This book explores the hypothesis that public space – if conceptualised, imagined, and shaped at the metropolitan scale, through innovative territorial design approaches – offers the possibility to interconnect and integrate various systems in search for synergic responses to emerging societal challenges that impact large, urbanised landscapes. The book offers a multidimensional and multi-geographic framework to discuss the role of public space on contemporary metropolitan territories, as part of MetroPublicNet - Building the foundations of a Metropolitan Public Space Network to support the robust, low-carbon and cohesive city: Projects, lessons, and prospects in Lisbon research project. The reader will find a critical and overarching perspective on the conceptual, methodological, and empirical lenses that unfolded throughout the research process, namely a systematised decoding of the public space projects, policies, and rationales that shaped the recent transformation of Lisbon Metropolitan Area. With a diverse range of authors actively engaged in academic research and professorship, in design practice, and in policy-oriented roles, the book concludes with the outlining of forward-looking guidelines, policy recommendations, and design experimentations. This book will be of interest to researchers and students of architecture, urbanism, landscape architecture and geography.

Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics (AHFE 2023), July 20–24, 2023, San Francisco, USA

Open space in urban regions is fast disappearing, but it can still be saved by coordinating man's design with the processes of nature. The authors demonstrate here methods that permit better and more profitable economic and industrial development, while raising the quality of life and saving the environment. The problem is all around us, David Wallace observes: "As metropolitan areas grow and Megalopolis takes shape before our eyes, nearby open space where nature predominates seems doomed. Forces apparently beyond our control eliminate all traces of an untouched countryside, and replace it with thousands and thousands and thousands of houses. The pattern of ultimate suburban development finally removes the last vestiges of woods, streams, thickets, and wildlife with the filling of vacant lots carelessly left over from the first great surge of growth. The individual houses that result art perhaps pleasant enough in the micro-scale. But unrelievedly continuous urbanization—even in the case where the individual parts are attractive—appalls, bores, and numbs the senses. . . . Must it be this way?" This study, based on research at the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, suggests how the process of indiscriminate exploitation of open space can be reversed through understanding and application of natural processes in the environment. When these natural processes are understood, planners can discriminate among land that should be retained as open space in a natural state, land that can stand limited development, and land that can be fully developed without significantly affecting natural processes. Contributors: William G. Grigsby, Ian McHarg, William H. Roberts, Ann Louise Strong, Nohad A. Toulan, and David A. Wallace.

The challenges rapid urbanisation encompasses are manifold, so are the efforts addressing sustainable and inclusive development frameworks. "Reclaiming Public Space through Intercultural Dialogue" is an intercultural and interdisciplinary initiative, which focuses on how social and spatial segregation can be overcome in metropolitan areas. Through joint research and teaching activities in the cities of Dortmund and Amman, three comprehensive topics emerged: urban transformation and the role of public space; social and cultural dimensions of cities; and nature-based planning approaches. The book compiles contributions to these topics from researchers, practitioners, and students, which were presented in an international conference held at the German Jordanian University in Madaba, Jordan, in November 2017.

This book presents human factors research focused on achieving and assessing sustainability in the built environment and architecture. It reports on advanced engineering methods for architecture and design, and on assessments of the social, environmental, and economic impacts of various designs and projects. The book covers a broad range of practical studies relating to ergonomic design and assessment of public and private places, urban ecological constructions, and urban planning for smart city. Further topics include green area planning, environmentally-responsive architecture, and conservation and adaptation of vernacular architectures in modern design. Based on the AHFE 2021 Conference on Human Factors in Architecture, Sustainable Urban Planning and Infrastructure, held virtually on 25–29 July, 2021, from USA, this book offers a wealth of perspectives on sustainability and ergonomics in architecture and urban planning. As such, it represents a timely source of inspiration for designers, architects, urban planners, as well as civil and environmental engineers, and other professionals, including policy-makers, involved in the development of sustainable buildings and infrastructure.

This illustrated notebook highlights the need for a change of paradigm in current flood management practices, one that acknowledges the wide-ranging and interdisciplinary benefits brought by public space design. Reassessing and improving established flood management methods, public spaces are faced with a new and enhanced role as mediators of flood adaptation able to integrate infrastructure and communities together in the management of flood water as an ultimate resource for urban resilience. The book specifically introduces a path towards a new perspective on flood adaptation through public space design, stressing the importance of local, bottom up, approaches. Deriving from a solution-directed investigation, which is particularly attentive to design, the book offers a wide range of systematized conceptual solutions of flood adaptation measures applicable in the design of public spaces. Through a commonly used vocabulary and simple technical notions, the book facilitates and accelerates the initial brainstorm phases of a public space project with flood adaptation capacities, enabling a direct application in contemporary practice. Furthermore, it offers a significant sample of real-case examples that may further assist the decision-making throughout design processes. Overall, the book envisions to challenge established professionals, such as engineers, architects or urban planners, to work and design with uncertainty in an era of an unprecedented climate.