Design for a Sustainable Future: USE Project

Public spaces generally play a social active role within the structure of city, they create the opportunity to unite the urban areas and the rest of the city. A public space is seen to function as the center of public life, events and activities, where people come together to relax, meet people, sport, party, etc. The way a public space is designed can therefore influence the lifestyles and behavior.

During this project a public space is chosen, namely the Chasse promenade located in Breda, the Netherlands. It is a large public square build on top of a parking garage. There is no main function besides making the connection from the neighborhood to the city center, so people use it to walk to the city center. There have been photo exhibitions on the public square and they attract a lot of people, this shows the public space is easy accessible with for instance public transport.

All the proposed changes to the Chasse promenade will enhance the public space’s multifunctionality, social coherence, interaction, sustainability and safety. These are all aspects the public space is lacking now and lay in line with the municipalities current plans and the needs of the target groups.