How can we quantify the quality and authenticity of our urban spaces?
Measuring Urban Experience
What We Did
The Context
The Results
Our framework is designed to work in three different capacities: first as a tool to assist Gensler’s clients and developers during their site selection process; second, as a way to organize the site analysis process, typically during the early stages of planning; and third, as a tool for performing post-occupancy analyses for clients seeking to understand the impact of urban interventions or considering the repositioning of existing assets. We also developed an instructional guide to support the adoption of this framework in the planning and design of buildings and public spaces.
What This Means
Scoring systems are not finite. Uniform ranking systems could not adequately consider the unique characteristics of the environments being scored. To capture these subjective considerations, we instead document each category of quantitative data against the qualitative feedback for each site. For post-occupancy projects, this allows property owners or developers to identify specific areas of improvement and establish design goals relative to each.
One public space does not fit all. There is no universal ideal when it comes to creating public space. For instance, maximizing access to sunlight is desirable with the cool temperatures and tall buildings in Chicago’s Loop area, while shade is at a premium during hot days in Los Angeles’ Pershing Square. Our framework layers the diverse cultural and social uses of public spaces across the world into its considerations.
What’s Next?
Learn More
Team
Carlos Cubillos, Carolyn Sponza, Rizki Arsiananta, Nina Charnotskaia, Jaymes Dunsmore, Susan Hickey, Hanin Khasru, Mariusz Klemens, Celine Larkin, Midori Mizuhara, Joshua Vitulli
Year Completed
2016
Comments or ideas for further questions we should investigate?