Squares are our cities' main public places. The network of public space that weaves throughout our urban fabric is vast, linking homes and businesses and workplaces. It is made up of sidewalks which connect everything and the squares and plazas that those sidewalks lead us toward, where we can gather, hang out, and spend time together.

We walk along sidewalks, continuously in motion, and we end up at squares to sit for a drink, spend time with friends or simply to enjoy the fresh air of the outdoors and the comings and goings of our community. If we don't have squares, then we're perpetually on the go without a destination to end up at. Squares are the anchors of public life.

In our 50 year history of doing Placemaking, we've worked on squares all across the world. These diverse experiences have taught us what makes the best squares, the ones that are able to attract people from all corners of town to gather and engage in social and community life on a regular basis. We have seen what it takes for a square to become the heart of a community.

Our insights can be found in the articles below.

The Best Squares

The best squares are the ones that are always alive with activity. There, you can see children running and playing, people laughing and chatting over coffee at outdoor cafes, visitors taking photos of beautiful landmarks. From morning to evening, great squares are the living room of the community where people get together to connect with each other and unwind.

Squares we've worked on

We're proud to say we've worked on many of the world's best squares, such as Campus Martius in Detroit and Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center in New York. Others we have been lucky to visit and experience the energy of in person. Below is a collection of some of our favorite squares and what makes them top tier.

NYC, Bryant Park, Camebridg, Harvard Yard, Detrtoit, Campus Martius and NYC Rockefeller Center

Creating Catalytic Public Squares, Our work, Part I
What great squares have to offer their communities is limitless. The most magical parts about these places are the simple, crucial chance encounters that allow us to have with others.
Social Life ProjectFred Kent

World-renowned squares

Our favorite square can be found on every corner of the planet – from Spain to Buenos Aires to Perth. What makes them so wonderful is their ability to attract people by creating an atmosphere of joy and activity, and by offering people countless things to see and do there from morning to evening.

Time-Honored Places: The Public Square, Part II
Public Spaces as squares are plazas in Spain, Latin America, and sometimes the U.S., piazzas in Italy, platz in German-speaking countries, and simply “square” everywhere in between. In many small towns they have the Village Green. In essence they are the main gathering places for people.
Social Life ProjectFred Kent

Important Features of Sqaures

There are certain features that we see in great squares again and again. Amenities like shade and seating that make it comfortable to spend time there, refreshments that people can enjoy as they hang out, assets that make the square beautiful and memorable, activities that give people reasons return again and again. The more of these features a square has, the more likely it is to become the community heart that every town and city needs.

Focal Points

Whether an iconic sculpture or fountain, focal points are like the cherry atop the greatness of a public square. They give it a central gathering point and a unique character, tying everything together.

Focal Points are Essential for Public Spaces
What a focal point is varies greatly from place to place. Sometimes it is as simple as a good spot to sit, a fountain, or a statue on which kids can play and climb. A great focal point attracts people and invites them to linger.
Social Life ProjectFred Kent
Play Sculptures
Play-friendly sculptures can be a part of making someone’s visit to a park particularly memorable, whether that’s by bringing a beloved character to life, or offering a landscape for play unlike any other.
Social Life ProjectKathy Madden

Seating

A square should be a place people enjoy spending time in, not just a place to pass through. Any time you want to encourage people to hang around, you need to offer places to sit. That means the best squares are those with various kinds of seating – benches, steps, and chairs of all kinds.

How Seating Shapes Welcoming Cities
Benches and seating are not objects; they are mirrors to our social behavior. We have seen it time and again that where there is seating, there is life.
Social Life ProjectKathy Madden

Markets

We always say "a square is the heart of a community and a market is its soul." While the square is the structural core of community life, the market brings in the energy and activity that gives it vitality. Markets are central to a community's economic activity and the square, as the center of town, is an ideal place to host them.

Squares are the Hearts of Communities, Markets Their Soul: How Cities Put Them Together and Thrive
Exploring the powerful, mutually beneficial connection between market and square in cities around the world
Social Life ProjectSteve Davies
Bringing Back the Heart of Communities - Squares and Markets
Markets and squares are the heart of communities where people gather, celebrate, play, and enjoy life on a daily basis.
Social Life ProjectKathy Madden

Programming

A market is one kind of programming that adds life and activity to a public square, but there are many other kinds of programs and events that can and should also be hosted there. As the heart of the community, the public square has to serve the community by enriching people's lives with opportunities for fun, joy, culture, education, and more.

Let’s Turn Buildings Inside-Out
Bringing the inside out onto the sidewalk blurs the lines between public and private space, creating one dynamic, thriving urban ecosystem.
Social Life ProjectFred Kent
Bryant Park - A Modern Day “Pleasure Garden”
Bryant Park is one of the biggest success stories in the history of Placemaking. Located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, it used to be little more than a deserted patch of grass with barely any amenities within to attract visitation. Because of its lack of wholesome activity and the
Social Life ProjectTayana Panova

In order for community to form, people need to have a place to gather. The public square's main role is offering people this space – somewhere that people naturally gravitate to, that feels comfortable to spend time in, and that invites connecting, relaxing, and taking part in public life. Without a public square, a community is incomplete, always searching for the heart of town

The mission of the Social Life Project is to incite a renaissance of community connection in public spaces around the globe. Through our online publication, presentations, campaigns, and catalytic projects, we can create transformative impact on communities everywhere. Our work grows out of more than 50 years devoted to building the global placemaking movement. It is an initiative of the Placemaking Fund, along with PlacemakingX — a global network of leaders who together accelerate placemaking as a way to create healthy, inclusive, and beloved communities.

If you are interested in collaborating (articles, presentations, exhibits, projects, and more) or supporting the cause contact us.
Share this post