Reimagining Citytorget: a spatial investigation into the potential of a suburban local square
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Typ
Examensarbete för masterexamen
Program
Architecture and urban design (MPARC), MSc
Publicerad
2022
Författare
Elf, Petra
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
The starting point of this thesis is a personal experience of living in the area which is the
subject of this project - seeing both things lacking in the local context as well as great values
and potentials. The thing most noticeably lacking is meaningful public space, where we as
inhabitants actually want to spend our time providing the possibility for social encounters.
Suburban areas are however often underestimated and preconceptions about their
potential for city life risk dictate the planning of new additions in these locations - leaving
public space as a negative, what simply becomes left over when new building additions are
made.
With several challenges in society today, public space is too valuable to be left to chance,
but rather needs careful planning to fulfil its potential.
This thesis aims to discuss the importance of meaningful public spaces in the local context
which can work as a catalyst for city life and social encounters. This is made through the
redesign of Citytorget and its surroundings in Kortedala, Gothenburg. The aim in the
design proposal is improving the quality of the physical environment to a degree which can
promote voluntary activities in public space as well as prolonging the necessary activities -
making the sense of city life greater and increasing the likelihood for social encounters. The
design proposal investigates how a development of city life in the area of Citytorget can be
promoted while questioning that everything would need to look like or have the density of
the central city to achieve this.
Local preconditions, municipal strategies for the intermediate city and literature are studied
and used as a starting point for the design and following discussion.
The outcome of the thesis is a design proposal from which ten principles for design are
derived. These principles are formulated as follows; strengthen the design and atmosphere
of the physical environment, turn functions towards movement, switching up the venues,
a coherent built environment, there are different ways to define space, a coordinated
planning, readable space and clear sightlines, strengthen and extend connections in the
larger scale, real public places and leaving parts of the design for others.
Beskrivning
Ämne/nyckelord
Public space, city life, social encounters, the intermediate city, Kortedala