An A-Z glossary on the theme of ‘public space’, containing a definition for each letter of the alphabet (where possible).
Chamberlain Square in Birmingham's city centre © Liz Kessler
Public space refers to the areas in a village, town or city that are available, without charge, for everyone to see, use and enjoy – this can include streets, squares and parks.
The A-Z glossary for buildings and places can be used as:
- a straightforward research tool for teachers and students
- a reference point for students during a unit or scheme of work on buildings and places
- introductory activities for a new learning session or scheme of work on buildings and places
- a way of developing classroom discussion.
Public Space: A-Z glossary
Accessible This term is used to describe a building or a place that can easily be used and entered by the public.
Benches Long seats designed for more than one person, often found in shopping arcades, railway stations and other public spaces.
Civic pride A sense of belonging to a town or city; this can be increased by the quality of public spaces where people meet and important community events happen.
Democratic This means that a structure or place is open for public use. For instance, a bus shelter can be described as democratic.
Eco-park An area of green-belt land (protected open space found in urban areas), being used for either food production, recreation or public access.
Forum A central open space in the middle of a city in the former Roman empire in Italy, often surrounded by buildings and colonnades.
Graveyard A burial ground for people, often found next to church grounds. Also known as a cemetery.
Ha-ha A ditch that acts as a sunken fence, designed to form an invisible boundary to a park or garden. Often used to keep animals out of that space.
Inclusive A term used to describe a place that does not exclude any person.
Jittery space A location that is visibly full of surveillance devices. These may include Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, which may cause nervous behaviour (jittery!) for passers-by.
Krier block A type of layout with no private space designed to encourage people to interact within public spaces. The concept was developed by architect and urbanist Léon Krier.
Alexandra Park in Hastings © David Cowlard / Urban Exposure
Landmark A building or structure which stands out from its surrounding environment. It is often used as a reference point within a town or city. For example, the Big Ben would be a landmark for London, or a central water fountain or statue may be a landmark in your village.
Masterplan A highly detailed written strategy for the development of a specific area.
Neighbourhood space Refers to any type of public space in the streets where people live, including pavements, roads, playgrounds and small parks.
Objects Public spaces can be improved by beautiful and interesting designed objects such as public art and street furniture.
Park A piece of land dedicated to public recreation, ranging from the green area surrounding local playgrounds to large areas of natural wild land, referred to as a national park.
Quadrant Is a quarter of a circle, in an urban place this refers to an open space in this form.
Renewal (Also referred to as urban renewal) The physical improvement to neighbourhood places and spaces in developing better communities.
Seating Objects or flat surfaces designed for people to sit upon. People eat, wait and rest in public spaces – seating is therefore very important.
Temporary space A space purposefully created for a limited period of time for a particular occasion or spectacle.
Urban design The planning of buildings and public spaces in cities, towns and villages.
Vest-pocket park A very small park in a city or town, created from a leftover pocket of land. It is green recreational space for public use.
Waste bin Containers planted in public spaces for people to leave their rubbish.
eXit The way out of a public space.
Youth shelter An area dedicated to local young people as a place to hang out. Usually located in a residential area where it is most unlikely to affect the rest of the neighbourhood.
Zone of change Areas of land selected for renewal (see definition above). Areas have included town centres and unused land areas.
More A-Z glossaries
Go back to the complete list of A-Z glossaries for buildings and places, and associated class activities.
