Public Space Site-Specific Assessment

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) P.O. Box 30030 00100 Nairobi GPO KENYA Tel: 254-020-7623120 (Central Office) www.unhabitat.org

DISCLAIMER The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries regarding its economic system or degree of development. Excerpts may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, the United Nations and its member states.

Cover illustration: Christelle Lahoud © UN-Habitat

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Project supervisor: Cecilia Andersson

Principal authors: Chiara Martinuzzi, Christelle Lahoud

Contributors: Jose Chong, Lucy Donnelly, Joy Mutai, Dennis Mwaniki, Mark Ojal, Sohel Rana, Maia Smillie, Mitiku Woldesenbet

Design and layout: Chiara Martinuzzi, Christelle Lahoud Public space site-specific assessment Guidelines to achieve quality public spaces at neighbourhood level Contents

INTRODUCTION �� 7

The Global Public Space Programme �� 8 How do we work? �� 9

SITE-SPECIFIC ASSESSMEMT�� 11

The methodology �� 14 Methodology framework �� 16 Dimensions & indicators �� 17 The Walkable radius �� 22

ACTIVITIES �� 25

1. Project preparation �� 26 2. Desk Research �� 27 3. Observation �� 28 4. Digital survey �� 29 5. Interviews �� 30 6. Exploratory walks �� 32 7. Focus group discussion �� 34 8. Findings maps �� 35 9. Quality scoring �� 38 10. Recommendations �� 39 Block by Block workshop �� 42 Expert design studio �� 43 11. Comparative findings �� 44

CONCLUSION�� 47

ANNEX �� 51

Bibliography ��86 Placemaking week in Nairobi © UN-Habitat 01 01 INTRODUCTION The Global Public Space Programme

UN-Habitat promotes sustainable and inclusive Public space is acknowledged widely in global urban planning to address current urbanization agendas. It can support urban centres to meet challenges such as population growth, urban the targets set by the Sustainable Development sprawl, poverty and inequality. In 2012, UN-Habitat Goals (SDGs); especially Goal SDG11 — “Make launched its Global Public Space Programme cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, with the objective to promote public spaces as a resilient and sustainable.” keystone for sustainable cities in order to ensure good quality of life for all. Over the years, the Programme has developed an “By 2030, provide universal iterative approach to public space that includes access to safe, inclusive and a variety of normative and operational tools, accessible, green and public methodologies and practices that support local and spaces, in particular for women national governments and other partners to make and children, older persons and public spaces safe, inclusive, accessible and green. This includes public space assessments digital tool, persons with disabilities.’’ SDG policy guides, strategies and design principles, 11.7 participatory tools, technology and innovation projects and carrying out advocacy work and The New Urban Agenda also places an emphasis implementation. on public spaces with 10 separate paragraphs mentioning its importance, for example paragraph The Programme has adopted the definition from 37: “We commit ourselves to promoting safe, the Charter on Public Space which defines public inclusive, accessible, green and quality public spaces as “places that are publicly owned or of spaces, including streets, sidewalks and cycling public use, accessible and enjoyable by all for lanes, squares, waterfront areas, gardens free and without a profit motive”. and parks, that are multifunctional areas for social interaction and inclusion, human Inclusively designed, well-managed and properly health and well-being, economic exchange, maintained public spaces can have a great impact cultural expression and dialogue among a on the social, economic, health and environmental wide diversity of people and cultures, and that life of cities and communities. Public spaces build are designed and managed to ensure human social cohesion and improve the quality of human development and build peaceful, inclusive and interactions. Public spaces provide opportunities participatory societies as well as to promote for people to earn a living, boost economies by living together, connectivity and social increasing the land value of the surrounding area inclusion.” and, sometimes, by attracting new businesses. Also, public spaces improve the physical and mental health of inhabitants by providing clean green areas, sidewalks and bike lanes as well as encouraging outdoor activities. Additionally, public green areas can make a substantial contribution towards adapting to and mitigating climate change. They provide the most appropriate and effective ways to improve the microclimate, in particular reducing the urban heat island (UHI) effect. How do we work?

UN-Habitat has developed an integrated The network of public spaces is reinforced by approach to public space that covers cities implementing a public space action plan and neighbourhoods and individual sites and that comprises a list of pilot projects to be applies a targeted approach to each scale. implemented in the short, medium and long-term. The iterative approach includes normative and Such an action plan provides authorities with a tool operational tools, methodologies and practices to guide resource allocation, prioritize and manage to support governments and other organizations public spaces while contributing to the long-term to make public spaces more safe, inclusive, transformation of the city. Sometimes this results in accessible and green. The guidelines include public the need to review laws and by-laws for the use of space city-wide and site-specific assessments, public space as well as the protection of spaces. design principles, strategies and policies, digital participation and action planning and monitoring. Upgrading and regeneration can be undertaken The Programme believes that a multi-scale within different types of public spaces, including approach creates the greatest impact for parks, streets, sidewalks and markets. The community quality of life. Programme uses a variety of participatory methods so that the community’s needs are considered and Ideally, the approach begins with a city-wide public reflected in the final design. In recent years, digital space assessment to understand the status quo participation has gained traction and proven to as well as gaps and needs. By collecting data, be effective in amplifying the voices of vulnerable we can inform the local government of the city’s populations in the planning process. Two examples performance who can then develop and adopt are the Minecraft video-game and the Kobo relevant policies, strategies and design principles to Toolbox mobile application. improve the public realm.

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02Caption 02 SITE-SPECIFIC ASSESSMEMT The Public Space Site-specific Assessment consists between community needs and the expert designs of a series of activities and tools to understand the is often lost in translation. The guidelines ensure quality of public spaces and influence, through a that the conversation between the community and participatory process, the design of the site. The the experts is bridged through a series of activities assessment focuses on a selected open public that provides a platform for exchange between the space1 and its five (5) minute walking radius different parties. This demands a certain level of (equivalent to 400-meter distance) hereafter participation from community members4, technical referred to as the ‘walkable radius2’. The guideline experts and the local authorities in each of the supports the user3 on how to gather the right data listed activities. The result from the assessment and what information is needed to make public is a collection of qualitative and quantitative spaces safer, more inclusive and easily accessible information gathered by and with the community by proposing innovative design and planning using public space indicators that will inform the solutions. final design elaborated by the experts. In this process, municipalities are guided on how and While many upgrading projects adopt civic where to allocate resources for upgrading public engagement activities, the transition phase spaces that will contribute to achieving SDG11.7.

1. Open public spaces include parks, gardens, playgrounds, public 4. Including vulnerable groups such as women, children, youth, beaches, riverbanks and waterfronts. old people and persons with disabilities amongst others. 2. The area or the radius of a circle that is centred around the selected public space within which pedestrians should be able to arrive from their houses within 5 minutes (See page 22) 3. Including, but not strictly limited to, the local government, urban practitioners, NGOs, community leaders, academia and public space advocates.

MAIN OBJECTIVE: ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC SPACES

OUTCOMES Providing a platform Identifying gaps and Providing contextualise for exchange between measuring quality of urban design and community, experts public spaces planning solutions and local authority

Civil Expressing their needs Providing high quality Validating the design society data using less expensive methods; including perception Experts Sharing technical Gathering and analysing Proposing design solutions knowledge data and conducting a needs assessment ROLE

Local Finding out what residents Providing spatial and Allocating resources to authority want and ensuring socio-economic data the right interventions alignment with SDGs and (priorities for action) local agendas The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Creating and promoting socially inclusive, integrated, connected, environmentally sustainable and safe streets and public spaces, especially for the most vulnerable.

Socially inclusive

Good public spaces must be designed to meet the needs of all users. This means paying attention to quality and inclusive design and accommodating the values and preferences of different groups, ages and abilities. Public participation and civic engagement are key to empowering communities, ensuring inclusion and a greater longevity in the sense of ownership and custodianship.

Better integrated

Integrated planning encourages a dialogue between all departmental actors with a stake in the public realm. The Global Public Space Programme adopts both vertical and horizontal integration approaches. Vertical, in terms of the early integration and involvement of the various players of government, administration and non-government players involved in urban development. Horizontal, in terms of integrating the various sectorial policies, and actions of the public and also private sector for sustainable development. Integration links the spatial aspect with other dimensions of urban life, social, economic and political, cultural and others.

Better connected

For maximum positive effect on the neighbourhood, public spaces should be connected through networks that enable people to move around freely and easily. This requires that policy makers take a holistic view of the city and seek to maximize the potential of existing infrastructure. Policies coupled with good urban planning and design can offer better physical and social connectivity for urban residents.

Environmentally sustainable

A well-planned, city-wide open public space system can create green and blue networks to regenerate ecological systems, restore environmental connectivity (wildlife, sanctuaries and watercourses) and support biodiversity in urban areas. This can, in turn, create ample benefits for the citizens and attract visitors. The role that public spaces can play in the provision of ecological services is extremely important in the mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change.

Safe

A mixed and diverse public space provides a place that is vibrant and busy and automatically reduces feelings of insecurity. Fear of crime and crime itself can deter people, not just vulnerable groups, from using high-quality public spaces. Physical changes to, and the better management of public space can help to allay these fears. Public spaces can reduce perceptions of insecurity by attracting a large cross section of people at all times of day.

13 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

The methodology

The Public Space Site-specific Assessment goes and green public spaces. Drawing upon the through four phases and guides the user to experiences in 75 cities, the Programme identified a measure the quality of public spaces by assessing number of activities and existing tools that proved five dimensions and 20 indicators. Depending to be successful in gathering data, engaging on the local context, the assessment allows to different stakeholders and influencing design. select, add and prioritise certain indicators. Each phase has a set of activities and tools that explains The assessment exercise is shaped incrementally, how to collect and analyse data and what level of while some activities are mandatory, others are participation is needed in each. These guidelines not, which gives the user the freedom to select are a valuable resource to assess the quality of an whichever activity and tool best fits their context. existing public space that needs upgrading, as well A tailored package could be defined considering as setting up a quality framework to create new the objective of the assessment, the context and site. the capacities in place. For instance, to upgrade an existing public space, the activities should focus With the goal to achieve SDG11.7, the Global on how to improve the current conditions and Public Space Programme has selected observable add programming activities, while to create a new and measurable indicators that offer valuable space, activities should focus on people’s needs and information about public space quality and help feasible interventions. identify performance targets for the future. The indicators were then classified into five key dimensions that guide the user on how to turn selected sites5 into more safe, inclusive, accessible

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14 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Pre-assessment

The first phase aims at creating a tailored process dimensions and will eventually help the experts to depending on the end-user’s goals and the local provide technical recommendations and solutions. capacities. It is important to look at time, available budget and expertise from the onset. Once the This phase is important to inform the design objective of the project is clear, a core team is process that follows and helps define tailored formed that includes both experts and non-experts. solutions to improve public spaces. While the The pre-assessment exercise provides the user with assessment focuses on measuring quality, the GPSP initial information to get started like an overview recommends integrating two participatory design of the context as well as information about the activities —The Block by Block methodology and demography, history, culture, infrastructure and the Expert Design Studio — to ensure community’s the social dynamics of the study area. The core needs are incorporated into the final proposal. team will then form a timeline for the project that includes desired activities from the methodology Impact and evaluation framework (see page 16). A stakeholder mapping exercise is deemed mandatory to bring This phase proposes to evaluate the public space key people into the process. Depending on the after implementation to understand its impact resources available, one can choose to have a quick on the neighbourhood. It is important to revisit and light process or a more comprehensive one. the site one year after construction and evaluate whether the public space met its ultimate goals and Data gathering objectives. This is done by empirically evaluating people’s enjoyment using the space as well as its The second phase is aimed at collecting valuable inclusiveness, meaningfulness, safety and comfort. data with and by the community using a variety A comparative analysis is conducted by the experts of tools. The latter are framed and structured in which will highlight if key indicators have improved a way to get the most information about the five or not. On-going evaluation of public spaces dimensions of good quality public space. While needs to be considered from the onset and it is some tools are digital, others adopt traditional recommended to secure additional resources to approaches that facilitate the collection of both ensure that ideas are scaled up. quantitative and qualitative data. In this phase, the level of civic engagement is the highest which Once the comparative analysis is done, it is gives the community an opportunity to be part of recommended to extract lesson learnt and use the assessment while also expressing their spatial the gained knowledge from previous phases in perception and needs. By the end of this phase, the the further work. This will help refine the design, user will have all relevant data about accessibility, improve the process and ultimately reach scale green environment, use and users, amenities and beyond the neighbourhood. furniture, and comfort and safety.

Analysis

During the third phase, the collected data is cleaned and analysed to highlight the main issues related to the public space and its walkable radius. The technical team maps the findings and underlines the main challenges and opportunities of each dimension. The team then gives a quality score ranging from one to five to each indicator (see activity 9). The results of these activities will highlight the improvement needed among the five

15 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Methodology framework ! Mandatory Participation Additional (Recommended Design activities that are not part of the Assessment) Activities Tools Outputs Stakeholder mapping Stakeholders map and strategy Project timeline Project Timeline 1. Project preparation ! Setting common values and goals

Collection of quantitative and qualitative information (maps, articles, images, etc.) 2. Desk Research ! Pre-assessement

Observation notebook Organised collection of data: pictures, key Mapping notes, maps and measurements (including 3. Observations ! Photography / video people counting). Digital measuring and recording Counting people Define a representative sample Cleaned digital data How to formulate a digital 4. Site survey questionnaire Online digital survey 5. Interviews Consent form Transcription or key points of each interview Walking routes map The routes map and stops Define a representative sample Digital data collected from the questionnaire 6. Exploratory walks How to formulate a digital Data gathering questionnaire Online digital survey List of participants S.W.O.T. Analysis Mapping Collection of maps 7. Focus group discussion Workshop agenda S.W.O.T. analysis Evaluation form

Mapping Five findings maps - one for each dimension 8. Findings maps ! List of indicators List of indicators Scored list of indicators and charts 9. Quality scoring ! Digital scoring form ! Recommendations and feasibility Suitability map 10. Recommendations Suitability map The list of recommendations and action plan Prioritisation Analysis Block by Block workshop Step-by-step guide and templates Final community physical model (minecraft) Expert design studio guidelines Final design proposals Expert design studio Recommendations and feasibility Tentative budget Prioritisation

List of indicators Comparative pictures (before and after) Photography Comparative list of indicators and charts 11. Comparative findings Consent form Lesson learnt and actions moving forward ! Counting people Evaluation

16 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Dimensions & indicators

The quality assessment of the public space looks Dimension Indicator Sub-indicator at five main dimensions: use and user, accessibility, amenities and furniture, comfort and safety, and Use and user 2 11 green environment. In total, 20 indicators were selected to be measured, and should show at a glance, which dimension is performing poorly. Accessibility 4 17

Amenities and furniture 7 30

Comfort and safety 4 20

Green environment 3 13

Use and user The dimension focuses on how the space is being used and by whom. A good quality public space is one that is designed to accommodate everyone, where people from all backgrounds can spend considerable time enjoying the space especially the most vulnerable groups. Through this dimension, one can analyse how inclusive the space is through observing the variety of users and the type of activities taking place.

* Mandatory If applicable Indicators ! Scale Sub-indicators / questions Number and variety * Site Number of users during the day of users accessing Site Number of users during the night the public space * Site Variety of users in the space (age, gender, ability, ethnicity) Number and * Radius Amount of mixed use in frontage building variety of activities * Site Presence of vacant unit in frontage building observed in the * Site Presence of different inclusive activities in the public space among public space among time (for children, elderly, disable people, etc) time and space * Radius Presence of non-designed, temporary activities, organised by the local governance and the community * Site Presence of restrictions rules for specific activities (i.e.: no pic-nic, no play, no biking, etc.) * Site Presence of social interactions * Radius Presence of formal and informal economic activities (food sellers, kiosks/shops, etc)

17 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Accessibility This dimension focuses on the access to the site in terms of perception and the physical aspect. A public space should be easily reached by walking, cycling or using public transport, especially by the elderly and people with special needs. A public space should be open for all without having to pay an entrance fee, therefore the dimension also looks at restrictions of use (operation use) and by-laws. Finally, perception of accessibility is also assessed, for example whether people feel welcome and comfortable going to the public space.

* Mandatory If applicable

Indicators ! Scale Sub-indicators / questions Accessibility * Radius Presence of areas reserved for private vehicles movement and presence of Radius Quality of reserved area in terms of dimensions, design, location and qualitative and conditions inclusive facilities for Radius Level of traffic on the streets private vehicles * Radius Presence of inclusive and free parking area for private vehicles (including parking reserved for people with disability) Accessibility * Radius Presence of areas reserved for bikes movement and presence of Radius Quality of reserved area in terms of dimensions, design, location and qualitative and conditions inclusive facilities for Radius Level of use of the bike lane bikes Accessibility * Radius Presence of areas reserved for pedestrian movement and presence of Radius Quality of reserved area in terms of dimension, design, location and qualitative and conditions inclusive facilities for * Radius Presence of pedestrian crossing pedestrians * Radius Presence of ramps for wheelchairs with correct design and inclination (10%) Radius Presence of functional sound crossing devices Radius Presence of tactile pavement paths * Radius Overall perception of accessibility * Site Presence of by-law and restrictive access rules (operational use, time- frame, fees or physical obstacles) Accessibility * Radius Presence of public transport and presence of Radius Level of use of public transport qualitative and Radius Quality of transport facilities, in terms of dimension, design and inclusive facilities for location public transports

18 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Amenities & Amenities and furniture are the features that make public spaces more attractive. furniture This can include, but is not limited to, facilities to play, rest, eat and drink as well as amenities such as lighting, waste bins and toilets amongst others. This dimension looks at their availability, distribution and quality condition. Amenities and furniture should also be inclusive, catering to the needs of the different groups within the neighbourhood.

* Mandatory If applicable

Indicators ! Scale Sub-indicators / questions Presence and quality * Radius Presence of natural lighting of lighting * Radius Presence of artificial lighting Radius Quality of light source, in terms of quantity, design and distribution Radius Quality of illumination power (50 lux) Presence and * Radius Presence of inclusive recreational structures for outdoors activities quality of amenities (playground, sports, etc.) for recreational Radius Quality of recreational structures in terms of dimensions, design and structures location for children and disable people Radius Level of use of recreational structures Presence and quality * Site Amount of primary or secondary seating (benches, mobile chairs, of seating stairs, etc.) Site Quality of seating in terms of dimension, design, material and location Site Level of use of seating elements Presence and quality * Site Amount of waste bins of waste bins Site Quality of waste bins in terms of design, dimensions and location Site Level of use of waste bins Presence and quality * Radius Amount of bike racks of bike racks Radius Quality of bike racks in terms of design, dimension and location Radius Level of use of bike racks Presence and quality * Radius Amount of signage of signage and Radius Quality of signage in terms of design, dimensions and location emergency items Radius Level of use of signage Radius Presence of emergency facilities (fire extinguisher, defibrillators etc.) Radius Quality of emergency facilities in terms of conditions and location Presence and quality Radius Presence of drinkable water sources facilities of water and toilets Radius Quality of water sources facilities in terms of quantity, design, and facilities distribution Radius Level of use of water sources facilities Radius Presence of public toilets Radius Quality of public toilets in terms of quantity, design location and accessibility for PWD Radius Level of use of public toilets * Radius Presence of drainage system Radius Quality of drainage system in terms of dimensions, materials, location and installation Radius Presence of obstruction in the drainage system (garbage, etc.)

19 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Comfort & This dimension looks at peoples’ perception and how they feel, which can have a safety great impact on their wellbeing and the time they spend in a public space. Places that are well maintained are often perceived as comfortable and safe, while vandalized and poorly-cared spaces can have the opposite effect. Smell, sound, sight, physical condition and the overall identity of a space can be deal breakers for comfort. Perception of safety is subjective, while some might feel safe using a space, others feel threatened by a lack of visibility, concentration of certain groups, lack of activities or historical events.

* Mandatory If applicable

Indicators ! Scale Sub-indicators / questions Perception of safety Radius Presence of crime related behaviour (robbery, harassments,other & level of security of crimes, etc) the public space * Radius Presence of good social behaviours (no drinking, no sleeping, no smoking, no vandalism, etc) Radius Presence of traffic incidents (historical records) Radius Presence of active surveillance elements (CCTV or guards) * Radius Presence of natural surveillance (number of façade openings facing the public space) * Radius Level of safety perceived by community during the day * Radius Level of safety perceived by community during the night Quality of censorial * Radius Presence of pleasant sounds (natural sounds, music, no traffic noise, experience etc) Radius dB recorded correspond or is less than the maximum recommended dB for the surrounding land use (e.g.: dB < 47 for residential areas) Site Presence of pleasant smell (flowers, bakery, no garbage, no polluted water, etc) Site Presence of pleasant views (façades, vegetations, panoramas, etc.) Overall comfort * Radius Presence of a waste management system using the public Site Quality of cleaning service in terms of frequency and results space, through Site Community attention of keeping a clean environment maintenance, design * Site Presence of vandalism and ambiental Site Presence of pleasant wind conditions * Site Level of temperature for human activities (15-25 C) Site Level of comfort using the space during all seasons Site Presence of covered areas from rain and heat (shades, etc.) * Site Design quality and aesthetic value of furnitures, façades, pavements Site Presence of community care signs (art, urban agriculture, flowers, etc) Presence of a public * Radius Presence of positive reputation regarding the public space and the space identity, neighbourhood (no stigma or bias, etc) determined by Radius Presence of cultural aspects/historical events defining the identity of cultural background the space and users’ Radius Presence of remarkable buildings/physical landmarks (church, enjoyment fountain, sculptures, etc.) * Site Amount of people spending time in the space rather than passing through

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Green This dimension tackles environmental aspects that can improve health and wellbeing environment of the residents. Green spaces provide a balance between development and nature and it has become more and more sought after in dense cities. Well-designed public spaces with adequate green coverage and water management can have a great impact on air quality and reducing noise pollution as well as reducing heat and temperature. Trees, grass and other green vegetation provide wildlife habitat, prevent soil erosion, and support adaptation to and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

* Mandatory If applicable

Indicators Scale Sub-indicators / questions Presence and quality * Radius Ratio of green coverage of biodiversity in the Radius Conditions of greenery in terms of maintenance public space Radius Variety of biodiversity (trees, flowers, etc.) Radius Presence and variety of fauna Radius Quality of air in terms of co2 and particulate (measured) * Radius Perception of air quality from the community Environmental Radius Presence of waterbodies (rivers, lake, etc.) and community Radius Quality of water in terms of pollution resilience * Radius Presence of environmental risks (flooding, erosion, soil degradation) Radius Resilience of the community against risks and hazard Presence of energy Radius Presence of solar or censorial power elements (social lighting, efficient elements in automated irrigation, etc) the public space * Radius Presence of recyclable waste bins Radius Presence of composting Radius Presence of rain water collector or water filtering system

21 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

The Walkable radius The walkable radius is defined as a circle centred around the selected public space. Ideally, pedestrians should be able to reach from their houses every public space or facilities within a five-minute walking distance (equivalent of 400-meter distance), as it is considered the most practical and realistic threshold. The GPSP recommends evaluating the quality not only on a selected public space but also on its walkable radius as the catchment area identifies its daily users and their movement flow.

The walkable radius highly depends to the road network and the permeability of the area: a public space could be within 400-meter distance from a certain block, but without good street connections, the space can be inaccessible. In that case, one can use the geographic information system (GIS) softwares to define the walkable radius by doing a road network analysis or resort to online maps like google of others to get the average walking time.

The radius could change considering the following variables: • The location of the public space might affect the size of the radius if located in urban, rural or peri-urban, next to riverbank, hilly area, etc. • The target users and the focus of the study: -- Child-friendly cities and focus on children under 18 -- People with disabilities -- Elderly people, etc • The context and walkability risk due to hotspot areas (e.g. crime zone) The assessment focuses on open public spaces at neighbourhood level, however if working in different typologies and scales, the radius should also change: • The typology of the public space like streets, markets, etc. • The scale of the public space and its service area: district or city level

Five-minute walking6173000.00 radius 6173500.00 6174000.00

2914000.00 2914000.00

5mins walking radius 400 METERS

2913500.00 2913500.00

6173000.00 6173500.00 6174000.00 22 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Other examples

LACK OF CONNECTIVITY USER: CHILDREN (under 18)

5 mins walking radius 400 METERS

5mins walking radius 300 METERS

In the absence of streets, time required The walkable radius should be reduced to to travel must be taken into account by 300m when designing child-friendly spaces. assessing the existing roads.

CONTEXT: RURAL LOCATION: ALONG A RIVERBANK

10mins walking radius 5mins walking radius 800 METERS Riverbank 400 METERS

Given the density of the neighbourhood When there are no crossings, open public and the fact that people living in rural areas spaces that are edging riverbanks or often walk more, the walkable radius can beaches should consider the walkable radius be increased to 10mins (equivalent 800m) from one side of the river

23 Community workshop in Hargeisa © UN-Habitat Somalia

03Caption 03 ACTIVITIES The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

1. Project preparation Organise and prepare the project timeline by mapping key stakeholders and identifying a participation strategy. Understand the city’ priorities, available time, budget and the local capacities in place.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Form a technical expert team for the project deliveries including Mandatory 01 | architects, urban designers and others Suggested time 1 week 02 | Map the main stakeholders and list their relation to each other Level of difficulty Identify responsibilities Easy 03 | Participants Define main objectives Technical team 04 | 05 | Conduct a sampling size of the neighbourhood population Select list of activities to be conducted and define an engagement Materials needed 06 | strategy Notebook, pen 07 | Prepare required materials for the activities and logistics 08 | Finalise the project workplan

TOOLS: Annex A | Stakeholders’ mapping (page 52) Annex B | Project timeline (page 54) Annex C | Setting common values and goals (page 56) PROCESS PHASE Annex D | Define a representative sample of the population (page 57) Pre-assessment Annex E | List of participants (page 58) Data gathering Analysis OUTPUTS: Impact and evaluation • A map of all the stakeholders and their responsibilities • Project Timeline • Report chapter summarising main objectives and describing the activities and the actors involved, and how it relates with the overall vision of the local government.

26 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

2. Desk Research Capture general information, existing studies and highlighting missing or outdated data

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Gather online information and relevant documents about the site and Mandatory 01 | the neighbourhood (see list below) Suggested time 1 week 02 | Get relevant information from local authorities (see list below) Level of difficulty Organize yourself and your team around specific tasks. Each individual Easy 03 | takes on one subject or direction Participants Technical team 04 | Summarise the findings in a document 05 | Highlight missing or outdated data that are needed for the study Materials needed Identify the first main challenges concerning the public space Computer, internet 06 | connection Some of the documents that should be reviewed are: Historical maps Updated satellite images Latest maps including land-use and mobility Urban legal framework (b.e. urban planning regulations, building code, etc) Statistics on demography, crime and accidents, climate, etc. Historical, political and cultural background PROCESS PHASE Literature reviews Pre-assessment Ongoing studies by municipalities or academia Data gathering Articles and social media Analysis Impact and evaluation OUTPUTS • Collection of maps, articles and images that provide quantitative and qualitative information about the public space • A short research document which holds relevant and in-depth information about the space (Maximum 4 pages)

27 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

3. Observation Analyse daily life and get an understanding on users’ activities and behaviour. Make sure to capture insights as well as data concerning what is happening in the site and around it.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Select one or two observers from the technical team Mandatory 01 | Suggested time Schedule multiple observing sessions during different days and hours 2 weeks 02 | of the week to monitor change Level of difficulty Select and use some of the tools below to gather required information Easy 03 | Participants Observe, listen and be patient, interact and experience the space with Technical team 04 | all your senses Focus on different individuals considering age, gender, ability and 05 | ethnicity and try to understand the needs of different social groups Materials needed Notebook, coloured 06 | Get consent before taking pictures or direct data pen, camera or phone, Clean the data collected and organise them considering the five internet connection, 07 | dimensions tape meter TOOLS: Annex F | Observation Notebook (page 59) Annex G | Mapping (page 60) Annex H | Photography / video (page 62) PROCESS PHASE Annex I | Consent form (page 63) Pre-assessment Annex J | Digital measurements and recording (page 64) Data gathering Annex K | Counting people (page 66) Analysis Impact and evaluation OUTPUTS • Organised collection of data: pictures, key notes, maps, measurements, people counting and others • Report chapter summarising the observation activity, methodology and outcomes

Tips: -- Presence of external observers in certain contexts might change social interactions in the public space, especially if there is a strong cultural and social discrepancy between the observer and the community. Select local observers that already integrate within the social context.

28 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

4. Digital survey Get statistical information from and by the community about their perception and opinion of the public space and its walkable radius.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Prepare and structure a list of questions with a clear flow; preferably Recommended 01 | organised around the five dimensions. Suggested time 2 weeks 02 | Upload the questions online on KoboToolbox and test Level of difficulty Select a group from 5 to 20 community volunteers to conduct the Medium 03 | exercise as well as two people from the expert team. Participants Technical team + Guide the volunteers on the type of questions (open ended, closed and community 04 | questions that require asking other users on the site) Schedule different timing and days for each volunteer to conduct the Materials needed 05 | survey Smartphone, notebook Distribute the link to the survey and make sure the answers are 06 | uploaded once they complete the questionnaire. Make sure volunteers are physically on site when filling the digital 07 | survey 08 | Download survey data and aggregate them 09 | Analyse the results of the survey

PROCESS PHASE TOOLS: Pre-assessment Data gathering Annex D | Define a representative sample of the population (page 57) Analysis Annex I | Consent form (page 63) Impact and evaluation Annex E | List of participants (page 58) Annex L | How to formulate your digital questionnaire (page 68) Online survey questionnaire - Kobo Toolbox question base OUTPUTS • Cleaned digital data • List of volunteers and interviewees • Report chapter summarising the digital survey activity, methodology and outcomes

Tips: -- Make sure the questions are worded correctly and that people understand them. -- Volunteers to introduce themselves, get consent before and briefly explain the scope of the survey. -- Guide the volunteers on how to avoid ‘leading’ questions.

29 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

5. Interviews Gather data about specific aspects of the site that require specific expertise or knowledge from selected people.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization List the names of people that need to be interviewed, based on the Recommended 01 | stakeholder mapping Suggested time 1 week Prepare a semi-structured list of questions composed of open and Level of difficulty 02 | closed questions Easy Consider some tailored questions depending on the background and Participants 03 | expertise of the interviewee Technical team + key actors (experts or 04 | Schedule a meeting ahead of time and propose a place and time decision-makers) Get prepared to moderate the interview, this should not be more than Materials needed 05 | 45 minutes Smartphone or audio recorder, notebook Get consent to take pictures of the interviewees or to record the and pen 06 | session Build on what the participants say and investigate the reasons behind 07 | their answers 08 | Take notes of key messages and quotes 09 | Organise the notes and compile all interviews

PROCESS PHASE Pre-assessment TOOLS: Data gathering Annex E | List of interviewees (page 58) Analysis Impact and evaluation Annex H | Photography / video (page 62) Annex I | Consent form (page 63)

OUTPUTS • List of interviewees • Report chapter summarising the interview activity and outcomes

Tips: -- Make sure your questions are not broad -- Study the body language of your interviewee and try to make them feel comfortable -- Rephrase your question if the interviewee did not capture it well -- Try to get quotes and pictures to document the process (see image on the right)

30 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

“This project has actually created job opportunities. We now have over 20 youth working to help manage the greenery, the food, and the open gym.”

Wossen Merga, Addis Ababa River and Riverside Development and Administration Agency worker cleaning the public space in Addis Ababa © Katla Studios

31 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

6. Exploratory walks Experience public space through the eyes of daily users by walking and exploring the neighbourhood together.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Prepare and structure a list of questions with a clear flow Recommended 01 | Suggested time 02 | Upload the questions online and test Half-day Prepare a route map covering the walkable radius with 3 stops each Level of difficulty 03 | Medium Select 30 to 50 participants from the neighbourhood to conduct the Participants 04 | walk and group them Technical team + Assign one expert or volunteer per group community + key 05 | actors Guide the volunteers on the type of questions and the route they need Materials needed 06 | to take Smartphone, route Schedule a day and time that does not limit participants’ attendance maps, pen 07 | Distribute the link to the exploratory walks survey and brief the 08 | participants about the activity Make sure participants are observing, listening and smelling as they 09 | walk 10 | Make sure participants are filling the digital questionnaire at every stop 11 | Ensure answers are uploaded once the questionnaire is completed Download data and aggregate them PROCESS PHASE 12 | Pre-assessment Analyse the results of the survey Data gathering 13 | Analysis Impact and evaluation TOOLS: Annex L | How to formulate your digital questionnaire (page 68) Annex M | Walking routes map (page 72) Annex D | Define a representative sample of the population (page 57) Online survey questionnaire - Kobo Toolbox question base

OUTPUTS • Digital data collected • List of participants • Report chapter summarising the exploratory walk activity and outcomes

Tips: -- Make sure participants come with charged smartphone and brief them in a quiet area -- Document the activity by capturing pictures of participants using the tool

32 The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines

Exploratory walks exercise in Sharjah, UAE © SUPC 33 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

7. Focus group discussion Gather people’s opinions and ideas on how they perceive the public space and collaboratively map challenges and opportunities.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Prepare the agenda of the day, the list of people to invite, logistics and Recommended 01 | materials Suggested time Half or one day Define the activity’s objective and clarify the type of information that Level of difficulty 02 | needs to be gathered Medium Make a list of questions that are appropriate to those objectives Participants 03 | Technical team + Locate and secure a place to hold the focus group meeting and send Community + Key 04 | out invitations Actors Brief the participants about the project and clarify the purpose of the Materials needed 05 | activity Flip-chart, post-its, paper, pencils, list of 06 | Group the participants in smaller groups of 5 to 7 people indicators, computer, Ask questions from your established list to highlight the challenges and projector, ID tags 07 | the opportunities of the public space and its walkable radius

* refreshments and/or Document the meeting by taking notes, pictures or recording lunch 08 | Ask participants to evaluate the exercise by filling the evaluation 09 | questionnaire 10 | Review and clean your notes, questionnaires and/or audio recording PROCESS PHASE Create a transcript and write up a summary of your findings Pre-assessment 11 | Data gathering Analysis TOOLS: Impact and evaluation Annex E | List of participants (page 58) Annex G | Mapping (page 60) Annex N | Workshop agenda (page 73) Annex O | S.W.O.T. analysis (page 74) Annex P | Evaluation form (page 76)

OUTPUTS • List of participants • A S.W.O.T. Analysis • Report chapter summarising the group discussion activity and outcomes

Tips: -- The venue should be easily accessible by the participants and have toilet facilities -- The facilitator should balance the social dynamics within the group

34 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

8. Findings maps Curate gathered data and interpret them into five spatial maps that highlights the key findings of each of the five dimensions.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Collect and review all the outputs from the previous activities Mandatory 01 | Suggested time Organise the information into five categories, one for each of the Half-day or one day 02 | dimensions, by referring to the list of indicators Level of difficulty Discuss and summarise the challenges and opportunities of each Hard 03 | dimension Participants Technical team Prepare and print five base maps of the public space and its walkable 04 | radius Smartphone, route Spatially locate and highlight the findings into the five maps by Materialsmaps, pen needed 05 | sketching 06 | Clean the maps and digitalize them Validate the results with a selected group of stakeholders to ensure all 07 | issues were adequately compiled. If needed, conduct further data gathering activities to collect missing 08 | data

TOOLS:

PROCESS PHASE Annex G | Mapping (page 60) Pre-assessment List of indicators - spreadsheet file Data gathering Annex U | Case study: Sharjah, a child-friendly city (page 82) Analysis Impact and evaluation OUTPUTS • Five findings’ maps - one for each dimension that highlights spatially the main challenges and opportunities • Report chapter summarising the Findings’ mapping activity and outcomes

Tips: -- Make sure the maps are readable and include a clear legend -- Refer to Annex U | Case study: Sharjah, a child-friendly city (page 82) as an example of how to produce the five maps

35 6173000.00 6173500.00 6174000.00

The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

MAP EXAMPLE Dimension: comfort

2914000.00 2914000.00

LEGEND: 2913500.00 2913500.00 Dust Noise Heat Monotonous field view Shadowed edge Building shadow

6173000.00 6173500.00 6174000.00 6173000.00 6173500.00 6174000.00

The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

2914000.00 2914000.00

2913500.00 2913500.00

6173000.00 6173500.00 6174000.00 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

9. Quality scoring Evaluate the quality of the public space by scoring the five dimensions and their indicators.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Open and review with the team the list of indicators Mandatory 01 | Suggested time 02 | Make sure you have all outputs and the organised data with you Two days Skip the indicators that are not relevant or applicable for your context Level of difficulty 03 | Medium 04 | Discuss with the team while ranking and make sure everyone agrees Participants Choose one of the following scoring methods Technical team + 05 | Community + Key Actors Simple scoring: Materials needed • Go to sheet ‘Simple scoring’ and rank the indicators using three classification: Flip chart, post-its, poor, fair or good tracing paper, printed maps, list of indicators, Digital scoring: computer projector • Create your online scoring form using open data forms templates (Typeform, google or Microsoft forms amongst other) • Send the link of the scoring form to the expert team members to fill • Gather all rankings and make an average score

Advanced digital scoring: • Go to the first sheet ‘Advanced prioritization’ and identify the level of priority PROCESS PHASE for each indicator. Pre-assessment • Open the second sheet ‘Advanced Scoring’ and start ranking from 1 Data gathering (negative) to 5 (positive) Analysis Impact and evaluation • Refer to the average scores for each dimension, as well as the two charts that will be automatically generated — one on the quality and the other on the alignment with SDG 11.7 Validate the scores with a selected group of stakeholders to ensure the 06 | expert team has carefully interpreted the results.

TOOLS: Digital scoring form example List of indicators - spreadsheet file

OUTPUTS: • Scored list of indicators • Report chapter summarising the scoring quality activity and outcomes

38 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

10. Recommendations Produce a suitability map and come up with a list of recommendations and actions to upgrade the public space and its walkable radius.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Review and discuss with the technical team members all gathered data Mandatory 01 | from previous activities Suggested time 1 week Go through the scoring form (filled in the previous activity) and Level of difficulty 02 | highlight the indicators that scored the lowest Medium Propose recommendations for each dimension and fill the first row of Participants 03 | Annex R ‘Expert recommendations’ Technical team Review the design policies and standards in place to understand if the 04 | recommendations are feasibile Materials needed Spatially locate the recommendations and priorities into a ‘suitability Base maps, tracing 05 | map’ paper, coloured pens, computer, Prioritise your recommendations considering the budget, impact and findings from previous 06 | time required to complete activities, scored list of Validate the results with a selected group of stakeholders indicators 07 |

TOOLS:

PROCESS PHASE Annex R | Recommendations and Feasibility (page 78) Pre-assessment Annex Q | Suitability map (page 77) Data gathering Annex S | Prioritisation (page 79) Analysis Annex U | Case study: Sharjah, a child-friendly city (page 82) Impact and evaluation

OUTPUTS: • Suitability map • The list of recommendations and action plan

Tips: -- It is recommended to complement this activity with a community design workshop Block by Block workshop (page 42) and an expert design studio Expert design studio (page 43) to make sure that community needs are also incorporated

39 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

MAP EXAMPLE Recommendations on suitability map

40 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMS OF: ACCESSIBILITY USE AND USERS FACILITIES COMFORT GREEN COVERAGE

41 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Block by Block workshop The Block by Block workshop uses the video-game Minecraft to co-design the public space with and by the community in a 3D model. Other design workshops can be used to get physical inputs from the community.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Optional Preparation: Suggested time Provide picture, videos and geolocation of the public space to the 3 days 01 | Minecraft Model developer at least one month prior the activity (this Level of difficulty will create a replica of the public space on Minecraft) Hard Participants 02 | Prepare a detailed agenda and all required materials Technical team + Schedule an adequate time, book a location and invite the participants community + key 03 | actors Install Minecraft on each computer and test if it works one day before Materials needed 04 | the workshop 1 Computer per group, Workshop: projector, papers, pen Welcoming the participants and start with an introduction on public 05 | spaces principles Do a quick site visit with the participants to identify the main 06 | challenges and opportunities 07 | Group the participants and assign 3 to 4 people per computer Train the participants on the basic commands and give them time to 08 | practice PROCESS PHASE Ask the participants to put their ideas physically in the model Pre-assessment 09 | Invite the groups to present their interventions to the wider audience, Data gathering 10 | key stakeholders and the technical team members Analysis Impact and evaluation 11 | Take note of the ideas and prepare a list of priorities Develop a final model with all the priorities to hand-over to the expert 12 | team

More information about TOOLS: the Block by Block Foundation can be found Step-by-Step technical guide and templates on the official website. Annex R | Recommendations and Feasibility (page 78)

OUTPUTS: www.blockbyblock.org • Block by Block workshop report including the list of priorities and screenshots of the community’s interventions • Final Minecraft model

42 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Expert design studio Design a good quality public space based on the comprehensive site- specific assessment findings and incorporate community’s ideas and needs into the technical proposal.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Invite the expert team with background in architecture, urban design, Optional 01 | landscape architecture, environmental specialists, academia and others Suggested time (see 1. Project preparation (page 26) to the design studio 3 weeks Level of difficulty Present all findings from the assessment as well as from the community Medium 02 | design studio Participants Go through the list of recommendations and the suitability map Technical team 03 | developed earlier Fill the ‘Experts recommendations’ in Annex R and cross-check the Materials needed 04 | community’s idea Base maps, tracing Come up with a final feasible list of recommendations that incorporate paper, coloured pens, 05 | both experts and community’s interventions outputs from previous activities, computer 06 | Brainstorm and propose with the team a masterplan draft proposal 07 | Divide tasks and develop the technical drawings 08 | Propose a tentative budget for the design proposal Propose an action plan for the short, medium and long-term 09 | implementation Present and validate the final design proposal with a wider audience PROCESS PHASE 10 | including the local authority, the community and key stakeholders Pre-assessment Data gathering If needed, review and finalise the design of the public space Analysis 11 | Impact and evaluation TOOLS: Annex T | Expert design studio guidelines (page 80) Annex S | Prioritisation (page 79) Annex R | Recommendations and Feasibility (page 78)

OUTPUTS • Final technical design proposals of the public space • Tentative budget

43 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

11. Comparative findings Measure impact and re-assess the quality of the public space one year after its implementation. Refine, scale up and extract lessons learnt.

STATS STEPS

Prioritization Go to the site one year after implementation and take pictures to Recommended 01 | compare them with the ones from before construction (see image on Suggested time the right) 3 days Level of difficulty Redo the counting people exercise to measure the number of users as 02 | well as the variety of people using the space Participants Ask the opinion of the users about the public space and collect Technical team + 03 | ‘beneficiaries voices’ community 04 | Redo the quality scoring activity based on observation and interviews Materials needed Do a comparative table to highlight the main changes in the indicators Notebook, camera or 05 | smartphone, computer If changes are positive, think of how to upscale, if negative refine your 06 | design by looking at which indicators are fallen behind 07 | Extract lesson learnt and use the gained knowledge in the further work

TOOLS: List of indicators - spreadsheet file Annex H | Photography / video (page 62) PROCESS PHASE Pre-assessment Annex I | Consent form (page 63) Data gathering Annex K | Counting people (page 66) Analysis Impact and evaluation OUTPUTS: • Before and after pictures collection • Comparative list of indicators and charts • Lesson learnt and actions moving forwards (refine, upscale, share, etc)

Tips: -- Evaluation and impact can also measure the increased land value due to public space intervention

44 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines Before and after image of a public space in Palestine © UN-Habitat

Placemaking week in Nairobi © UN-Habitat

45 Public space in Tripoli, Lebanon © Eva Studios Public space in Tripoli,

04Caption 04 CONCLUSION The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

From site-specific to city-wide: The need for "scaling-up"

Reliable data inventory of public space assets and can provide invaluable insights to strengthen is necessary for cities wishing to develop the planning and design process. Often, failing to comprehensive and sustainable planning strategies engage the community has resulted in unsuccessful through an evidence-based approach. Having a policies, poor planning decisions and failed detailed inventory with information of individual investments. For that, the activities provided in this sites — such as the accessibility, inclusivity and document have a high level of participation from comfort using these spaces; their management; the community where data are collected by and their maintenance framework and operational with them and their ideas are always reflected. costs — can inform design choices and investment Early and comprehensive community engagement decisions. However, detailed spatial inventories are can reduce the likelihood of planning and design still lacking, especially in many low- and medium- mistakes. income countries. When people have the tools for collaboration The Public Space Site-specific Assessment provides with them, they start using them in a variety of the user with the necessary tools and activities in ways. People all over the world are increasingly order to gather relevant data about an individual demanding a say in the way that their cities are site at the neighbourhood level. While it is often planned and designed. The Public Space Site- considered costly and time consuming for a city to specific Assessment offers a platform for dialogue dispatch staff to do surveys, the Assessment offers between the community, professionals and the a range of activities that are affordable and cost- local authority leading to changing mindsets and effective. Most importantly, through this document, attitudes towards a “collective responsibility” the user will understand how to gather valuable to public spaces. Participation at different levels data to assess the quality of public spaces and the can help bridge the gap between the general process to select appropriate recommendations. public and local governments and can change the relationship from being combative to supportive The Assessment adopts an incremental approach and collaborative. focusing on public participation and including marginalized groups in the process. The Global The results from the assessment can inform the Public Space Programme’s urban planning and design and ensure that the right solutions are in design approach places people at the centre and place for more inclusive, accessible and safe public recognizes fundamentally that engaging residents spaces. Architects and planners can also use the early through community engagement leads to findings as a base where urban design becomes effectiveness. Residents know their neighbourhood a solution to meet the community’s needs rather

48 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

than beautification. After implementation, the cultural and heritage value of places. design solutions are later measured to evaluate whether the public space has generated a UN-Habitat invites cities and engaged organisations positive social and environmental impact at the to take part in this co-assessment of cities of the neighbourhood level. Lessons learnt and the gained future. Together, we need to ensure that these knowledge from the process can help refine the tools are further developed with sustainable urban design, improve the process and ultimately reach development and inclusion in mind to co-create scale beyond the neighbourhood. quality public spaces.

While the Assessment leads in having local recommendations at the site level, these should feed into a more general overview at the city level. The Global Public Space Programme often City level recommends conducting a City-wide Public Space rn rn up 1 a a e Assessment as a first step towards site selection e e al caLrd cardc n for upgrading. If not previously done, a city- is is S ear wide assessment of the public spaces helps to L understand better the distribution, the network Refine Refine Refine and the management system of the public spaces of the city. In this way, more strategic and systemic recommendations could be proposed to enhance sustainable development of the public space network, creating a greater impact at the city level. The benefit of preparing a city-wide strategy is

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Learn and refine Use the knowledge from the test phase in the further work, either with the speci c pilot project or in other projects or processes.

49 “I’m happy to say that we did it. The area is clean now. It doesn’t smell any more, and all the things we made are so beautiful. When you come in, you only see good things. The neighborhood children flock to this area on Saturdays and Sundays, and the neighbors are happy to have a clean, nice place to play and relax.” Hana Jenbaru, Ras Mekonnen workshop Ras Mekonnen beneficiaries, Ethiopia © Katla studio ANNEX 52 considering twovariables:powerandaffinity. of theproject. Itgeneratesagraphicrepresentation ofthesocialandinstitutionalstructure ofacontext, This toolhelpstounderstandtheexistingsocialnetworkanddynamics,identifykeystakeholders Annex A|Stakeholders’mapping The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines project. Affinity: thetermaffinity refers totheinterest andthecommitmentofanentityon decision-making process oftheproject. Power: thetermrefers totheinstitutional, financialand/orsocialinfluenceofanentityonthe POWER AFFINITY 06 | 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 |

Validate theresults oftheexercise withkeyrepresentatives. Depending onthelevelofpowerandaffinity, different activities Discuss whichstakeholdersshouldbeengagedamongtheprocess, Draw linesandarrows torepresent therelation between your engagementstrategy. workshop andthediscussiongroups. Usethetemplatetoidentify high affinity levelsbutlimitedpowershouldbeinvolvedduringthe are proposed toengagestakeholders.Forinstance,actorswith considering project constraintsandopportunities. stakeholders (collaborative,partially, conflictive,neutral,ect.). their levelofpowerandaffinity in relation totheproject. Use thematrixtemplatetopositioneachstakeholderconsidering minorities are represented. that allthedifferent actorsare mappedandvulnerablegroups and Make alistofallthestakeholdersconnectedtoproject. Ensure

cut here cut here Print thetemplateandmapyourstakeholders The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines

INTERVIEW POWER

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Ac�ve Passive Neutral Passive Ac�ve AFFINITY Opposi�on Support 53 54 Select youractivitiesandtoolsvalidateproject timeline. capacities. Eachactivityshowsitslevelofpriorityandparticipation. activities are mandatory, andthetechnicalteamcanadjustitstimelineconsideringproject objectivesand The followingtableliststheproposed activitiesofthePublicSpaceSiteSpecificAssessment Tool. Notallthe Annex B|Project timeline The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines ! Activities thataremandatory Block byworkshop 10) Recommendations Expert designstudio 11) Comparativefindings 8) Findingsmap 7) Focusgroup discussion 5) Interviews 4) Sitesurvey 3) Observations 1) Project preparation 9) Qualityscoring 6) Exploratorywalks 2) Deskresearch ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Impact andevaluation feasibility Recommendations and Photography /video spreadsheet file List ofindicators- guidelines Expert designstudio and templates Step-by-Step technicalguide spreadsheet file List ofindicators- Mapping Workshop agenda Mapping List ofparticipants questionnaire How toformulateadigital population representative sampleof How todefinea Consent form population representative sampleof How todefinea Photography /video Mapping Observation notebook Project timeline Stakeholder mapping Pre-assessement Data gathering Analysis Activities withhighlevelofparticipation Evaluation form S.W.O.T. analysis Walking routes map Online digitalsurvey Online digitalsurvey questionnaire How toformulateadigital Counting people Digital measuringandrecording Prioritisation Suitability map Digital scoringformexample Consent form Counting people Prioritisation Recommendations andfeasibility Setting commongoalsandvalues

cut here cut here The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines

pre- assessment data gathering phase analysis phase phase week 1 week 2 week 3 week 4 week 5 week 6 week 7 week 8 week 9 week 10

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cut here approaches. Basicanssimplifiedguidelinesare presented below: Population samplingrequires scientificallyaccuratemethodologies basedonprobabilistic andstatistical especially themostvulnerable.Diversityisguidingprincipleforagoodsamplingexercise. to ensure agoodrepresentation ofthecommunity. Thiswillguaranteethatdifferent voicesare heard; When doingparticipatoryactivities,itisimportanttodefinea representative sampleoftheneighbourhood Annex D|Definea representative sampleofthepopulation The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Tips: - - - - Large samples can be very inefficient,whilesmallsamplescanresult ininaccuraterepresentationofthepopulation. Large samplescanbevery then alsoyoursample shouldhavethisproportion. Pay attentiontothepopulationcomposition: If50%ofyourneighbourhoodiscomposedbyelderlymale persons, educa�on educa�on 50! 50! 50! 50! 06 | 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | Steps: 07 | - - - - If thedemographicdataare available:useastratifiedsampling If thedemographicdataare not available: useasimplesystematic Define thesamplecompositionbyselectingmostadequate Define thesamplegroup size, usingopensource platforms(e.g. Gather informationaboutthepopulationofneighbourhoodin In thecaseofsitesurvey, drawanimaginarysquare infront ofyou - - - - method. sampling method. available. randomization method,dependingonthedemographicdata qualtrics orsurveysystem) terms ofsizeandcomposition the sampleiscomposedonlybyselectedtargetcategory choose aspecifictargetgroup (women, children, etc).Inthatcase, walkable radius.Onecanchoosetokeepitgeneralorifneeded Define thetargetgroup focusingonthepopulationwithin frequency canchangedependingonthecrowd). and approach everythird personwhowalksthrough thatsquare (the amount ofcandidates. Select randomlyfrom eachsub-stratificationaproportionate people, etc.). group isequallyrepresented (women,children, youth,elderly Identify onecandidateforeachhousehold,ensuringthatevery sector (privatesector, publicsector, NGOs,student,etc.),etc. based ononecriteriawhichcouldbeage,gender, educationlevel, Divide thepopulationtargetintoitssub-demographicgroups change dependingonthesamplesize. Pick onehouseunitevery10bells.Thisnumbercould educa�on educa�on educa�on educa�on 57 58 Annex E|Listofparticipants The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Full Name Age Gender Organisation email Signature

cut here cut here Write Sketch And now more descriptivereport. Usethefollowingtemplatetoregister yourobservation. abbreviations, iconsandsketches.Thesescratchnotesare crucial toformulateattheendofsurveya writing andsketching,writedownkeywords, briefquotationsandshortinsights,perhapsusing should developapersonalmethodorcodingsystemtorecord information inthenotebook.Useboth This toolhelpstoregister smalldetailsthatare oftenrelevant inunderstandingpubliclife.Eachobserver Annex F|ObservationNotebook The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Observe, listen, be patient, interact and experience with all your senses! ... Observe,listen,bepatient,interactandexperiencewithallyoursenses! 59 60 Follow thesestepstomakethisexercise easierandfun! movement flows,activitiesandfacilities,aswellpersonalperceptions andfeelings. Mapping isagreat tooltotrackmore accuratespatialcomponents ofthepublicdynamics,suchas Annex G|Mapping The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Tips: - - Refer tothefollowing bookletdraftforinspiration: clickhere 07 | 06 | 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | Organise themapsindifferent thematics,usingthefivedimensions Possibly, asksomeuserstomaptheirroutine (activities,paths, Possibly, useaGPSdevicelikeyoursmartphonetocollectgeo- Map patientlythepubliclifeanddynamics.Moveinspaceto Define asimplecodingsystemwithcolours,arrows andiconsto Print thebasemapanddrawobservationarea boundary, whichis Prepare ascaledbasemapofthesite.Thiscouldbean official map covered, themapshouldfocusonmainissuesof space. quality componentsare monitored. Notalltheindicatorsneedstobe and thelistofindicatorsasareference, toensure thatmostofthe collection. landmarks, etc.).Thisinteractionwillstrongly addvaluetothedata well assmell,floodingissues,garbagepiles,etc. referenced informationaboutlocationofservices,urbanfurniture, as gather more informationand different perspectives. analysis. map amenities,functionsandactivities.Makeaclearlegendforlater the ‘walkableradius’. accurate handdrawing. provided bythemunicipality, butalsoasimplersatelliteimageoran

cut here cut here critical observation. Mapping emotionsandpersonalperceptions sometimesmightbechallenging.Itrequires concentrationand How dowemapemotionsandpersonalperceptions? The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines frustration surprise peace warm cold joy fear Map ofstreet hierarchy andmovementflows inAlMuwailehpublicspace inSharjah,UAE. 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | Once allyourpointsare collected, gobackandtrytounderstandwhich Pin onamapthefeelingsperceived inthedifferent locationandwrite Select twocolourstorepresent thepositive(green) ornegative(red) Firstly, brainstormonwhichfeelingsmayberelated tothequalityof identified, writedownsomenotesclosetoeachpoint. good visibility?Howare thefaçades around it?Oncethereasons are unsafe? Are there peopleoractivitiesaround thespace?Doesithave are thereasons behindthatfeeling.Forinstance,Whydoyoufeel GPS device. the emotionwhilekeepingaconsistentterminology. Ifneeded,usea highlight different degrees ofperception. connotation oftheperception and usedarkerorlightershadowsto isolation, familiarity, frustrationare someoftheaspectstofocuson. public space.Forinstance,climateperception (warm,cold,wind),safety, 61 62 words, andtocapture inmemorydetailsthatmightget lostaftersometime. Pictures andshortvideossupporttheobservationactivity, toreport peculiaraspectshard todescribewith Annex H|Photography/video The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Example ofgoodandbadpictures: before Image is blurry andnotinformative Image isblurry The carisblockingtheview a�er 07 | 06 | 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | Once thesurveyiscompleted,organisecollectionbyday, hour, Take fewpictures from anelevated point.Later, thesewillhelpto mayalsobeusefultorecordVideo specificactivities, eventsorsounds. Pin thepictures onthemapand give themanumber. Thiswillbe Take landscapepictures withoutupcloseobstacles.Pictures should Request permissionbefore takingpictures ofpeople,especially if It ispossibletousebothacameraorsmartphonewithgood phase. topic and/ordimension.Thiswillbeveryusefulduringtheanalysis implementation. compare thecurrent conditionswiththedesignproposals andthefinal helpful duringtheanalysisphase. indicators. capture qualitativeand/or quantitative informationrelated tothe try tobuildagoodleveloffamiliaritywiththepublicbefore. children. Photographyinsome contextsmightbeanintrusivepractice, resolution. Makesure thebatteryischarged. Using afanduringhightemperature Kids playinginthepublicspace

cut here cut here Use thefollowingtemplatetorequest consentforpictures orquotes. Annex I|Consentform The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Signature Email Telephone Address Full Name [To befilledbythepartner, participantorbeneficiary] communications. you givethe[Nameofproject lead] thepermissiontouseyourstoryinour of [Nameproject lead]’s workontheground. Bycompleting this form, are usingourservices.This helpstodemonstratethechangesandimpact share publiclytheexperiences ofthepartners,participantsandbeneficiarieswho [Name ofproject lead]produces arangeofcommunications resources to Date Location Name oftheproject To befilledby[nameofproject lead] CONSENT FORMTOUSEPERSONALQUOTES,TESTIMONIALS, PHOTOS ANDSTORIESFROMPARTICIPANTS, PARTNERS AND BENEFICIARIES 63 64 design perspective. During theobservation,measuringandrecording specificindicators enableyoutoobservethespacewitha limit theaccessofwheelchairspeopleandchildren. lighting levelsandcarspeedaffect people’s healthandsafety. Forinstance,steeprampsorhighstreet curbs inclusivity, accessibilityandcomfort.Factorssuchassound,airpollution,extreme temperatures, inadequate Environmental andphysicalfeatures ofthepublicspacestrongly influencehumanbehaviour, reducing Annex J|Digitalmeasurements and recording The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines z >30 y >10 x <50 06 | 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | Value yourcriticalobservation!Sometimesthequality ofpublicspace Observe from adifferent perspective!Publicspacesshouldbedesigned Pin onthemapanycriticalvaluethatrepresents anobstacleorathreat Measure theparametersin different locationsandassessthem,by Select, collectanddownloadthesuggestedmeasuringtoolsto Research andgathernational andlocaldesignstandards andpolicies and numbers. is more influencedbyusersperception ratherthantheactualvalues elements thatyouconsiderrelevant foraspecificgroup ofpeople. to welcomeuserswithdifferent designneeds.Measure anyfurther for theusers. comparing themwiththelocalstandards following table(seepage65). monitor thepublicspacequality—meter, smartphoneapps,etc.(see regarding thesemeasures andfillthecolumn.

cut here cut here Print thefollowingtemplateandmeasure yourpublicspace! The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines * Thesefields aremandatory, while otherscanbemeasureddepending onthecontext. Sun andshadowpath stair riseheight* Street curbsheightand crossing * Distance betweenzebra Drainage capacity Seating height* Ramps inclination* Car speed* sources * Distance betweenlight Light power Decibel Water quality Air quality handrails) (benches, pavement, Surface temperature Air temperature Value tomeasure Desk research Observation Metric measurement Metric measurement Expert interviewordeskresearch Metric measurement Metric measurement required bythecartogofrom AtoB) A-B analysedandmeasure thetime chronometer (measure thedistance Metric measurement and Municipal speedometer Personal perception Metric measurement Light Meterfree) Smartphone app(e.LuxMeter, Lux Personal perception Decibel sensor Smartphone app(e.SoundMeter) Personal perception, Expert interviewordeskresearch colour) Observation (presence ofgarbage, Air pollutionsensor Expert interviewordeskresearch, Personal perception, Surface temperature sensor Questionnaire, Personal perception, Smartphone app(e.MyAcuRite) Thermometer Desk research Personal perception, Tools suggested standard local National/ measured Value Compare 65 66 and fewstepsare required toconducttheexercise. movement modes.Severaldigitalandanalogicalsystemsare availabletomonitorpeoplemovementflow inclusivity andaccessibilityofaspace,byanalysingthenumbervarietyusers,aswell Another methodtomeasure thepublicspacequalityisbycountingpeople.Thistoolanalyses Annex K|Countingpeople The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Midday public spaceindifferent timesoftheday. Example ofpeoplecountingapplicationforsmartphone,comparing thenumberofpeoplepassingbya 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | Conduct theexercise intwo orthree strategicpointsofthesite, During theobservation,drawanimaginarylineinfront ofyou Schedule different sessionstoanalysemovementflowsin Organize your‘peoplematrix’indifferent categories,to Download amobileapplicationforpeoplecounting(e.g.Click to monitormovementflowsindifferent locations. minutes. and counteverypersoncrossing that lineforaperiodof10 different daysandtimeoftheweek. older persons,peoplewithdisability, cyclists,etc. monitor peoplediversity:children, girls, boys,women,men, Counter , MultiCounter)orprinttheattachedtemplate. Evening

cut here cut here Print thefollowingtemplateandcountpeopleinyourpublicspace: The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Cyclists Disable people Older persons Men Women Boys Girls Children (0-10) Cyclists Disable people Older persons Men Women Boys Girls Children (0-10) Cyclists Disable people Older persons Men Women Boys Girls Children (0-10) Position 3 Position 2 Position 1 Morning Week day Morning Week day Morning Week day Midday Midday Midday Evening Evening Evening Morning Morning Morning Weekend Weekend Weekend Midday Midday Midday Evening Evening Evening Morning Morning Morning Holiday Holiday Holiday Midday Midday Midday Evening Evening Evening 67 68 How tocreate yourdigitalquestionnaire infewsteps: to generateautomaticallystatisticchartsaboutthekeyquestionsandanswers. users. Itenablesyoutoeasilystructure thequestionnaire inmain topics, toorganisethedatacollectedand forms and/orKoboToolbox. Digitalmodesare user-friendly toolstogatherdatainlocofrom andwiththe Powerful toolstoconductsitesurveysandexploratorywalksare digitalquestionnaires, suchasGoogle Annex L|Howtoformulateyourdigitalquestionnaire The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines available andprovide thesameresult. The GPSPhasbeenusingtheKobo toolboxasanonlinegatheringdatatool.Otherapplications are also Note: CM CM CM CM CM L L L L L ! ! ! ! ! 15 15 15 15 15 05 | 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | Download KoboToolbox, create anaccountandinsertthequestions, For sitesurveys,structure thequestions tocovernomore than Questions andmultiple-choiceanswersmustusesimplelanguage Formulate thequestions.Questionsofsitesurveysare usuallyclosed, Discuss withthetechnicalteammaintopicsthat specifying whetheritisforsitesurveyorexploratorywalks both. should gathermore specificinformation. exploratory walks,thequestionnaire couldbeslightlylongerasit 15 minutesofactivity, includingtheusersinterviews.Whilefor age, job,etc.)togeneratestatisticalresults. unexpected answers.Insertasectionofgeneralinformation(gender, sentences. Thequestionnaire should beflexibletowelcomeany and clearvocabularyshouldavoidmisleadingtendentious answers. well-structured, requiring yes/no,multiple-choiceorconciseopen dimensions andthelistofindicators. questionnaire shouldcover. Whiledoingthis,keepinmindthefive

cut here cut here Sample listofquestions The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Online surveyquestionnaire -KoboToolbox questionbase How hastheplacechangedovertime? When wasthisplacedesignedand built? if other, specify space? Local identity:Howdotheresidents identifywiththe If other, specify If marketplaces If publicfacilities What isthetypologyofpublicspace? If other, specify Major adjoiningland-usefunctions space? Is thespaceconsideringaformaloraninformalpublic Provide managementauthoritycontactdetail If other, specify If non-government if other, specify institutions andgovernment If government Management ofthespace: if other, specify owned If non-governmentally if other, specify owned If city/Localgovernment Ownership ofthepublicspace Take aphotoofthepublic spacefrom different angle Take apicture ofthepublicspace Name ofNeighbourhood Scale ofthepublicspace Take ageo-locationofthe publicspace Name ofthePublicSpace General Identification SITE-SPECIFIC ASSESSMENT assessment? What timeofthedayare youconductingthe assessment? What dayoftheweekare youconductingthe Specify thetypeofassessmentyouare conducting: TYPE OFASSESSMENT bulb cover)“ (e.g. theconditionofpole, bulbandcables,the space. Ratetheinfrastructure ofthelightingsystem Rate theconditionofstreet lightsinthepublic Rate adequacyofthestreet lightsinthepublicspace Is there street lightinginthepublicspace? space rate theconditionofartificialshadeinpublic Rate adequacyoftheartificialshadeinpublicspace space Rate theconditionofplay-furniture inthepublic space Rate theadequacyofplay-furniture inthepublic disabilities? Are theplay-furniture usableforpersonalwith if other, specify What playingfurniture exist? space Rate theconditionofseatingfacilitiesinpublic space rate theadequacyofseatingfacilitiesinpublic How manyseatingfacilitiesare they? Take thepicture oftheshade(artificial) Take thepicture ofseatingfurniture Take thepicture ofplayfurniture fountain) Take thepicture oftheartificialwaterbodies(e.g.: Take apicture ofthemonument/statue what isthenameofmonument/statue? public space? Which ofthefollowingurbanfurniture existinsidethe Urban furniture, artificialelementsassessment the area ofthepublicspace? Who are themainpeoplelivingandworkingaround public space? What istheaveragevalueoflandadjacentto Socio-Economic if yes,specify conflicts? Is thespaceassociatedwithanyaccomplishmentsor 69 70 Sample listofquestions(continued) The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines What typeofplantsare beingcultivatedinthespace? space? Is there anyurbanagriculture takingplaceintheopen greenery inthePublicspace Take apicture to showtheavailabilityoftrees and Count andinsertthenumberoftrees inthespace Rate theconditionoftree coverageinthepublicspace Is there enoughtree coverage? Are there trees intheopenspace? the publicspace Rate theconditionofgrass/vegetationcoveragein rate thelevelofgrass/vegetationcoverage vegetation? Is thesurfaceofpublicspacecovered withgrassor space rate theconditionofdrainageditchesinpublic Rate thedrainageditchesinpublicspace space? Is there anytypeofdrainage,ditchesinthepublic public space Rate theconditionofwaterfountainortapin in thepublicspace Rate adequacyofthewaterfountainandortap Is there anywatertapinthepublicspace? Rate theconditionofsignageinpublicspace sign, other) Is there anysignageinthepublicspace?(bicycle,stop public space Rate theconditionofpublictoiletfacility(ies)in space rate adequacyofpublictoiletfacilitiesinthe Are theydemarcated andseparatedbygender space? Are there publictoilets/ablutionfacilitiesinthe Are there uncollectedgarbagearound thespace? space rate theconditionofgarbagebinsinpublic public space Rate adequacyofthenumbergarbagebinsin How manytrash-binsare they? Are there anytrash-binsinthepublicspace? Rate thelightingconditionduringnight If no,why? neighbourhood? is thespaceaccessiblebyanyoneoutside ofthe public space?(e.g.potholes,etc) Are there anyobstaclesforpedestrianmovementinthe If yes,howmany? Are there anyCCTVcamerasinthePUBLICSPACE? space Rate theconditionofbicycleparkinginpublic space Rate theamountofbicycleparkinginpublic Is there anybicycleparkinginthepublicspace? parking andpedestrianflow? are there physicalmeasures tosegregate vehicular public space Rate theconditionofvehicularparkingin public space rate adequacyofthevehicularparkingnextto is there atleastonepriorityparkingforthedisabled If yes,indicatethenumberofspots Is there adesignatedparkingnexttothepublicspace? Indicate iftheseinclusiveinfrastructures exist If other, specify Rate theconditionofcyclelane Rate theconditionofpedestriansidewalk Rate theconditionofstreets/roads Which infrastructure existtoACCESSthesite If other, specify Which ofthefollowingdescribestypefence? Is thepublicspacefenced? Is theentranceconvenientandaccessiblebyall? Please record theGPSlocationofentrance Entrance ofthepublicspace If controlled hours,inserttheopeninghours Indicate thelevelofaccessibility Accessibility Assessment If other, specify

cut here cut here Sample listofquestions(continued) The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines space? whomdochildren interactorusethepublic With If no,how? If yes,how? public space? Do children, boysandgirlshaveequalaccesstoplay in the publicspace? Which ofthefollowingplayrelated activitiesoccurin If Non-organizedorinformalactivities If organizedorformalactivities Classify thetypeoffunction(s)oractivities to interview5localpeopleforthisquestion Function(s) oractivitiesinthepublicspaceMandatory People withdisabilities... People withdisabilitiesmainlyare the timeofsurvey please tickonthenumberofpeoplewithdisabilitiesat Elderly-men mainlyare of survey please tickonthenumberofelderly-menattime Elderly-female mainlyare of survey please tickonthenumberofelderly-femaleattime Men mainlyare please tickonthenumberofmenattimesurvey Women mainlyare survey please tickonthenumberofwomenattime Young-men mainlyare of survey please tickonthenumberofyoung-menattime Young-female mainlyare of survey please tickonthenumberofyoung-femaleattime Boys mainlyare please tickonthenumberofboysattimesurvey Girls mainlyare please tickonthenumberofgirlsattimesurvey Who are theusersofpublicspace? Use andusers of thespace If yes,selecttheweatherconditionthatlimitsuse Does theweatherinfluenceuseofspace? if yes,whatare therules? okay ornottodohere? Are there anyrules(postedorunspoken)aboutwhatis If other, specify infrastructure problems facingthisneighbourhood? What doyouthinkare theTHREEmostimportant directions? Does thepublicspaceoffer pleasantviewsindifferent Sound pollution below Measure the“db.”ofarea andselectfrom thelist enjoyable userexperience? Is thepublicspacenoisyandinterfere withan Rate thelevelofunpleasantodour/smell quality) thatinterferes withtheuserexperience? Is there anyunpleasantodour/smell(regarding air Comfort Assessment If no,explainhowdifferent itis night asofduringtheday? Is thefunctionofpublicspacesameduring 71 72 the exercise, followingsomebasicguidelines. the siteanditswalkableradiustogetherwithcommunity. Itisimportanttoselectaheadtheroutes of The walkingroutes mapare usedduringthe‘exploratory walks’activityandaimtodiscoverthequalityof Annex M|Walking routes map The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Example ofwalking routesmapforthe‘exploratory walk’activity 45 45 45 45 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 04 | 03 | 02 | 01 | As theoverallactivitylasts2hours,notethatwalkshould Define 3-5stopsforeach route, tofacilitateparticipants Draw fivepossiblewalking routes, ensuringthattheycoverthe Analyse theneighbourhoodandidentifyspecificelements, take nomore than45minutes, includingthestops. in ashadedarea andsafe from vehicularflowandtraffic. beforehand (seepage69). Possibly, thestopsshouldbelocated observation andthequestionnaire compilationprepared most iconicofthearea. walkable radiusaswellavarietyofelements,specificallythe functions andlandmarks,whichstrongly represent thearea.

cut here cut here Annex N|Workshop agenda The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines 12:30 -13:00 12:00 -12:30 11:00 -12:00 10:30 -11:00 10:15 -10:30 9:30 -10:15 9:00 -9:30 8:30 -9:00 Time Closing remarks Presentation Mapping exercise Five dimension Break SWOT analysis Brainstorming / Introduction open remarks Welcome and Activity evaluation questionnaire. the process andaskfeedbackofthesessionwithan The facilitatorsclosethesession,explain nextstepof dimension isdefined. aspects. Inthisway, acomprehensive final mapforeach The othergroups shouldinterveneandsuggestmissing The groups present theoutputofmappingexercise. more details,useannex03. groups discussandmapeachindicatorinamap.For comfort andsafety, environmental components). The (accessibility, useandusers,amenitiesfurnitures, group isassignedwithadimensionofthepublicspace The participantare dividedinsmallergroups. Each the indicators. exercise andexplainswhichare thefivedimensions and The facilitatorbriefstheparticipantsaboutmapping 11 formore detailsaboutthisexercise. and opportunitiesoftheanalysedpublicspace.Useannex The facilitatorinvitesparticipantstodiscussthechallenges to express theirideasaboutpublicspace. This momentshouldbehighlyinteractive,invitingpeople spaces insociallifeandSustainableDevelopmentGoals. such aswhatisapublicspace,theimpactofqualitative The facilitatorintroduces basicconceptsofthesession project. Theagendaofthesessionisexplained. by someopeningremarks ofkeyrepresentatives ofthe The participantsregister atthesessionandare welcomed Description questionnaire Evaluation Computer, projector paper, coloured pens indicators, tracing Base maps,listof computer, projector presentation, Powerpoint Coffee andsnacks pens, post-it Flip chart,coloured computer, projector presentation, Powerpoint list ofparticipants Coffee andsnacks, Materials required 73 74 use asimplifiedtemplate(challengesandopportunities),consideringtheaudience. Note: sometimestheS.W.O.T. Analysismightbetoocomplextounderstand,thereforethefacilitator could Use thefollowingstepsandtemplatetoanalysecomponentsofyourpublicspace: feature ofthepublicspacemayincrease orlimititsquality, force. orexternal actingasaninternal connotations.Anelementora of thesecategoriesdependingonitspositive/negativeandinternal/external opportunities andthreats ofthepublicspaceanditswalkableradius.Acomponentisclassifiedunderone During thefocusgroup discussion,theS.W.O.T. analysishelpstohighlightthestrengths, weaknesses, The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Steps: Annex O|S.W.O.T. analysis Threats: Opportunities: Weakness: Strength: negatively influencesthepublicspaceandgenerateissues. andnegativefactor.It isanexternal Itisaunfavourablecontextualfactorthat influences thepublicspaceandgeneratebenefits. andpositivefactor.It isanexternal Itisafavorablecontextualfactorthatpositively space thatlimitsthequalityofarea anditcouldbeimproved. andnegativefactor.It isaninternal Itischaracteristicoracomponentofthepublic space thatincreases thevalueand qualityofthearea. andpositivefactor.It isaninternal Itischaracteristicoracomponentofthepublic 03 | 02 | 01 | 05 | 04 | First, focusonpositiveandnegativefactors.Discusswiththe Distribute coloured post-its.Participants are supposedtowrite Explain brieflythepurposeofexercise andthedefinitionof Finally, review the results collectivelyand move thepost-itswhich Secondly, factors.Discusswiththe andexternal focusoninternal their ideas. providing someexamples.Invitetheparticipantstowritedown participants whichare thepositiveandnegativefactors position. their thoughtsandstickthemonthematrixinmostadequate S.W.O.T. might haveanincorrect location. accordingly andaddanyfurtherthoughts. Invitetheparticipantstostick theirideasonthematrix or external. participants whichofthecomponentspreviously listedare internal

cut here cut here Select andprintoneofthefollowingtemplate. Template 1:S.W The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines Template 2:OpportunitiesandChallengesanalysis External Internal Opportunities Opportunities Strengths .OT . Analysis Positive Weaknesses Challenges Threats Negative 75 76 Poster: You canusethree methodstocollecttheinformation: necessary foreachparticipanttoanswerallthequestions. This formwillhelpcollectmaterialandparticipantvoicesmore systematically, inthemoment.Itisnot help thetechnicalteamtoevaluateprocess andtheconductedactivities. Distribute theevaluationformtoparticipantsandaskcompileitanonymouslyiftheywish.Thiswill Annex P|Evaluationform The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines repeating during thegroup discussionifthat isthecase NOTE: Someofthefollowupquestions mayhavebeenresponded with thefirstquestion.Pleaseavoid 5 5.3 5.2 5.1 6 6.1 7 7.1 7.2 4.1 4.3 4.2 4.5 4.4 4 1 2 3 # How wasittousedigitaltool? workshops? If so,whatdoyouthinkworkedbetter/worseinthose Have youeverbeeninotherparticipatorydesignworkshops? average /poor) How wastheassistanceandtrainingprovided? (Good/ Was iteasytousedigitaltool?(Yes /averageno) Are youhappywithyourcontribution?Why? design address them? What are thechallengesindesignarea? Howdidthe Do youthinkthisworkshophasbeenhelpfulforyou?How? Is there inthisworkshop?What? anythingyouhavelearnt what you have learnt inthisworkshop? what youhavelearnt Where, whenandhowdoyouthinkwillbeabletoapply What didyoulikethemostaboutworkshop? What doyouthinkcouldhavemadetheworkshopbetter? What didyouliketheleastaboutworkshop? Would youcometoanotherworkshopagain? too short? Do youthinkthattheworkshopwas:toolong/righttime Did youenjoytheactivity?(Yes /averageno) Who are you?(Resident,interviewee,etc) How didyouhearabouttheworkshop/activity? What madeyoucometotheworkshop? Questions Anonymous cards: Group discussion: include themost‘delicate’questions includes questionsthatcanberatedandhasaspaceforideas at theendofworkshop:includequalitativequestions discussion Group X X X X X X X X X X X Poster X X X X cards Anonymous X X X

cut here cut here Steps: unsafe intheeveningduetolackofvisibilitythenconsideraddinglighting(Example:seepage40) on themapwhere interventionscanandshouldtakeplace.Forexample,ifonearea hasbeenidentifiedas proposed inthedifferent activitiesandtheissueidentifiedinfindingsmaps.Itisfirststeptolocalise The suitabilitymapidentifiesactionsandinterventionsspatiallyinthepublicspace,basedonideas Annex Q|Suitabilitymap The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines

priori�espriori�es m m 06 | 05 | 04 | 01 | 03 | 02 | Cross-check againwiththe listofprioritieswhetherallthecomponentshas Use fivecolours-oneforeachdimensionandwritesomekeynotessuch Pair theopportunitiesorrecommendations withthechallengesonmap been includedandvalidatetheresults withaselectedgroup ofstakeholders. as “bikelane”,“seatingarea”, “sidewalks” (seefigure). space. it requires somecriticalthinking,tolocatethefeasibleinterventionsin by creating symbolsorcustomised legend.Thisstepisveryimportantand Review andupdate(ifneeded)thefivefinalmaps from theactivity8aswell Use thelistofrecommendations asareference toprioritizethepotential Locate thechallengesonabasemapthrough aformoficonorsimilar as allthechallengesthathasbeenhighlightedinotheractivities. interventions proposed duringthe participatoryworkshops/activities. m m m m m m m m m m m m IMPROVEMENTS INTERMSOF: 5 1 77 78 Below isanexampleonhowtofilter recommendations andmakesure theyare feasibleforyourcontext: Annex R|RecommendationsandFeasibility The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines

Recommendations Feasibility

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Community Expert recommendations

Add footpaths Add signages Pool Football court Coffee shops Slides Swings Benches cameras Add CCTV Add fence Add shades and flowers Add greenery Add trees recommendations • • • • • environment and flowers Add greenery Add trees recycable bins Add trees Solar lighting Green Not Feasible • • • • • • Comfort and No spacetofitapool,considerwater elements(fountain) cameras Add CCTV Add fence Add shades branches) obstacles, tree (remove visibility Increase walls vandalised on topof Paint (art) Add shades safety Amenities and • • • • • • • • • • • • furnitures recommended Feasible butnot Toilet Waste bins Sports activity Coffee shops Playground Benches Pool Football court Coffee shops Slides Swings Benches Not enoughspace(consideramini-court) (presence ofactivities) Ensure safetythrough othermeans Recommended tokeepthespaceopen • • • • all ages activities for functional Ensure multi- facilities adding kids children by number of Increase for parents Resting space facilities Children Use • • • • • • Feasible Accessibility Add footpaths Add signages Add signages Bike lanes Safe crossings access for wheelchair Add ramps

cut here cut here Annex S|Prioritisation The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines • • • • • • • • • List offinal recommendations Final feasible recommendations Budget andmaintenance Toilet Add signages Coffee shops Crossings Swings Benches Add shades Add greenery andflowers Add trees • • • • • • • • • Toilet Add signages Coffee shops Crossings Swings Benches Add shades and flowers Add greenery Add trees

m U s e i ng t r i c

t s Har he Expensive

r i d g ht

K O ” b ”Fi L a ill v e rri e g t y r h

e o c i t t o r u maintenance Affordable butrequires high

s f g m r o

o d r e !

short term(0-6months) a

i ” t r ! lin Can haveagreat impact ” g s L H o i g w h

Requires irrigationandloaning i i m

x x x x x x x Need m p p a a c c t t L ” ”Rais s A o J y u dd n w s e t

s h r C

m d t g e i m a r r

e y o a o n t p a t

h e r i t a i n e t i g e c n !

i g t

g c ” / Op b

f l Increase safety a Medium (1year) o r u r p w ! i ” o t Affordable b r t a u rri n x x i e t i r e s s

E a s y 79 80 Day 1 The agendaoftheworkshopcouldasfollow: public. some 3Dvisualisationscouldbealsodevelopedtoshowthedesignnon-professional andthegeneral measurements, materials,typeofvegetationandanyfurtherdetailsincludingatentativebudget.Possibly, up withdesignsolutionsandtechnicaldrawings.Thefinaloutputisadetailedmapindicationsof suitability mapandthelistofrecommendations. Theworkshopengagesalargergroup ofexpertstocome The two-dayparticipatorydesignstudioaimsatdevelopingthefirstproposal basedonthe Annex T|Expertdesignstudioguidelines The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines 14:00 -17:00 13:00 -14:00 12:00 -13:00 11:30 -12:00 10:30 -11:30 9:00 -10:30 8:30 -9:00 Time layout Design studio-defining Lunch break solutions Design studio-defining practices studies andgood Presentation ofcase recommendations map andlistof Review ofsuitability Site visit remarks Welcome andopen Activity previously identified the interventionsandsolution layout, byaccommodating Define thenewpublicspace space current challengesofthepublic and interventionsthattacklethe Define asetofpossiblesolutions might inspire thedesignstudio studies andgoodpracticesthat case national andinternational A focalpointpresents some the sitevisit. relevant aspectsemergedduring previous activitiesandadd any Review theoutputsof All theparticipantsvisitsite of theworkshop on theagendaandobjectives expert consultantsandbriefthem The technicalteamwelcomethe Description projector colour pens,computer, sketching paper, Tacking paper, projector colour pens,computer, sketching paper, Tacking paper, computer, projector presentation, Powerpoint Hard copyofoutputs Transport of participants Coffee andsnacks,list Material required

cut here cut here Day 2 The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines 9:00 -10:00 10:00 -13:00 14:00 -16:00 13:00 -14:00 16:00 -17:00 Time about thelayout Review anddiscussion materials anddetails Design studio-defining timeline Design studio-defining Lunch break steps androles Discussion onnext Activity proposed duringday1. Discuss andreview thelayout good qualitypublicspace constructive detailstoensure a space anddefinematerials Focus onthedetailsofpublic team actions andassigntaskstothe prioritizing themosturgent the project incrementally, Develop atimelinetoimplement some 3Dvisualisations comprehensive mapand,possibly, design studio,elaboratinga Identify theoutputof Description Computer, projector computer, projector colour pens, sketching paper, Tacking paper, computer, projector colour pens, sketching paper, Tacking paper, Computer, projector Material required 81 82 the assessmentpleaseDownloadhere. full report andunderstand more theactivitiesof more onthetargetgroup —children. To seethe Indicators anddimensionswere reviewed tofocus using thePublicSpaceSite-specificAssessment. (UAE), todesignachild-friendlypublicspace launched inAl-Muwailehneighbourhood,Sharjah UNICEF, SUPCandUN-Habitat,apilotproject was In thecontextofjoint-collaborationbetween Context: Annex U|Casestudy:Sharjah,achild-friendlycity The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines 2 2 9 9 1 1 2 2 3 4 9 9 5 0 1 1 0 0 3 4 0 0 5 0 . . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 6 6 1 1 7 7 6 6 3 3 1 1 0 0 7 7 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 6 6 1 1 7 7 3 3 6 6 5 5 1 1 0 0 7 7 0 0 3 3 . . 0 0 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 6 6 1 1 7 7 4 4 0 0 6 6 0 0 1 1 0 0 7 7 . . 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 2 2 9 9 1 1 3 4 5 0 2 2 0 0 9 9 0 0 1 1 . . 3 4 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 EXPERT DESIGN 2 2 2 2 9 9 9 9 1 1 1 1 3 4 3 4 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 0 0 STUDIO COUNTING PEOPLE 6 6 6 6 1 1 1 1 7 7 7 7 3 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 0 0 RESEARCH FIELD WORK DESK SITE-SPECIFIC WC ASSESSMENT 6 6 6 6 1 1 1 1 7 7 7 7 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . . . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 WORKSHOP BY BLOCK EXPLORATORY BLOCK WALKS PHYSICAL MAPPING 6 6 6 6 1 1 1 1 7 7 7 7 4 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 9 9 9 9 1 1 1 1 3 4 3 4 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 . . 0 0 . . 0 0 0 0 0 0

cut here cut here The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines

Young participant expressing her ideas on how to upgrade the public space in Sharjah, UAE © UN-Habitat / Christelle Lahoud 83 84 NOTES The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines

cut here cut here NOTES The Site-SpecificAssessmentGuidelines 85 The Site-Specific Assessment Guidelines

Bibliography

1. A. Tehlova, C. Veillard, R. Esialimba (2019) Placemaking toolkit - Guide to a community-driven, low-cost public space transformation, Public Space Network, Nairobi 2. E. Ganuza et alt. La democracia en accion – una vision desde las metodologias participativas. Available online: http:// www.redcimas.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/m_Antigona_LAdemocracia.pdf (access on 25 July 2019) 3. Gehl Architect SF (2015) Public life Diversity Toolkit: a prototype for measuring social mixing and economic integration in public space. Available online: www.gehlarchitects.com (access on 15 July 2019) 4. Gehl Architect, Age + Gender Tally. Available online: https://gehlpeople.com/tools/ (access on 9 January 2020) 5. Gehl Architect, People moving count. Available online: https://gehlpeople.com/tools/ (access on 5 August 2019) 6. Gehl Architect, Public Life Data Protocol Available online: https://gehlpeople.com/tools/ (access on 5 August 2019) 7. Gehl Architect, Stationary activity mapping. Available online: https://gehlpeople.com/tools/ (access on 5 August 2019) 8. Gehl Architect, Twelve Quality Criteria. Available online: https://gehlpeople.com/tools/ (access on 5 August 2019) 9. Gehl Architect, UN-Habitat, Pilot Projects as a tool for better public spaces. Report of Copenhagen Masterclass, September 2019 10. Gehl Institute, Building Facade Activation. Available online: https://gehlinstitute.org/ (access on 4 August 2019) 11. Gehl Institute, Inclusive Healthy Places. Available online: https://gehlinstitute.org/ (access on 5 August 2019) 12. Gehl Institute, Participant Survey Worksheet. Available online: https://gehlpeople.com/tools/ (access 5 August 2019) 13. Gehl Institute, Place Inventory Worksheet. Available online: https://gehlinstitute.org/ (access on 5 August 2019) 14. Global Public Space Programme (2019) City-wide Public Space Assessment technical guide, UN-Habitat 15. Guide Exploratory walk: questionnaire for the groups leader, Womenability. Available online: https://issuu.com/ womenability/docs/questionnaire_groupleader_womenabil/7 (access on 20 August 2019) 16. J. Jacob (1961) The death and life of great american cities 17. J. Pánek (2019) Mapping citizens’ emotions: participatory planning support system in Olomouc, Czech Republic, Journal of Maps, 15:1, 8-12, DOI: 10.1080/17445647.2018.1546624 18. Jane’s Walk. Available online https://janeswalk.org/ (access on 20 August 2019) 19. Low, Simpson, Scheld (2018) Toolkit for Ethnographic Study of Space, Public Space Research Group Centre for Human Environments, New York 20. Project for Public Space (2016) The place game: How we make the community the expert, available online: https://www. pps.org/article/place-game-community (access on 25 November 2019) 21. Project for Public Space (2019) Inclusive by Design: laying a foundation for diversity in public space. Available online https://www.pps.org/article/inclusive-by-design-laying-a-foundation-for-diversity-in-public-space (access on 12 September 2019) 22. Project for Public Space (2019) Lighter, quicker, cheaper: transforming public spaces through creative intervention. Available online https://www.pps.org/article/lighter-quicker-cheaper-a-global-roundup (access on 12 September 2019) 23. Project for Public Space (2019) More than a bus stop: lessons from New York’s busiest lines. Available online https://www. pps.org/article/more-than-a-bus-stop-lessons-from-new-yorks-busiest-lines (access on 12 September 2019) 24. Real Play coalition (2020) Reclaiming Play in Cities, The Real Play Coalition Approach

86 25. S. Caquard, A. L. Griffin (2018) Mapping Emotional Cartography, Cartographic Perspective Journal, n. 91, 2018 26. S. R. Arnstein (1969) A Ladder of Citizen Participation. Journal of the American Institute of Planners 35(3): 216–24. 27. Scottish government (2019) Place Standards - How good is Our Place? 28. STIPO (2016) The city at the Eye Level, Eburon Academic Publishers 29. ThinkCity (2020) Placemaking for Safer Cities: Translating Data into Design, Exercise booklet used during World Urban Forum 10 30. UN-Habitat (2019) Public Space: indicators 11.7.1 training module, 2019 31. United Nation Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), (2015). Global Public Space Toolkit : from Global Principles to Local Policies. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) 32. United Nation Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), (2019). Global Public Space Programme Annual report 2019. Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) The Site-specific Assessment consists of a series of the different parties. This demand a certain level of activities and tools to understand the quality of public participation from community members, technical experts spaces and influence, through a participatory process, and the local authorities in each of the listed activities. The the design of the site. The assessment focuses on a result from the assessment is a collection of qualitative selected open public space and its five minutes walking and quantitative information gathered by and with radius (equivalent to 400-meter distance) referred in the the community and are used to measure public space document as the ‘walkable radius’. The guideline supports indicators that will inform the design elaborated by the the user on how to gather the right data and what experts. In this process, municipalities are guided about information is needed within the selected area in order to how and where to allocate resources for upgrading public come up with adequate design and planning solutions. spaces that contributes to SDG11.7 - By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, While many upgrading projects adopt civic engagement green and public spaces, in particular for women and activities, the transition phase between community children, older persons and persons with disabilities. needs and the expert designs is often lost in translation. The tool ensures that the conversation between the community and the experts is bridged through a series of activities that provides a platform for exchange between

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