Journal of the Korean Housing Association ISSN:2234-3571(Print) 2234-2257(Online) 한국주거학회논문집

The purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that have made some particular London Square Gardens, originally serving residential neighborhoods, open to the public. These factors can serve as a means to re-establish a connection between the private residential gardens and the surrounding urban areas within the metropolitan context. Through a comparative analysis of the ten Square Gardens in Central London, the study leads to the categorization of inner and outer factors such as the change of the use of adjacent residential buildings, the physical feature (i.e. paving, fence and trees) of Square Gardens, the connectivity to surrounding urban infrastructure and the accessibility to public transports (PTALs), major institutions and High streets, all in the context of historical shifts in urban density. The findings of this study reveal that the complex effects of inner and outer factors has led to an increase in congestion of these Square Gardens and surroundings, further triggering private and public reactions and their owernerships, resulting in variations in the level of public accessibility.