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10/10/13 Project for Public Spaces 10 Principles for Successful Squares <br /> r <br /> A short pedestrian crossing at Raza Santa Ana in Madrid,Spain. <br /> To be successful,a square needs to be easy to get to.The best squares are always easily accessible <br /> by foot:Surrounding streets are narrow,crosswalks are well marked;lights are timed for pedestrians, <br /> not vehicles;traffic moves slowly;and transit stops are located nearby.A square surrounded by lanes of <br /> fast-moving traffic will be cut off from pedestrians and deprived of its most essential element:people. <br /> 7. The Inner Square &the Outer Square <br /> r t son <br /> 1 <br /> s AJ <br /> Ground floor retail rings the edge of this square in Verona,Italy. <br /> Visionary park planner Frederick Law Olmsted's idea of the"inner park"and the"outer park"is just as <br /> relevant today as it was over 100 years ago.The streets and sidewalks around a square greatly affect <br /> its accessibility and use,as do the buildings that surround it.Imagine a square fronted on each side by <br /> 15-foot blank walls—that is the worst-case scenario for the outer square.Then imagine that same <br /> square situated next to a public library:the library doors open right onto the square,people sit outside <br /> and read on the steps,maybe the children's reading room has an outdoor space right on the square,or <br /> even a bookstore and cafe.An active,welcoming outer square is essential to the well-being of the inner <br /> square. <br /> 8. Reaching Out Like an Octopus <br /> vmw.pps.org/referencelsquaresprinciples/ 4/6 <br />