A multitude of determinants influence the urban planning process. Yet, in the contemporary context of an ongoing pandemic causing infirmity and death in more than 1,500 cities, how can examples of urban planning from history, namely ones that sought to boost public health, (re)shape the current urban planning paradigm? Is there a need in the light of the global impact of Covid-19 to re-evaluate the value of past planning models and so, in accordance, rethink present-day urban density management and public space creation? In consequence, this paper puts forward an overview of how city planning and public health have historically interlinked, albeit with reference to 19thcentury Britain and the establishment of public parks. Used communally by assorted social groups such green spaces were considered to be crucial for physical and mental health. Crucially too, these open areas are still a fundamental element of the 21stcentury British cityscape and, arguably, as part of the present and future social recovery from Covid-19, will play a vital role in public life and well-being. Vol. 5 No. 3 (2020): 2020: A Year without Public Space under the COVID-19 Pandemic Keywords: city planning, public health, public space, parks, Britain

A translucent polycarbonate skin wraps Streetmekka Viborg Build, a former windmill factory that Danish studio EFFEKT has transformed into a hub for street sports and youth culture. Located in the Danish city of Viborg, the 3,170-square-metre building offers a wide variety of facilities for self-organised sports, as well as social spaces for local youth. These include a huge skating bowl, basketball courts, maker workshops and DJ facilities. "We have taken the most generic building of them all – the industrial manufacturing warehouse – and transformed it into a vibrant cultural hub for street sports and culture targeting the youth not fitting into or not drawn by traditional organised sports organisations, " explained Mikkel Bøgh, chief operating officer of EFFEKT. Project credits Architect: EFFEKT Collaborators: BOGL, Rambøll, Thomas Andersen A/S Consultants: Luke Jouppi, Lars Pedersen, Jonathan Linde, Copenhagen Bouldering, Nørlum Client: Viborg Kommune and GAME with financial support from Realdania, Lokale- & Anlægsfonden, TrygFonden and NordeaFonden. Read the full article here. Recommended by Luisa Bravo

This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the complexity of public space providing perspectives and methodologies to understand use and appropriation of public space, with also a reflection on the role of public space in the framework of SDGs. Course Description Public space is a key element for sustainable urban development. Despite its broad and context-specific meaning, public space is the social glue that can contribute to advancing mutual trust, cooperation, and solidarity. However, too often public space is not listed as a primary question in the urban agendas of politicians and local governments, but rather as a collateral component, mostly intended as design activity related to landscape urbanism or infrastructure facilities. Major concerns for cities and built environments are defined through different categories and expertise related to housing, services, infrastructure, environmental issues, and technological solutions that also generate investment and provide funding opportunities. While academic research on public space is well established through cross-disciplinary approaches and investigation, there is a lack of interest or an unprepared expertise in defining a comprehensive urban strategy for local implementation, that is built around humans and their life in the public domain. This mini-course explores the complexity of public space from an action-oriented perspective, by analysing appropriation, interpretations and transformation of space by different users and in regard of media, from a theoretical and practical point of view. It consists of five video lectures, presented by passionate public space professionals working in different fields (urban design, architecture, social sciences and humanities), and is supplemented by suggested readings, case studies and other materials. The course is suitable for enthusiasts from different disciplines with no prior experience or knowledge on public space. Whether you are a current undergraduate in the field of urban studies, a community member passionate about public space, or a postgraduate wanting to get a refresher, or a senior professional working in a related field, we welcome you to enroll in this open-access course.

On May 31 Museo Spazio Pubblico opened the exhibition "This must be the place" curated by Luisa Bravo. The exhibition was the opportunity to present our two brand new and permanent services to the public: we will offer the possibility to access our Public Space Library, a collection of 850+ books on city planning, architectural and urban design, landscape urbanism, environmental design as well as social sciences, art and humanities (mostly in English, but also Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, German, Portuguese, Croatian, Dutch, Estonian, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic); and to discover the work of selected Italian and international artists that will be available for purchase at our Shop. Both the Library and the Shop are physical services based in Bologna, in the space of Museo Spazio Pubblico open to the public. But soon we will announce the Public Space e-Library and the Online Shop intended to reach our international audience of public space lovers. Stay tuned for updates! The creation of the library in Bologna was made possible by the work of two interns, Baolian Dong and Antonis Douroudis, within the framework of a cooperation agreement signed with the University of Bologna. Highlights from our Public Space Library. Discover a selection of our international books. The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library. Albert Einstein (theoretical physicist, 1879-1955) The Library of Museo Spazio Pubblico is located in via Eugenio Curiel 13/d, 40134 Bologna, Italy. The access to the library is by appointment only – send a request (by WhatsApp) +39 331 4173672 or an email to library@museospaziopubblico.it. Are you an author or a publisher producing contents on public space? We would love to include your work in our library! Send an email to library@museospaziopubblico.it

How Art and Meditation Connect Peripatetic Practices as a Form of Subtle Activism Treegazing was a public walking event held in the Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne as part of Melbourne Design Week 2020 inviting the public to lift their gaze, be mindful whilst acknowledging the garden’s aesthetic design and history. This walk created a temporary community of strangers who co-experienced the majestic arboreal canopies of trees and plants, reducing ‘plant blindness’ (Schussler & Wandersee, 1998).Acknowledging the importance of ‘what stories are told’ and ‘making-kin’ (Haraway, 2016), this article explores collaborative visions between yoga and meditation practitioner Amanda Hawkey and artist Heather Hesterman. Investigating the dualities of silence/sound, open/enclosed, empty/busy and built/green spaces as a series of experiences. The act of mindful walking aims to connect the body to green spaces; to provide an embodied experience of nature.  How might fundamental practices, as humans walking individually and together in public space be potential acts of transformation, of mindfulness, and environmental awareness - even subtle activism?We argue that encouraging an engagement with nature via haptic and ocular modes of art practice and meditation may facilitate a deeper engagement with and/or increased appreciation for flora. Treegazing implicates the walkers to become part of a connective- fluidity that enacts the space notwithinas participants, witness nor viewers but offers a shared collective experience of both mobility and stillnesswiththe landscape, a subtle activism that looks up and treads lightly to ‘conspire – withnature.’ Vol. 5 No. 4 (2020): Art and Activism in Public Space Keywords: public garden, walking, perception and sense, interdisciplinary, politics

The County of Los Angeles is allocating funding to help transform a former foster youth facility into a new community park in El Monte, one of the most park-poor cities in the county. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the allocation of $13.56 million to the MacLaren Community Park project located in the City of El Monte. El Monte is identified as a Very High park need study area in the 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Parks Needs Assessment. Specifically, the city only has 0.4 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents which is significantly below the Countywide average of 3.3 acres per 1,000 residents. This funding will help to realize a community vision to transform MacLaren Hall into a greenspace where residents can engage in recreational, educational, cultural and social activities for all ages to enjoy. The proposed park project would offer family-friendly amenities, including (but not limited to): a soccer field, basketball court, tennis court, walking path, fitness areas, restrooms, picnic areas, shade structures, outdoor classroom/performance space, and children’s play areas. From the 1960s until the early 2000s, MacLaren Hall operated as a county facility housing foster youth for short-term stays. Since its closure, much of the MacLaren property has been walled off and inaccessible to the community, but parts of the facility remain in use with administrative offices for various county departments, a medical clinic, and Alma Family Services. Read the full article on Planetizen Author: Clement Lau Recommended by Diego Crescêncio