The design of urban public space is inherently problematic because the range of its possible uses and meanings is broad and unpredictable. This paper engages this problematic through the lens of Gibson’s theory of ‘affordances’—the ways the material world affords for human desires. We first explore some conceptual and methodological problems of the theory of affordances and its application in understanding and designing public space. These dimensions of affordance theory are then reconceived using the relational thinking of assemblage and actor-network theory (ANT). A key contribution of the paper is an expanded typology of affordances which includes improvised and serendipitous affordances that extend beyond the intentions of designers and users. This opens new ways of thinking about the design of urban public space as a space of possibility where outcomes are open, multiple, and unpredictable. The paper suggests how urban spaces can be shaped to better support rich cultural diversity and social inclusion.

城市公共空间的设计本质上是有问题的，因为其可能的用途和意义的范围广泛且不可预测。本文通过吉布森的“可供性”理论（物质世界满足人类欲望的方式）来解决这个问题。我们首先探讨可供性理论的一些概念和方法论问题及其在理解和设计公共空间中的应用。然后使用组合和行动者网络理论（ANT）的关系思维重新构思可供性理论的这些维度。本文的一个关键贡献是扩展了可供性的类型学，其中包括超出设计者和用户意图的即兴和偶然的可供性。这开启了城市公共空间设计的新思维方式，将其作为一个可能性空间，其结果是开放的、多样的和不可预测的。该论文提出了如何塑造城市空间以更好地支持丰富的文化多样性和社会包容性。