Assessing the flexibility of public squares the case of Grande Poste square in Algiers

Changes in cities affect public squares. They host temporal, virtual and conflicting uses at different times. For these reasons, they must be multifunctional and adaptable to rapid and unpredictable changes to meet the users´ needs which change over time. These changes have repercussions on the planning and the development of these spaces. In this context, planners introduce flexibility of use in urban planning as a feature of adapting spaces to changes. Current references cite characters and models of flexible places, as well as flexible uses of these places. However, how can planners improve the potential of the flexibility of use in existing public squares? This article proposes an approach to assess the flexibility of use in public squares. It requires the combination of two relevant qualitative methods used to evaluate the flexibility of use in buildings. We used them because there is still no evaluation method for public squares. The application of this method in the central square of the Grand Poste in Algiers aims to show the degree of flexibility of this place and identify aspects that help planners and architects to propose planning recommendations for more flexibility in using this square.