Mötesplatser i små tätorter
funktion och gestaltning
This bachelor thesis in Landscape Architecture is about the planning and design of public spaces in small towns in Sweden. My opinion is that the small towns often are overlooked and my determination is to see if that is right.
The purpose with this thesis in Landscape Architecture, with focus on a durable society is to find the central public places in small towns and evaluate their function. This thesis has a focus on good design of central public spaces, designed for the inhabitants of the small towns.
A small town, which is the focus of this thesis, is defined to have 200-2000 inhabitants. The small towns, which often are built around industries or the railway, have since the nineteen seventies a problem with people leaving them for the cities in the urbanization. Currently there is also the opposite trend with people moving out from the cities, but to live on the country side, not in the small towns. My conclusion in this thesis is that high-quality living facilities as good housing and service are what could make people move to the small towns.
The theoretical background to this thesis is a literature study about what creates good public spaces. A public space is distinguished by openness, freedom and high accessibility. A central meeting point is often contained by a square. A square has different functions; practical, as a platform for social life and as a part of the inhabitants mental note. The public life can be divided into three categories of activities; necessary, optional and social.
I have used a qualitative method for my interviews with three different municipalities, Växjö, Ljungby and Eslöv to study how they work with their small towns. My study has shown that the efforts the municipalities put down on the small towns design and planning varies. My interviews have focused on how the municipalities communicate with the inhabitants, which they do through society groups, reference groups and information meetings. To see how the spatial design work on the places I have used Jan Gehls analyze method about city planning. I also show some examples from the different places I have visited.
This thesis conclusion is that the traditional, old public squares in the small towns are not a priority in the different municipalities but they work with the small towns, in an often direct way by trying to fulfil the inhabitants requests. But there is a lack of research results about the small towns and its public life in Sweden. More research results would be a benefit for future planning and design work in small towns.