Public/private urban interfaces: type, adaptation, assemblage

The public/private interface has long been recognized as a key issue in urban design theory. This article presents a typology for the mapping and analysis of urban interfaces – the typical ways in which private territories plug into public networks. Drawing on mappings of the mixed morphology of the Australian inner city, a simple typology of five primary interface types is articulated according to criteria of access, setback, transparency and mode of access. The interface is construed as a socio-spatial assemblage wherein types are diagrams of connectivity that enable the creation, production and reproduction of ideas, goods, services and identities. In the second part of the article we explore the complex dynamics of adaptation and transformation from one type to another. The article raises questions about the methodology and ontology of micro-spatial analysis in urban research, as well as the importance of interface connections to urban production, exchange and innovation.