UMRAN2014: Fostering Ecosphere In The Built Environment 1 EXAMINING THE SOCIAL AND COMMUNAL VALUES OF URBAN SQUARE TOWARDS FAMILIES AND YOUTH Muhammad Ruzaini bin Roslan 1 , Noor Aqmal Hakim bin Noor Azman 1 , Khalilah Zakariya 2 Abstract Public spaces play a vital role in the cultivation, control and development of communities. Urban Square is an example of public space that, throughout history, has been used as a platform to integrate the community, disseminate and discuss ideas, and enable people of different ages and groups to be part of the public realm. Public urban squares are the new age agoras where innovative and creative designs are expected to accommodate the changing needs of various types of users. Numerous studies have been conducted on the functions and roles of public squares towards the urban environment at large. However, studies on specific types of community and their experiences at the urban square are still scarce. Due to the demanding and constantly changing urban lifestyle, the role of the urban square as a social and communal space has emerged to be significant for urban and suburban dwellers. This study examines on how the community values an urban square in Putrajaya, which is Dataran Putra. Dataran Putra, a public square nestled between the iconic Masjid Putra and the Prime Minister's Office, has grew to become a vibrant and popular public space since its inception in 2001. This study focuses on families and youths to further investigate how they value the square as their social and communal space. Semi-structured interviews and behavioral mapping were employed to collect data about how families’ and youths utilize and value the square as their public space. Keywords: Public Space, Urban Square, Social Value. INTRODUCTION An easily accessible public open space located within the centre of townships usually generates lively activities that may affect everyday life of people and development of the surrounding neighbourhood. Public open space is and should not be an individual belonging, where it should be a medium to connect private living spaces and it is used for different functional and symbolic purposes. Public open space is a necessary component of a residence as it is an extension of the personal living space outside. It is an environment where people explore and understand the meaning of home, through daily activities transferring it from flats to public open space. As a community actively use these spaces, they are adopting this physical space and identifying the place as their own, giving a sense of identity to the space. These are spaces that are non-exclusive, give freedom and promote the sense of publicness. A definition of open space is an urban environment that is made available for the community not specifically narrowing down to a specific size, style or physical feature and its main function is for physical recreation is it passive or active. (Jon and Matthew, 2008). ¹ [Undergraduate Students, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, KAED, IIUM ] ² [Asst. Prof., Dept. of Landscape Architecture, KAED, IIUM (khalilah.kz@gmail.com )]