In an age where urban life is increasingly fast-paced and isolating, cities must embrace public spaces’ transformative potential to improve mental health and foster community.
Over the past few years, my professional focus has shifted towards the intersection of health and urbanism. Public spaces hold immense potential for improving mental health and fostering a sense of belonging, especially in our increasingly dense and stressful urban environments.
Public spaces are where we come together, feel welcome, and feel less lonely. These shared areas can genuinely improve our mental health. However, more is needed to develop public spaces; we need to ensure they are functional and designed with intention, catering to the diverse needs of our communities.
The Power of Public Space
Rather than viewing public spaces simply as areas for passing through, we need to reimagine them as extensions of our homes – outdoor living rooms, offices, classrooms, and even kitchens. This means considering the infrastructure and amenities to encourage people to linger, interact, and build connections. Imagine students taking classes outdoors, colleagues meeting for a brainstorming session in a park, or families gathering for a potluck dinner in a community garden. This is the kind of vibrancy and connection we need to cultivate in our cities.
I’ve seen firsthand the transformative power of this approach. The municipality of Tel Aviv took an underutilized parking lot near the bustling Lewinsky Market and transformed Aluf Batslut Alley into a vibrant public space. By adding colorful pavement, wooden chairs, and a coffee cart, they created a space that draws people in and encourages them to connect.
This intervention, driven by the municipality’s desire to increase public and green spaces in the Florentin neighborhood, created an urban park and garden. Now a popular gathering place for locals and tourists, the space is home to a cafe by day and a wine bar by night, aptly named after the alley – Aluf Batslut. It’s a testament to how seemingly small interventions can significantly impact a neighborhood’s social fabric.
The Nolly Maps method
The transformation into a thriving public space is a compelling example of how thoughtful urban design can foster community and well-being. This approach aligns with the principles behind the Nolli map, a cartographic technique that highlights the interplay between public and private spaces in urban environments. Developed by Giambattista Nolli in 1748, the Nolli map of Rome depicted public spaces in white and private spaces in black, offering a clear visual representation of the city’s accessible areas.
The Nolli map method was a valuable tool for understanding the spatial dynamics of Tel Aviv, where the creation of “pockets of health” is essential, as urban planners could gain insights into the accessibility and connectivity of these areas. This information could inform future design interventions, ensuring that public spaces are effectively integrated into the urban fabric and contribute to the community’s overall well-being.
The Garden City
This idea of integrating public spaces into a city’s very DNA is something that Tel Aviv’s planner, Patrick Geddes, understood well. In 1925, he submitted a report on town planning in Jaffa and Tel Aviv to the Municipality of Tel Aviv, then led by Meir Dizengoff.
His vision of a “garden city” resulted in a network of streets interspersed with green spaces and community gardens. These spaces, which I call “pockets of health,” offer tranquil escapes from the urban hustle, providing opportunities for gardening, artistic expression, and community building.
Barcelona is another city that offers inspiring examples of how urban planning can prioritize public gatherings. The Eixample district, designed by Ildefons Cerdà in the 1850s, brilliantly incorporates large open spaces within city blocks, creating vibrant public squares that function as social hubs. With its beautiful courtyards, the former Sant Pau Hospital, designed by modernist architect Lluís Domènech I Montaner in the early 20th century, has been repurposed to host events, concerts, and institutions, becoming a lively community center.
When designing public spaces for gathering and well-being, we need to consider several important elements drawn from these examples:
- Engaging Content: We must activate these spaces with activities and programs that draw people in and foster a sense of purpose. Think yoga classes, cooking workshops, community gardening programs, or even a psychiatrist offering mental health guidance in a peaceful outdoor setting.
- Functional Infrastructure: This includes essential amenities like shade, greenery, water features, comfortable seating, and Wi-Fi, all of which encourage people to stay, interact, and enjoy the space.
- Adaptability: It is crucial to consider weather conditions and ensure that spaces are usable year-round. This might involve providing covered areas or incorporating design elements that provide natural shade and wind protection. We also need to prioritize accessibility for diverse communities, including young families, the elderly, and those struggling with mental health challenges like PTSD.
By incorporating these elements and drawing inspiration from cities like Tel Aviv and Barcelona, we can create cities that are functional and deeply nourishing for the people who inhabit them.
Prioritizing public gatherings is an investment in the well-being of our communities. It fosters connection, combats loneliness, and enhances the overall quality of urban life.
Dr. Hila Oren is the CEO of the Tel Aviv Foundation, a non-profit organization of the Tel Aviv municipality. Hila is a city maker with a deep passion for urbanism and a vast experience in city-making, marketing, and branding.
