Future Public Spaces: Urban Design in Times of Crisis

What is required to renew and articulate public spaces? The need for, and demands of, public spaces are highly specific to the local spatial and social conditions under which people live. Action at neighborhood level is crucial, and must involve interacting and co-creating with residents to discover their needs. At the start of the pandemic, superwien was commissioned to develop innovative designs for urban public spaces in three different cities: Dhaka (Bangladesh), Maputo (Mozambique), and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic). The main objective of this applied research was to strengthen the capacity of local governments to undertake participatory urban design processes. This book calls upon architects and urbanists to develop place-based solutions in challenging circumstances.