Critical Factors Affecting the Design and Use of Elevated Urban Spaces: The Sky Garden, London

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent pandemics have and will continue to have a significant impact on public spaces in cities around the World. One of the major challenges and debates for governments and professionals alike is therefore how to create enjoyable and usable environments in high-density cities, which also feel safe. Elevated urban gardens have become increasingly popular public and social spaces in large cities with their unique qualities in terms of location, accessibility, scale, intensity of experience, etc. Indeed, the past two decades have seen the re-emergence of exciting social and public places ‘in the sky’ which justifies the need to research these spaces in more detail. Due to their location, searching questions can be raised with regard to the design and management of safe vibrant spaces within or on contemporary buildings. This paper focuses on analysing the Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street, London using direct observation and walk-along interviews to provide qualitative and quantitative data before, during, and after the Covid pandemic. The direct observation explores how the space changed in terms of accessibility, circulation, and activities during these periods of time. The study also uses semi-structured interviews to investigate the qualitative relationship between visitors’ behaviour and the design of the pace. Participants (n = 23) were interviewed by the researcher while walking in the Sky Garden. This paper examines critical issues such as accessibility, circulation, activities, design obstacles, security and safety, etc., in exploring the possibilities and opportunities for the future design of elevated urban gardens. The research findings include a study of human activities, features that need improvements, design strategies, and an analysis of the potential need for new rules and regulations relating to the use of such spaces.