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ABSTRACT
The activation of small inner-city streets is a core strategy in the creation of unique and vibrant places for people. Much attention is devoted to these projects, as cities vie to competitively position themselves. Atmosphere is a concept central to small-street activation and so ubiquitous within urban planning policies. However, what constitutes atmosphere is an emerging field of study within urban planning. Adopting a phenomenological approach, this paper presents a richly textured engagement with the lifeworld of a successful small-street activation initiative within Adelaide, Australia. In doing so, this paper provides a grounded case study of the phenomenological lived experience of atmosphere creation, revealing the complexities and opportunities of atmosphere within planning.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1. Griffero’s Atmospheres: Aesthetics of Emotional Space was published in Italian in 2010.
2. Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology of Perception was published in French in 1945.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Matthew W. Rofe
Dr Rofe is Senior Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of South Australia. Holding a PhD in Urban-Cultural Geography, Dr Rofe's research agenda addresses urban regeneration, place making and city marketing. He also publishes on the use of heritage as an economic development strategy and struggles over interpretations of history, with a specific focus upon contestation over heritage artefacts within public space.
Myfanwy Mogford
Ms Mogford is a professorial Urban Planner at the City of Sulsbury, South Australia. Holding a Bachelor of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of South Australia, Ms Mogford is passionate about the development of more nuanced understandings of the creation of atmosphere within planning processes.