Renewing Places for People:

Training Human-Centered Designers and Planners to Foster Inclusive Cities

Deland Chan Kevin Hsu

Program on Urban Studies, Stanford University Program on Urban Studies, Stanford University
Stanford, CA, United States Stanford, CA, United States
deland@stanford.edu khsu@stanford.edu

Maryanna Rogers, PhD

Institute of Design (d.school), Stanford University
Stanford, CA, United States

Abstract— Over four decades ago, Jan Gehl pioneered a

theory of public space observation, yet a human-centered I. A HUMAN-CENTERED APPROACH TO URBAN DESIGN
approach to urban design and planning is still not the norm Over four decades after Jan Gehl and his successors
today. Given unprecedented challenges in the 21st century due pioneered the field of public life studies, which focuses on
to rapid urbanization and demographic shifts, designers need observing human behavior in public spaces, there is still room
new strategies for cities that support cultural pluralism, for urban designers to take a more human-centered approach.
incorporate a multitude of voices and histories, and promote Beyond simply observing behavior, our rapidly urbanizing
inclusiveness and participation, particularly among youth and world needs methods to design for and with community
aging populations. members, including youth and aging populations, as we re-
imagine our cities and public spaces in the 21st century.
Other fields have addressed complex problems with an Jan Gehl and Birgitte Svarre define public space as “streets,
approach called “design thinking,” which facilitates creative alleys, buildings, squares, bollards: everything that can be
problem solving and collaboration. Inspired by the legacy of considered part of the built environment” [1]. They go on to
Jan Gehl, William Whyte, Clare Marcus-Cooper and others assert that “public life should also be understood in the
who advanced public life research and practice, we created broadest sense as everything that takes place between
new public space curricula guided by contemporary principles buildings, to and from school, on balconies, seated, standing,
for human-centered design and innovation. A notable output walking, biking, etc. It is everything we can go out and observe
includes an Observation Toolkit for both practitioners and happening—far more than just street theatre and cafe life” [2].
non-practitioners seeking insights on inclusive public spaces Using this definition, this article will discuss how designers
using observation and synthesis activities. have historically ignored a diversity of voices and experiences
when planning public spaces. Despite recent advances in the
design professions to reverse these trends, the need still
Simple tools can lead to new insights and highlight pathways remains to strengthen and rebuild the tenuous relationship with
for training practitioners who are versed in empathy, human- communities that were previously marginalized.
centered design, and cultural competency. Our experience
developing and teaching this new curriculum suggests that Drawing inspiration from the legacy of Gehl and others
design thinking practice and pedagogy can be important levers who contributed to the advancement of public life research and
for maintaining the relevance of Gehl’s legacy for future urban practice, we recognized the need to create new materials for
challenges. We suggest ways to leverage this toolkit to create practitioners and non-practitioners that yield insights for public
spaces through observation and synthesis. In this article, we
a more inclusive process of evaluation, in which practitioners
describe the following contributions to the field: 1) a new
work alongside community members to assess public spaces, human-centered curriculum that invites designers to interact
thereby enhancing the diversity of voices and making design with youth and seniors and learn how to incorporate the needs
accessible to all. of diverse stakeholders to support public life and inclusive
cities; and 2) an urban observation toolkit that introduces
Keywords— Urban design; placemaking; design thinking, novices to different ways of looking at public spaces. Our new
human-centered design; public space; quality; access; urban curriculum and toolkit were part of two classes at the Stanford
spaces; planning education; youth; aging populations Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.school). This article
details our materials, process, outcomes, and recommendations
for adopting these methods as we move toward a more human-
centered approach to urban design.

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.

 II. ST
FOSTERING INCLUSION IN THE 21 CENTURY CITY

A. 21st century urbanization challenges: the need to include Planners and designers have historically ignored the human
youth and aging populations needs of diverse communities—and more specifically, the
poor, elderly, young, women, and racial/ethnic minorities—as
exemplified in the above quote attributed to New York City
The twenty-first century faces unprecedented opportunities
civil servant, Robert Moses. When surveying decades of public
and challenges for the development of communities in our
space studies and research, Clare Cooper-Marcus and Carolyn
cities. Since 2007, the majority of the world lives in urban
Francis note that, "Most of the design literature we have
areas, and the urban population is expected to increase to 6.1
reviewed—if it refers to users at all—assumes that they are all
billion people by 2030. Over 90 percent of this urban growth
able-bodied, relatively young, and male” [8]. Unfortunately,
will take place in emerging cities in Africa and Asia [3].
this bias was also reflected in professional practice and spatial
These trends will disproportionately affect those at the ends manifestations.
of the age spectrum: youth and senior populations. Three
In the United States, the National Industrial Recovery Act
billion people in the world are currently under the age of 25,
of 1933 and the Housing Act of 1937 allowed local
nearly half of whom are between the ages of 12 and 24. By
municipalities to engage in the “eradication of slums,” thereby
2030, two in three urban dwellers will be under the age of 18,
razing entire existing neighborhoods and destroying tens of
and the majority will be concentrated in rapidly-urbanizing
thousands of homes without the consent of residents [9]. This
countries characterized by informal settlements, limited access
legacy is perhaps what urban scholar Alexander Garvin refers
to services, and tenuous opportunities in the formal economy
to when he writes that “despite many remarkable successes,
[4].
American city planning has been plagued with continuing
At the same time, highly industrialized cities in Europe, mistakes” [10]. This “dismal record” took place in the U.S.
North America, and East Asia are dealing with the throughout the 1950s through the 1970s, featuring urban
phenomenon of shrinking cities characterized by out-migration renewal, the “wholesale slum clearance that displaced more
and low birth rates, as well as a growing population of seniors people than it housed; high-rise public housing that ill-served
aging in place. One in five people in the United States—about the poor; cultural, sports, and government ‘centers’ that were
88 million people—will be 65 and older by 2050 [5]. Many isolated from the rest of the city; and urban expressways that
cities have responded by implementing age-friendly city severed and blighted entire neighborhoods” [11].
policies to accommodate its aging population. New York City
This historical legacy and its spatial manifestations of
has implemented over 59 initiatives, such as traffic street
economic and social segregation persists to this day, with the
design projects that increase the length of crosswalk times and
unfortunate result of many communities remaining skeptical of
median refuges. The city also sponsors programs that offer free
urban planning and design practitioners who have failed to
transportation for seniors to access services such as grocery
keep their promises or have been hostile to their interests
shopping, recreational, and cultural activities [6]. Other
altogether [12].
cities— such as Philadelphia and Atlanta— have begun
to acknowledge the needs of an aging population in their cities
by offering targeted services or making design decisions in
regards to the built environment, but much more work remains C. Benefits of inclusive cities and consequences of exclusion
to be done in this area. Researchers have noted the benefits of youth participation
in planning outcomes [13, 14]. Youth can provide valuable
Given these trends, planners, designers, and engineers must information and perspectives about their daily lived
creatively adapt and re-think strategies to accommodate the experiences that designers may otherwise neglect, thereby
world’s growing elderly and youth populations. First, aiding in the creation of knowledge and better design outcomes
practitioners will have to create new processes to empathize [15, 16]. In addition, the youth themselves benefit from
with and engage these populations, refining the criteria for participation, in terms of citizen development, as they are
designs that accommodate a wide range of human needs. encouraged to become informed decision-makers, and in terms
Second, those in the profession of training future designers of social development, as they gain a sense of confidence, self-
must develop and update curricula so that the next generation efficacy, and social awareness [17].
of planners, designers, and engineers can better serve the needs
of the young and old. The societal costs of ignoring young people’s views on
their environment are quite high. The failure to integrate youth
perspectives can lead to marginalization, conflict, exclusion,
B. A historical legacy of disrupting human communities and violence, as recently seen to some degree in protests in
Ferguson and Baltimore [18, 19]. As Percy-Smith (2002)
claims, “The ineffectiveness of communities in facilitating the
“You can draw any kind of pictures you like on a clean engagement of young people in meaningful and self-
slate and indulge your every whim in the wilderness in laying determined ways leads to a sense of boredom, alienation,
out a New Delhi, Canberra and Brasilia, but when you apathy and frustration for many. The extent to which young
operate in an overbuilt metropolis you have to hack your way people are provided for within their neighbourhood can be seen
with a meat ax.” — Robert Moses [7] as a reflection of the extent to which young people and their
place needs are valued in the community” [20].

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.

 Offering young people the opportunity to provide input into sectors to find solutions, and utilizing emerging technology
local planning processes validates their standing in the that ‘leapfrogs’ poorer communities into the twenty-first
community as equal citizens and aids the creation of successful century. They are proving that design can play a significant
public spaces that reflect the unique needs of this sub-group, role in solving the world’s most critical problems. [24]
ultimately contributing to more inclusive cities. These benefits
Given the great challenges facing cities in the 21st century,
are not only applicable to youth. All communities, including
historically marginalized groups such as women, racial and those in the field increasingly recognize that successful design
draws from local stores of knowledge and that the profession
ethnic minorities, and aging populations, would benefit from
must evolve toward a practice of “inclusive urbanism” that is
inclusion and opportunities to share their perspectives.
Conversely, it is crucial to incorporate these perspectives to adaptive and responsive to local culture and needs [25].
successfully achieve cities with inclusive public spaces.
E. Integrating multidisciplinary perspectives through design
D. Toward a human-centered and pluralist planning process thinking
Given this historical legacy, scholars and practitioners in “Design thinking,” as it is taught at the Stanford d.school,
the built environment fields have acknowledged the need to emphasizes a human-centered process for innovation [26]. The
create inclusive processes that recognize and incorporate a approach includes mindsets and methods that empower
multitude of voices and histories. In response to decades of interdisciplinary teams to understand problems by making use
marginalizing entire neighborhoods and communities, Marcus of empathy-cultivating interviews and observations of users in
and Francis assert, “Finally, we realize that to use human the field, synthesizing insights, facilitating brainstorms and
behavior or social activities to inform and shape the designed ideation, and testing ideas through prototypes. Professionals,
environment is not the approach of some designers or the practitioners, teachers, and students across diverse fields are
approach of most studio teachers. But we feel strongly that this increasingly adopting design thinking as a way to solve
needs to be the approach. An approach based almost problems and scaffold teamwork on projects as diverse as large
exclusively on visual form leads either to the reproduction of corporate reorganization, the undergraduate college experience,
previously used ‘solutions’ or to the proliferation of artistic water transport and storage in developing countries, and re-
statements that pertain more to current design fashion than to imagining the school cafeteria [27].
the needs of the public” [21]. Though its benefits are now being applied in a variety of
Among planners, Paul Davidoff (1965), in his seminal contexts, including individual schools, hospitals, companies,
work, was among the first to use the term “advocacy planning” and NGOs, design thinking has not yet taken hold in the fields
and to acknowledge the practice of “plural planning” in which of urban design and planning. We posit that urban designers
planners have an ethical obligation to work in a collaborative have an ethical obligation to practice empathy, address human
fashion to gather the voices of community members and to needs, and make a concerted effort to include diverse
advocate for these diversity of voices on their behalf [22]. perspectives. If applied to the built environment, design
Today, this approach and recognition of pluralist voices is thinking is a tool that can enable urban designers to better
codified in the American Institute of Certified Planners Code understand how community stakeholders perceive, use, and
of Ethics and Professional Conduct, which explicitly states that value public space in order to achieve thriving public spaces
planners shall "give people the opportunity to have a and inclusive cities. We present two case studies that illustrate
meaningful impact on the development of plans and programs new ways to apply design thinking methods to urban design
that may affect them” and, in particular, they should strive to and elicit diverse community participation.
broaden participation "to include those who lack formal
organization or influence” [23]. While stating intent in a
written manifesto is in itself insufficient recourse to negate III. CASE STUDY - PARKS, PLAZAS, PUBLIC SPACES:
previous decades of discrimination, it is certainly a step in a DESIGNING FOR COMMUNITIES AT PLAY
positive direction for the profession to acknowledge the flawed
processes of the past fifty years.
The authors created new curricula and a toolkit for two
Increasingly, planners and designers recognize the need to workshops offered through the Stanford University Hasso
serve diverse communities, but perhaps more importantly, to Plattner Institute of Design, broadly known as the “d.school.”
do so by breaking down silos across disciplines and creating The d.school offers opportunities for students to learn and
multi-sector alliances. As Cynthia Smith, the curator of the apply design thinking to real-world problems. Each class at the
Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt exhibit Design With the Other d.school is led by an interdisciplinary teaching team and
99%, writes: attracts students from across Stanford’s seven schools.
Working together in teams, students apply design thinking to
Professional designers have traditionally focused on the real-world projects, often in association with partner
10% of the world’s population that can afford their goods organizations and institutions. Focusing on learning processes
and services, but that has dramatically changed in this new rather than project outcomes, the ultimate goal of d.school
millennium. This new wave of designers, architects, courses is to develop creative confidence and collaboration
engineers, NGOs, and philanthropists is working directly skills to prepare future innovators to engage in the world.
with people with limited resources, collaborating across

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.

 In 2013, the d.school initiated a program of short courses discrete needs (e.g. a young child, a married adult couple with
called “pop-ups” that allow teaching teams to prototype new a stroller and baby, older adults with limited mobility, etc.) The
course topics. Our case studies below describe two such pop- workshop also delved into users’ distinct needs and
ups, including curriculum and outcomes. In the first case, experiences in public spaces, taking into account the physical
students conducted observations at Portsmouth Square park in aspects of the site, programs intended to take place there, and
San Francisco’s Chinatown and in the surrounding the purpose of the space. These skills primed students for more
neighborhood, and used rapid prototyping to test interventions detailed observations in San Francisco.
that enhance play. In the second case, students used a newly-
crafted toolkit to observe the Market Street Prototyping The remaining class sessions took place in San Francisco’s
Festival in San Francisco and serve as a launching point for Chinatown. Recognized as the oldest Chinatown in the United
discussions about public spaces. This paper describes the States, it is the densest neighborhood west of Manhattan, with
curricula and toolkit, as well as workshop insights and nearly 15,000 people living in 20 square blocks and the lowest
deliverables. per capita of open space in San Francisco [28]. The Chinatown
Community Development Center, a local non-profit, aimed to
make future improvements to Portsmouth Square Park, one of
the few large, available public spaces in the neighborhood. It is
A. Description of Activities
informally known as “Chinatown’s living room” [29].
“Parks, Plazas, Public Spaces: Designing for Communities
at Play” took place over four sessions from April-May 2014 Students first journeyed to San Francisco and walked the
and was co-taught by Stanford instructors, a post-doctoral neighborhoods, guided by local Chinatown youth who
researcher in public health from the University of California at regularly operate a Chinatown Alleyways Tour. This tour
San Diego, and two youth organizers from the Chinatown revealed community history, geography, demographics, unique
Community Development Center (CCDC) in San Francisco. features and major landmarks. Students then conducted their
CCDC is a non-profit affordable housing developer and own observations in Portsmouth Square, practicing some of the
advocacy organization that builds community capacity on techniques learned on Stanford campus. They were encouraged
quality of life issues such as land use, transportation, and to adopt various personae and observe the behavior of different
public health. demographics, including youth, seniors, tourists, and local
residents using the tools from the earlier session. They noted
In total, the class directly involved twenty Stanford students how public spaces were appropriated by diverse users—
from interdisciplinary backgrounds, ranging from product sometimes in unexpected ways—and some problems with the
design to education to business; twenty youth volunteers from park’s current design, such as overcrowded and unsanitary
CCDC; and sixty senior residents, including residents of the public restrooms.
CCDC-owned and managed International Hotel, or the I-Hotel.
For Stanford students, the d.school course on “Communities at The following Saturday, students again traveled to San
Play” was an opportunity to step outside campus boundaries, Francisco, where they conducted two focus groups at the I-
engage in a real-world context in San Francisco, and Hotel: the first with area youth and the second with senior
experience how to design with, not just for, communities. residents. It is worth noting the historical and community
significance of the original I-Hotel, which once housed 196
The learning objectives were: elderly Chinese and Filipino men before the building was
slated for demolition under the city’s redevelopment plans.
• Examine how different social groups define “play”
Despite 5,000 protesters who showed up en masse to form a
and engage their surroundings
human barrier between the police and property entrance,
• Collect instances of spatial appropriation for play; residents were forcibly evicted on August 4, 1977 [30]. An
identify factors (social, demographic, environmental, entire generation of advocates came of age following this
architectural, and aesthetic) that facilitate these ordeal, and many are now the leaders of place-based advocacy
activities organizations such as CCDC that work to create more inclusive
planning processes, after witnessing failed attempts to the
• Engage and collaborate with community stakeholders contrary. Since that time, a new I-Hotel was reconstructed in
to propose an opportunity for outdoor or indoor play 2005 to serve the needs of aging seniors.
• Build and test rapid prototypes that enhance existing The Stanford students led a cognitive mapping activity
spaces, or offer new ways for citizens to play and where they interviewed Chinatown youth about how they
recreate arrived on site that day, working with the youth to draw maps
showing start/end points and pathways, and illustrating key
features of the neighborhood. Stanford students and Chinatown
B. Methods youth then co-facilitated the same cognitive mapping activity
For the first workshop, students were introduced to new with seniors from the San Francisco Bay Area. Since many of
ways of observing public spaces in a familiar context: the the Stanford students do not speak the Mandarin or Cantonese
Stanford campus. Activities included improvising interactions dialects of the Chinese language, partnering with the youth was
in different imagined physical spaces; silent walks focused on a critical in communicating with the seniors and gathering
single sense (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste); and observing insights about how they navigated and used public spaces in
campus sites while adopting different assigned personae with their neighborhood. These interactions informed an interactive

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.

brainstorming session a few days later at the d.school, where with residents, many who were happy to engage with the
students discussed community needs and the different Stanford students and the prototypes that enlivened the park
preferences, capacities, and contributions of Chinatown’s youth setting.
and seniors.
In the fourth and final session, Stanford students gathered at
Portsmouth Square to synthesize what they had learned about IV. CASE STUDY – STREETS, SQUARES, AND ROUNDABOUTS:
Chinatown residents’ use of public spaces. Their mission was CREATIVE TOOLS FOR URBAN SPACES
to create a rapid prototype that enhanced play and joy. Students
made their initial prototypes on site, using only a rolling
suitcase filled with basic prototyping supplies, including A. Description of Activities
construction paper, string, markers, and tape. They observed “Streets, Squares & Roundabouts: Creative Tools for
how members of the public interacted with the prototype; then, Urban Spaces” comprised a daylong workshop at the Yerba
after an hour of experimentation, students refined their initial Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), coinciding with San
ideas and created a second rapid prototype to engage the Francisco’s first Market Street Prototyping Festival (MPSF),
public. Examples of prototypes included ground tiles with followed by an evening of synthesis and debriefing at the
gaming functions to make the experience of waiting in line for d.school. The focus was on observational tools for
the bathroom more playful, and inviting residents to create understanding how human beings interact with public spaces.
colorful flags to decorate the park, on which they wrote their In total, 17 participants took part, including fourteen graduate
dreams. Engagement occurred with a range of Chinatown and undergraduates students from various Stanford programs
citizens, from young children through senior citizens, and there (such as mechanical engineering, business, political science,
were many enthusiastic smiles as people were lifted out of the etc.), as well as five adults from general public.
ordinary use of the park and saw it become an interactive
space. Following these interventions, students discussed the
experience of in situ prototyping and shared insights about how B. Methods
their interventions were embraced and used by the community,
and how these might shed light on public spaces. Students convened in San Francisco during the city-
sponsored Prototyping Festival, a design competition that
invited teams of artists to create interactive public exhibits
along Market Street to be visited by citizens and tourists. The
C. Key Lessons
d.school course kicked off with a brief introduction to design
Outcomes from the Parks, Plazas, Public Spaces course thinking and an improv game exploring the impact of physical
suggest the following: space and human interaction on users. Improvisational games
Build observation skills. Honing students’ senses and are often used by the d.school to stoke a more open mindset
prompting them to take into account varied human perspectives that leads to creative thinking [31]. Next, the teaching team
enhances their ability to read public spaces. Observation skills provided an overview of traditional research methods in the
can be trained in familiar environs, giving students an field of urban design and a history of Market Street in San
opportunity to practice seeing ordinary scenes in new ways, Francisco. The session wrapped up with two talks by
and can then transferred to a site-specific project, yielding rich researchers from Gehl Studios and MKThink who described
observational detail that might otherwise be overlooked. their own methods for researching the Prototyping Festival.

Involve local users, such as youth and seniors. Both At midday, students paired up and received an observation
demographics provided valuable insights on Chinatown toolkit booklet, which included ten activities derived from
through conversations and focus groups. The youth gained a urban design research methods, but with an explicit focus on
sense of agency and pride when leading tours and helping to user experience and human-centered design. 1 Student pairs
translate conversations for the Stanford students. were assigned to one of five segments along Market Street, and
they were free to choose any or all tools from the toolkit for
Recognize historical and social context. Learning the their observations. After two hours of observations, students
history of Chinatown, particularly through the voices of the returned to the classroom at the YBCA for another improv
residents and their advocates, helped to situate the design warm-up, followed by activities to compile insights gleaned
challenge and highlight local priorities. It also created a sense from their observations of the festival.
of empathy with, and commitment to, the residents of
Chinatown and their daily lived experiences. Referencing printed maps of Market Street’s segments,
students created outlines and visualizations to parse their street
Prototype in situ. The park itself proved a useful design observations and share their reflections on what made for a
laboratory. Using only basic supplies, students could quickly successful installation. They used techniques such as crafting
and informally test public space concepts, make additional mind maps, drawing axes and placing data points into four
observations, and gain feedback from users. The nature of the quadrants. After sharing observations, students voted on which
experience forced participants to be creative, flexible and of the observational activities they had found “useful”,
adaptable to new and changing conditions in the park “delightful”, or particularly generative of a “breakthrough”
throughout the day. Students gained more creative confidence
and greater appreciation for the neighborhood by interacting 1
See the Urban Observation Toolkit at www.humancities.org/creativetools

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.

insight. Students responded most positively to activities with a retaining student interest and provoking a more playful and
specific observational lens (e.g. focusing on one sensory input open mindset.
such as smell, taste, sound); activities that require noticing
Use observation tools as malleable opportunities for
discrete behaviors that are often overlooked in everyday life,
learning, not dogma. Allowing students to evaluate and re-
such as physical postures and the ways individuals engaged in
imagine aspects of the toolkit served dual purposes: it focuses
conversation; and activities that highlight social norms
surrounding use of public spaces. The group discussed why the conversation around important features of public spaces
that we wish to observe and capture, and it can yield
some tools were more useful or effective than others.
personalized or improved tools for observing public spaces in
The second session, which took place three days later at the the future. It enhances students’ design education by
d.school, provided an opportunity for students to revisit highlighting process, recognizing that the creation of useful
concepts of public space, and to revamp and re-imagine the tools is part of the designers’ remit, as much as the creation of
urban Observation Toolkit. Students first shared their a final design.
hometowns and described their favorite public spaces.
Combining these new ideas with their observations in San Think positively, but think critically. The Prototyping
Festival was an opportunity to see many people traversing
Francisco, they drew out key features common to “good”
public spaces in San Francisco, with more interactions than
public spaces and created rubrics for differentiating types of
spaces from one another. Some students focused on typologies typical. It afforded a greater number of observations in a light-
hearted and festive atmosphere, and illustrated the utility of
of purpose, whereas others highlighted clusters of important
observing real-world sites. At the same time, observing the
public space features.
Festival spurred conversations about inclusion, demographics,
After debating features of public spaces, the class also and municipal vision. There are both objective and normative
engaged in critical discussion of the Prototyping Festival questions embedded in conversations about public space that
experience and their role as observers. Pairs of students then are worthwhile to confront.
chose one of the activities in the Observation Toolkit to
refashion, in accordance with their newfound definitions of
public space. The goal was to make the toolkit more V. DISCUSSION: IMPLICATIONS OF APPLYING HUMAN-
personalized and thereby helpful to students’ future CENTERED DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN URBAN CONTEXTS
observations. The workshop concluded with students drafting
short “manifestos” on public space design, crystallizing what
the participants learned through this experience with the intent The design thinking curricula and observation toolkit
of applying to future design projects. developed for these two courses demonstrated the benefits of
applying human-centered design principles to urban contexts.
The courses successfully transmitted new knowledge, design
C. Key Lessons skills, and points of view to students, who demonstrated critical
thinking about the purpose and qualities of public spaces and
Outcomes from the Streets, Squares, and Roundabouts users. We see potential for expanding these initiatives while
course suggest the following: exploring additional questions that remain.
Use multiple observation methods and follow up with In Chinatown, a natural extension of the Case 1 outcomes
critical reflection. Different modes of observation allowed would determine how insights gained from observations and
students to appreciate new ways of looking and create rapid prototypes could inform advocacy by the local non-profit
numerous launching points for conversations about public CCDC as it seeks to improve Portsmouth Square and other
space. Students reported experiencing a shift in how they see neighborhood spaces. We could also study the impact of
and understand human interaction in public space following the temporary enhancements to public places and whether any
first day’s activities. As a consequence of scheduling the lasting benefits to the population might accrue, ranging from
second workshop a few days later, students had more time to mental and physical health, to sense of inclusion, to the
digest observations in the interim. Reflecting on and revisiting probability of successful longer-term capital improvements.
the meaning, typologies, and qualities of public space also
sparked rich discourse. In Case 2, the Observation Toolkit was an effective means
to introduce novices to urban design using a design thinking
Create design thinking (human-centered) tools that lens. The most beneficial exercises provoked students to view
focus and prompt. The Observation Toolkit was a physical spaces differently by encouraging them to adopt perspectives
manifestation of human-centered observation techniques, of diverse users and to pay attention to explicit behaviors and
reminding users that “Streets, Squares & Roundabouts” go far implicit norms governing public spaces. Student observations
beyond engineered physical spaces. It focused student were linked with extensive discussions about the purpose of
observations within a given timeframe and gave urban design public spaces and goals such as identity and inclusion.
novices a convenient channel to think outside their everyday
experiences and try on diverse user perspectives. Presenting In the interest of promoting more participatory forms of
tools in a booklet with space for drawings and notes made the design, we see an opportunity in which students could use the
logistics of observation easier and created a readily-referenced Observation Toolkit to work alongside community
set of prompts while in the field. Structuring the toolkit as a stakeholders to collaboratively assess and understand public
series of “activities” made observation itself an act of play, spaces. At one point, we asked students to suggest ideas for

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.

customizing toolkit activities in accordance with their own ACKNOWLEDGMENT
evolving design values. How might representatives from The authors would like to thank Stanford University
different local neighborhoods similarly adapt and localize the Program on Urban Studies, Stanford d.school, Chinatown
Observation Toolkit for their own communities to capture Community Development Center, Yerba Buena Center for the
special insights about those places? Arts, Gehl Studio, and MKThink for their support.
In the long-term, we envision that these activities could be
implemented with Chinatown youth themselves as the trainees.
CCDC youth organizers have expressed interest in adapting the REFERENCES
curriculum and leading future design workshops entirely in
their native language with the purpose of gathering stakeholder
[1] Jan Gehl and Birgitte Svarre, How to Study Public Life (Washington,
feedback. The simplicity and playfulness of exercises in the DC: Island Press, 2013), 2.
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role of urban designer. York: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
Population Division, 2014), 1.
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[4] State of Urban Youth Report 2012-2013: Youth in the Prosperity of Cities
pedagogy. Given the concentrated nature of these particular (Nairobi, Kenya: United Nations Human Settlements Program, 2013), xii.
design experiences, it would be worthwhile to explore in [5] Barbara Lipman, Jeffrey Lubell, and Emily Salomon, “Housing an Aging
greater depth the impact of repeated observations over longer Population: Are we prepared?,” Center for Housing Policy, April 2012,
time frames and track the development of student www.nhc.org/media/files/AgingReport2012.pdf
understanding, which already showed promising change in [6] Abrahms, Sally, “Towns and cities prepare for aging populations.” AARP,
only a few days. Longer experimental timeframes could also March 14, 2011, www.aarp.org/home-garden/housing/info-03-
help identify optimal combinations of observation, discussion, 2011/towns-cities-prepare-for-aging-populations.4.html
and synthesis activities. In the immediate future, we plan to [7] Robert Caro, The Power Broker: Robert Moses at the Fall of New York
(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974), 849.
offer a full quarter-long course in which we will leverage this
curricula and toolkit as part of an extended period for students [8] Clare Cooper Marcus and Carolyn Francis, eds., People places: Design
guidlines for urban open space. 2nd edition. (New York: John Wiley &
and community stakeholders to engage with these tools. Sons, 1997), 6.
Finally, a constant question in education concerns the [9] Alexander Garvin, The American City: What Works, What Doesn't (New
balance of structure and freedom. Making the task of York: McGraw-Hill, 2004), 291.
observation a playful experience supports a more creative and [10] Ibid., 2
open mindset. Identifying the benefits of open-ended “play” [11] Witold Rybczynski, Makeshift Metropolis: Ideas About Cities (New
York: Simon and Schuster, 2010), 80.
where no single answer is “correct,” setting the proper level of
[12] Alexander Garvin, The American City: What Works, What Doesn't (New
instructional scaffolding, and determining the ultimate impact York: McGraw-Hill, 2004), 2.
of different combinations of structure and freedom would also
[13] Barry Checkoway & Katie Richards-Schuster, “Youth participation in
inform other design pedagogy efforts. This collaborative community evaluation research” American Journal of Evaluation 24, no.
approach, co-creation strategies with community stakeholders, 1 (2002): 21-33.
and a human-centered framework could prove useful to train [14] Kathryn Frank, “The potential of youth participation in planning” Journal
designers in other contexts. of Planning Literature 20, no. 4 (2006): 351-371.
[15] Patralekha Chatterjee, “How a generation of young leaders is emerging
from India’s slums,” Citiscope, February 5, 2015,
http://citiscope.org/story/2015/how-generation-young-leaders-emerging-
VI. CONCLUSION: FUTURE PATHWAYS FOR INTEGRATING indias-slums
HUMAN-CENTERED METHODS INTO URBAN DESIGN [16] Sam Sturgis, "Kids in India Are Sparking Urban Planning Changes by
Mapping Slums," Atlantic Citylab, February 19, 2015,
www.citylab.com/tech/2015/02/kids-are-sparking-urban-planning-
Drawing on the principles of design thinking, this article changes-by-mapping-their-slums/385636
explores the possibilities and offers concrete examples of [17] Barry Checkoway & Katie Richards-Schuster, “Youth participation in
community evaluation research” American Journal of Evaluation 24, no.
integrating human-centered methods into the practice of urban 1 (2002): 23.
design. We tested this curriculum and associated tools through [18] Michael Fletcher, “What you really need to know about Baltimore,”
two Stanford d.school courses that brought students out into the Washington Post, April 28, 2015,
field to directly engage in observations and in situ prototyping. www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/04/28/what-you-
really-need-to-know-about-baltimore-from-a-reporter-who-lived-there-
Students came into workshops with little or no urban design for-30-years
experience, but learned new strategies for looking at, [19] William Powell, “The roots of violence in Ferguson,” The Atlantic,
understanding, and conversing about public space. The August 16, 2014, www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/08/racial-
curricula primed them to be more effective observers and tension-in-ferguson-isnt-over/378625
designers of urban spaces by encouraging them to focus on [20] Barry Percy-Smith, “Contested Worlds” in Growing Up in An Urbanising
human beings as users and incorporate a multitude of diverse World, Ed. Louise Chawla (London: Earthscan Publications, 2002), 76.
voices. By growing their sense of empathy and practicing [21] Clare Cooper Marcus and Carolyn Francis, eds., People Places: Design
Guidelines for Urban Open Space, 2nd edition (New York: John Wiley &
perspective-taking, this approach promoted a more inclusive Sons, 1997), x.
vision of public space design.

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.

[22] Paul Davidoff, “Advocacy and pluralism in planning” Journal of the [28] San Francisco Planning Department, “Chinatown Broadway Street
American Institute of Planners 31, no. 4 (1965): 331-338. Design.” February 2013, www.sf-planning.org/ftp/files/plans-and-
[23] Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, American Institute of Certified programs/in-your-
Planners, Revised October 3, 2009, neighborhood/chinatown_broadway_110217/ChinatownBroadwayStreet
www.planning.org/ethics/ethicscode.htm DesignFinalDocument_REV.pdf
[24] Cynthia Smith, Design With the Other 99%: Cities (Washington, DC: [29] Ryan Kim, “Chinatown Reopens Portsmouth Square,” The San Francisco
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2011), 14. Chronicle, January 31, 2001, www.sfgate.com/news/article/Chinatown-
Reopens-Portsmouth-Square-Community-2957564.php
[25] Ibid., 16-19.
[30] Cicero A. Estrella, “The I-Hotel rises again,” The San Francisco
[26] George Kembel, “Awakening creativity,” August 2009. Presentation at Chronicle, July 22, 2005, www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/CITYWIDE-
the Chautauqua Institution,
The-I-Hotel-rises-again-Nearly-26-2653520.php
http://fora.tv/2009/08/14/George_Kembel_Awakening_Creativity.
[31] “Stoke”, Stanford d.school, July 2, 2010,
[27] Peter Miller, “Is 'Design Thinking' the New Liberal Arts?,” The Chronicle https://dschool.stanford.edu/groups/k12/wiki/87d99/Stoke.html
of Higher Education, March 2015, http://chronicle.com/article/Is-Design-
Thinking-the-New/228779

Proceedings of the Future of Places Conference. Stockholm, Sweden. July 2015.