Research Question and Theoretical Framework

Research Question

Cities often strive to create quality public spaces that meet the needs of local citizens. Urban designers are skilled in terms of creating landmark sites and filling them with physical materialities but we question whether this contributes to quality in these spaces. If we instead start from our own experience of a space on the individual level and combine this with the experiences of others, we may get public spaces compatible with local needs that are subsequently used more frequently.

To capture this social life, methodologies with a social focus are needed. A focus on individual experience also requires a more complete consideration of our senses and their combined perception. This project proposes the following research questions in order to enrich understanding of this issue:

• To explore methodological aspects of performing a rhythmanalysis of public space
• To identify practical challenges and potential benefits of including senses other than visual in these analyses

Since the aim of this project was to test the rhythmanalysis as a method of analysing the quality of public spaces, we will first present this as a theoretical framework. Then we describe the selected sites followed by a selection of methods which were necessary in order to perform the rhythmanalysis.

Theoretical Framework 

One of the major criticisms of Lefebvre’s book (2004) is its lack of practical instructions on how to perform a rhythmanalysis and this may contribute to the paucity of research papers in this field (Brighenti and Kärrholm, 2018). Recently, Professor Filipa Matos Wunderlich from University College London has provided what could be seen as the practical instructions for rhythmanalysis of spaces. We used this Place-temporality method (Wunderlich, 2013) to perform a rhythmanalysis in Helsingborg, Sweden.

Places are temporal environments and this tempo is rhythmical in nature (Wunderlich, 2013). The experience of time is considered a sense but also a process and place-temporality is a result of social activities in a given spatial location. Following observations of Fitzroy Square in London over a time of one year it was possible to identify 4 attributes of place-temporality (Wunderlich, 2013). A vivid and distorted sense of time refers to how some places feel fast or slow. A sense of flow is related to time as it is possible to be caught up in a place-flow by participating in its activities together. A vivid soundscape compares hi-fi soundscapes in which all details are clearly heard to low-fi which are blurred sound environments. Finally, rhythmicity includes a characterization of activities that occur in a place. It was concluded that Fitzroy Square had a distinct place-temporality according to observations. However, these are still observational and reminiscent of the non-practical examples given by Lefebvre (2004).

To develop a toolkit that can be used practically, Wunderlich drew from concepts of music theory to create the following method, which we used in this project. All rhythms are connected to space so the first step is to map these under the rhythm categories of social, physical and natural and their respective sub-categories. Once a rhythm is connected to a space, it is called a Place-Rhythm. Therefore, the first step of this method is to identify all place-rhythms in the given space (spatial expression).


Once these place-rhythms are identified a final analysis of place-temporality can be made according to the triad of temporal performance, place-tonality and sense of time. Temporal performance looks at the frequency and duration of the place-rhythms over time and reorganizes these based on whether rhythms are regulated/predictable (R), circumstantial (C) or happen occasionally (O). Place-tonality evaluates place-rhythms that overlap in time (i.e. have roughly the same temporal performance) and perhaps can be thought of in terms of harmony. Tonal Foreground (T-hard) and background (T-soft) place-rhythms interact to form the tonality of the place. Some place-rhythms disrupt this and are considered atonal rhythms (AT). Sense of time is the final aspect for the experience of the space. Place-rhythms can be fast and slow and this refers not only to the physical speed but also the duration of the activity. Place-rhythms that are continuous or intermittent also affect how time is experienced in the space. Depending on the Place-tonality (interactions of the place-rhythms), the sense of time of the space may be distorted.


According to Wunderlich (2013), the property of temporal uniqueness contributes to making an urban place work successfully. This justifies the use of the place-temporality method in the urban design process in order to move away from spaces designed primarily for the visual sense, especially since the analysis is based on observed social rhythms and their interaction with materialities (physical rhythms).

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