There’s something so magical about a place that just makes you feel right, you know! Those corners of the world where you can simply exist, breathe, and watch life happen around. Nothing beats the beauty of that feeling, not even a Jet2 holiday, lol!

After exploring what makes a public space truly work, I wanted to come here and celebrate the ones that truly bring people together. Spaces that embody safety, accessibility, inclusivity, culture, sustainability, and that touch of aesthetic charm that makes you want to stay just a little longer.

Let me take you around the world, from the beautifully curated gardens of Dubai to the lively buzzing of Nyamirambo, as we experience 10 public spaces that put soul into their designs.

1. Central Park–New York City, USA

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that this park makes this list, especially if you’ve been on this blog before! Central Park remains one of my favorite public spaces for a reason: it is the heartbeat of New York; a green refuge in the middle of all the chaos.

People go there to jog, read, feed birds while sitting on benches, have picnics, or simply just take in the city around them. What makes it stand out to me is how it is truly for everyone. 

The intentionality put behind different design decisions from the wide paths, clear signage, and plenty of open lawns speaks volume because it shows that they considered different people from all walks of life–and New York is kind of known for being very culturally diverse and to me that is poetry!

Every corner of the park seems to invite you to pause and just live in the moment, reminding you that public spaces are not just about design, they are about belonging.

2. Millennium Park–Chicago, USA

Before we leave the US, I want to take some time to appreciate this gem. I won’t lie, I learned about this park as I was researching the materials for this post’s content, and I fell in love with this particular park for different reasons.

For one, the park is home to the famous “Bean” sculpture, which-apart from being an artistic piece- holds some fond memories for me, and we have established how much I love memories. I remember when we started learning digital representation, it was the monument I chose to replicate in Sketchup(don’t ask how that went though, lol).

Another reason to love this park is the way it connects people through art; you will find open lawns where people gather for music, and art.

It’s a park that feels alive, holding concerts and festivals, and there is always something for everyone, literally.

3. Plaza Mayor–Madrid, Spain

Public spaces aren’t necessarily just parks. Or gardens.

Located in Madrid, Plaza Mayor is the buzzing point of the city. Cafés line the square while street performers entertain the people who enjoy sitting in a space that feels communal.

It is designed with an open layout that makes it easy for everyone to navigate, and its central location further helps make it an inviting destination where everyone actually wants to gather.

Beyond all those technicalities, though, lies the most important reason why I chose to add this space to the list: it’s not flashy or too curated! It’s simply an open space that acts like a blank canvas for life stories to be painted on! 

It reminds me of a little square that I saw in Trier, Germany, where different people would converge in the evening to just chat, drink wine, and sometimes you’d see people dance too. And in essence, that is a proof of a good public space that serves its people.

4. Dubai Miracle Garden–Dubai, UAE

I talked about this space in my previous post, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I mention it here too.

This garden complex is what happens when creativity and nature meet ambition. Its 150+ million flowers arranged in surreal patterns makes it look like something straight out of a movie or what I would imagine the garden of Eden to look like.

The beauty of the Dubai Miracle Garden isn’t just in its aesthetic success, it is in the way it allows people to feel when they visit. The garden is designed with accessibility in mind, and it’s suited for all ages, genders, disabilities, and disadvantages.

5. Gardens by the Bay–Singapore

While we’re still in the gardens, I want to give praise where due.

This garden ecosystem is what I imagine the word futuristic ecology would look like if it had a face. The giant supertrees towering over the evergreen landscapes are what I imagine whenever I hear biophilic design.

What makes it stand out most is the way the design committed to a theme of sustainability, reminding visitors that beauty and environmental care can work together if well thought out.

I particularly loved how it has so many rest areas where you can just take a break and soak in the beauty of this place.

6. RAM assembles’ Shanghai Picnic, the Rockbund Art Museum Shanghai–Shanghai, China

I was so skeptical of adding this one to the list, mainly because it is a temporary structure, but reading about it while I was drafting this post compelled me to talk about it, and you will see why.

RAM assembles is a biennial architecture festival of the Rockbund Art Museum that explores how architecture shapes public spaces through installation in the museum’s courtyard (Yao,2025). 

This year, for the second edition of this festival, the chosen concept was Shanghai Picnic, and I chose to include this temporary pavilion mainly because of the reasoning behind its design: “encouraging informal interactions in urban spaces” (Yao, 2025).

The colorful waffle-like canopies made from mesh fabrics allows light and air to flow through, and the calculated angles makes the light dance softly on the fabric canopies making the colors attract people like a moth to a flame.

You will find that under each canopy, there are platforms with differing heights that can be used as benches, tables, and stages for performances. 

The project also features a usable public water fountain, and moss-covered hills that just adds the right spec of greenery into the space, making you not only feel welcome but also relaxed.

7. Freedom Park-Lagos, Nigeria

This park was once a colonial prison, and later turned into a cultural landmark that breathes life, and it is a true testament to transformation.

The park holds space for expression through music and art. As a place with so much rich history, it really does a good job at showing how public spaces can heal, educate, and become a sanctuary of coexistence between creativity and history.

It also features a lot of greenery that cohabit with the man-built environment, which is not short of well curated art pieces and communal spaces.

8. Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden-Cape Town, South Africa

Kirstenbosch is what I imagine feels like a gentle warm hug from nature.

Its location at the foot of South Africa’s iconic Table Mountain is perfect for slowing down and enjoying the slow whispers of the lush green nature, that is this botanical garden.

The variety of indigenous flora found in this garden not only invites people, it’s also a cozy home for many birds, making it a perfect place for bird watching.

It features a lot of supporting facilities too, making it a perfect venue for hosting events. It has so many cozy spots suitable for picnicking, and every corner is relaxing and soothing for the mind.

9. Uhuru Park–Nairobi, Kenya

Many would argue that this gem is the heartbeat of Nairobi. I would have to strongly agree.

Uhuru Park, situated adjacent to the busy CBD of Nairobi, becomes the calm and quiet that you can go to to drown out the noises and chaos of life in such a buzzing city.

This recreational park is no short of options for you to spend your quiet time, offering boating activities on its artificial lake, and a fairground that has become a popular spot for skateboarding on weekends, and hosting different gatherings.

It also has walking paths, an abundance of green extensive lawns that are agreeable for picnicking, and features different national monuments, including the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier.

It is also a symbol of Kenya’s liberational struggle, and the platform for the people’s voice as the place where protest against illegal land grabbing was violently broken up by the Moi regime.

It attests to the keeping of memory and heritage, a place grounded in real, raw, lived history that isn’t curated to fit a certain image, rather meant to be experienced in all its glory.

10. Biryogo Car Free Zone–Kigali, Rwanda

I had to take the last one home.

Although it is not as glamorous as my other mentions on this list, few places come close to it(at least to me) in capturing the vibrant energy of their respective communities like this does.

Biryogo-Nyamirambo, a very active point of the city of Kigali, boasts of so many cultures, but one stands out the most: the food culture in this corner of the country.

You will find that as you walk past many coffee shops in Nyamirambo, there is always a small gathering somewhere out near the streets with people drinking tea, and eating chapatis or sambusas.

The car free-zone was designed to reflect this community food culture; with a string of restaurants that have outdoor seating and on weekends it gets even more lively with music.

Its colorful design has earned it the nickname “mu marangi” which loosely translates to in the paints/colors, and has become such a popular spot both for locals and tourists.

The area also has a kids’ playing free-zone, and the whole space blends so well in the daily lives of the Nyamirambo people, making it a public space that doesn’t disrupt but instead exists to support the ongoing rhythm.

Question For My Readers

What public spaces do you think have done a good job globally? 

It was such a fun experience researching and writing about today’s topic, I hope you had fun reading this too. Let me know your thoughts, and comment on what you want to hear my thoughts on in the future. See you soon!