Characterisation of the outdoor public space: a model for assessment

Abstract

The aim of the present study is the development of a model for the assessment of construction design solutions for outdoor public spaces, specifically for streets, squares, and parks, sustained by the analysis of the most important criteria in the urban space. Each of these criteria is divided into sub-criteria, that are very relevant in defining the rigour of the respective model, where materials and construction solutions play a very important role in the quality of a given outdoor public space and are decisive in obtaining a good classification. Through the approach of the assessment model, it is possible to define a matrix of relationships between the criteria and the sub-criteria of the analysis, allowing the perception of which sub-criteria have more influence in the assessment of the outdoor public space. The overall result of the assessment of a given outdoor public space is presented on a qualitative scale defined by quality levels, and improvements can be identified to move to a higher quality level.