Contextualising freedoms : documenting the loss of the human element in the contemporary public realm

Abstract

The events which constitute one's daily life are informed by the constant dialogue and interaction with the surrounding environment, to the extent that it becomes impossible to imagine the experience of them, without also imagining the spaces in which they occurred. They are moulded by one's surroundings, by the spaces visited and the architecture encountered and as a result they begin to shape one's life and define one's character (Alexander, 1979). A city's parks, streets, pjazzas, markets and waterfronts are the settings which allow for people from different cultural groups to come together and share the same space. They represent sites of collective well-being and vessels which have the ability of increasing one's empathy towards the other. It is for this revision that public space is such an important feature in one's daily life and plays a crucial part in one's everyday rhythm (Anin, 2008). However, as the social structure of a society transforms, so does the spatial forms they inhabit transform, therefore, as society undergoes a period of accelerated growth, the public spaces which made up the urban fabric of the city are being affected. This dissertation attempted to highlight how as public land is sold and bartered, its' principle users are being excluded from the decisions made by those in power, with little consideration being taken to how they experience and identify with it, and the effects it has on their everyday life. This was analysed through the study of thee public spaces within the Maltese context which have been subject to physical changes over the past few years, resulting in a transformation in their nature as a public space. The spaces examined where; Tigne Pjazza, Sliema, Antoine de Paule Pjazza, Paola and Suq tal-Belt, Valletta. By analyzing the spatial and everyday rhythms which constitute each of these spaces, both at present, and prior to its transformation, this dissertation shed light on the imbalance that exists between the spaces being created in the contemporary public realm, and the desires of its users. Through the objective understanding of a user's behaviour within each space, the study demonstrated the dichotomy that exists between real and perceived freedom within the contemporary public realm. As the behavioural powers the spatial environment holds on the user is documented, the study brings into awareness how the notion of freedom and belonging within public space is beginning to dissolve.