Active facade as an inducer of urban hospitality

Abstract

Public spaces are essential meeting places in large cities. As are private spaces for public use, especially restaurants. The premise is that qualifying these spaces is essential for creating hospitable cities and can be provided by public managers, who act as urban hosts, through public policies. Proof of this is the inclusion of the “active facade” land use qualifying parameter in the São Paulo Master Plan. This urban planning instrument encourages commercial, and service uses on the ground floors of multifunctional buildings, offering fiscal or construction compensation. Of the uses of the active facade, it is assumed that those related to food are essential for urban hospitality. The objective of this study is to analyze the architectural and urban planning aspects of active façades implemented on a street in São Paulo from the perspective of urban hospitality. A multiple case study was used on Rebouças Avenue. The results indicate that, despite the implementation of active facades, the lack of infrastructure to support the implementation of restaurants and bars, the distance between the building and the sidewalk and the presence of a specific type of landscaping, compromise urban hospitality, the attractiveness of the place and the feeling of safety of the place.