Master thesis - Between blocks and belonging
Author
Sarac, Göknur
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2025
Abstract
This thesis critically examines Urbanplanen, a modernist housing estate in Copenhagen, to understand how functional separation, car-oriented infrastructure, and a lack of social meeting places shape safety, everyday use, and community life. Guided by Jane Jacobs’ eyes on the street, Jan Gehl’s human-scale approach, and the concepts of affordance and the public domain, the study asks how urban spaces in Urbanplanen can be redesigned to enhance safety, provide recreational opportunities, and support social interaction. An iterative design process combines literature review and desk research with site-specific analysis and ethnographic methods; qualitative conversations and observations with residents inform an understanding of needs, perceptions, and behaviors. Building on these insights, the concept Patching the City explores targeted, small-scale interventions that activate spaces between buildings, establish safer connections, and accommodate diverse everyday activities. The project develops three strategic intervention areas and associated design principles, illustrated through plans, sections, and before–after scenarios. The thesis concludes with a critical reflection on methods, strategies, and limitations, and discusses how the proposals may inform the ongoing development of Urbanplanen and similar modernist residential areas.
Dette speciale undersøger kritisk Urbanplanen, et modernistisk boligområde i København, for at forstå, hvordan funktionsopdeling, bilprioriteret infrastruktur og mangel på sociale mødesteder påvirker tryghed, hverdagsbrug og fællesskab. Med afsæt i Jane Jacobs’ eyes on the street, Jan Gehls menneskeskala, samt begreberne affordance og public domain, stiller studiet spørgsmålet om, hvordan byrum i Urbanplanen kan redesignes, så de øger tryghed, tilbyder rekreative muligheder og understøtter socialt samvær. En iterativ designproces kombinerer litteraturstudier og desk research med stedsspecifikke analyser og etnografiske metoder; kvalitative samtaler og observationer med beboere giver indsigt i behov, oplevelser og adfærd. På dette grundlag udfolder konceptet Patching the City målrettede, småskalaløsninger, der aktiverer mellemrummene mellem bygninger, skaber sikrere forbindelser og rummer hverdagens mange behov. Projektet udvikler tre strategiske interventionsområder og tilhørende designprincipper, vist gennem planer, snit og før-efter-scenarier. Specialet afslutter med en kritisk refleksion over metoder, strategier og begrænsninger og diskuterer, hvordan forslagene kan bidrage til den videre udvikling af Urbanplanen og lignende modernistiske boligområder.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]