The Role of Temporary Use of Public Space in Sustainable Development

Abstract

The aim of this research paper is to explore the sustainable approach towards the management of public spaces. The paper is divided into seven sections. In the beginning, a discussion of why management of public spaces is generally an important subject is described by means of a literature review. The second part of the paper focuses on the value of public space, providing an overview of the benefits of, and roles played by, properly defined and planned public spaces. The third part of the paper presents a detailed discussion of the process of what is seen to be an innovative approach to the management of public spaces. Significant objectives are identified, in accordance with the new process of public space management, its impact, and synergies. In the fourth part, the research methodology is discussed. This section outlines the two approaches taken towards a case study of temporary use of public space in Slovakia and a survey exploring the success of the temporary approach.Finally, the outcome of the case study and results of the survey are outlined, highlighting interesting potential best practices regarding the temporary use of public spaces. The results of the case study suggest that the planning of public spaces plays a significant role in the cities; consequently, the creation of public spaces must be considered as one of the most important aspects when analysing strategies towards sustainable urban development.