Problem
A public space without a middle is quite likely to stay empty.
Solution
Between the natural paths which cross a public square or courtyard or a piece of common land, choose something to stand roughly in the middle: a fountain, a tree, a statue, a clock-tower with seats, a windmill, a bandstand. Make it something which gives a strong and steady pulse to the square, drawing people in toward the center. Leave it exactly where it falls between the paths; resist the impulse to put it exactly in the middle.
Related Patterns
… Small Public Squares (61), Common Land (67), Courtyards Which Live (115), Path Shape (121) all draw their life from the activities around their edges - Activity Pockets (124) and Stair Seats (125). But even then, the middle is still empty, and it needs embellishment.
Connect the different “somethings” to one another with the path system - Paths and Goals (120). They may include High Places (62), Dancing in the Street (63), Pools and Streams (64), Public Outdoor Room (69), Still Water (71), Tree Places (171); make sure that each one has a Sitting Wall (243) around it …
Alexander, Christopher. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. Oxford University Press, 1977, p. 606.