Places to meet, socialise, exercise and play
Are there places for people to meet, exercise and play within the public realm?
Streets and public spaces that provide dedicated places for people to come together and socialise, exercise and play will generally attract more people to use them. Providing outdoor facilities can encourage people to be individually more active, and collectively participate in more communal activities and events. Encouraging more people to spend longer in the public realm will also provide more ‘eyes on the street’ improving safety and security, and encouraging even more people to use the public spaces to travel locally, and socialise.
Recommendations:
1. Range of activity spaces
The public realm should be diverse and varied to encourage visual interest and walk-ability. To achieve this buildings should have varied frontages and the public realm should engage pedestrians through textured planting, public art, or unique lighting installations.
2. Seating and social spaces for all occasions
Seating should be generously provided within the public realm. Opportunities to sit down and rest should be provided and social spaces should be designed in a way that encourages people to socialise in groups.
3. Places to play
Local play areas should be provided within the parks, squares and schools as required by statutory requirements. These play areas should be linked together by kid friendly pedestrian paths and play on the way features integrated into the streets and public realm.
4. Sports & trim trails
The inclusion of flexible kick about spaces and trim trails should be encouraged within the public realm. A generous kick about area should be included within all neighbourhood parks and trim trails should be used as connective element within green corridors.
5. Spaces to grow
Opportunities should be taken to incorporate places to grow food and support the Edible Ebbsfleet programme with public realm. There are often small pockets of land within public realm and local parks that are ideally suited for community gardens.
Does the street, public square, or park provide appropriate opportunities for informal play and social activities?
Are seats in an attractive location and a comfortable distance from heavy traffic? Is the seating place in a way that encourages people to meet, socialise and sit in groups?
Is there enough room for people to find somewhere away from the flow of pedestrians to stop when they need to? Are seats located in areas that are overlooked by nearby buildings to help reduce the potential for antisocial behaviour?
Does the public realm encourage an active lifestyle for children & youth through the inclusion of kick-about spaces, play areas, and sport facilities? Is a healthy lifestyle for residents encouraged through the inclusion of high quality walking paths, exercise facilities, and trim trails?
Have elements such as walls, planters or steps been designed to provide places for people to rest or socialise? Have active edges, cafés, and spill-out zones been incorporated to animate the public realm?
Have social spaces and play areas been sighted in comfortable environments and microclimates that promote extended seasonal use?