Urban inclusivity through a service design framework

Increasingly, diverse urban areas are in growing need of planning and design that include and welcome residents from a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This study aims to use a service design framework to assess how the physical design of ten public spaces in New York City impacted visitors’ experience and sense of welcome.

The study used two main approaches to address this question. First, the authors conducted a sentiment analysis and a qualitative content analysis of Twitter data collected from each location as well as Tweets that mentioned each location. Second, they collected data through more traditional means by interviewing staff and visitors at four sites and also performing on site observational research.

These results suggested that certain physical design elements can significantly impact visitors’ sense of welcome and comfort. These include color, natural light, plentiful windows and open space. The study also found that Twitter data can be a useful tool to add a layer of insight into understanding visitors’ experience of a public building and recommends that public agencies should partner with cultural institutions and other community groups to use Twitter to monitor community attitudes and communicate with the public.

The research drew on the emerging service design framework and used novel data collection and analysis techniques.