ABSTRACT
The way a square is structured by walls, seating (formal as in benches or informal as in steps and ledges), landscaping and the materials of its surfaces creates its affordances for people’s activities and emotional experiences. Many squares contain point elements – objects – that can be circumnavigated. Monuments, trees, lampposts, street furniture and fountains are elements that give squares much of their character, both as places to inhabit and as displays to contemplate.
