Reimagining Citytorget: a spatial investigation into the potential of a suburban local square

Abstract

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.