Events within an event, units within a unit: Explaining the structure of urban spaces through nesting theory

How do we reveal hidden structures within a complicated web of social interactions? How can we explain the complex nexus of relationships in a public space? In this paper, we offer a different perspective on urban structures by using a multi-layer perspective to understand the structure of space that emerges from the complex uses of spaces. We particularly benefit from the concept of nesting as the theoretical lens in our research. We use a popular urban leisure space in Jakarta as a case study: The Hotel Indonesia (HI) Roundabout during Car Free Day Sunday events. We reveal that within this particular event, there are nested smaller events. The nesting structure also demonstrates how events and activities overlap within a single setting. The nesting approach provides us with a chance to seek an alternative structure for urban spaces.