A public space refers to an area or place that is open and accessible to all citizens, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age or socio-economic level. 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, social studies and urban design. 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. 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. Although not typically considered public space, privately owned buildings whose walls face sidewalks and public thoroughfares visible from our shared public spaces, affect the public visual landscape. With the rise of outdoor advertising in major metropolitan cities, these private walls are being used to affect public audiences.

This problem begs a reconsideration of what might be thought of as public when addressing not only the physical, but the visual landscape of our shared public environments.

Similar to 0 things you like: