Inner courtyards as public open spaces

Abstract

A significant part of the world’s population is moving into cities. This is primarily due to the high level of economic activity in metropolitan regions. Growing populations will require more public spaces. Therefore, the role of public spaces will become increasingly significant. However, the dense nature of inner-city spaces, especially in historical city centres, makes the expansion of pedestrian areas a serious challenge. Opening inner courtyards to augment public spaces could help solve the problem.

This paper discusses the example of two inner courtyards in Győr which had been opened for pedestrian traffic in the 1960s and 1980s. In order to understand how the role of inner courtyards has evolved, a brief history of public spaces and inner courtyards is presented. Historically, public spaces have been the spaces of community life for celebrations, fairs, festivals and even sporting events. Certain spaces have always been set aside, and their locations chosen, for specially designated functions. The biggest difference between inner courtyards and public spaces is that the former are generally private areas. It was only in the 19th century when the first shops appeared in inner courtyards that they were opened to pedestrians.

The settlement morphology of Győr and the Bécsi and Hungária courtyards are described. Pedestrian traffic through the two inner courtyards was measured empirically during three days. A method was designed to count the number of pedestrians who used the street furniture, terraces and recreational equipment in the Bécsi and the Hungária courtyards. This number was also regarded as a measure of public acceptance. The inner courtyards in Győr turned out to be very popular not only among tourists but also with the local population. The amount of traffic was significantly influenced by the presence of street furniture, shops and catering facilities. The Bécsi courtyard was more popular among the middle-aged, and the Hungária courtyard more with families and younger age groups.

The example of the inner courtyards in Győr suggests that it may be worth considering opening inner courtyards in other cities, too, but not just for pedestrians but also for shops, catering facilities, playgrounds, etc. Another important aspect is to include inner courtyards in the traffic network as to offer shorter routes for pedestrians. All of those elements are essential for making inner courtyards a successful and well-accepted expansion to public open spaces.