Public+Spaces+Project+-+Phase+1

//Annotated Panorama //
=Harry W. Arthurs Common =

= O B S E R V A T I O N S =

**At a Glance **

 * A social space
 * Lots of People
 * Plenty of Interaction
 * People Moving
 * People Talking
 * A place in-between places (not necessarily a destination, but a through-way). A place where people meet for a short period of time with other people, and/or a place that people must pass through frequently to get to class.

**Activities Observed **

 * Sports
 * Relaxing
 * Sleeping
 * Talking
 * Reading
 * Walking
 * Driving
 * Sitting
 * Eating
 * Playing Music

Environment Observed

 * Plenty of Walkways
 * Buses
 * Benches & Concrete Ledges
 * Fountain & Pond
 * Trees
 * Students being students
 * Flagpole
 * Physical Center of York University
 * Vari Hall focal point
 * Buildings surrounding
 * Hot-dog stand
 * Garbage on ground
 * People getting on and off buses
 * Almost no media presence/advertisements (except on buses)
 * Almost everyone is talking with another person.

= = =**P A N O R A M A **=



=**R E S E A R C H T O P I C **=

Harry Arthurs Common is a very interesting place where lots of activities take place. The panorama looks at some of the many ways that this space is used and locates different aspects that make up this space.
 * Research Statement**

The commons is named after [|Harry Arthurs], a former president of York University from 1985-1992. The commons is the physical center of York University. It houses a location for the bus loop, for which 3 different transit authorities run. Video of Commons [|Bird's Eye View]
 * Background**
 * Resources**

There does not seem to be any issues or concerns with this space. From observing the commons, it seems that it has been carefully designed and planned out in order to serve a multitude of purposes. There are field for sports and a variety of activities, walking paths and open areas to allow for walking to any point of the commons. Trees provide shade for the summer, and windbreaks in the winter, and serve as an aesthetic addition. The bus-loop is clearly marked for where the buses pick-up and drop of students, and there are plenty of structures for sitting and relaxing, talking with friends, and doing homework. I looked at the space, not with problems that needed to be solved, but to understand the different ways it is used. The commons is unique because it is a place that is the center of activity, but also a place that is in-between; somewhere people have to cross and get through in order to get from one place to another. And there are hundreds, possibly thousands of people who do this everyday.
 * Critical Position**