1. University Of Palestine Engineering College And Urban Design Architecture Department BY Numan Ahmed El hafi Supervisor Eng Shireen Abd Elrhman The Square or Plaza August 2010 Urban Design

2. Content : Introduction The Street Plaza The corporate foyer The urban oasis The transit foyer The grand public place

3. INTRODUCTION Downtown spaces can be categorized in many ways: by size, use, relationship to street, style, predominant function, architectural form, location, and so on. This article is concerned with the interplay of form and use, how the physical environment influences activities, socialization, or simply repose. The classification is based on a mix of form and use, moving from smallest to largest in size. The typology is not necessarily exhaustive; rather it is presented as a starting point for design thinking about downtown plaza areas. The typology is an attempt to make some sense of the varied categories of downtown open space in cities. It can be applied to most cities as a basis for understanding the variety of spaces described as urban plazas, categorizing plaza spaces in a specific city, and developing local guidelines for specific plaza types.

4. The Street Plaza The street plaza is a small portion of public open space immediately adjacent to the sidewalk and closely connected to the street. It sometimes is a widening of the sidewalk itself or an extension of it under an arcade. Such spaces are generally used for brief periods of sitting, waiting, and watching. They tend to be used more by men than by women. The seating edge: A seating height wall of stepped edge to a sidewalk The widened sidewalk: A widened portion of the sidewalk that is furnished with seating blocks, steps, Used primarily for viewing passersby

5. The Street Plaza The bus waiting place: A portion of the sidewalk at a bus stop, sometimes furnished with a bench, shelter, kiosk, or litter container. The pedestrian link: An outdoor passage or alley that connects two blocks or, sometimes, two plazas. The corner sun pocket: A building footprint that is designed to open up a small plaza where two streets meet and where there is access to sun during the peak lunchtime period. The arcade plaza: A sidewalk that is widened by means of an extension under a building overhang.

6. The corporate foyer The corporate foyer is part of a new, generally high-rise building complex. Its principle function is to provide an attractive, often elegant entry and image for its corporate sponsor. It is usually privately owned but accessible to the public. It is sometimes locked after business hours. The decorative porch: A small decorative entry, sometimes planted or supplied with seating or a water feature. The impressive forecourt: A larger entry plaza, often finished in expensive materials (marble, travertine) and sometimes designed to discourage any use by passing through The stage set: A very large corporate plaza flanked by an impressive tall building that it helps frame it. The plaza is primarily a stage set with buildings as a backdrop.

7. The urban oasis The urban oasis is a type of plaza that is more heavily planted, has a garden or park image, and is partially secluded from the street. Its location and design deliberately set this place apart from the noise and activity of the city. It is often popular for lunchtime eating, reading, socializing, and it is the one category that tends to attract more women than men, or at least equal proportions of each. The urban oasis has a quiet reflective quality. The outdoor lunch plaza: A plaza separated from the street by a level change or a pierced wall and furnished for comfortable lunchtime used. The garden oasis: A small plaza, often enclosed and secluded from the street, whose high density and variety of planting conveys a garden image The roof garden: A rooftop area developed as a garden setting for sitting, walking, and viewing.

8. The transit foyer The transit foyer is a type of plaza space created for easy access in and out of heavily used public transit terminals. The subway entry place: A place for passing through, waiting, meeting, and watching. It sometimes becomes a favorite hangout for a particular group (e.g. teens) who can reach this place by public transit. The bus terminal: Where many city bus lines converge and many commuters arrive and leave the city center each day. It is primarily a space to move through, but it sometimes attracts vendors of newspapers, flowers, light snacks, and the like.

9. The grand public place The grand public space comes closes to our image of the old-world town square or piazza. When located near a diversity of land uses (office, retail, warehouse, transit) it tends to attract users from a greater distance and in greater variety than do other plazas. Such a plaza is often big and flexible enough to host brown-bag lunch crowds; outdoor cafes; passers through; and the occasional concerts, art shows, exhibits, and rallies. It is usually a public area owned and is often considered “the heart of the city.” The city plaza: An area predominately hard surfaced, centrally located, and highly visible. It is often the setting for programmed events such as concerts, performances, and political rallies. The city square: A centrally located, often historic place where major thoroughfares intersect. Unlike many other kinds of plazas, it is not attached to a particular building; rather, it often encompasses one or more complete city blocks and is usually bounded by streets

10. Thanks