Nevins, Charles B.

This thesis is an attempt at looking at urban open space in a new way. How do these urban open spaces actually function? What is the relationship between the physical form of the open space and the functions it provides? to help answer these questions this thesis attempts to develop an open space typology in which the functions of our urban open spaces can be related to their physical form. The development of the typology was a three step process. The first step was a literature search that looked for the appropriate attributes and functions of urban open space and the models that have been used to describe it. The second step was a synthesis; a combination of what existed in the literature and what was still needed in order to develop the typology. And the final step was the formulation of the typology where the physical attributes were put into a hierarchy and correlated with the biophysical and socio-economic functions provided by urban open space. The purpose of the typology is three-fold: a planning tool to be used for the analysis and comparison of urban open spaces; a planning tool to provide design guidelines for urban open spaces; and a framework for future research.