Barriers of social class, ethnicity and economic inequality are generating segregation between different backgrounds even if they inhabit in the same part of a city, this is particularly the problem in multicultural and high dense cities, where lack of interactions between users of the same space in has become a more frequent issue causing problems of segregation and distrust. Considering the public realm as the main or only space that users share with others makes it a favourable place to bring them into contact with other groups. For this reason, external open spaces have been considered fundamental and the best option for this project to allow people to mix. This project presents an exploration on how to use public space to promote social cohesion in areas with the mentioned problematics. Information from multiple theories, research and authors has been compiled by using a literature review to explore how different groups make use of the public space, what characteristics of a public place attract users and if there are existing elements that prevent people from having interactions among ethnic and social backgrounds groups and how these barriers could be reduced. By using the principles from the literature review, case studies and in situ observations, design strategies are developed and applied in a network of public spaces in the Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, UK, to respond to the problem of segregation by using the built environment as a tool to allow interactions to take place, creating social mix and inclusion without people perceiving each other’s status or ethnic background.
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