Public realm is defined as any publicly owned streets, pathways, right of ways, parks, publicly accessible open spaces and any public and civic building and facilities. The quality of our public realm is vital if we are to be successful in creating environments that people want to live and work in - Wiki
The public realm includes all exterior places, linkages and built form elements that are physically and/or visually accessible regardless of ownership. These elements can include, but are not limited to, streets, pedestrian ways, bikeways, bridges, plazas, nodes, squares, transportation hubs, gateways, parks, waterfronts, natural features, view corridors, landmarks and building interfaces. - MEA
Role of the Public Realm: The community’s development fabric is composed of two distinct, yet inter-related components: the “public” realm and the “private” realm. The “public realm” consists primarily of the publicly-owned street rights-of-way and other publicly accessible open spaces such as parks, squares, plazas, courtyards, and alleys. The “private realm” consists of privately-owned areas in large part developed with buildings and associated improvements, and is more limited in its accessibility to the public.
Public realm belongs to everyone. It comprises the streets, squares, parks, green spaces and other outdoor places that require no key to access them and are available, without charge for everyone to use. Public realm should not be seen in isolation but in the context of its adjacent buildings, their uses and its location in a wider network of public and private space. The three key elements that influence the public realm are:
-The buildings that enclose and define the space;
-The space itself; and
-The people that inhabit the public realm and the way they use the space.
