3.3 STREET AND THE PLAZZA IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
3.3.1 The Street
spirit. All these elements are important in the well-being of an individual (http://www.new urbanism.org/).
3.3 STREET AND THE PLAZZA IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
treeless streets. These cities encourage the motor car while impacting the well-being of the pedestrian experiencing the street. Poorly designed neighbourhoods, buildings, roads and sidewalks (figure 19) do not foster well-being or social interaction (www.ens-newswire.com).
“The simple social intercourse created when people rub shoulders in public is one of the most essential kinds of social “glue” in society” (Alexander 1977, p. 489).
The street as described by Mumford (1961, p. 74) is an urban phenomenon which is open and serves as a means of articulated pedestrian circulation. Kelbaugh (2008, p. 187) argues that this articulation is achieved by sidewalks, trees, architectural codes that determine the building frontage whereby the space of the street is perceived as a “figural public space or outdoor room” (Kelbaugh et al, 2008, p. 187). Gehl (1987, p. 59) refers to the street as “life between buildings”, the setting for formal and informal economic activity and social interaction on many levels. Both urban and architectural forms can have a direct impact on the psychological and social well-being of humans. Woodcock (1988, p. viii) refers to the street as an urban living room that is bounded by buildings.
Figure 20: Times Square New York is a busy vibrant street that accommodates spaces for rest and social interaction for the people that use it. Movable chairs and places to break from the busy street life enhance ones well-being and allows people to interact and take a break from their fast paced lifestyles (http://www.streetsblog.org).
The way in which these buildings present themselves to the street in terms of scale, size, choice of materials, setbacks, and so on plays a huge role in the impact that they have on
people experiencing the street. Buildings can either impact negatively on ones well-being and feel very imposing, heavy and uninviting, or conversely buildings can also create positive impacts on well-being. They can relate to the street and enhance it by creating human scale, creating a setback which gives the street interest and spaces for social interaction to occur. It is fundamental that architects consider the important role that their buildings have on the street and how through architecture they can enhance the experience of the street and encourage social interaction to occur. The urban environment is perceived as the stage of public life and architecture is seen as the backstage of public life. It is the street that connects these two realms together with the people that use them. According to Gehl (1987, p. 65) people only experience the ground floor of buildings, the pavement and what is happening in the street itself, therefore it is important that particular attention is given in the design of the ground floor and the spaces it creates.
Architectural forms have an impact on spatial relations and therefore they have an impact on the way people relate themselves to and experience their surroundings. Whether far apart or closely packed, buildings define urban space and the street and they are therefore the walls of the urban living room (Woodcock 1988, p. viii).
Figure 21: A typical street in Venice, Italy as a tight corridor, articulated by exterior of buildings creates a contrast in experience to that in figure 21(www.sights-and-culture.com).
Figure 22: The Street as an open corridor, articulated by exterior of buildings, landscaping, seating areas and roads for vehicles. The Champs Elysees, Paris is a great example of how it is possible to accommodate the pedestrian and create an environment that enhances well-being. The pedestrian streets are wide to encourage movement. Resting areas such as stalls and seating areas that encourage social interaction, relaxation and breaks which enhance ones well-being are numerous. This famous street successfully co exists with the use of cars and is lined with trees to create human scale and provide shade for the users on hot days. One can see that the height of the buildings is limited to create a dynamic, vibrant, safe and socially interactive environment (http://hugeasscity.com).
As an example imagine a building in the city centre, which has a blank wall facing a lively street (refer to figure 24). The blank wall forms a physical, visual and psychological barrier from the inside to the outside. This has a negative impact on any social interaction and environmental connection between those inside and outside the building. Further the wall separates one from their environment and its significant form is suggestive of a “declaration of distrust of the city and its streets and the undesirables who might be on them” (Whyte 1988, p. 222). Psychology of space is an important factor in the success of social interaction on the street as well as for the well-being of its users, as in this case it serves to break the continuity that is so vital for the rest of the street (Whyte 1988, p. 226).
Figure 23 (left): The museum of fine arts in Houston Texas has a massive blank wall that faces onto the street. This clearly indicates the lost opportunity of the space and where there could be life there is void. The trees are also planted away from the pavement not serving any purpose. This space has a huge affect on the ability for people to interact as well as impacting upon their well-being.
(http://www.neohouston.com/2011/02/liner-buildings/).
Figure 24 (right): The AT&T Long Lines Building in Manhattan, New York has a 550 feet sheer wall which encourages no pedestrian interaction on ground level and has severe physiological impacts on both the people walking past the building and within it .(http://www.flickr.co m/photos/).
As mentioned earlier buildings should create human scale so that people using the street can relate and feel comfortable. Both Alexander and Gehl note that any building up to five storeys high has a significant positive impact on the life of the street at ground level, as it allows for surveillance and interaction between building and street. Their studies show that the fifth floor is the threshold floor. Thereafter levels leave people out of touch with ground events (Gehl 1987, p. 100).
Figure 25: Isolation and human scale threshold (Gehl 1987, p. 25).