DEVELOPING DESIGN GUIDELINES TOWARDS SAFER PARK: THE CASE OF RAMLET EL BAIDA

Abstract

Public urban park is a very important feature in the city, it is responsible for the behavior of the cities and gives an identity of the city besides country to portray it in front of the people. Well maintained park leads to healthy life and well-being. Also, it holds social value and attachment of people to it. Despite wide consensus on the importance of public parks for city dwellers’ social lives as well as their physical and mental health, popular discourses and journalist reports reflect a growing demonetization of public space in many cities around the world. This is because fear is increasingly associated with representations of the ‘public’ in many cities across the world. Threats from diseases spread (e.g., COVID-19), crime, or threats posed by “other” social groups incivility led to violence. This research is conducted in three phases: the first phase focuses on literature review that helps to define the different types of threats as well as their impact. The second phase highlights the factors and characteristics of good public parks and provides tools to evaluate and activate with the physical and social elements. The third one analyses the Ramlet ElBaida case and proposes guidelines.