Broadly speaking, the public realm is simply all the places in the city where people go. This includes existing or potential public spaces or sites, including parks, school yards, public squares, streets, traffic circles, plazas, ravines, water edges, bus loops, boulevards, sidewalks, greenways, and those “in-between” spaces that don’t really even have names.

Here are some examples of the public realm:

Through citizen engagement in processes like the 21Places competition and through research studies, the Planning Commission seeks to improve our Public Realm, to add to our supply of it, to increase its use, and to improve its attractiveness and value to citizens.

In connection with the 21Places competition, the Commission sponsored a study on public realm planning in many cities around the world, including case studies and interviews.

Report:
Summary and Overview
Case Studies and Interviews