Public space is an essence of urban
life, of a city's living quality. The (re-) transformation of space
today used by the dense traffic prevalent in urban areas into truly
public space is a highly effective way to increase its quality and
quantity in cities of all sizes and larger metropolitan areas. The
starting point of any such increase is to ensure a better balance
between the various uses of space: more room for pause and the slow
traffic of pedestrians and cyclists, less for handling of goods and the
faster, passive mobility by car. Traditional planning principles in
urban and traffic design will no longer do; new approaches and
instruments are required.


This new book introduces to the reader
these approaches and instruments, affecting the actual design as well as
the planning process, as creative strategies rather than as a rigid set
of rules. It is about networking, co-production, involving local
businesses, co-usage of space, circular metabolism, and an appropriate
aesthetic. Using inspiring reference projects as well as their own work,
architects and urban designers Stefan Bendiks und Aglaée Degros offer a
forward-looking insight into how traffic space can become much needed
public space.


Text in English and German.