Learning from Public Spaces in Historic Cities

Successful public spaces in cities are key for enhancing social cohesion and improving health and safety. Learning from historic cities involves the development of representational and analytical tools aimed at capturing their essence as places of human interaction. The research reports findings of the spatial analysis of twenty Adriatic and Ionian coastal cities, which addresses the question of how the network of public spaces calibrates different degrees of spatial enclosure necessary for creating successful social interactions. Cities in the littoral region include well-preserved historic centers that are renowned for the successful integration of urban squares into the urban fabric. For the purpose of this study, we define urban squares according to areas visible from key public buildings and measure the compactness and convexity of their shapes. We then plot the plaza shapes of all twenty cities in a two-dimensional matrix and classify them into groups that represent various degrees of enclosure and spatial interaction. The study discovers the existence of three main classes of plazas found in cities along The Adriatic and Ionian coastline, suggesting the effect of specific regional and national influences on urban form. On the one hand, the study develops analytical methods for capturing the degree of spatial enclosure of public spaces, and on the other hand, it suggests principles of contemporary urban design based on historical precedent