jan gehl and brigitte svarre, how to study public life (this looks longer than it actually is — normally copies are 2 pages/page, but this is only 1 page/page, and about 1/2 are pictures, but it gives a good overview of methods for studying)
(if you want to see a more concrete example, here’s donogue “james always hangs out there” from the same issue (it’s short!). if you don’t, well carry on…)
william whyte did a project in the late 70s in NYC about effective public spaces. he wrote a book and made a documentary. unfortunately, the doc has been taken offline, but here’s a clip that gets at one his main point: public spaces work best when they allow for social interaction and remaking of the space. thus, the importance of the moveable chair. (2 min video — here’s a more recent news item that discusses the idea).
