Abstract:
It is a seeming paradox that the balance between society and built
environment has a constant change as we evolve repeatedly, and our
collective identity mean to facilitate new public spaces to boost our
public life, as well re-shaping existing spaces. The public spaces we
design directly or indirectly influence to our behavior, experiences and
social interactions which in turn reflect how we respond to our built
environment. Even though urban designing and planning paly wider
role of this evolving procedure, sometimes some proposed design does
not respond to the vital role of public spaces and unknowingly break the
relationship between man and his environment by incorporating some
ambiguous attributes.
This research aims to study the relationship between collective memory
and public squares and the influence of public collective memory to
shape and re-shape, to revitalize and utilize today’s public squares. The
qualitative and quantitative data to answer the research questions
were gathered by conducting user survey, visual documentation and
interviewing with community focus group.
The study is conducted through a close examination of the Republic
Square of Male’ city, which was once prevailed with a strong sense of
community, though today it is seen as an isolated piece of public realm.
By combining the theoretical background with qualitative research and
quantitative methods, the paper aims to provide a better
understanding on the underlying issues and possible solutions. Findings
indicate that the success of the public squares is based on the
experiences and rationalities of the urban past as evidenced by the
historical continuity which characterizes the relationship between
collective memory of its people and the public spaces.
