After the impacts of monthly-long lockdowns, quarantines, and months of staying at home, it became even more important, especially in big cities, to rely on a well-designed urban environment to stay sane. The time we spend outside is not only nurturing, it is also an important tool for our mental and physical health.

A right to be outside, to feel secure, and to fulfill simple pleasures, like enjoying the sun, socializing, walking the streets, or just simply „to get out“ was never before so urgent and necessary. Since space, especially in and around big cities, is a profitable product, the research of my Master’s thesis leads me to question public spaces and the right to the city. Who decides how many spaces who gets? Where are we allowed to do what? And how can that be improved? How much space is dedicated to humans and how much space to cars and other infrastructures?

Well-organized public spaces are rare, and most urban furniture is not made to be comfortable. It became my aim to raise awareness for the topic, to bring people closer together, to inspire, to create places of interaction and exchange that make it possible to honor, share and celebrate public space and street life again.

Therefore, it is necessary to design with the human scale, the public’s participation, and create spaces that can improve the standards of living beyond the personal housing situation. Spaces that are welcoming and comfortable for humans, that invite you to sit, rest, meet, eat, enjoy, create, connect and sleep. Places that generate and activate urban life and community.

My Project is a prototype and a design interaction that offers some extra space. I have created a symbolic outdoor living spatiality in the size of a small car, so it can fit in every parking lot. It shows the dimension of a room and can be moved around finding sunnier, or crowded, lively, or quieter locations. It offers multifunctional uses and can be utilized in different ways. A place to stay, to play, to sell, to exhibit, share meals, or just to come together. Simple and user-friendly, designed with love and empathy for the needs of many – us.