Activating a 60's Modernist Plaza Using the Principles of Human Scale Design: Re-imagining HUD Plaza

Abstract

Population growth has increased rapidly across many large American cities in the last 20 years. The growing population generates a need for quality public open space, but it also increases the development of housing making land increase drastically in value, making it harder for municipalities to acquire land for public open space projects. One strategy that cities can use to address this issue, is to leverage existing public spaces that are currently underutilized. This project explores the contemporary principles of public space and human scale design through a review of the existing literature. The principles gathered from the literature, are demonstrated by using them as the basis for re-imagining an underutilized urban public space. The project establishes a link between the research on public space design and practice, providing an example of how it can be used to create innovative ways to better utilize our existing public spaces.