PRINCIPLES FOR THE FORMATION OF PROTECTED SPACES ALONG PEDESTRIAN ROUTES IN CENTRAL URBAN AREAS

Abstract

This study addresses the problem of organizing short-term protection of civilians in public spaces of central urban areas under contemporary wartime threats. It is established that conventional civil protection systems, primarily based on specialized shelters, do not ensure effective access to safe spaces for a significant share of urban users who are outside residential, workplace, or educational environments and lack predefined routes to shelter. The purpose of the study is to substantiate principles for the formation of protected spaces along pedestrian routes in central urban areas of Ukraine, considering limited response time. The methodology combines spatial-typological, morphological, and comparative analysis of urban environments with schematic modeling techniques. An original spatial-temporal model, the “War Rose,” is proposed to reflect regional variations in response time and to define spatial requirements for the placement of protected spaces depending on accessibility conditions. The results demonstrate that the pedestrian network of central urban areas functions as the spatial framework of a short-term protection system, within which a distributed network of small-capacity protected nodes is most effective. The study substantiates the efficiency of integrating small-scale shelters (5–20 persons) into ground-floor public functions along primary pedestrian routes. It is also determined that the internal zones of buildings provide more favorable conditions for protection compared to façade-adjacent areas due to a relatively lower level of impact. The effectiveness of short-term protection is primarily determined by the time required to reach a safe space, which necessitates its integration into pedestrian structures and inner building zones. Scientific novelty. The study identifies users of public space without predefined shelter routes as a distinct category and introduces the “War Rose” model as a tool for structuring short-term protection systems. It also formulates a system of architectural and planning principles for integrating localized protected spaces into the pedestrian network. Practical relevance. The results can be applied in the reconstruction of existing urban fabric and the design of new developments in central urban areas, taking into account safety requirements.