Beyond Daylight: Strengthening Columbia’s Social Cohesion After Dark

Abstract

Columbia, Maryland, experiences social fragmentation, with most recreational and social activities occurring during the day but disappearing at night, leading to a lack of social cohesion within the suburban fabric. The lack of nighttime vibrancy puts communities at risk of losing social connections, limiting opportunities for cultural exchange, and failing to provide inclusive nighttime spaces for people to gather, all of which can erode shared public life. Reactivating underused public spaces into community nodes will support nighttime activities and reconnect people both socially and culturally. Therefore, it is essential to explore how underused public spaces can be reimagined as multi-functional community centers through strategies such as adaptive reuse, flexible programming, inclusive nighttime activities, and spatial interventions that enhance comfort, safety, and a sense of community. Finally, by applying methods such as precedent studies, community needs assessments, and spatial and behavioral analyses, this thesis will illustrate the power of design as a cultural catalyst to support public spaces as inclusive, vibrant, and resilient environments during both day and night.