Introducing body-language methods into urban design to research the social and interactional potential of public space

Since the 1960s the urban design discipline has experienced a remarkable turn towards the psychological, social and cultural dimensions of place. This is visible in its expanded body of knowledge to include a wide range of social science disciplines and in its investment in qualitative and cross-disciplinary methodologies in public space research to understand the different user’s needs and experiences. Comparatively, little research has been done on the social and interactional potential of public spaces. To fill this knowledge gap, this paper employs original empirical material from one case study with a view to focus on the bodily socio-spatial mechanics of social interactions among strangers in public space and to examine the potential applicability of body-language methods to study them.