Concepts on public space, project management and social logic: reflections on the chilean experience

Abstract

The present document deals with a series of definitions of urban open space, proposing the use of the term collectively used urban spaces, understood as the network of publicly and privately owned spaces and edifications use by the population for its recreation and circulation, either on a permanent or regular basis, being explicitly linked with one another at the scale of the pedestrian. According to the author this concept brings together the particular approach of several disciplines, particularly architecture, engineering, landscape design and landscape ecology, as well as the regulations that norm the products of these professions, opening an ample range of action possibilities for urban planners and managers. The article discusses the necessity of understanding urban open space projects as urban renewal opportunities that provide fresh financial and other resources to city management, and illustrates some of the benefits of incorporating the administration and maintenance of urban open spaces as an essential part of the process of materialization of different initiatives, where the participation of urban actors and the avoidance of an excessively approach are essential elements.