Papers by Jonathan Daly
URBAN DESIGN International, 2021
Nathan Phillips Square is Toronto’s most important landmark, symbolising the city’s rejection of ... more Nathan Phillips Square is Toronto’s most important landmark, symbolising the city’s rejection of its conservative and monocultural past, in favour of a diverse, modern and global future, cast in Modernist urbanism and architecture. Today, Toronto is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world, in a country widely considered the most successful multicultural society in the world. However, what role the built form of the city’s microscale public spaces plays in supporting this pluralism remains largely unresearched. This paper attempts to contribute to this gap through an empirical examination of how Nathan Phillips Square enables and constrains ethnocultural differences and intercultural encounter. The paper begins with an exploration of literature on encounter in public spaces, and the agency of built form in mediating such interactions. The paper then presents three key findings based on an actor-network ethnography. This paper is critical of the emphasis placed on the square’s symbolic capital, at the expense of the multi-ethnic everyday life of the city. As a result, the failings of Modernism appear locked in, largely reducing the square to a spectacle. It is hoped that these findings will better inform urban designers and governments in shaping public space for ethnically diverse Western cities.
Journal of Urban Design, 2019
Superkilen is a much-lauded contemporary urban public space that has been widely photographed and... more Superkilen is a much-lauded contemporary urban public space that has been widely photographed and the subject of public talks, articles, interviews, short films, books and awards, including the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016. Although it was designed to improve social cohesion in the multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Nørrebro, it remains largely unresearched in how well its built form contributes to this goal. This paper provides an empirical examination of how the built form of Superkilen enables and constrains intercultural encounter. The paper begins with an exploration of literature on encounter in public spaces, and the agency of built form in mediating such interactions. The paper then presents three key findings based on ethnographic fieldwork using actor-network theory. This paper is critical of the design concept behind Superkilen, claiming that it privileged spatial representation above spatial practice. However, the findings also show how such encounters can be triangulated, shaped and programmed. It is hoped these findings will better inform urban designers in shaping public space for intercultural encounters in Western cities.
Federation Square is an iconic urban public space in the centre of Melbourne. It was commissioned... more Federation Square is an iconic urban public space in the centre of Melbourne. It was commissioned to celebrate the establishment of the nation of Australia in 1901; to represent the state of Victor...
Journal of Urban Design, 2019
Superkilen is a much-lauded contemporary urban public space that has been widely photographed and... more Superkilen is a much-lauded contemporary urban public space that has been widely photographed and the subject of public talks, articles, interviews, short films, books and awards, including the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2016. Although it was designed to improve social cohesion in the multi-ethnic neighbourhood of Nørrebro, it remains largely unresearched in how well its built form contributes to this goal. This paper provides an empirical examination of how the built form of Superkilen enables and constrains intercultural encounter. The paper begins with an exploration of literature on encounter in public spaces, and the agency of built form in mediating such interactions. The paper then presents three key findings based on ethnographic fieldwork using actor-network theory. This paper is critical of the design concept behind Superkilen, claiming that it privileged spatial representation above spatial practice. However, the findings also show how such encounters can be triangulated, shaped and programmed. It is hoped these findings will better inform urban designers in shaping public space for intercultural encounters in Western cities.
Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. However, by 2050 this is forecas... more Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. However, by 2050 this is forecast to increase to two thirds. Creating cities that are receptive and responsive to their inhabitant’s needs is, or should be, the aim of urban planners and designers worldwide. Public spaces are a vital ingredient of such cities. But, what makes a great public space? What is it that makes these spaces more comfortable, both psychologically and physiologically, for some people more than others?
There have been several attempts to deconstruct and articulate what makes a public space work for its users (what Barker referred to as ‘synomorphy’)1. Some are focused on how spaces affect human emotions 2, some consider how users perceive and sense the space 3-5, while others consider how a space might affect physiological comfort 6, 7. However, there is a gap in the literature in exploring how these factors may interact with each other and affect the human experience of public spaces.
Seeking to fill this gap, this paper will introduce ‘The Huss Index’. This is a methodology currently under development, which aims to explore the human experience in public spaces. Drawing widely from the academic literature and evidence-based design, this study will present a methodology to measure physiological and psychological comfort. This methodology which is experimental in nature evaluates the multisensory perception of spaces, and investigates how the physical environment affects users’ emotional status and comfort levels. The Huss Index aims to explore experiences in real time and space in everyday environments. It links an ethnographic approach for the subjective understanding of space to the objective measurements of environmental experience.
Research by Jonathan Daly
Papers: Temp Uses by Jonathan Daly
The Conversation, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have reminded us of the vital role public space plays in suppo... more The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have reminded us of the vital role public space plays in supporting our physical and mental well-being. Lockdowns and "social distancing" have limited our participation in public life and public space. We need to act swiftly to retrofit our public spaces so they are both safe and support social activity. Our goal must be to avoid a long-term legacy where people fear cities and other people. This is where approaches known as temporary and tactical urbanism come in as a way to quickly reconfigure public spaces to create places that are both safe and social.
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Papers by Jonathan Daly
There have been several attempts to deconstruct and articulate what makes a public space work for its users (what Barker referred to as ‘synomorphy’)1. Some are focused on how spaces affect human emotions 2, some consider how users perceive and sense the space 3-5, while others consider how a space might affect physiological comfort 6, 7. However, there is a gap in the literature in exploring how these factors may interact with each other and affect the human experience of public spaces.
Seeking to fill this gap, this paper will introduce ‘The Huss Index’. This is a methodology currently under development, which aims to explore the human experience in public spaces. Drawing widely from the academic literature and evidence-based design, this study will present a methodology to measure physiological and psychological comfort. This methodology which is experimental in nature evaluates the multisensory perception of spaces, and investigates how the physical environment affects users’ emotional status and comfort levels. The Huss Index aims to explore experiences in real time and space in everyday environments. It links an ethnographic approach for the subjective understanding of space to the objective measurements of environmental experience.
Research by Jonathan Daly
Papers: Temp Uses by Jonathan Daly
There have been several attempts to deconstruct and articulate what makes a public space work for its users (what Barker referred to as ‘synomorphy’)1. Some are focused on how spaces affect human emotions 2, some consider how users perceive and sense the space 3-5, while others consider how a space might affect physiological comfort 6, 7. However, there is a gap in the literature in exploring how these factors may interact with each other and affect the human experience of public spaces.
Seeking to fill this gap, this paper will introduce ‘The Huss Index’. This is a methodology currently under development, which aims to explore the human experience in public spaces. Drawing widely from the academic literature and evidence-based design, this study will present a methodology to measure physiological and psychological comfort. This methodology which is experimental in nature evaluates the multisensory perception of spaces, and investigates how the physical environment affects users’ emotional status and comfort levels. The Huss Index aims to explore experiences in real time and space in everyday environments. It links an ethnographic approach for the subjective understanding of space to the objective measurements of environmental experience.