314
Current Issue

Jan/Feb 2026

#314
Jan/Feb 2026

The AZURE Houses issue returns in 2026 with stunning, innovative residential projects from Canada and around the world. Plus, we take a look at that seeming relic of the past: the mall.

2018 AZ Awards of Merit: Ideas/Prototypes

 

Public Square

As the numbers of vehicles in high-density urban areas diminish, cities will have to reclaim and repurpose the fallow public space left behind to create a rich, vibrant tapestry that’s tailored to humans rather than machines. Using the dimensions of a single parking spot as the modular building block, Public Square is a concept that proposes an incremental and interlocking tile system that’s flexible, easily deployable, unitized and infinitely scalable, from one spot to one street to a whole district and even city-wide. The footing of each square contains power and water infrastructure as well as WiFi and “smart street” technology. Each one can host multiple uses, from green space to retail opportunities.

Concept: Public Square
Firm: FXCollaborative, USA
Team: Jack Robbins with Ben Abelman, Sam Frommer, Carol Hsiung and Brandon Massey

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