City Hall plazas : they're different

Abstract

This essay explores the form, goals, and ideals behind city hall plazas by asking the questions: What is the difference between a city hall plaza and any other urban plaza? What are the uses intended by the city in the building of the plaza? and, How are these intentions manifested in the design of the space? The investigation of three cases: Austin City Hall Plaza, Seattle Civic Center, and Boston City Hall Plaza looks to the designs themselves as well as the thoughts of the designers and the reactions in the media to determine the goals behind each city hall plaza and how these goals are reflected in the resulting design. In each case the goal of creating a "civic heart" is paramount. This goal is defined by a plazas ability to (1) refer to tradition, (2) relate to the historic piazza, (3) act as an economic catalyst, (4) create connections between disparate neighborhoods, (5) provide open space for everyday activities as well as ceremonial events, (6) symbolize local government and serve as an icon for the city, (7) be a means toward social reflection, (8) be a repository for collective memory, (9) and serve as a sacred space or a space of protest. In turn, the tools used to attempt to achieve these goals are (1) catering to environmental conditions, (2) the use of hardscape as opposed to softscape, (3) the creation of a forum and the direction of attention, or the focus of the plaza, (4) the size of the plaza, (5) the flexibility inherent in the design, (6) the of edges (or lack thereof), (7) demonstrating an ethic of care, (8) the use of public-private partnerships for the maintenance and programming of the space, (9) the "grain" or degree of integration of the plaza into its surrounding context, (10) the symbolism attempted through the design, (11) and most importantly, the activation of the plaza.

(cont.) Finally, the essay ends with a discussion of the efficacy of these tools in achieving the design goals, and attempts to unwrap the deeper meanings behind the goals, and the purpose of the city hall plaza as a phenomena of city form.