Pic a Space and champion public spaces for all!

Pic A Space Digital Poster 2Take and upload a geotagged photo of a public space that’s
important to you.
If you think it was designed with everyone in mind, use #LoveThisSpacePH
If you think it could use some work, use #FixThisSpacePH

Tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for a chance to get chosen as Space Pic of the Week AND a chance to join the United Nations on a fun and eye-opening public space tour.Why Geotagging Matters

UN-Habitat plans on generating a map of all your space pics to help government and urban practitioners address public space needs. So make sure your Location Services or GPS is on when taking those space pics!
No need to turn on Internet access to geotag your pic!
You only need Internet access to post your pic.

For Android Devices:
Go to Settings • Tap on Location (or Location and Security) • Make sure there’s a check mark next to Use GPS Satellites • Go back to your Home screen, open your Camera app, tap on the camera Menu, choose Settings (sometimes this is just a small cog icon) • Make sure there’s a check mark next to Store Location in Pictures or Geo-tag Photos • Your photos will now be geotagged with your location as long as your phone can get your position from the GPS satellites.

For IOS Devices:
Go to Settings from your iPhone or iPad • Tap on Privacy • Tap on Location Services • Tap on Camera • Choose While Using the App.

But first things first: what are public spaces?

Public spaces are all places publicly owned or of public use, accessible and enjoyable by all for free and without a profit motive.
Are there different kinds of public spaces?
There are four categories, actually!

Category 1: Those often taken for granted but are very much a part of daily life:

Avenues, boulevards, streets (e.g., Makati Avenue)
Bicycle paths (e.g., Roxas Boulevard bike lane)
Squares (e.g., Plaza de Armas in Intramuros, Manila)
Sidewalks (e.g., UP Diliman sidewalk)
Passages and galleries
Highways (e.g., EDSA)
Riverbanks and waterfronts (e.g., Marikina River Park, Iloilo City’s Esplanade)
Beaches (e.g., Patar Beach in Bolinao, Pangasinan) – By law, the beach belongs to the state and as such must be accessible to the general public for free. Ideally, beaches should never be fenced. Entrance fees may be collected only once the public enters a privately titled property fronting the beach.
Foreshores (the wet part of the beach between the high- and low-water marks, or between the water and cultivated or developed land)

Category 2: Those that instinctively come to mind when thinking of public spaces we regularly use:

Parks (e.g., La Mesa Watershed and Ecopark)
Gardens (e.g., Ayala Triangle Gardens)
Playgrounds (e.g., Quezon Memorial Circle, Davao City’s Peoples Park)

Category 3: Specialized urban spaces, including buildings often accessible to users on certain conditions (entry fees, for example):

Sports facilities, public and privately managed (e.g., Rizal Memorial Stadium)
Museums (e.g., National Museum of the Philippines)

Category 4: Conventional, publicly owned high-maintenance facilities accessible to all without any charge:

Public libraries (e.g., Pasig City Library and Discovery Centrum or National Library of the Philippines)
Civic centres
Municipal markets (e.g., Kamuning Public Market)

What are the characteristics of public spaces that have everyone in mind or “public spaces for all”?

They support market and commercial activities crucial to the vitality of cities.
They offer opportunities for recreation, physical exercise, and regeneration for all.
They are the places of individual and collective memory.
They help promote education and culture.
They ecnourage conviviality, encounter, and freedom of expression.
They are an integral part of the city’s architecture and landscape.

What are the United Nations mandates towards achieving and promoting public spaces for all?

UN-Habitat recognizes that streets and public spaces have often been overlooked and undervalued, but are increasingly being considered the backbone of cities. In 2011, UN-Habitat adopted resolution on sustainable urban development through access to quality urban public spaces.
The newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals highlight public spaces as a key and important topic. “Sustainable Development Goals, (Goal II Target 7 – By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.)”

What happens if we have good public spaces?

Well-designed and well-managed public spaces and streets increase property values, multiply retail activity, enhance safety, foster social cohesion and equality, improve health and well-being, improve the environment, make the city more attractive, and promote more effective and efficient transportation and mobility.

It’s okay if you don’t remember all that. But do remember this:

“Great public spaces are where everyone meets as equals.”

—Enrique Peñalosa, Former Mayor of Bogota, Colombia

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