As our communities grow and change, so too must our public spaces. The pitfalls of our current public spaces, is that many have been planned and built with only the present in mind and no thought for the future. This means that there are many public spaces that are unable to accommodate rapidly developing communities – and restrictions brought on by COVID – without going through a costly and time-consuming restructure.
When building a public space, the needs of community both now and in the future must be at the forefront of design. While the individual components will always come down to the specific needs of the local community, there are several considerations that can be put in place from the get-go.
With a constantly changing technological and economic landscape, implementing modern technology that is optimised for future updates is a necessity. This kind of technology can include solar-powered and sensor-operated lighting systems, tracking applications to monitor pedestrian traffic, smart public amenities and BBQs, all of which are optimised to be consistently upgraded at minimal cost and effort as technologies change.
Park furniture is a core component of creating a space that is welcoming, friendly and flexible. Grillex’ brand-new HYVE furniture suite is ideal for building spaces for future communities. A responsive outdoor seating system that can be manipulated to suit all outdoor environments, HYVE allows for spaces to be optimised for any need. This is ideal for the current environment where social distancing restrictions may change at any moment, and means that any space can be adapted for future community needs.
While the needs of a public space vary greatly depending on the community, it is important to ensure that there is opportunity for flexibility. This could mean building an extensive oval that can be transformed into a concert stage or used for festivals, fairs and sporting events; or installing park furniture (such as HYVE by Grillex) that can be reconfigured to best suit the needs of users as a community grows and evolves.
A good public space is one where the needs of all types of people are accommodated. This means that, in both the present and the future, communities can enjoy being in a space that is welcoming for all ages, abilities and interests – and can accommodate social distancing requirements. The ideal public space will include places to play, places to sit (often with BBQ facilities), places to exercise, and plenty of greenspace to engage with nature.
As we navigate an uncertain future, our public spaces need to be able to navigate it with us. Creating spaces that are optimised for growth will ensure communities always have a space where they can feel safe and prioritise their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing outdoors.