Launched in 2012, UN-Habitat's Global Public Space Program supports cities to take action for safe, inclusive and accessible public space for all. The Global Public Space Program takes an integrated and iterative approach to sustainable development and management of public space. Drawing on city-wide and site-specific public space assessments, we promote evidence-based strategies and national policies for a more connected network of publics.
We encourage co-management and co-management of public space to ensure project longevity and community empowerment. So far, we have completed 137 projects to upgrade public spaces in 90 different cities, affecting the lives of more than 2.3 million people. Public space has been shown to improve the well-being and health of our communities, while enhancing social interaction and livelihoods.
Strengthening legal frameworks to secure, regulate, and protect public spaces at the national level
Ethiopia has been selected as the first flagship project focusing on the advancement of public space in national urban policies. We supported the state in carrying out several city assessments that helped us understand the challenges of public spaces at the city and national level. Our program worked closely with the national government to prepare a new strategy and review existing policies.
Since we completed the first phase in 2020, this year we focused on the co-preparation of an action plan for the implementation of the national strategy on public spaces. The results of these workshops highlighted the urgent need to include the protection of public lands in urban planning policies and to address accessibility for all. This normative output will guide practitioners on how to provide high quality public spaces that are safe and inclusive, particularly for disabled people.
Residents leading the re-writing of the national policy in Ethiopia
Nairobi River Life Project is a joint flagship initiative of the Government of Kenya and UN-Habitat that aims to reclaim Nairobi River as a shared public good that improves urban and environmental performance for a better quality of life in support the city. President of the United Nations General Assembly described the project as a "unique opportunity to initiate city-wide urban revitalization, transform informal settlements, create sustainable jobs, and build urban safety and security." In 2021, the Nairobi River Regeneration Initiative (NRRI) team developed innovative partnerships with local universities, civil society groups and other actors to advance the aspirations of the project.
We are currently finalizing the Nairobi River Profile, a co-developed baseline review that is part of the corridor planning process and is expected to guide the development of a shared vision and spatial strategy for the river. As part of the co-production of the Nairobi River, we joined the Placemaking Network Nairobi to conduct a co-visioning exercise. The co-visioning process is a fundamental part of the planning process and the beginning of an ongoing process to collectively reimagine not only the Nairobi River Corridor, but also the blue-green network in Kenya.
Reclaiming Nairobi River as a shared public good in Kenya
The project is expected to improve access to clean water in the Nairobi and Athi river basins and support access to clean water downstream. The initial community-led projects around Nairobi River started in 2016 and in 2019 where UN-Habitat engaged with community-led and local non-governmental organisations. We spoke to cyclists and pedestrians who highlighted the need to invest in safer, continuous and high quality footpaths and cycleways along the river system as a way to ease congestion on city roads, improve physical and mental health and wellbeing, and carbon to reduce. emissions.
City-wide public space data is key for local governments to report on their progress towards achieving SDG11.7.
City-wide public space data are key for local governments to report on their progress towards achieving SDG11.7
In this context, the quality of public spaces can be undermined and turn them into places where social segregation and lack of regulation for proper implementation and maintenance prevail. As this trend continues to grow rapidly, it is important to evaluate the current state of development of public spaces in the region to serve as a basis for the design of scalable and replicable public policy recommendations that have national and regional value. The collaboration between the Global Public Spaces Program and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Cities Lab aims to promote innovation, design and experimentation for sustainable urban development in LAC.
The main objective is to evaluate the development of the public space networks in the region through the City-Wide Public Space Assessment (CWPSA) in 3 cities: Montevideo (Uruguay), Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) and Monteria (Colombia). While each of the selected urban systems is in a different geographic and cultural context, they capture the varied context in the region and highlight common patterns and regional gaps. The average share of built-up areas in the open public space of the three cities and the percentage of the population with access within 5 minutes walking distance is slightly higher than the global average.
The evaluations also showed that the poorest groups have the least favorable access to public spaces. According to the results, the challenges of public space networks are mainly related to the dimensions of accessibility and security. Lack of investment in infrastructure and safe crossing makes access difficult for cyclists and people with limited sight and hearing.
The results are divided taking into account the local government structure to analyze the performance of the public space of each of the territorial management units. This enables the identification of territorial inequalities, the formulation of adequate public policy recommendations and the prioritization of financial resources. To democratize network access, public space strategies should aim to decentralize investment to smaller units of governance.
Improving public space networks in three cities in Latin America
Community members enjoy a multifunctional public space at night in Santo Domingo © National Council of the District City. External companies or international organizations are called upon to deliver specific results, forgetting to consult the real experts of the space: the residents. Everyday users have great knowledge of a public space based on spontaneous observations and direct experience, and too often its value is underestimated.
Public spaces developed in collaboration with the community are more likely to respond to the needs of a diverse audience, resulting in greater benefits and use throughout the day and night. Conflict of interest is avoided and buy-in of the project is facilitated, ensuring inclusion and greater. We promote participation at every stage of urban planning and design processes, from assessment to co-design and co-management.
The Global Public Space Program has developed a range of tools and methodologies to ensure active participation from community members, such as the City-wide and Site-specific Public Space Assessment, the Block by Block Playbook and Her City Toolbox. The Block by Block playbook outlines UN-Habitat's approach to using Minecraft as a tool to encourage community participation in urban design and governance. The Public Space Location Test is a step-by-step method for assessing the quality of public space.
Block by Block Playbook Using Minecraft as a Participatory Design Tool in Urban Design and Governance.
ENHANCING THE SAFETY AND
RESILIENCE OF PALESTINIAN REFUGEES THROUGH BETTER ACCESS TO WASH
Children gardening and greening the public space of Al-Shahid camp © UN-Habitat Some of the engagement activities include an exploratory survey. The rehabilitation of toilet facilities and the addition of ramps were given top priority in both public areas. As a result, an inclusive design is being developed that ensures that public spaces and their WASH facilities are accessible to all, in particular to persons with disabilities.
At the request of the residents of the camp, we carried out a series of awareness campaigns that emphasize the importance of public spaces and access to water and sanitation during the pandemic. To ensure the scalability and sustainability of this project, we organized a capacity-building workshop with DPA representatives on inspiring practices and digital tools for evaluating and managing public spaces. While this project is expected to reach nearly 50,000 Palestinian refugees, findings from the evaluations enable key stakeholders to understand the quality of these public spaces while informing future projects and mobilizing needed resources in the camps.
ENGAGING MARGINALIZED
COMMUNITIES WITH DIGITAL TOOLS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SPACE QUALITY
YANGON RAINCRAFT: IMPORTANCE OF ENGAGEMENT DURING POLITICAL
EXPERIENCE PUBLIC SPACES THROUGH THE LENS OF DAILY USERS: EXPLORATORY WALKS
Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) has identified one street in Diepsloot, one of the largest informal settlements in Johannesburg. Lack of adequate lighting, limited transportation, lack of signage and pedestrian crossings reduced pedestrian safety during the day and at night. After the explosion in August 2020, UN-Habitat identified three public stairways in downtown Beirut for the block-by-block regeneration project.
Exploratory trips were conducted with children, highlighting challenges such as universal accessibility and safety. Only a few activities and shops face the stairs, limiting the natural surveillance of the area during the day and night. More damage from the explosion still limited accessibility and deprived the image of the area.
In Dhaka, heavy rainfall and hot weather affect the use of public spaces, the presence of people and movement patterns, especially in market areas and spaces where small informal businesses are housed. We focused on three neighborhood streets in Mirpur residential area and one pedestrian path in Mohammadpur that has been particularly affected by these climate conditions. The project caught the attention of the city's mayor, who encouraged the private sector to contribute.
From placemaking to co-implementation: Minecraft as an enabling tool for citizens to build public spaces.
From placemaking towards co-implementation: Minecraft as an enabling tool for citizens to build public spaces
REHABILITATING HERITAGE OPEN SITES THROUGH A CO-PRESERVATION
RE-LAYOUTING INFORMAL MARKETS IN VIETNAM: DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR
Designated sales areas and movement flow are now regulated by colored markings and lines on the street. Customers and vendors seem to respect designated space, while accessibility and safety within the market have improved drastically. The project has been positively received by the wider community, and has received significant media attention, with 16 online articles and TV news.
Enhancing scalability of urban initiatives through trainings and knowledge exchange to achieve the SDG 11.7
LAUNCHING THE BLOCK BY BLOCK PLAYBOOK
Minecraft is the voice of those who are not usually heard, but whose design decisions are most affected.
UN-Habitat’s Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif
HER CITY TOOLBOX: LET HER GUIDE YOU
HER STREETS | NAIROBI
HER STAIRS | BEIRUT
MEDIA COVERAGE
CITY SPACE ARCHITECTURE: THE JOURNAL OF PUBLIC SPACE
Donors
CO-FINANCIERS
Programme staff 2021
