Open Source Urbanism – Adapting Principles and Criteria of Open Source Software To Urbanism

Abstract

The idea of open source, stemming from software development is being applied in various fields, including urbanism, as the concept of Open Source Urbanism (OSU). This approach promotes a transparent process, where the methodology used and developed and the final outcomes are open for others to use, modify, adjust and even profit from while also sharing their process and results openly. In this paper, the principles and criteria of open source software are adopted for-, adjusted to and observed in the field of urban design and planning. The goal was to extract the criteria for determining the levels of urban projects being based on the principles of open source urbanism. Furthermore, the newly established criteria of OSU were applied and tested on three case studies of projects related urban spaces. The results show that the principles and criteria of open source software can be successfully used in urban design and planning. OSU principles can be applied on a wide range of projects and crossing different scales, from planting a tree to large-scale masterplan design.