There is an emerging debate in the literature of urbanism that public open space is in crisis in the cities of developing countries due to the increasing trends of urbanization and in-migration. With the significant growth of the urban population and rapid expansion of the city, the land demand for housing and other infrastructure development is very high. The high rate of urbanization due to which encroachment, high speculation, use change, etc. are the major reasons for decreasing public open spaces. There are many inferences that public open spaces are decreasing in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) as Tundikhel; an important public open space located in the heart of Kathmandu is decreasing in its size and has changed in its use over time. At present, KMC does not have a sizable public open space for emergency uses such as evacuation, relief, recovery, and reconstruction during the catastrophic hazards. Analysis of historical imagery and the changing patterns of land use reveal that the decreasing trends of open spaces may lead more vulnerable to the city as it does not have public open space for disaster management in an emergency need. Moreover, it may have adverse impacts on sociability and well-being as people do not get space for public life activities. Key words: Urbanization, migration, land use change, public open space, sociability. There is an emerging debate in the literature of urbanism that public open space is in crisis in the cities of developing countries due to the increasing trends of urbanization and in-migration. With the significant growth of the urban population and rapid expansion of the city, the land demand for housing and other infrastructure development is very high. The high rate of urbanization due to which encroachment, high speculation, use change, etc. are the major reasons for decreasing public open spaces. There are many inferences that public open spaces are decreasing in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) as Tundikhel; an important public open space located in the heart of Kathmandu is decreasing in its size and has changed in its use over time. At present, KMC does not have a sizable public open space for emergency uses such as evacuation, relief, recovery, and reconstruction during the catastrophic hazards. Analysis of historical imagery and the changing patterns of land use reveal that the decreasing trends of open spaces may lead more vulnerable to the city as it does not have public open space for disaster management in an emergency need. Moreover, it may have adverse impacts on sociability and well-being as people do not get space for public life activities. Key words: Urbanization, migration, land use change, public open space, sociability.

Despite the extensive literature on public open space (POS) in urban settings, its role in disaster risk reduction and management(DRRM) as perceived and experienced by its residents is limited. Taking a case from Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), this paper analyzes the role and suitability of POS in DRRM. It focuses on: (a) how urban residents perceive and experience the linkages between POS and DRRM, (b) how they utilized the POS during disasters, and in what ways they were instrumental in helping disaster victims,and (c) to what extent the existing POSs are compatible for DRRM in dense urban areas. This study uses qualitative research methodology employing POS inventory taking, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, and field observation as research instruments. The result of the study shows that people's perception on the use of POS during disasters was very positive and these spaces were intrinsically utilized during disasters in the metropolitan Kathmandu. However, their effectiveness and compatibility in DRRM were contingent upon contextual factors, the inherent nature and types of POS, and the extent of accessibility to them.