Increasing the use of large-scale public open spaces: A case study of the North Central Axis Square in Shenzhen, China

Urban public open space is a main component of urban space and an important carrier of public life. To explore the factors that influence the use of these spaces and to identify an effective technique for improving these areas, this paper focuses on the absence of spatial communication between large-scale public space users and characteristics of these spaces. A spatial database containing precise and detailed activity data on 13,468 public space users was created by systematically investigating the behavior of users in the North Central Axis Square in Shenzhen. Using ArcGIS, common patterns of user behavior were analyzed through a spatial analysis technique. The spatial characteristics of open space, including the provision and distribution of enough facilities, the meticulous division of space, the various and colorful edges, the moderate coverage ratio of vegetation, and the presence of shadow, are important factors that influence user behavior in large-scale public open spaces. To improve the use of these space, (1) various facilities must be established in public spaces, particularly regular and auxiliary seats with a recommended total length of 40 m per 1000 m2, to meet different demands; (2) the whole space must be divided into sub-areas with proper sizes (the recommended size is 1500 m2 to 2000 m2) and colorful interior edges; and (3) necessary shading facilities, such as roofs or tree sheds, must be provided depending on the climate in the area. A moderate vegetation coverage ratio (the recommended ration is 40%–50%) in every sub-area is also necessary.