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The Courtyard Toolbox

Radhe, Mikael LU (2024) AAHM01 20241
Department of Architecture and Built Environment
Abstract (Swedish)
In central Budapest, when the city of
Pest was developing, urban policy led

to small plots built on all four sides mak-
ing up the larger neighborhood block

structures. Each small lot was centered

around its even smaller courtyard, lead-
ing to a myriad of small open spaces

with little sunlight or activity.
Many of these plots today have fallen
into disrepair, becoming parking lots
or unused paved surfaces, essentially
creating a mosaic of dead spaces in
the inner city. As the city of Budapest
is severely lacking in green space, the
courtyards have been the target of
proposals to regreen or create urban
‘pocket parks’.
Many proposals have been made
to revitalize these spaces and bring
them to life. However, when... (More)
In central Budapest, when the city of
Pest was developing, urban policy led

to small plots built on all four sides mak-
ing up the larger neighborhood block

structures. Each small lot was centered

around its even smaller courtyard, lead-
ing to a myriad of small open spaces

with little sunlight or activity.
Many of these plots today have fallen
into disrepair, becoming parking lots
or unused paved surfaces, essentially
creating a mosaic of dead spaces in
the inner city. As the city of Budapest
is severely lacking in green space, the
courtyards have been the target of
proposals to regreen or create urban
‘pocket parks’.
Many proposals have been made
to revitalize these spaces and bring
them to life. However, when discussing
the courtyards with their inhabitants, a
more nuanced stance arises. When
talking with people in the space about
the space, they talk about it warmly..
Clearly, there must be qualities to these
courtyards as well, which begs the
question: what criterias should one look
for when revitalizing the inner city?

This report aims to understand the
different dimensions that build up the
courtyards, and explain them briefly
with the theory, perceived benefits, and
examples of analysis methods used by
previous researchers. The results are
categorized into five categories, that
should be easy to navigate, and serve

as a handbook for an architect design-
ing a space that too often becomes an

afterthought.
As the databases of research papers
discussing every facet of the built
environment grows ever larger, it can
sometimes be challenging to grasp the
bigger picture. By trying to simplify and
categorize some of the main topics of
courtyard research, this thesis aims to
become a simple reference guide for
designers: a courtyard toolbox. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Radhe, Mikael LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Verktygslåda för innergårdar
course
AAHM01 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Architecture, Urbanism, Courtyards, Renewal, Budapest, Urban Greening
language
English
id
9174254
date added to LUP
2024-09-11 08:27:02
date last changed
2024-09-11 08:27:02
@misc{9174254,
  abstract     = {{In central Budapest, when the city of
Pest was developing, urban policy led

to small plots built on all four sides mak-
ing up the larger neighborhood block

structures. Each small lot was centered

around its even smaller courtyard, lead-
ing to a myriad of small open spaces

with little sunlight or activity.
Many of these plots today have fallen
into disrepair, becoming parking lots
or unused paved surfaces, essentially
creating a mosaic of dead spaces in
the inner city. As the city of Budapest
is severely lacking in green space, the
courtyards have been the target of
proposals to regreen or create urban
‘pocket parks’.
Many proposals have been made
to revitalize these spaces and bring
them to life. However, when discussing
the courtyards with their inhabitants, a
more nuanced stance arises. When
talking with people in the space about
the space, they talk about it warmly..
Clearly, there must be qualities to these
courtyards as well, which begs the
question: what criterias should one look
for when revitalizing the inner city?

This report aims to understand the
different dimensions that build up the
courtyards, and explain them briefly
with the theory, perceived benefits, and
examples of analysis methods used by
previous researchers. The results are
categorized into five categories, that
should be easy to navigate, and serve

as a handbook for an architect design-
ing a space that too often becomes an

afterthought.
As the databases of research papers
discussing every facet of the built
environment grows ever larger, it can
sometimes be challenging to grasp the
bigger picture. By trying to simplify and
categorize some of the main topics of
courtyard research, this thesis aims to
become a simple reference guide for
designers: a courtyard toolbox.}},
  author       = {{Radhe, Mikael}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Courtyard Toolbox}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}