Zdenka Havlova is currently an architect/urbanist at the Office of Spatial Documentation and Analysis, Department of Urban Planning, Prague Institute of Planning and Development (IPR Prague), focusing on the Prague 2020 Planning Analytical Materials project. Zdenka received her PhD in Architecture from the University of Tokyo. Her research interests primarily include multilevel pedestrian urbanisation and public space in Japan, especially concerning challenges like privatisation, commercialisation, social, and spatial segregation that urban spaces have been undergoing. Zdenka is a founding member of the Urban Research Table (URT) research group and an editor of its online platform. Supervisors: Kuma Kengo, Yoshiyuki Kawazoe, and Heide Imai
Facing the ongoing evolution of global cities, the insurgence of countless hybrid spatial typolog... more Facing the ongoing evolution of global cities, the insurgence of countless hybrid spatial typologies poses new questions and problems concerning the status of public space in contemporary urbanism. Within this framework, Tokyo represents a peculiar and meaningful field of investigation due to its historical evolution and patterns of development. Using the complex landscape formed by Shinjuku-Dori and of the underground concourse Metro Promenade (SDMP) in the central district of Shinjuku as a specific case study, this article aims to compare the relationship between the street and relevant examples of these proliferating ambiguous spaces. What are their characters? What are the relationships between above and underground levels? Is it public space, or rather a different form of urbanity? Focusing on users’ behaviors determined by SDMP’s specific urban structure and architecture, data and observations collected recursively at different scales were analyzed to illuminate its qualities as a public space. Based on the results obtained from this exploration, the article discusses in particular the role played by informal and diffused buffer zones within this dynamic and the relation to the experience of Tokyo’s public realm.
Public life in large cities has been adversely affected by privatization and commodification of u... more Public life in large cities has been adversely affected by privatization and commodification of urban space. Permitted or encouraged activities and behaviors have been narrowed down, giving way to primarily functional and pragmatic uses. Have streets become mere conduits of human flows? Tokyo has a history of transit-oriented public spaces. The specific condition of public space in Tokyo has its roots in both historical and infrastructural developments, such as the dominant role railway stations play in the formation of areas. This paper aims to examine the current situation of public space for sedentary (seated) activities (PSSA) and to show that the need for such non-commercial activities is present even in mostly transit-oriented areas. Walk-through observations were conducted in outdoor and indoor space accessible for free in areas around Shinjuku train station in Tokyo, as it is one of the biggest transportation hubs in the world, and the need for smooth mobility governs the area around it. Designated and improvised PSSA and activities of pedestrians were mapped and examined through statistical analysis. The recorder number of observed designated PSSA was low, with most seats indoors. Pedestrians also engaged in less optional than necessary activities. They did; however, display social behaviors, which served to show their need for PSSA. They further expressed that desire by using a large variety of improvised elements for sitting, including some uncomfortable or unsafe ones. The findings suggest that even in high-density and high-mobility areas in large cities, sedentary activities cannot be excluded from public space. Even though priority is given to functional properties of public space, the fact is that pedestrians indicate the traditional street-oriented urban spaces are desirable and should be overlooked by neither private nor public providers.
「This is an English summary of my master thesis」:
The diploma project concentrates on issues conc... more 「This is an English summary of my master thesis」: The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in the city of Prague. It concerns places, where space flows throughout different vertical layers in order to accommodate specific circumstances, such as underpasses, overpasses, tunnels, footbridges, etc. - "mimolevels". Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, the specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.
The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in ... more The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in the city of Prague. It concerns places, where space flows throughout different vertical layers in order to accommodate specific circumstances, such as underpasses, overpasses, tunnels, footbridges, etc. - "mimolevels". Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.
Multi-Layered Public Spaces in Tokyo are not only hyper-functional and commercialized elements of... more Multi-Layered Public Spaces in Tokyo are not only hyper-functional and commercialized elements of urban fabric but also cases of stripped-away or unavailable liberties typically associated with public space. This paper aims to explore the ways city users are directed, organized, surveilled, or expelled in public spaces formed by urban mobility structures with multilevel pedestrian presence. Does the future of public space lie in carefully arranged conduits allowing only for streamlined and controlled activities? With the proliferation of surveillance in both privately and publicly owned public spaces, researchers have been asking a question whether we are giving up fundamental rights to the city for a false sense of security and whether the layering of streets into multi-dimensional structures results in the stratification of users. This research focuses on case studies of various types of multi-layered public spaces in the central 23 wards of Tokyo. Data collected through review of relevant documentation, direct observation, time-lapse photography, and people tracing is analyzed, and patterns are drawn and organized. Furthermore, the shift in properties of public spaces in the context of privatization and safety-measures is discussed. The outcome is a matrix of ways pedestrian activities are monitored, directed, or prevented in cases when they occur on multiple levels or layers of city space. Finally, the paper argues that in order not to lose the positive aspects of traditional street life, we need to reevaluate recent tendencies in how publicly-used spaces in cities are administered.
The founding principles and primary determinants of the emergence of public spaces in Japan and E... more The founding principles and primary determinants of the emergence of public spaces in Japan and Europe are so different and distant that it would be difficult to grasp the complexity of one through the investigation of another. The main question is: Can we aim to study the understanding of public space in Japan in juxtaposition with the Western view; that is, the way rooted in the Greek and Roman Empires of ancient Europe? Ever since the first instance of public space discourse in Japanese urban theory some thirty years ago, it has been stated (Jinnai, 2015) that the Western understanding of public space, as a pivotal point of democratic societies, a freely accessible place, has not been present in Japan. Instead, there are small, private and intimate places (Kuma, 2015) catering to communities rather than entire societies. The fact that the perceived nonexistence of public space in Japan has puzzled many serves to justify the research this paper presents. By analyzing historical documents and referential literature, this paper aims to develop a concise comparison of the concept of public space in Japan and in Europe, thus furthering the comprehension of Japanese public spaces as a whole. Furthermore, by analyzing the spatial, sociological and philosophical definition of public space by key figures of the discourse, historical and current, it will put forward a theoretical framework defining the common and contrasting roots of contemporary public space phenomenon. The hypothesis is that, despite different developments and time lines, there are some shared aspects, namely commonness, accessibility and symbolism in both. Through the understanding of both approaches, we will be able to move forward the idea of city planning in order to accommodate the specific requirements of the 21st century, a global and interconnected era, where no concept develops in isolation anymore.
Tokyo's dense and quickly changing urban fabric has enabled the creation of complex layered struc... more Tokyo's dense and quickly changing urban fabric has enabled the creation of complex layered structures of public space squeezed into the last meters of city space, suggesting they were created inadvertently, as solutions to the complicated scenarios resulting from the segregation of transport. The question this paper aims to tackle is: What are the key determinants of the emergence and localization of multi-layered public spaces in Tokyo? Jacobs, among others, suggests that a city cannot be divided into sections serving different users and subsequently, our understanding of multi-layered public spaces (MULPS) is paramount to help move city planning past the dominance of motor transport. Looking at the theory of Gehl, we can argue that MULPS, that is urban circulation networks spanning over different vertical layers that intertwine and layer various modes of city life, are not viable because they are too complicated and difficult to grasp by their users. Using 50 examples within Tokyo, this paper maps their occurrence and juxtaposes it with major features (public transport, roads, waterways, nodes) in order to show the key contributors to the creation of such spaces. Furthermore, through direct observation and photography, it evaluates patterns and interdependencies otherwise unnoticeable. In addition, the paper analyzes historical time lines of these examples, as well as the processes of planning and construction, by examining relevant documentation. This research offers a comprehensive overview of principal determinants behind MULPS, including overcoming obstacles, dealing with morphological factors, connecting spatially cluttered destinations or multiplying land use due to high density. Finally, the paper argues that while multi-layered public spaces are mostly results of circumstantial and external factors and as such bear the inevitable stamp of unpremeditated functionalities, there are situations in which they are not only acceptable but possibly favorable.
Facing the ongoing evolution of global cities, the insurgence of countless hybrid spatial typolog... more Facing the ongoing evolution of global cities, the insurgence of countless hybrid spatial typologies poses new questions and problems concerning the status of public space in contemporary urbanism. Within this framework, Tokyo represents a peculiar and meaningful field of investigation due to its historical evolution and patterns of development. Using the complex landscape formed by Shinjuku-Dori and of the underground concourse Metro Promenade (SDMP) in the central district of Shinjuku as a specific case study, this article aims to compare the relationship between the street and relevant examples of these proliferating ambiguous spaces. What are their characters? What are the relationships between above and underground levels? Is it public space, or rather a different form of urbanity? Focusing on users’ behaviors determined by SDMP’s specific urban structure and architecture, data and observations collected recursively at different scales were analyzed to illuminate its qualities as a public space. Based on the results obtained from this exploration, the article discusses in particular the role played by informal and diffused buffer zones within this dynamic and the relation to the experience of Tokyo’s public realm.
Public life in large cities has been adversely affected by privatization and commodification of u... more Public life in large cities has been adversely affected by privatization and commodification of urban space. Permitted or encouraged activities and behaviors have been narrowed down, giving way to primarily functional and pragmatic uses. Have streets become mere conduits of human flows? Tokyo has a history of transit-oriented public spaces. The specific condition of public space in Tokyo has its roots in both historical and infrastructural developments, such as the dominant role railway stations play in the formation of areas. This paper aims to examine the current situation of public space for sedentary (seated) activities (PSSA) and to show that the need for such non-commercial activities is present even in mostly transit-oriented areas. Walk-through observations were conducted in outdoor and indoor space accessible for free in areas around Shinjuku train station in Tokyo, as it is one of the biggest transportation hubs in the world, and the need for smooth mobility governs the area around it. Designated and improvised PSSA and activities of pedestrians were mapped and examined through statistical analysis. The recorder number of observed designated PSSA was low, with most seats indoors. Pedestrians also engaged in less optional than necessary activities. They did; however, display social behaviors, which served to show their need for PSSA. They further expressed that desire by using a large variety of improvised elements for sitting, including some uncomfortable or unsafe ones. The findings suggest that even in high-density and high-mobility areas in large cities, sedentary activities cannot be excluded from public space. Even though priority is given to functional properties of public space, the fact is that pedestrians indicate the traditional street-oriented urban spaces are desirable and should be overlooked by neither private nor public providers.
「This is an English summary of my master thesis」:
The diploma project concentrates on issues conc... more 「This is an English summary of my master thesis」: The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in the city of Prague. It concerns places, where space flows throughout different vertical layers in order to accommodate specific circumstances, such as underpasses, overpasses, tunnels, footbridges, etc. - "mimolevels". Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, the specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.
The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in ... more The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in the city of Prague. It concerns places, where space flows throughout different vertical layers in order to accommodate specific circumstances, such as underpasses, overpasses, tunnels, footbridges, etc. - "mimolevels". Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.
Multi-Layered Public Spaces in Tokyo are not only hyper-functional and commercialized elements of... more Multi-Layered Public Spaces in Tokyo are not only hyper-functional and commercialized elements of urban fabric but also cases of stripped-away or unavailable liberties typically associated with public space. This paper aims to explore the ways city users are directed, organized, surveilled, or expelled in public spaces formed by urban mobility structures with multilevel pedestrian presence. Does the future of public space lie in carefully arranged conduits allowing only for streamlined and controlled activities? With the proliferation of surveillance in both privately and publicly owned public spaces, researchers have been asking a question whether we are giving up fundamental rights to the city for a false sense of security and whether the layering of streets into multi-dimensional structures results in the stratification of users. This research focuses on case studies of various types of multi-layered public spaces in the central 23 wards of Tokyo. Data collected through review of relevant documentation, direct observation, time-lapse photography, and people tracing is analyzed, and patterns are drawn and organized. Furthermore, the shift in properties of public spaces in the context of privatization and safety-measures is discussed. The outcome is a matrix of ways pedestrian activities are monitored, directed, or prevented in cases when they occur on multiple levels or layers of city space. Finally, the paper argues that in order not to lose the positive aspects of traditional street life, we need to reevaluate recent tendencies in how publicly-used spaces in cities are administered.
The founding principles and primary determinants of the emergence of public spaces in Japan and E... more The founding principles and primary determinants of the emergence of public spaces in Japan and Europe are so different and distant that it would be difficult to grasp the complexity of one through the investigation of another. The main question is: Can we aim to study the understanding of public space in Japan in juxtaposition with the Western view; that is, the way rooted in the Greek and Roman Empires of ancient Europe? Ever since the first instance of public space discourse in Japanese urban theory some thirty years ago, it has been stated (Jinnai, 2015) that the Western understanding of public space, as a pivotal point of democratic societies, a freely accessible place, has not been present in Japan. Instead, there are small, private and intimate places (Kuma, 2015) catering to communities rather than entire societies. The fact that the perceived nonexistence of public space in Japan has puzzled many serves to justify the research this paper presents. By analyzing historical documents and referential literature, this paper aims to develop a concise comparison of the concept of public space in Japan and in Europe, thus furthering the comprehension of Japanese public spaces as a whole. Furthermore, by analyzing the spatial, sociological and philosophical definition of public space by key figures of the discourse, historical and current, it will put forward a theoretical framework defining the common and contrasting roots of contemporary public space phenomenon. The hypothesis is that, despite different developments and time lines, there are some shared aspects, namely commonness, accessibility and symbolism in both. Through the understanding of both approaches, we will be able to move forward the idea of city planning in order to accommodate the specific requirements of the 21st century, a global and interconnected era, where no concept develops in isolation anymore.
Tokyo's dense and quickly changing urban fabric has enabled the creation of complex layered struc... more Tokyo's dense and quickly changing urban fabric has enabled the creation of complex layered structures of public space squeezed into the last meters of city space, suggesting they were created inadvertently, as solutions to the complicated scenarios resulting from the segregation of transport. The question this paper aims to tackle is: What are the key determinants of the emergence and localization of multi-layered public spaces in Tokyo? Jacobs, among others, suggests that a city cannot be divided into sections serving different users and subsequently, our understanding of multi-layered public spaces (MULPS) is paramount to help move city planning past the dominance of motor transport. Looking at the theory of Gehl, we can argue that MULPS, that is urban circulation networks spanning over different vertical layers that intertwine and layer various modes of city life, are not viable because they are too complicated and difficult to grasp by their users. Using 50 examples within Tokyo, this paper maps their occurrence and juxtaposes it with major features (public transport, roads, waterways, nodes) in order to show the key contributors to the creation of such spaces. Furthermore, through direct observation and photography, it evaluates patterns and interdependencies otherwise unnoticeable. In addition, the paper analyzes historical time lines of these examples, as well as the processes of planning and construction, by examining relevant documentation. This research offers a comprehensive overview of principal determinants behind MULPS, including overcoming obstacles, dealing with morphological factors, connecting spatially cluttered destinations or multiplying land use due to high density. Finally, the paper argues that while multi-layered public spaces are mostly results of circumstantial and external factors and as such bear the inevitable stamp of unpremeditated functionalities, there are situations in which they are not only acceptable but possibly favorable.
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Papers by Zdenka Havlova
The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in the city of Prague. It concerns places, where space flows throughout different vertical layers in order to accommodate specific circumstances, such as underpasses, overpasses, tunnels, footbridges, etc. - "mimolevels".
Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, the specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.
Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.
Conference Presentations by Zdenka Havlova
The diploma project concentrates on issues concerning the out-of-level (flyover) public space in the city of Prague. It concerns places, where space flows throughout different vertical layers in order to accommodate specific circumstances, such as underpasses, overpasses, tunnels, footbridges, etc. - "mimolevels".
Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, the specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.
Furthermore, a typology is deduced from the collection of data and observation of 218 examples of this phenomenon in Prague. After careful observation, a scale is devised suggesting possible scenarios in order to enhance current conditions of the target and create a viable and functioning public space. A specimen is chosen to provide grounds for more detailed study, specimen being mimolevels along the SJ magistrala highway corridor. From these 34, a single occurrence is then targeted to create an example architectonical approach to the issue.
The statements emerging from the study of the issue are being proven realistic in an architectural project of overcoming the 5. května street by the School of Nursing in Nusle, Prague. The design deals with an underground building under the busy transport corridor with adjoining public space and underpasses.