Evaluating the capability of experiences in public open spaces

Public open spaces (POSs) are essential for human well-being because they provide opportunities for a variety of experiences. This study proposes the concept of the ‘capability of experiences’ as a framework to evaluate the service level of POSs in reference to Sen’s Capability Approach and presents an index of POS experiences. The framework is then applied to two neighbourhoods and seven separate POSs in Machida City, Japan, to grasp their characteristics through residents’ perceptions. The approach adopted in this study extends the evaluation scope from active users to beneficiaries, including potential users. In addition, the proposed method can be applied at different scales, from a single POS site to the entire open space system of a neighbourhood, and is therefore helpful for assessing the service level of POSs for neighbourhood-scale planning.