Open public spaces for healthier cities

Abstract

Public spaces represent essential elements of healthy, functional, eco and smart cities. Being attractive, safe, comfortable, active and inclusive they play the main role in revitalizing communities, supporting their sense of identity and culture and triggering their economic development. The process of globalization, facilitated by the increasing number of ICT networks, imposes a number of new trends which should be followed by professionals. Their aim is to provide an updated setting for public life, which nowadays encompasses both private and public realms, material and virtual reality. Unfortunately, the contemporary lifestyle has caused numerous mental and physical health problems, including chronic diseases, toxic exposure and injuries resulting from uncontrolled violence. Therefore, well-conceived and managed public spaces can influence the health of citizens because their performances could encourage an intensive use of outdoor facilities. Public spaces where users feel safe to play and relax can relieve stress, especially when people live in multi-family apartments or in crowded parts of a city. Considering all these trends and demands, the role of ICT becomes more important in the process of design and use of public spaces. This paper will present and analyse the connection which is established and intensified between users and open spaces via information networks. The emphasis will be on two main groups of applications aiming at (1) citizen participation (e.g. ‘crowdsourcing’ or ‘participatory sensing’ applications related to mapping and monitoring of pollution, health risks and patterns) or (2) individuals' health consciousness (e.g. applications enabling surveillance of urban spaces and personal life habits).