Pangasinan State University

Department of architecture

Intro to Research Methods for Architecture

Conceptualizing a Perspective of a
Livable Converging Zone in Communities

John Brayan F. Obispado

Student

Arch. Nelco Paul P. Coquia

Instructor

I.

Background of the Study

Have you ever noticed how some places have such strong sense of identity?

Being there is like in no other place on earth. And then there are this other adjacent
places:

Fuel

stations,

shopping

malls,

chain

restaurants,

hospital

waiting

areas. Placeless places. There is no distinction between one and the next.
Place is a where dimension formed by people's relationship with physical
settings, individual and group activities, and meanings. 'Place Attachment', 'Place
Identity' and 'Sense of Place' are some concepts that can describe the quality of
people's relationships with a place. Place identity is an important aspect of life, although
it can be challenging to describe. Having a place identity encourages involvement within
the community and helps people create neighborly bonds. It encourages people to be
involved, to enjoy where they live or work, and to interact more with their surroundings
(GMS, 2004)
As our society grows, the less and less social interaction we may actually have.
Many people in our younger generations have more friends in social media websites
than they actually have in real life. Fewer children and teenagers seem to play outside
of their school, opting for more solitary indoor activities, such as watching television or
playing video games. For some, the feeling we belong to a community or neighborhood
is becoming a thing of the past. Places that lack a sense of places are sometimes
referred to as placeless. A classic description of such placeless places is Gertrude
Steins There is no there there.

The Public Plaza of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan located at the center of Barangay
Poblacion Norte had been the venue for important events such as fiesta programs,
graduation and recognition rites, sports leagues, and community meetings. The plaza is
surrounded by small scale residential areas with some retail. The converging zone
consists of two spaces. One is provided for leisure of users such as public auditorium, a
small park, gym and gazebos. The other one was a space where public institutional
buildings such as police station, health center, fire station and training center were
located. These two spaces are clustered in the Public Plaza and have a distinction
between their function and identity. People in the community often converge in the
Gazebos to have fun and relax and then there is an ambulance rushing for an
emergency, instead of having a great time for leisure people tend to be disturbed and
distracted because of the activities in this adjacent stressful places (institutional
buildings).

The Public Plaza should be triangulated. Triangulation refers to the

practice of clustering features in close proximity to one another so that they generate
more activity than if they were isolated. (Project for Public Spaces, Inc., 2009)
This Study focuses mainly on how to establish proper spatial layout of two
distinct spaces to develop a more effective relationships between the surrounding and
the activities happening and in the Public Plaza and to achieve a more livable
converging zone in the community.

Figure

1.

Spatial

II.

Sta.

Barbara

Public

Plaza:

Lay-out

Statement of the Problem

Ideally, a livable converging zone in a community has a sense of place that

gives the neighborhood a unique character, enhances the walking environment, and
creates pride in a community. (AIA, 2004) Good places for interaction are also good

places to be. They are generally pleasant, close to or linked to services and filled with
public user. Public space such as the Public Plaza of Sta. Barbara, Pangasinan is an
example of a good place of interaction because its basic function required as a Plaza is
extended.

Unfortunately, spaces in Sta. Barbara Public Plaza have no special relationship

to the place where they are located because of its incoherent spatial layout. Two
spaces, provided for leisure and provided for Institutional Buildings that has no
relationship and distinction between their function and identity are combined, clustered,
lacking proximity to one another.
In consequence, People relaxing and having fun in the place provided for leisure
such as the Park and Public Auditorium tend to be distracted and disturbed by the
activities in Institutional Buildings that referred as a stressful place. User does not feel
the place experience of the space. This lack of sense of identity results to the
minimal number of users and at some times the Plaza became isolated.

This study seeks answers to the following questions:

1. What are the impacts of Place Identity of the plaza to the livability of the people
in the community?
2. How will spatial layout of the plaza help on creating a livable converging zone?
3. How will the sense of place affect the general enjoyment of life of user in the
community?

III.

Objectives of the Study

This research study seeks to attain the following objectives:

To identify the impacts of Place Identity of the plaza to the livability of the

people in the community.

To know how will the spatial layout of the plaza help on creating a livable

converging zone.
To know how will the sense of place affect the general enjoyment of life of user
in the community.

IV.

Research Paradigm

Dependent

Independent

Intervening

Livability

Place Identity

People
Public Users:

Converging Zone:

Spatial Layout

C
Plaza

Triangulation

Boundary:
13,690 sq. m.

Neighbors
Visitors

General Public:
Male/Female
15 y/o above
During 6-9am
and 3-7pm

Theoretical:
A livable community is one that is safe and secure, has transportation options,
and offers supportive community features and services. The livability of the place
depends on the significance and identity of the place which is concern with the meaning
of the place to the people. Livable communities have sense of place, they are places to
live, work and relax. (AARP, 2009).
Conceptual:
The livability of selected converging zone which is the Public Plaza will depend
on its effective spatial layout. It should provide a proper management of the spaces to
increase the sense of community to the public user classified as the adjacent
neighborhoods and visitors.
Operational:
The plaza with approximately 13,690 sq. m . of area from its boundaries will
depend on the approach which is triangulation. Triangulation refers to the practice of
clustering features in close proximity to one another so that they generate more activity
than if they were isolated. (PPS, 2004). Through this approach, proper and effective
spatial layout of the plaza will be achieved. It will be conducted during peak hours when
people converge to the place.

V.

Hypothesis
Spatial Layout of the Plaza is significant in creating a livable converging zone in

the community.

SWOT Analysis:

Lacks Neighborhood Identity

Weakness:

Provide Choices

Strength:

Opportunities:
Social Services

Threats:
Placeless Spaces

The function required for a

plaza extends beyond its basic
function as a place for leisure.
The plaza provides features and
services designed to enhance
the ability to the people with
diverse
needs
to
remain
independent
and
actively
engaged in community life. It has
a series of destination or places
to go where people spend time
and accomplish things.

The plaza has a variety of spaces

that will create a lively neighborhood
and will accommodate the user. This
variety of spaces is combined caused
by ineffective spatial layout of the
place. This placelessness of the place
makes it uncomfortable to use in such
a way that the user do not belong to
the place, which result to low degree
of livability of the place.

Even if the plaza provides

different services to the user,
lacking neighborhood identity
makes them feel that they do not
belong to the place and makes
them feel that they are less
connected to each other. Places
without sense of place tend to
make people no longer care for
their environment (Crang, 1998).

The spaces in the Plaza have no

special relationship to the place where
they are located because of its
incoherent spatial layout. Spaces with
no distinction are clustered together
rather than segregated from each
other resulting to absence of the place
character making the place difficult to
attract people and at some times, the
place is isolated. As Gertrude Steins
classic description of placeless places
There is no there there.

The availability of scholarships and better collaboration between Norwegian University of Science and
Technology (NTNU) and other universities now makes it easier for students to come to Trondheim. The
international students spend time in Trondheim while they may not be adequately prepared to live in the
different environment or ready to take the necessary steps to integrate into a new society (Bourrelle,
2013a). However the intercultural contact positively can help international students to develop a greater
communicative competence and also increase satisfaction with their experience of studying abroad.
As the contemporary cities are facing multicultural urbanism, a successful multicultural public space is
one where various groups sense of comfort is combined with good physical design. Such a public space
creates an atmosphere that can nurture many preferences. It fosters social interaction while
simultaneously creates distinct "spaces", where individual cultures can be emphasized and celebrated.
This thesis tries to investigate how the international students interactions are performed in and through
everyday lives in different city spaces beyond their home and the universitys spaces. How public spaces
alter social behavior of international students, which impact on their well-being and experiences of living in
Trondheim?
On the other hand, sociability in public spaces is a continuous two-way process, in which people create
and modify spaces while at the same time being influenced in various ways by those spaces. Thus it is
also important in this thesis, to see how the international students influence and change the environment
regardingthe changes in their social interactions and cultural differences.
In order to get access to different facets of reality of the international students behaviors in using different
public spaces, the triangulation of discourse analysis, was a chosen methodology for this research.
Triangulation is refering to the mix of data or methods so that diverse viewpoints or multiple perspectives
cast light upon a same phenomenon topic" (Olsen, 2004 ,p 3). By combining multiple perspectives, the
researcher hopes to overcome the limitations and intrinsic biases of any one perspective, thus the
different perspectives converge with a representative reality in this thesis (Bloom, 2012). The research
questions, which the methodological approach and the rationality of choosing methods was based on, are
as follows;
Main question: How do the international students behave with respect to the use of different public spaces
in Trondheim?
Sub questions: Which public spaces do the international students use to carry out their particular and
desired activities in different times of the year? What influences their behavior in using different public
spaces at different times of the years? How do the social-physical features of public spaces develop or
inhibit the international students use of public spaces?
Normative questions: How are the international students considered in planning and management
process by different corresponding, responsible representatives and public institutions? How this research
can influence local urban policy through illustrating the impact of innovative thinking of international

students with various background, culture, and interests in order to improve the quality of lives and civil
society in Trondheim?