Public Participation in the Process of Improving Quality of the Urban Frame

Abstract

The different tools for analysing the quality of public space are coincident when showing that a healthy urban space is conditioned by a proper urban structure. It is needed a balance between urban uses and a proper connectivity among the different parts of the city. At the same time, the users of the public space must have an adequate perception of the urban space it occupies; a good sense of identification of the user over the urban frame allows a proper use of the public space. The development of urban analysis in the city of Orihuela, using tools as RGBG Strategic Model, showed junk urban spaces around the Mount St. Michael. The application of the RGBG allowed the identification of social conflictive areas that had a limited connectivity with the rest of the city and inhabitants with a low feeling of identification with the closest urban area. The municipality of Orihuela used the knowledge acquired with these analysis tools for developing interventions over the public urban space focused on the detected social conflictive areas. With them, the municipality tried to improve the perception that inhabitants had over their closest urban environment. Public employment initiatives were developed with the participation of local inhabitants in order to integrate them in the process of recovering the conflictive urban areas. This paper describes the process developed and shows that once these interventions were finished, it is possible to validate the data obtained with the urban simulation tools. It is confirmed that the perception of the quality of public space is improved when the inhabitants are involved in the process of its recovery and when urban factors as connectivity are improved.