A 'public space' or a 'public place' is a place where anyone has a right to come without being excluded because of
economic or social conditions, although this may not always be the case in practice. One of the earliest examples of public spaces are
commons. For example, no fees or paid
tickets are required for entry, nor are the entrants
discriminated based on background. Non-government-owned malls are examples of 'private space' with the appearance of being 'public space'.
'Public Space' has also become something of a touchstone for critical theory in relation to philosophy, (urban) geography, visual art, cultural studies and social studies. Its relevance seems to become more pressing as capital encloses more and more of what were thought of as 'commons'. The term 'Public Space' is also often misconstrued to mean other things such as '
gathering place', which is an element of the larger concept.
Definition
Areas of usage
Most streets, including the
pavement are considered public space, as are
town squares or
parks. Government buildings, such as
public libraries and many other similar buildings are also public space. However, not all state-owned buildings fall under such a definition.
Some parks, malls, waiting rooms, etc, are closed at night. As this does not exclude any specific group, it is generally not considered a restriction on public use.
In Scandinavian countries like
Norway,
Sweden and
Finland, all nature areas are considered public space, due to a law, the ''
allemansrätten'' (everyone's-right).
Related rights
In the United States, one's presence in a public space may give him or her certain rights not otherwise vested. In a public space, known as a public
forum (legal), the government cannot usually limit one's speech beyond what is reasonable (that is, screaming epithets at passers-by can be stopped; proselytizing one's religion probably cannot). In a private -- that is, non-public -- forum, the government can control one's speech to a much greater degree (protesting one's objection to medicare reform will not be tolerated in the Pentagon) (this is not to say that the government can control what you say in your own home or to others; it can only control government property in this way). In some cases, privately owned property can be considered a public forum. England, too, has a tradition of public spaces permitting public speech, at
Speakers' Corner, for example.
In general, there is no
expectation of privacy in a public space.
Eating and drinking in an outside public place during
Ramadan in an Islamic country is sometimes not appreciated.
Public spaces are attractive for budget
tourists and
homeless people, especially those that are relatively comfortable, e.g. a shopping center that provides shelter and, in a cold climate, is heated (or cooled in a hot climate).
Controversy
Whilst it is generally considered that everyone has a right to access and use public space, as opposed to private space which may have restrictions, there has been some academic interest in how public spaces are managed to exclude certain groups - specifically homeless
[1] people and young
[2] people.
Measures are taken to make the public space less attractive to them, including the removal or design of benches to restrict their use for sleeping and resting, restricting access to certain times, locking indoor/enclosed areas. Police forces are sometimes involved in moving 'unwanted' members of the public from public spaces.
Also, by not being provided suitable access, disabled people are excluded from some spaces.
'Semi-public' spaces
A broader meaning of public space or place includes also places where everybody can come if they pay, like a
café,
train,
movie theater or
brothel. A
shop is an example of what is intermediate between the two meanings: everybody can enter and look around without obligation to buy, but activities unrelated to the purpose of the shop are not unlimitedly permitted.
The
halls and streets (including
skyways) in a
shopping center may or may not be declared a public place and may or may not be open when the shops are closed. Similarly for halls,
railway platforms and
waiting rooms of
public transport; sometimes a travelling ticket is required. A
public library is also more or less a public place. A
rest stop or
truck stop is a public space.
For these semi-public spaces stricter rules may apply than outside, e.g. regarding dress code,
trading,
begging,
advertising,
propaganda, riding
rollerskates,
skateboards, a
Segway, etc.
Examples
Typical differences between a public space and a private space are illustrated by comparing sitting on a public
bench and sitting on a seat in a pavement
café:
★ In the first case, usage costs nothing, in the second it requires a purchase to be made.
★ In the first case, there is no time limitation (though
loitering laws might apply), while in the second, money have to be spent in certain intervals.
★ In the first case, one is allowed to consume brought-along food and drink (alcohol consumption laws may restrict this), in the second case, this is usually prohibited.
★ In the first case, only general laws apply in terms of dress, in the second, a dress code (such as a prohibition of being
shirtless) may apply.
References
1.
2.
''Children, Youth and Sustainable Cities'', , K, Malone, Local Environment,
★ 1. Illegal to be Homeless. National Coalition for the Homeless (2004).
★ 2. Malone, K. "Children, Youth and Sustainable Cities". Local Environment 6 (1).
★ 3. "Conclusions of the International Seminar on the Planning of Collectively-Used Spaces in Towns", in: ''Monumentum'' (Louvain), Vol. 18-19, 1979, pp. 129-135.
See also
★
Busking
★
Guerrilla gardening
★
Principles of Intelligent Urbanism
★
Public display of affection
★
Public art
★
Public nudity
★
Street photography
★
Toronto Public Space Committee
★
Wireless Toronto
External links
★
European Archive Of Urban Public Space
★
A paper of Setha Low about the transformation of public space in Latin America
★
A public space Watch this space on its own time.
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