for teachers

public space as learning opportunity

(engaging with public space can help transform your teaching)

“Always design a thing by considering it in its next largest context: a chair in a room, a room in a house, a house in an environment, an environment in a city plan”. Eliel Saarinen, architect.

Public spaces exist in the frame of larger entities, precincts, neighborhoods, cities. The investigation of public space raises interesting challenges for students including, the politics of public space, the future likely growth or alienation of public space, access to and democratic use of public space, imaginative solutions to contentious issues in the use of public space and the larger issues of city histories and futures and the role of students as future citizens and decision-makers. Engagement with public space opens a rich and challenging field with applications to knowledge systems including arts, languages, science, history, media and technology as well as design. Design in this context can be one possible methodology for investigating public space, not necessarily an object of study in its own right.

Another important frame, one that is explicit for living city, is valuing young people’s perspectives as current consumers and future users of public spaces and the built environment. The way they want to use and make spaces into the future will determine the future of our cities, and the conflicting values of use create complex problems and opportunities for creative solution.

Within the broad frame of public space, potential exists to create a sharper focus with specific teaching and learning activities that can be aligned with diverse subject disciplines. Better still they offer opportunities for real and relevant interdisciplinary studies.

Follow the links or download attachments to explore more public space and design curriculum ideas and resources.

Living City InSea paper 2006 - Conference Paper. Authors: Les Hooper (Kelvin Grove State College), Peter Boyle (Verge Urban Landscape Architecture), Genevieve Searle (City PLanning, Brisbane City Council), Brisbane, Australia. 2006.

The Secret LIfe of Public Spaces. Author: Shane Smith (Deicke RIchards), Brisbane, Australia. 2005.

Public Space Principles - PPS. Adapted from Principles of Successful Places, Project for Public Spaces. www.pps.org 2004.

Attachment	Size
Living City InSEA paper 2006.pdf	62.28 KB
secret life of public spaces.pdf	4.39 MB
public space principles - PPS.pdf	116.47 KB