A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which may sometimes be used for community gatherings. Related concepts are the civic center, the market square and the village green. Most squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets, concerts, political rallies, and other events that require firm ground. They are not necessarily a true geometric square. Being centrally located, town squares are often surrounded by small shops such as bakeries, meat markets, cheese stores, and clothing stores. At their center is often a well, monument, statue or other feature. Those with fountains are sometimes called fountain squares. The term "town square" (especially via the term "public square") is synonymous with the politics of many cultures, and the names of a certain town squares, such as the Euromaidan and Red Square, have become symbolic of specific political events throughout history.
Australia Many cities in Australia's eastern states, such as Melbourne and Sydney, did not have a central town square in their design, due to a fear of rebellion. New South Wales Governors Richard Bourke and George Gipps notably ordered surveyors to not include a town square in city designs, including Melbourne, to prevent the spirit of democracy from arising. The city centre of Adelaide and the adjacent suburb of North Adelaide, in South Australia, were planned by Colonel William Light in 1837. The city streets were laid out in a grid plan, with the city centre including a central public square, Victoria Square, and four public squares in the centre of each quarter of the city. North Adelaide has two public squares. The city was also designed to be surrounded by park lands, and all of these features still exist today, with the squares maintained as mostly green spaces. In 2025, the City of Sydney council approved plans to accelerate the construction of a public square near the current Town Hall.
China
In China, People's Square is a common designation for the central town square of modern Chinese cities, established as part of urban modernization within the last few decades. These squares are the site of government buildings, museums, and other public buildings. One such square, Tiananmen Square, is a famous site in Chinese history due to it being the site of the May Fourth Movement, the Proclamation of the People's Republic of China, the 1976 Tiananmen Incident, the 1989 Tiananmen Square Protests, and all Chinese National Day Parades.
Egypt
The Egyptian Arabic word for square is Midan, which also means "Place", and is a common term for central squares in Egypt. List of major squares in Egypt, include Cairo's Tahrir Square, in downtown Cairo, Cairo, Egypt, established in 1867.
Germany
The German word for square is Platz, which also means "Place", and is a common term for open spaces (not necessarily square) in German-speaking countries. Some of these have been focal points of public life in towns and cities from the Middle Ages to today. Squares located opposite a palace or castle (German: Schloss) are commonly named Schlossplatz. Prominent Plätze include the Alexanderplatz, Pariser Platz and Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, the Heldenplatz in Vienna, and the Königsplatz in Munich.
Iran
In traditional Persian architecture, town squares are known as maydan or meydan. A maydan is considered one of the essential features in urban planning and they are often adjacent to bazaars, large mosques and other public buildings. Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan and Azadi Square in Tehran are examples of classic and modern squares. Several countries use the term "maidan" across Eastern Europe and Central Asia, including Ukraine, in which the term became well-known globally during the Euromaidan.
Italy
A piazza (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjattsa]) is a city square in Italy, Malta, along the Dalmatian coast and in surrounding regions. Possibly influenced by the centrality of the Roman forum to ancient Mediterranean culture, the piazze of Italy are central to most towns and cities. Shops, businesses, metro stations, and bus stops are commonly found on piazzas, and in multiple locations also feature Roman Catholic churches, such as in places known as the Piazza del Duomo, with the most famous perhaps being the one in Milan, or government buildings, such as the Piazza del Quirinale adjacent to the Quirinal Palace of the Italian president in Rome. The Piazza San Marco in Venice and Piazza del Popolo in Rome are among the world's best known Italian piazzas. These squares historically played a major role in the political developments of Italy in both the Italian Medieval era and the Italian Renaissance. For example, the Piazza della Signoria in Florence remains synonymous with the return of the Medici from their exile in 1530 as well as the burning at the stake of Savonarola. Naples' main square is Piazza del Plebiscito. The Italian term is roughly equivalent to the Spanish plaza, French term place, Portuguese praça, and German Platz. The concept should not be confused with an unrelated usage of the term referring to a feature of architectural or urban design, such as the piazza at King's Cross station in London or piazza as a verandah or front porch of a house or apartment in the United States, such as at George Washington's historic home Mount Vernon. Several countries, especially around the Mediterranean Sea, feature Italian-style town squares. In Gibraltar, one such town square just off Gibraltar's Main Street, between the Parliament Building and the City Hall officially named John Mackintosh Square is referred to as The Piazza.
Netherlands and Belgium
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