6 Design Relationships That Create Great Places
This article was reposted, in slightly different form, from the Practice of Place blog, which focuses on the art and science of creating thriving public and shared places. It is shared here with permission. All images were provided by the author.
The Musicant Group’s work is guided by a focus on experiences and a dynamic process rather than a static one that creates places through individual “design items.” We focus on the relationships between elements of a space; the denser the web of these relationships, the more active and vibrant a space will be.
One framework that illustrates this idea — and which acts as a constant guide to our placemaking practice — is the 6 Design Relationships (inspired by the work of Christopher Alexander):
1. Add (Moveable) Seating
If people can’t sit down comfortably, they won’t stick around. Providing moveable seating, in particular, creates flexibility for users, allowing them to position themselves most comfortably and interact with the space in a way that best accommodates their needs.
2. Protect Your Back
Having a structure behind them — such as a house, ledge or hedge — makes users feel comfortable. Protecting your back prevents surprises (or the subconscious fear of being surprised) and ensures a good view of the rest of the space and the activities happening there.
3. Use Semi-Enclosures
Spaces that are too open make us feel exposed; too closed, and we feel cut off or trapped. Semi-enclosures, such as a good porch or a cozy booth at a restaurant, feel good. These spaces allow you to choose whether to be social or private without even moving an inch.
4. Have Many Things To Do
It may sound obvious, but if there aren’t things to do in a space, people may not have a reason to go there. While creating great places, make sure there are things to do, and place activities close enough together that there's spillover from one activity to the next. People want to be around other people participating in activities, so placing them nearby allows for foot traffic to increase in density and for more people to congregate.
5. Consider Climate
There are many outdoor places where climate and temperature are a huge variable to be considered. Being able to support people's comfort on different days of the year is an important part of a good place. Factor in how sun, shade, cold and precipitation interact with the planned activities in your spaces to ensure the best experiences for the people inhabiting them.
6. Activate Edges
People often think of borders as dividing, but borders also bind things together. Having activities along the border of a space connects and attracts people from different areas of that space, lending to flow and interactivity. Borders are any places that touch a sidewalk or walkway, such as storefronts, park entrances, patios and front yards. They can all be brought to life to bring people deeper into a space and to be vibrant in and of themselves.
Max Musicant is the founder and principal of The Musicant Group, an interdisciplinary firm whose mission and service is to create places where people want to be, as well as its Practice of Place blog. Through partnering with communities, businesses and organizations of all kinds to integrate design, events, operations, communications and organizational capacity building, the firm has demonstrated that every space can and should be a great place. Musicant received an MBA from Yale and a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
