Paper

A Method for Analyzing Open Space Improvements in Urban Environments: A Budapest Case Study

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Abstract

The structure of space and use of urban open spaces in Budapest’s city centre have been significantly transformed during the last decade. In the years of the millenary, vehicles dominated the historical streets and squares, but today it is possible and even desirable to walk along the central section of downtown. The area is liveable for the city users again. The inner parts of the capital have been renewed as part of the ‘Heart of Budapest Programme’, which aimed to strengthen the administrative, commercial and cultural role of the city centre. The Programme focused on the reduction of the transit traffic, while established the pedestrian-friend urban centre within the border of the Small Boulevard (Kiskörút), the József Attilla street and the Danube Boulevard (Duna korzó). (Podmaniczky Programme, 2005).

The Heart of Budapest Programme consists of three interrelated projects7, one of which is the New Main Street in Budapest City Centre. The article highlights the impacts of public place renewal projects on the open space use, and simultaneously analyses the relations and correspondence between the green areas and the open space use in the densely populated historic urban centre. Our research focuses on the section of the Main street between the Kálvin Square and József Attila street (Erzsébet Square), with particular regard to the analysis of the Kálvin Square, Egyetem Square, Erzsébet Square and Károlyi Mihály utca. (Figure 1.)

Keywords: greenways, open space, budapest, analysis, improvement

How to Cite:

Zelenák, F., Szűz, A., Balogh, P. I., Dúll, A. & Szilágyi, K., (2016) “A Method for Analyzing Open Space Improvements in Urban Environments: A Budapest Case Study”, Fábos Conference on Landscape and Greenway Planning 5(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/fabos.623