| Summary: | As our contemporary cities continue to revitalize, redefine, and reassert
themselves on an international scale, public spaces provide an opportunity
to lend the sense of place which makes cities unique and compelling. Several
cities such as Toronto, Chicago, and most notably Bilbao have commissioned
world renowned architects to design a project in their signature style. These
projects are generally anticipated with great excitement, yet once they are
completed and a few years have passed, the initial enthusiasm fades along
with the international recognition which originated the object. In the end,
these projects, regardless of how well they are liked by the citizens of a
city, seem to lack a sense of authenticity. Citizen participation offers an
opportunity to develop public spaces in a way that will reintroduce the
citizen into its built environment. Rather than merely offering a beautiful
space, the participatory design model recognizes the collaborative potential
with the citizen, and embraces it.
This research-based thesis seeks to understand the growing movement of
citizen participation and the role it can play in the design of urban public
spaces. Furthermore, it examines the role of the architect and how one
can begin to successfully integrate the citizen into the design process. The
research is divided into three sections. First, a survey of the literature
surrounding the field of participation provides an understanding of
different attitudes and methods regarding citizen involvement and why its
integration into the design of public spaces is important. Second, a series
of case studies with varying levels of citizen participation were examined
for the role the architect and his/her relationship with the citizen, as well as
the overall effectiveness public participation had on the end result. Finally,
the third section illustrates two applications of a participation workshop,
originally designed by Proboscis, both located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
This thesis maintains that citizen participation is not only beneficial to the
development of urban public spaces but is essential if one wishes to design
a space that can empower a neighbourhood and its city. Moreover, public
spaces designed through the participatory design model allows for citizens
to take ownership for the space and appropriate it as their own, which will
lead to its continual development, transforming the space into a locus for
the city.
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