Pocket parks for changing times and urban uncertainties

The chapter deals with new forms of public open spaces to meet community needs and new uses in historic environment. The regeneration of small-sized urban spaces such as small green strips, community gardens, courtyards, waterfront spaces and so on can create places of great community asset. Spaces for play, relaxation, socialisation and physical activity are vital for individual and community well-being; yet at the same time issues such as landscape protection and urban security can create challenges for the designer. The chapter examines how ′pocket park design′ can be an inspirational idea to when set into a well-coordinated strategy for a city’s small spaces with a greater awareness, self-sufficiency, flexibility, capacity and adaptation to both climate and social change. In this chapter, the use of the comparative method of analysis of examples drawn from across Europe it seeks to define characteristics, typologies and variety of pocket park design. Finally, it is argued that is necessary to establish concrete concepts and guidelines including a variety of design aspects for the creation of a new typology of pocket parks that can produce more successful spatial relationships and conditions at the societal level.