1 ABSTRACT
The trialogue process, reflected by the integration and interaction between civil actors, private sector and public organizations in the design of public open spaces is, and will always be, a hot issue in the urban life of many cities, thus raising some challenging questions concerning the role of public spaces and the nature of public life of cities and their inhabitants.
An essential quality of urban public spaces is that they meet the needs of users. Consequently the involvement of citizens in the design of open spaces plays a critical role in the sustainability of such spaces. On the other hand, both the private sector and public organizations are essential for the existence and construction of public open spaces.
The paper will investigate the trialogue addressed between the three sectors, civil actors, the public sectors and the private organizations in the design and management of open spaces with reference to Cairenes’ society. The following questions will be raised, where the study will attempt to seek the answers; to what extent is the involvement of the three in the design and management of local public spaces? Does the use and quality of such open spaces differ according to the degree of involvement of each of the three sectors?
2 INTRODUCTION
Public open spaces are considered a cornerstone in the lives of societies and they need to be recognized as such for their beneficial effect on human lives. For many years the public spaces of cities have been the subject of wonder, from the different ways in which public space can be designed and developed (Carr et al, 1992; Tibbalds, 1992), to concerns about privatization of space (Loukaitou-Sideris, 1993; Punter, 1990) and the challenging nature of public space (Zukin, 1995).
3 PROBLEM
The impact of the exploding population in the urban footprint throughout the world, especially in developing mega cities, created a number of problems that largely affect the existence and quality of open spaces. Some of these problems are air and water pollution, housing problems, the legalisation of occupied areas, overcrowded settlements, traffic, congestion and noise. Subsequently, uncontrolled city growth is mounting the strain on public open spaces and putting open spaces in urban cities at risk. As a result recreational spaces are reduced, which consequently lead to the worsening of the social, psychological and physical problems. On the other hand, the management and construction of open spaces faces a number of problems some of which are limited governmental financial support, convincing private sectors’ involvement and investment, vandalism, misuse, accessibility …etc.
In summary, problems facing open spaces stem from two major points. First, the limited availability of outdoor space and pollution as a by-product of modern life, while the second is guaranteeing the continuity of such spaces and the quality they give. To overcome the above problems more attention should be paid to open spaces, whether in terms of quantity, quality or availability. The paper argues that such problems could be avoided through the involvement of all parties of interest.
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