A jogger cools off at the splash fountains in the heart of downtown Toronto at Yonge and Dundas Square (multiple exposure picture).

A desired feature of urban beaches is that, like natural beaches, they have no boundaries of time or space. Unlike waterparks that require planning (matching of schedule, bringing a swimsuit, etc.) people can make a brief one or two minute visit to the urbeach while passing through the city, at any time of the day or night.

Unlike waterparks, the urbeach aquatic play facility lends itself to enjoyment in the wintertime, as well as summer. Just as one can walk along a natural beach in winter, a well designed urbeach aquatic play facility can be enjoyed at any time of year.

Toronto's first urban beach, located at the city's waterfront HTO Park.

Parks are usually adjacent to urban beaches like in Toronto's HTO Park.

City and beach are put side by side in modern urban beaches like this one in downtown Toronto.

An urban beach, or urbeach, is defined as a space that includes an intellectually, artistically, or culturally sophisticated water feature that is also an aquatic play area, and is located within a culturally or artistically significant area of a city doi:10.1016/j.rser.2004.11.006. In this sense, urbeaches differ from the splash pads and "spraygrounds" that are also found in city centers, in the sense that the urbeach aquatic play area is designed to appeal to people of all ages, not just to children. Typically urbeaches are important architectural landmarks that run 24 hours a day, for most or all of the year, not merely playgrounds that run only during the day Reading Cities, 20061207. Download high resolution version (1024x678, 96 KB)A jogger cools off in the Dundas Square splash fountains. ... Download high resolution version (1024x678, 96 KB)A jogger cools off in the Dundas Square splash fountains. ... Dundas Square. ... Download high resolution version (1024x782, 94 KB)Urban beach, evening waterplay I took this picture when I was playing with my daughter at the Dundas Square waterplay area. ... Download high resolution version (1024x782, 94 KB)Urban beach, evening waterplay I took this picture when I was playing with my daughter at the Dundas Square waterplay area. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2112 × 2816 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2112 × 2816 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... HTO is an urban beach in Toronto that opened in 2007. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 375 pixelsFull resolution (1417 × 665 pixel, file size: 444 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 375 pixelsFull resolution (1417 × 665 pixel, file size: 444 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Beach in Calella, Spain. ... The worlds highest fountain: King Fahds Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Three traditional fountain features: a low jet, a pair of raised basins, and sculpture with a water theme, here hippocamps (Villa Borghese, Rome) A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons...

Many cities include more than one urbeach. For example, Toronto includes four urbeaches: a rooftop urbeach on the roof of the Existential Technology Research Center (ETRC) doi:10.1016/j.rser.2004.11.006; Dundas Square; The Teluscape Hydraulophone facility and water maze; and, most recently, the HTO project. Dundas Square. ...

Urbeaches may include sand, but many do not include sand, since urbeaches are often in civic spaces where large numbers of people pass through, or where sand would otherwise cause problems. Urbeaches may be used for beach-like activities in a city space that would not usually allow for those activities. Urbeaches need not necessary be built close to a natural body of water, but almost always consist of some water feature that is suitable for aquatic play as at least one of its uses Reading Cities 20061207. Patterns in the sand Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. ...

Differently from a waterpark where people go mainly for aquatic play, an urban beach is a multi-use space where people can engange in several activities such as sunbathing, relaxation, reading, aquatic play (to swim or to frolic in a water feature), walking, or jogging. An urban beach is a playful and relaxing place in the inner city where people can wear beach attire and splash around without being in violation of the laws and standards of appropriateness that otherwise may exist within the formal downtown setting. Fun at a water park Aerial view of Sunway Lagoon, a popular Water Park in Malaysia. ... Sunlight is also the trade name of the worlds first packaged, branded laundry soap producted by Lever Brothers. ... This article concentrates on human swimming. ... The worlds highest fountain: King Fahds Fountain in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Three traditional fountain features: a low jet, a pair of raised basins, and sculpture with a water theme, here hippocamps (Villa Borghese, Rome) A traditional fountain is an arrangement where water issues from a source (Latin fons... Beachwear refers to clothing suitable for wearing on a beach or urban beach. ...

Playa Urbana and Philosophical origns of the urbeach concept

MoMA PS1 exhibit entitled "Playa Urbana" which means "Urban Beach". This urbeach is made of sculpted plastics, bamboo, and PVC pipe.

An important seminal work in urbeach culture was that of William Masie, Associate Professor of Architecture at Rensselaer, who created an exhibit at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) PS1 space, entitled "Playa Urbana", which explored the sensuality of "surf" and "surface" Playa Urbana / Urban Beach (2002). Masie's work builds upon a tradition at MoMA's PS1 space of challenging the traditional boundary between the formalism of a gallery/museum and the playfulness of a beachlike space in the museum in which shirts and shoes are not required. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (2464 × 1632 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 530 pixelsFull resolution (2464 × 1632 pixel, file size: 1. ...

 [http://www.arch.rpi.edu/faculty/playa2002.htm The central element of the project is a group of three shallow reflecting and wading pools made of foam covered by plastic with a phosphorescent sheen. ... When unoccupied, the surface of the still water reflects the light and color of the sky, uniting the natural and urban landscapes. Walls made ... Walls made of evenly spaced PVC tubing undulate throughout the courtyard in shapes that echo waves, providing shade. In the smaller courtyard is an enclosure in which visitors can shower. ] 

MoMA is largely responsible for the introduction of the concept of blending beach culture with formal "high culture" by introducing a number of courtyard exhibits in 2000, 2001, and 2002, of which Masie's work is one example.

An important philosophical dimension of the urban beach is to challenge the pre-conceived notion that formal civic life/work and play should be separated. Whereas traditionally playgrounds are relegated to areas apart from the more formal cultural, civic, and business core of a city, urbeaches like Playa Urbana, Dundas Square, and Teluscape break down this boundary by thrusting aquatic play right into the epicenter of formal civic life.

Urbeaches and sustainable development

Silicon instead of sand, as the beach surface, provides a grit-free alternative to beach sand. The flexible photovoltaic building skin (roof membrane) supplies power to the building. An aquatic play feature cools urbeach goers, as well as the photovoltaic membrane thus improving its efficiency. This blueroof drains to a green roof on a lower rooftop, so that wastewater from the blue roof urbeach irrigates a green roof below. A windmill with 3phase turbine that pumps water to the aquatic play feature as well as supplies power to the building also forms part of the structure of the aquatic play feature.

Closeup picture showing silicon sand surface

The use of silicon instead of sand was explored, as an artistic design element and arechitectural concept in which an urban beach has recently been reported in the literature, in which flexible photovoltaic roof membranes provide electricity from building "skin". Since silicon and sand are related, silicon provides the clean grit-free medium for the beach surface doi:10.1016/j.rser.2004.11.006. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 397 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 2464 pixel, file size: 977 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Urbeach silicon instead of sand, on rooftop, photovoltaic beach SURFace with windmill in background I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 397 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 2464 pixel, file size: 977 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Urbeach silicon instead of sand, on rooftop, photovoltaic beach SURFace with windmill in background I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy... A blue roof is a rooftop waterplay area in which water runoff is used to irrigate a green roof, or to cool the roof of a building on hot days, in order to eliminate or at least reduce the HVAC load placed on mechanical refrigeration equipment. ... Re-creation of Viking houses in Labrador Several grass roofs can be seen in the village of Bøur in the Faroe Islands. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 397 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 2464 pixel, file size: 975 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Urban beach in which silicon takes on the role of sand, for a sustainable energy beach surface I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 397 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1632 × 2464 pixel, file size: 975 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Urban beach in which silicon takes on the role of sand, for a sustainable energy beach surface I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the... It has been suggested that Silicons ranking be merged into this article or section. ... Patterns in the sand Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. ...

Controversial aspects of urban beaches

Urbeach culture often challenges the formalism of the city, and the traditional "separation of work and play" ideal (i.e. that work/business areas and playground/waterplay areas should be separated). One common concern is that people in beach attire (i.e. people in swimsuits or their underwear) might not be in keeping with the implicit formal dress code of the urban space in which the urbeach is located. However, current trends are toward making the city fun, rather than formal. In the past, there has also been a common belief that architectural landmark fountains are to be seen but not played in. Dundas Square, for example, underwent an adjustment period in which the security staff thought that the fountains were only decorative and thus kept people from playing in them, when in fact the space was originally designed and envisioned by Brown and Storey architects and artist Dan Euser as an urbeach [www.surveillance-and-society.org/articles2(4)/urbeach.pdf urbeach.pdf, Surveillance and Society, Vol2, No4]. Dan Euser is a world-class artist, sculptor, designer, and landscape architect specializing in water sculptures. ...

16 million dollar controversy regarding the right to play in a public fountain

Recently, amid plans to upgrade the fountain in Washington Square Park, City Councilmember Alan Gerson threatened to withdraw $16 million dollars in funding if any restrictions were made that would prohibit people from continuing the age-old tradtion of playing in the fountain, or if any changes were made to the fountain that would make it less desirable, safe, or suitable to play in. Gerson may pull funds if fountain is no-play zone, The Villager, Volume 75, Number 36 | January 25 - 31, 2006.

Urbeach surveillance

Urban beaches in the "concrete jungle" are often under heavy surveillance. Sunbathers on the cement shores of the Queensland Cairns beach get little privacy from the authorities or from the many nonbathers that walk along the busy sidewalks. Because there is no sand at this location, there is no need for a grit-free buffer zone, so the busy sidewalks run right beside bathers on the concrete shores.

Natural beaches provide some measure of privacy in the sense that, although crowded, and individual bather (sunbather or person swimming or frolicking in the water) is afforded some form of symmetrical privacy in the sense that most of the others present are also bathers. The culture at natural beaches tends to have a negative view of both surveillance Australia's lifeguards go hi-tech, BBC News, 2004 June 14 and sousveillance (i.e. those who come only to watch or take pictures. Sydney Morning Herald, April 5, 2005). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1765 KB) Summary Cairns Lagoon in Cairns City. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2304x1728, 1765 KB) Summary Cairns Lagoon in Cairns City. ...

Video surveillance on natural beaches has been a controversial topic, as natural beaches have often offered some seclusion and a sense of privacy outside the urban core. However, urbeaches fall more within the surveillance-based tradition of city centers, where sousveillance (i.e. throngs of tourists with cameras) is mostly unstoppable.

Swimwear controversies in urbeaches

Misunderstandings often create strange rules on certain urbeaches that do not normally apply on natural beaches or in waterparks. For example, at PPG Place, swimwear is not allowed:

 [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06208/708899-110.stm On a visit to the fountain recently, however, we got more of a chill than we were expecting. According to a security officer who approached us, individuals must wear street clothes. No swim attire -- even for small children -- is permitted. We were surprised because our children in the past had worn swimsuits there. The officer indicated the rules are out of respect to the tenants of PPG Place. ] 

--"Policy all wet", PAULA CERRONE, Thursday, July 27, 2006, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

To sand or not to sand

Some urban beaches consist of an area of beach sand and beach furniture with a park and grass area adjacent to them in order to recreate a beachlike environment similar to a natural beach. Patterns in the sand Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. ... Beach furniture is furniture designed for use with or in an urban beach or natural beach. ...

However, many urbeaches are instead surfaced in specially textured and easy-to-clean granite, crumb rubber, or other materials that provide a clean grit-free and grime-free alternative to beach sand. Therefore they can be used without necessarily needing to clean oneself afterwards. These "clean" (sand-free) urban beaches can be enjoyed spontaneously for a few minutes, unlike natural beaches or oceans, lakes, pools and waterparks that usually involve planning a day trip. For example, a trip to an urban beach might be as short as a minute or two when people run through the sprinklers to cool off, and then proceed on to another activity. Urbeaches have the unique attribute of facilitating visits as short as a minute or two as people walk through the space as they take a short-cut through a part of a city. Because urbeaches are often located in a civic center or as part of the main entrance to a building, many see continuous traffic. For example, the main architectural centerpiece of the Teluscape urban beach is an aquatic play feature that is located right in the center of the main walkway leading into one of Canada's landmark architecture sites, the Ontario Science Centre. Obviously because of the high foot traffic right through the center of this urban beach, the introduction of sand is not practical. Close-up of granite from Yosemite National Park, valley of the Merced River Quarrying granite for the Mormon Temple, Utah Territory. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Completed Teluscape. ...

Urban beaches provide an urban oasis that is often incorporated directly into what is known colloquially as the city's "concrete jungle". Urbeaches afford places to relax, contemplate and congregate. Ideally they are located within walking distance of workplaces, so that users can spend their lunch hour there to enjoy a break from the city. Typically water features also create white noise that masks the sounds of traffic, thereby transforming the space into a virtual beach resort. While reading a novel at an urban beach, one will quickly forget that one is in the heart of the city. The soothing combination of sun and water, punctuated by the shrieks and laughter of children playing in the water, temporarily transforms the mind into the same state as when one is on vacation at a beach resort in the Bahamas. White noise spectrum White noise( ) is a random signal (or process) with a flat power spectral density. ... Roadway noise is the most prevalent form of environmental noise. ...

Urbeaches are characterized by nearness and the facilitation of spontaneous visits, in which patrons may not have remembered to pack their swimsuits. Thus dark coloured fast-dry shorts, together with a dress shirt (a shirt with a collar), and dress shoes, provide transformability. For beaching, one simply has to take off his shirt and shoes.

Urbeaches can also have spray features such as fine mist, which are designed to be moderate enough for young children to play in. Other urban beaches have more vigorous splash fountains designed for older children and adults, e.g. for joggers or concert goers to cool off in. The splash fountain in Toronto's city center, Dundas Square, features 600 spray nozzles that shoot water straight up through stainless steel grilles set right in the middle of the main walkway. The nozzles rise and fall in unison, like the waves on a beach, so there are times when the water level is low enough for children to also play in the water. The heights of all the fountains rise and fall in unison, in a sinusoidally time varying manner, so that users can wait for the fountains to reach a desired height before passing through them. The sinusoidal surf, together with a gentle whistling sound of all 600 nozzles running together, creates a wonderful beach-like ambiance. Dundas Square. ...

The Dundas Square fountains are maintained to a high quality of cleanliness ("pool water or better" standards, according to the maintainers of the facility) because, unlike most city center fountains, these were designed for waterplay, in addition to their excellent architectural beauty and effect (soothing city noise-masking). Special nonslip granite slabs were installed to ensure the safety of children and adults alike who splash in the water. Dundas Square. ...

Economic case for urban beaches

Urbeaches stimulate economic development by retaining people in the city's downtown area. While urban beaches will never replace a trip to the Bahamas, they give rise to a vibrant family oriented lifestyle in a city that might otherwise be deserted or overrun by dollar discount shops, pawnbrokers, and drug dealers, or be a deserted city on weekends and evenings.

Critics of urban beaches are quick to point out that the children that play in the fountains have no money. But the children bring their parents in tow, and also grandparents, and for many families in which both parents work, the urban beach is close enough to the workplace to enable a family picnic to be possible every day of the week. Thus parents can enjoy a day of shopping and then stop off to play with their children at the urban beach. Moreover, unlike splash pads, urbeaches appeal to people of all ages, and it is not uncommon to see adults and even senior citizens playing in the water. Urban beach style splash pad located within the municipal swimming baths of Torontos High Park A splash pad is an area for water play that has no standing water. ...

List of urban beaches available for public use

• FUNtain Hydraulophone, the centerpiece out in front of the Ontario Science Centre/TELUSCAPE, an aquatic play space consisting of a fountain that is also a hydraulophone
• New York's urban beach with sunbathing and waterplay areas, as well as a wading pool in the courtyard of the Contemporary Art Center
• Jamison Square: On a busy summer day, Jamison Square in Portland's Pearl District draws people of all ages from all parts of the city.
• Dundas Square, located at Yonge and Dundas streets in the heart of downtown Toronto
• Proposed urban beach at Harbourfront to include motion-activated waterplay fountains
• Temporary urban beach constructed right in the middle of the busiest street in the city of Paris, with sprinklers, and a swimming pool set up to provide a bathing area in the street
• Hudson River Park, within the Greenwich Segment which includes:
  • Pier at the end of New York's Christopher Street with splash pad
  • Pier 45 sunning lawn with shade structures
  • Pier 51 playground with spray showers
• Franklin Park (in or near Chicago) Millennium Exhibit: An open space between two opposite walls that spray water at random, was designed as an architectural sculpture, and has become a favorite play area.
• Martin Place in Sydney, this includes mist sprayers, water feature and an area frequently used for skating but is not a 'full' urban beach.
• There is an urban beach outside the Arkadia shopping mall in Warsaw, Poland.
• Urban beach with spray showers outside Bugis/Parco shopping centre in Bugis, Singapore.
• READING CITIES
• Washington Square Park in New York