Public Space is Child's Play

Abstract

Density in a city puts a lot of pressure on the public space. As a result, public spaces are designed according to standard design rules, leaving the wishes of certain groups overlooked. This project aims to pay attention to a group of people who, while not involved in the design of the city, greatly profits from using it comfortably every day. This graduation thesis will explore the concept of the mother- and child-friendly city and try to map their wishes and needs. To achieve this, different fields of knowledge will be brought together through literature and fieldwork in the neighbourhood of Outremeuse in Liège, Belgium. The gathered input will then guide a series of interventions through the scales, gathered in a pattern language, and an urban design plan for the neighbourhood. This design plan consists of a masterplan for three central locations, one of which will be designed on the small scale. The final design will transform an existing road overtaken by car parking spaces into a pleasant space that invites outdoor play