Contemporary urban environments are changing under the influence of sociological, economic, political, ecological, aesthetic, technological and cultural forces, which shape the built environment according to the demands and needs of users. Connections between different factors of the built environment, through urban design and ways of experiencing and perceiving space, depending on the structure and activities of users, form certain representations of space, give them identity and significance, creating an overall image of a place. The research verified the connection between the architecturalurbanistic characteristics of public space and their perception by the users, and determined the influence that previously defined parameters have on the experience and image formation of a place. The analysis of the characteristics, functions and importance of public spaces, the diversity of appearance of places, which are important for social life and the promotion of settlements, represent the starting point for further defining their factors. Functional characteristics that define them, characteristics and structures of users who visit them, etc. were the starting point of the research. The structural elements that form public spaces are one of the main influential factors in the way of experiencing and forming the image of an environment. The research deals with the connection of these elements with the character and quality of public spaces and the effects they have on the perception and ultimate experience of them. By examining the architectural and urban planning elements and their characteristics, their importance in the formation of highquality public spaces and the way users access them was determined. The ultimate experience of public space and the image that is formed in the user’s mind is reached through the process of perception. For this reason, the dissertation, in one part, deals with the way of perception of public spaces (its elements and characteristics) by different users and numerous sensory experiences, observations and understanding of activities on them, which participate in the cycle of perception. The research consists of two main units, the first of which is theoretical and systematized views on topics important for defining the necessary parameters for the empirical part of the research, such as the character and importance of public space, defining architectural-urbanistic elements and their characteristics, the process of perception and the way experiencing public spaces, etc. In the second part, an analysis and valorization of the existing state of the spatial framework of the research was carried out and a survey was conducted, through which users’ opinions about the examined spaces were collected. By overlapping two methods of practical research, attitudes were checked and the conclusions reached were confirmed. The practical part of the research was conducted by examining the public spaces of the pedestrian zone of Novi Sad. The streets and squares of this area were analyzed and valued based on the criteria identified in the theoretical part of the research. The results provided an insight into the state of quality and the inclusion of architectural and urban planning elements in the design of these public spaces. For the same spatial framework, a questionnaire was constructed in which respondents express their views on the importance of spatial components for public space, evaluate the importance of their characteristics on the experience of the space, define the most frequented public spaces of Novi Sad, thus gaining significant insight into the real character of the experience of the pedestrian zone. The overlap of all results and conclusions pointed to the shortcomings and potential of these spaces, but also to the general impact that architectural-urbanistic elements have on the character of public space, which created the possibility to form guidelines for successful transformations of existing and planning of new public spaces. Understanding the influences under which the collective experience and images of public spaces are created is important for determining the characteristics of public spaces that influence those impressions, in order to adequately choose and shape the architectural-urban factors managed by architects, urban planners, designers and planners. The importance of defining the ways in which it is possible to influence the experience and image of public space is fundamental for preserving the quality of existing places; the formation of new places that are important for users and the mapping of public areas of the settlement necessary for the formation of a recognizable and attractive wider environment.