Public Space & Hanging Out

This land is my land, it isn't your land.
You better get off it, before I shoot your head off.

--My brother c. 1980

I want to interpret this as some prescient statement about the changing national psyche, from communal purpose and sharing to selfishness and fear. But, it probably wasn't anything more than just a big brother taunting a little brother into his room to justify some pummeling. Whatever the case, it does feel like public space has decreased over the past few decades.

Recently, a friend of mine noted semi-seriously that "hanging out is an urban thing," which was similarly prescient and got me thinking a lot about the need for public space for a real urban experience. Cafes where one can linger, playgrounds, public plazas, public benches, etc. can all play a part. Public space is one of the important pieces of planning a vibrant city--probably less important than the street grid, zoning, or lot size--but it is important.

These hanging out spaces don't have to be a grand, expensive effort, as illustrated by this article we recently linked to on intersections in Portland, OR. Beautiful Landscaping, fanciful fountains, and cobblestone paths may be nice, but they're not necessary. A couple benches, a little community garden, a swingset, or even a few small boulders could provide a sense of space and encourage hanging out. Accessibility is more important than size or other features--cities should strive to provide somewhere to park ourselves every couple of blocks, right on the most heavily used routes.

If they're reasonably inviting and very accessible, people might start lingering, interacting, spurring some community. I know we're all scared of vagrants/druggies/teenagers/etc, but that fear is only a recipe for a downward spiral  to zero public space and zero (non-commercial) interactions with other citizens.