What makes a good public space?

There are many issues that will arise as the Mayor and City Council debate the wisdom of converting the Chevron building into the new City Hall- feasibility, funding and parking will all feature prominently in those concerns.

But what about the big-picture issues? What characterizes a public space, and why is it important that our governmental offices be part of one? What makes such a place inviting?

When George Ranalli, dean of the City College of New York’s school of architecture, was called in to design an attractive and functional public space in the city’s troubled Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood he said this:

Public architecture is symbolic of how society views itself. That’s how people want to view themselves — in beauty and dignity and something that empowers them.

It is an accepted architectural design theory that government buildings need to be grander than traditional commercial buildings; there needs to be an innate sense of gravitas, a feeling that this building is greater than the sum of its parts. After all, it will represent every sector of the community, and needs to be something everyone can look up to and respect.

But a conglomeration of cold steel and stone alone does not make for a natural gathering point for the community. Sheltering greenspace, parks, benches, access to multiple services in walking distance and more- these are what make a place welcoming.

The Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a non-profit that has studied how people interact with their environment for over 30 years. They partner with communities large and small to develop plans to get citizens out of their cars and into their public spaces. Their website is well worth a visit and has many exciting ideas that could be put into place here in New Orleans.

PPS also has a free downloadable guide called Achieving Great Public Spaces which includes a checklist to help communities determine whether a site has potential or not. Their questions include:

At first blush, it would seem that the proposed location does not meet many of these criteria, and although the current City Hall has its own problems, at least it has Duncan Plaza to use and improve upon. Certainly the current location is more centrally located and easily accessible, and we hope that these issues are taken into consideration.

Post Katrina New Orleans is a city in flux, and our view of ourself is ever changing. Let’s hope that, like those made for the Bedford-Stuyvesant community, the City Hall decisions empower our citizens, too.