Changing public space

accommodate this public function: the pavement now contains more than 25 electricity hookups
as well as embedded metal hooks to secure objects. As described in Section 6.2.2, the
Schouwburgplein is surrounded by the cinema, the municipal theatre, music and convention
centre De Doelen, and several shops. The majority can be classified as ‘fun’ shops, selling
fashion, gadgets, and jewellery. Seven restaurants and cafés occupy the ground floors of the
remaining buildings. They all operate outdoor terraces, but altogether the amount of space they
occupy is less than five per cent of the total surface of the Schouwburgplein. The rating of the
Schouwburgplein on the dimension ‘sidewalk cafés’ is therefore medium, whereas it rates high
on the dimensions ‘events’ and ‘fun shopping’.
As expected, the Beurstraverse can indeed be seen as a secured public space since the coverage in
the upper half of the circle is larger than the coverage in the lower part. Surveillance by means
of CCTV is very intense here; the management has installed no less than 68 cameras. The only
street furniture present in the Beurstraverse consists of a few trash bins; there are no benches or
ledges to sit on. The rationale is that seating would distract customers from shopping and might
encourage loitering, which could spoil the shopping experience. Moreover, the Beurstraverse is
partially closed off at nights; the area underneath the Coolsingel is closed for the public when
the metro stops running. Therefore, the Beurstraverse has a high intensity on the dimension
‘restraints on loitering’. It gets a medium rating on the ‘regulation’ dimension. Skating, cycling,
and photography are not allowed in the Beurstraverse. The public is not always aware of all
these rules. When vendors of homeless newspapers first appeared, they were swiftly removed
(Bergenhenegouwen & Van Weesep, 2003). The main ‘house’ rules were listed at the entrance
(see also Figure 8.1). Despite these strict regulations, the private security guards must depend
on police backup; law and order in the Beurstraverse falls under the municipal police ordinance
that applies to the entire city centre. The strict regulation seems to enhance feelings of security
among the shoppers: 84 per cent of the visitors are (very) positive about the level of safety during
the daytime (Van Aalst & Ennen, 2001).
With respect to the themed dimensions, the intensities for the Beurstraverse are low except
for the dimension of ‘fun shopping’. This particular public space hosts no special events at all;
buskers are not allowed in the area, let alone large-scale performances. Nor are there any sidewalk
Schouwburgplein
Beurstraverse
1
2
3
1
2
3
Secured public space
1. Surveillance
2. Restraints on loitering
3. Regulation
Themed public space
4. Events
5. Funshopping
6. Sidewalk cafés
6
4
6
4
5
5
7092
Figure 7.1 Six-dimensional profiles of the Schouwburgplein and Beurstraverse as secured (upper
half ) or themed (lower half ) public space
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