/lake-eola-park

https://www.407area.com/orlando/downtown-orlando/events/259844/lake-eola-park-amphitheater-orlando-love%3A-remembering-our-angels.htm

https://www.orlandofarmersmarket.com/

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