The effect of place image on the uses of public space : the Cheonggye Stream case

Abstract

This thesis tries to add knowledge to the planning new public space amid existing urban fabrics. It uses the redesigned Cheonggye Stream in Seoul as a case study. By elucidating the interrelationship with the surrounding areas' land uses and urban forms, some implications are drawn from the Cheonggye Stream case to increase physical and psychological accessibility. Several points can be drawn from the findings in the Cheonggye Stream case in terms of physical accessibility. First, even a minor barrier or level change might reduce the number of visitors. Second, establishing comfortable connections with other transit modes such as the subway and the bus plays an important role in providing better physical accessibility. Lastly, walking condition is significantly affected by the clean and well-defined path network, but varied and interesting land uses such as traditional food restaurants and bars can also encourage people to walk. The case also reveals the following psychological accessibility lessons. First, recognizable buildings and landmarks increase the imageability of the place and therefore the level of familiarity. By contrast, a lack of landmarks, similar skylines, and complicated paths enforce the disconnected feeling, and hence people feel that those areas' paths are very long and tiring, while the same distances in a highly imageable place are felt as very short. Second, the surrounding areas' land uses determine the place's atmosphere, friendly and comfortable or undesirable and directly, influence visitors psychological accessibility levels. In summary, this thesis attempts to provide some direction how we can increase the physical and psychological accessibility by means of desirable paths, physical forms, and land uses. The hope is that it would help to increase the positive interrelationships between newly developed public space and the surrounding areas along the Cheonggye Stream.