Learning outcomes

High quality public spaces are key for developing sustainable and attractive tourist destinations. Successful spaces contribute to the images set by the hospitality sector, and are welcoming for people to visit. We can learn from world class hospitality places, which includes the best squares and public spaces that have developed over time, to understand what makes them successful.

One significant factor in designing a place or a building is to take climatic factors into account, as this will be determining for its use. In order to enhance the value of a space, to make it more people-friendly and draw urban life, you need to know what the local prerequisites are. This course is designed to give you understanding about public space design and destinations. You will also learn how to use Computer Aided Design to analyse public spaces in terms of their design and micro-climate, and most of all, you will continue the journey of being able to identify ‘place-potential’.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Explain how different climatic contexts generate different types of public spaces and usage.

• Create a Computer Aided Design for climate analysis.

• Experiment with how the built environment alters wind and sun patterns.

• Explain the likely climatic conditions of a place at various time of the year.

The course explores three key themes, which together address the overarching question: What makes a successful urban space for residents and tourists? You will explore:

• The elements of the built and natural environment that make attractive public space for people and its use.

• How the local micro-climate in a public space is an outcome of interactions between the built environment and the weather.

• How the design of the built environment can improve the local micro-climate of public space to enhance human comfort.