Browsing by Author "Federolf, Kira"

This master’s thesis is an explorative study on the effects of using social goods in the form of benches, as affordances of the public space in the Station Tunnel beneath the Central Railway Station in Helsinki. The idea is to influence the social configuration of that space in a way that promotes a sense of safety, without using mechanisms that target or exclude any specific social groups. The objective is to create opportunities of action in the physical environment that promote the facilitation of natural surveillance, with the aim that it strengthens the sense of order and safety for the people in it. On top of this the aim is also to recognise the ways these social goods affect positioning, movement, and gathering practices, recognise what the core issues are regarding the quality of that space, and in what ways the use of the social goods affected these factors. The collection of data was carried out as part of a project with the company Finnish Consulting Group Oy, commissioned by the City of Helsinki. It was done with the objective to map out the different needs and uses of the underground tunnel network with the interests of key stakeholders and reconciling the different interests. The thesis shares a similar premise, which broadens the scope of focus to a wider overview of the different factors that make up the social configuration of a space. Facilitated by the project, benches were installed as a form of intervention. The benches were positioned to form sitting groups in an open area, on the eastern tier of the Station Tunnel. To measure the effects, data was collected in four phases to provide comparative data. In the first phase a baseline was formed of the situation before the intervention took place, the second shortly after the installing of the benches, the third two months after the installing, and the fourth after the removal of the benches. Data was collected by observing the space in four phases for 61 hours total, and by doing short interviews with workers, security personnel and other people passing by in the first three phases, totalling 43 interview subjects. The interviews were thematic in nature and were transcribed and analysed with computer assistance. The analysis used a factual perspective and a general thematic analysis method. Initially in the interviews, there were some concerns expressed about installing benches in the area due to fears of increased undesirable activity. However, observational data showed that these fears were unfounded as people of different backgrounds and social groups used the benches without the increase of any observable negative incidents. The installation of the benches also improved attitudes towards the area and the sense of security. Another effect was that people had more forgiving and lenient attitudes towards previously undesirable social groups. While security personnel had mixed feelings about the benches, stressing the effects of different seasons of the year, the overall positive attitudes and observations suggest that successful and inclusive public spaces can be created without sacrificing one social group over another. It was not found in the research that the benches themselves had a direct impact on the space in the form of object agency, but rather their presence signals the intended use and purpose of the area, changing its function and consequentially, its meaning.