Shearing Layers of Space
Exploration of Permanency and Temporality in the Public Realm
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22018488 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Crilly (0000-0003-2012-8995, Northumbria University), Georgiana Varna (0000-0002-8022-9061, Newcastle University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Publication date | 2025-04-14 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Urban Planning (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2183-7635 • E-ISSN: 2183-7635 |
| Publisher | Cogitatio (PUBLISHER • PT) |
| DOI | 10.17645/up.9332 |
| OpenAlex | W4409428679 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 48 |
Stewart Brand famously provided a framework for considering change within buildings through his idea of “shearing layers,” itself based on earlier ideas from Francis Duffy and Alex Henney. In each case, a loose hierarchy starting with the relative permanency of the site, the building structure/shell, and to a lesser extent the skin, to the more temporary building services, space plan, and ultimately the scenery/stuff that fills the buildings. This article transposes this method of analysis from buildings and structures to public urban space. It achieves this by adding a time dimension in the form of a “rate of change” or renewal to the different layers of site, surface, services, space (spatial configuration), surroundings/skin, signage, and stuff within the public space. While it was initially intended as a thought experiment relating to society, the idea of long-term thinking is a beneficial tool for urban designers and planners. Demonstrated using a city centre public space case study, we present the object-orientated approach to recording and mapping the “rates of change” ranging from constant, hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly through to renewal over decades and centuries. The output is presented dynamically, as a chronological map progression supported by mixed archival secondary sources and primary data gathered using remote sensing and other photographic evidence. A move from end-state planning within the public realm, to thinking about the variable nature of change will support a more flexible and resilient public realm. As we increasingly need to be responsive to challenges, and opportunities, having a better understanding of the time cycle and adaptability of the different layers of our public realm will only benefit the city
Aesthetics · Archaeology · Art · Epistemology · Geotechnical engineering · Linguistics · Physics · Realm · Spacetime · Temporality · History · Impact of Light on Environment and Health · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Philosophy · Urban Design and Spatial Analysis · Geology
Alnwick, Northumberland
Building instance classification using street view images
High-density mobile LiDAR for measuring urban streetscape features
Chain reactions
The impact of Covid-19 on public space
Heritage as a Vehicle for Development
Rhythmanalysis
Changing times for an old industrial city
British urban morphology
Ambiguity in the definition of built form
The funnel, the sieve and the template
Aspects of urban form
Development networks and urban growth in small cities
Intersectional rhythmanalysis
Terriers and the historical geographer
Rethinking urban street experiments through Lefebvre's rhythmanalysis
The timescape of the city
Do-It-Yourself Street Views and the Urban Imaginary of Google Street View
Theorizing the City
Rhythm and booze
Resisting the 'Long-Arm' of the State? Spheres of Capture and Opportunities for Autonomy in Community Governance
Urban Rhythms
Apprehending everyday rhythms
You Can Generalize Stupid! Social Scientists, Bent Flyvbjerg, and Case Study Methodology
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |