Guest Post by Laura von Puttkamer
Laura von Puttkamer is an urban development consultant and journalist on all things urban. She blogs at www.parcitypatory.org and is available as an author at www.textsandthecity.org.
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A perfect public space has been defined many times. It should be enjoyable, green, shady, accessible and equipped with infrastructure like waste bins, trees, paths, etc. Ideally, a well-planned city offers many public spaces where citizens can live, work and play – defined by famous French sociologist Henri Lefèbvre as the “Right to the City”.
But on top of that, it is worth considering other target groups in urban design. Urban planners tend to plan for people who are like themselves or their family, which means that children are left out of urban planning decisions altogether. Older people, disabled persons or pregnant women also find that they are neglected in many cases. And how about pet-owners? With about 67% of American citizens and more than 60% of Australian citizens owning a pet, it is worth looking at urban design from a new perspective. After all, liveable spaces should be attractive for pets and their owners. In the end, both humans and dogs benefit from:
- Green space
- Space to play
- Space for interaction
- Space to discover
- Safe space (no cars!)
The “Eje Ambiental” in Bogotá is a perfect example of a well-designed public space.
Copyright: Laura von Puttkamer.
I think we can all agree that the space you are visualising after reading this list would be very attractive for humans as well. Looking at this diagram of what a perfect public space could look like, dogs and other pets mainly fall into the “sociability” category of a city. However, they should be considered when it comes to uses & activities, comfort & image and access & linkages as well.
Considering comfort and image, pet owners will also require pet-friendly restaurants and cafés as well as pet-friendly shops, waste stations and clear signage for where pets are allowed and whether they need to be on a leash or not. At the same time, a liveable city needs to have no-pet-zones where people who might be afraid of dogs can feel safe.
The Project for Public Spaces has developed this famous diagram showing the elements of a great public space. Copyright: Project for Public Spaces.
How is it possible to incorporate these ideas on a pet-friendly city in urban planning? There are several ways to go forward here:
Identify a pet owner with political or planning influence
Organise events with pets such as Puppy Parties (link) to make proposals for more pet-friendly cities
Clearly show and promote pet-friendly spaces
Get local news coverage about these spaces
A liveable city, in the end, should be attractive for everyone living in it, including pet-owners and their animals. Similar to the way that children can co-create a city in some projects, it is worth having a go at letting pets co-create it by exploring their needs and combining them with human needs.
A liveable city offers spaces for people, children and pets alike. Copyright: https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-xoinn.