 Photo By Katherine O'Neil at the Piazza on the Mall The Musicant Group believes that ideas are free for all; the hard part is execution.
Because great places for people benefit us all, we offer up a number of the principles and techniques that work for most public spaces. That said, each client and space demands unique analysis and implementation strategies. Maximize flexibility: Successful places are able to be used by the young and old, from day to night, in a variety of ways. Does your space offer things to do and see all day to all users? Have many things to do in the space at once: Similar to the point above, are there a diversity of things to do? If one person wants to sit in the sun, the other in the shade – are they able to? Are there things to eat, see, play? Provide movable chairs and tables: If you only do one thing for a space, put in movable chairs and tables. They allow for maximum flexibility, accommodating parties from 1 to 100. They facilitate conversation, unlike fixed benches. They allow for people to sit, look, and be where they want, when they want. Focus on what happens between 2 and 12 feet: People’s sight lines are generally from the knee to a few feet above their head. Focus your energies on this spectrum. What does that mean? Less resources and attention spent on fancy pavers and 20+ foot lighting fixtures. More on eye level: hanging flower baskets, greenery, and programming that facilitate interesting pedestrian life. Embrace Desire Lines: We have all seen them before in our favorite parks and public spaces: those dirt paths diverging from the paved surfaces where we are “supposed” to go. Instead of waging a never-ending battle of fencing these areas off, replanting them, and having them revert to dirt paths, embrace the people’s desire! Desire lines tell you where people really want to go. Instead of re-planting grass, consider paving these informal paths. A powerful case study we draw on is from a college campus that reseeded its main quad. Instead of guessing where people would walk across it, they just let the desire lines develop and then created paved paths over them. This is a powerful metaphor for all placemaking: really listen to the people, and then give them what they want. If you would like more ideas for your space or are interested in our tailored services, please Contact Us. - Max Musicant
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 Photo By Katherine O'Neil at Little Box Sauna (Piazza on the Mall) Written for the 612 Sauna Society blog for the Little Box Sauna at the Piazza on the Mall:
The need and desire for human connection is fundamental to our daily happiness. Unfortunately, through the spread of suburban land use patterns and the many elements of computer/mobile technology we as a society are getting fewer and fewer organic and serendipitous opportunities to connect with each other as fellow human beings. In my work through The Musicant Group, our team thinks (and does!) a lot around how to create physical environments that reverse these troubling trends. We’ve found that there are a few critical factors that have a disproportionate impact on whether a space is inviting, alive, and facilitates community: User Choice: How much of the environment is in the user’s hands? Can they easily choose to be in a public place vs. a private place? Can they sit in the sun or the shade? Can the move things around so that they are “just right” for that given situation. Dynamic Transitions and Borders: In the natural world, thick transitions between zones reinforce each side, bind them together, and are also often dynamic places in of themselves. Think of the rich ecology of the edge/marsh of a lake or river. A low sitting wall that lines a pathway and protects an inner park or garden. Or our lips. Even life events such as birthdays, bar/bat mitvas, and seasonal holidays create important and dynamic border transitions for our lives and society. Things to do: Why should someone be in a given space? Are there things to experience, eat, enjoy, play, buy, go, etc. If there are a few good reasons for people to go and stay in a place, than it stands that there will be a few people in the space. The Sauna: The best saunas have each of these three elements. There is a choice of where to sit, heat level, length of stay, view, etc. There are clear and enjoyable transitions and borders: the outside, the changing/anteroom, the threshold of a doorway, the seat near the door, the upper bench spot. There are also the transitions of activity: arrival, changing, heat up and cool down cycles, dressing, and transitioning back to our everyday lives. And, there are things to do: the sauna itself, but just as important: talking, eating, drinking, cooling down, sitting by the fire, etc. The sauna experience inspires us on how we can shape our own environments and daily routines to increase the sociability and happiness for ourselves and our communities. – Max Musicant To read the whole blog, go here. |
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November 2018
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