ABSTRACT
All of the outdoor spaces we studied function as key public gathering areas,
but their specific uses and attractions vary with their sizes and locations within
their metropolitan regions. Smaller squares that measure approximately one
to three acres are quite adaptable and serve a number of purposes within cit-
ies: they create an amenity for regional commercial centers (as in Legacy Town
Center, Southlake Town Center, and Victoria Gardens); they offer a hub for
neighborhood activities and smaller planned events (Addison Circle Park);
and they draw attention to activity at the heart of the metropolitan core and
attract visitors from far and wide (Campus Martius, Pioneer Courthouse Square, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square). Slightly
larger squares and greens of approximately four to six acres are also a common feature at the center of major metropolitan areas; they
have the advantage of accommodating a wide variety of daytime activities, as well as grander scheduled events, such as festivals that
occur over a week or a season (Yerba Buena Gardens, Union Square [New York], and Bryant Park). The largest spaces-urban parks
of 10 or more acres-attract a pool of downtown occupants, daytime workers, city and regional visitors who flock to parks as passive
recreation or for planned events throughout the year (as in the case of Millennium Park and Boston Public Garden).
