The World’s Best Public Square Is in the Middle East. Guess Where?

Lined with shops and filled with cafes that frame the luscious green gardens facing the great Shah Mosque, the Naqah-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, Iran was selected by the Landscape Architects Network as the world’s best public square.

The ranking, which highlights the power of public spaces as way to reflect the economical and socio-political mood, includes another Middle Eastern square in their TOP 10: Cairo’s Tahrir, which ranks 10th. The list also includes the Red Square in Moscow in the second place, Trafalgar Square in London, and St Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.

“Public space is important because it is supposed to be just that. Public. For you, and me, and the person sitting next to you,” writes Sonia Jackett as she presents the world ranking. “As landscape architects, we –alongside our collaborators– must remember this.” The network aims to reveal great outdoor spaces from around the world, “looking at how people use them, appreciate them and love them”.

For more information: Check out the complete list at the Landscape Architects Network’s website.