3. THE SOCIO-SPATIAL PERSPECTIVE
The socio-spatial perspective on public space takes a less
formalised approach than the legal–economic perspective – it
seeks to identify what such spaces do or should look like and
how they are used. Much of the recent research in this vein
traces to the foundational work of Lynch (1960), Jacobs (1961)
and Whyte (1980), who addressed these issues from slightly
different angles. Lynch (1960) brought the spatial features of
public spaces to the foreground, examining how they give rise to
socially constructed mental maps that allow individuals to
navigate and make sense of complex environments. Jacobs
(1961), in contrast, highlighted the social functions of such
places, observing how the vitality and safety of certain
neighbourhoods are intimately connected to their spatial
configurations, especially to such features as density and
diversity. By introducing a rigorous observational methodology,
Whyte (1980) sought to empirically document the relationship
between form and function, first for urban plazas and later for
other types of open space.