Evaluation of public space as a place for free time accessible to all: in the case of Santaka park
ENIn the areas of urban public space planning and community engagement, the accessibility of public spaces is an important and relevant topic. These spaces serve as community facilities where people from various walks of life gather for leisure activities (Zhang, & He, 2020). But ensuring that the space is fully accessible to everyone, regardless of their age, ability or education, is a multifaceted challenge. Scholars Leclercq and Pojani (2023) argue that one of the most significant concepts of public spaces is their ability to promote social cohesion and community building for everyone. According to Leclercq and Pojani, (2023), the purpose of these spaces is to become a servant and help all local people to gather, communicate and engage in various activities. And here, according to Zhang and He (2020), the concept of public space means that everyone should have a common space where they can choose and connect, and it helps to create a wider community. At its core, the concept of public space is about the creation and maintenance of space that is open and accessible to all members of the community (Charmaz, 2020). Deepening how people communicate and what they expect from the construction of a public place, where they visit and what activities they would like to be carried out, this is precisely what affects its physical design, the devices that appear (Habermas, 2022; Thomas, et al., 2022). Looking at the importance of public spaces for the individual and their possibilities for leisure time, today's society is a relevant and important question. It is the case of Santakas Park, which is located in the heart of the Kaunas city center, that is relevant from this point of view and allows us to better understand how urban leisure spaces accessible to all can change and satisfy the needs of residents and quality of life indicators.It is also very important that the quality indicators of public spaces directly affect people's psychological and physical state (Azhar, Hardilla, & Kurniawan, 2021). This research will also shed light on the issues surrounding the ever-emerging lack of knowledge and provide insights and understanding of the current concept of public spaces. The aim of the article is to analyze public space as a place for free time accessible to everyone in the case of Santaka Park. To achieve the goal, the following problematic questions are raised: how are the public spaces of Santaka Park, as places of free time accessible to all, evaluated and experienced? How can we ensure that public spaces are adapted to people of different ages, abilities and needs? How can different cultural and social groups be taken into account to create public spaces that are welcoming and inviting to diverse communities? Research methods. In order to understand the dynamics, ways of use, social interaction and overall impact on communities, the theoretical analysis method examines public space, scientific literature, conditions of importance of dialogue, methods and other multidisciplinary approaches needed for the analysis of public spaces, including various research methods. Keywords: public space, leisure, park, place accessible to all. [From the publication]
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