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MSc Thesis AMS Institute - Public Space, Place Identity And COVID-19: Towards More Suitable Public Spaces for Amsterdam's Young Adults

MADE Student Project

The ongoing COVID -19 pandemic has had serious implications regarding the ways, and the places in which we interact. As a result of government imposed measures on traditional realms of social life (e.g. second and third places), urban residents have - if allowed - in large numbers turned to public spaces to engage in social interactions, play, exercise, and recreation. This new dynamic within the public realm calls for a more integrated understanding about how urban residents relate to public spaces during the pandemic, and subsequently, how we can (re)configure these places in ways that cater to the (renewed) needs of its users. This study investigates the place identity of one particular user group - young adults - with the aim to (i) better understand their public life in the public realm during the ongoing COVID -19 pandemic, and to (ii) better inform the decision making process regarding the design of suitable future public spaces.

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Insights into the place identity of young adults was gained by assessing what meanings they attribute to public spaces, what activities they engage in when in these places, and what design characteristics of these places they value. The findings of this study conclude that, in large, participants are spending more time in public space than prior to the pandemic. Reasons for this enhanced engagement are largely attributed to the lost access to other realms of social life - third places in particular - and the overwhelming confinement to first places. Moreover, the findings of this study suggest that specific design characteristics of public spaces are guiding in the activities and interactions that young adults wish to engage in. Based on these preferences, this study presents a set of guidelines to consider in future public space design processes.

Author: Lucas Zarzoso Hueck 

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