Socialt i Vallastaden : En studie av offentliga rum i Vallastaden

Sammanfattning: Abstract With increased urbanization and a larger number of people choosing to move into cities, the importance of a good urban environment also increases. Along with this, the use of public space for social purposes has achieved an increased relevance. This essay is a study that deals with and analyses how the physical urban design of public places and perceived space affect social interactions and how these are applied to two different public places. This study is focused on the urban design of the physical environment for public usage and the perceived space by the users. Previous studies suggest that the perception of space will affect social interactions and use of the space. The study has been carried out in two different public places in the newly built residential area Vallastaden in the municipality of Linköping. The two public spaces that were selected for the study was; (1) the square named Nobeltorget, and (2) the green area Paradiset. The purpose of the study was to study people's interaction with urban design and how the design can contribute to the residents' social life. The purpose of this study was also to analyze which qualities are important to increase and promote the use of public places.Theoretically, the study is based on three theories that describe in different ways the importance of public places and how public places are created so that people want to stay there. This study is based on theories by, eg Matthew Carmona ́s theory about the physical environments role on social life, David Madden ́s thinking about social exclusion and Ali Madanipour ́s theory about public spaces availability. The study departs from the perspective of an urban planner, therefore, the relationship between the user and the city structure plays a key role. In order to try to discern in what way public places contribute to social meetings and interactions and which qualities can be assumed to be important for the planning of a public place. To answer the essay's purpose, different methods have been used. These are a document study, a literature study, observations and interviews. The essay shows that the public places in a city district have great importance for social life and that different public places have different functions in the city. This is a prerequisite for people to meet, which is a necessity for a community and a social life in the city.