Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBuilding on her groundbreaking earlier works, Low astutely describes public spaces as 'infrastructures of inclusion and exclusion,' where people, politics and place converge and connect, opening spaces for the negotiation and contestation of new public cultures. Focusing on contemporary issues such as racial injustice, climate change, socioeconomic and class inequality, she details ways that public space contributes to the flourishing of individuals, communities, cities and societies * Julian Agyeman, Professor of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, Tufts University *
From social justice to ecological sustainability, decades of public space fieldwork are usefully summarized in the latest 'all things public space' from Setha Low. A must have for all students of urbanism. * Emily Talen, Professor of Urbanism, University of Chicago *
Most people, when asked their favorite memory of a city, mention public space--a plaza or a boulevard or a beach. How is it then that we understand so little about the social dynamics of places; that the designers and managers of public space seem to have so little research to support their work? In this book Setha Low sets out to fill that void. Why Public Space Matters is essential reading for anyone involved in the design, management, programming or simply the enjoyment, of public space. * David Burney, Director, Urban Placemaking and Management, Pratt Institute *
In this brilliant and inspirational book, urban ethnographer Setha Low shows us why the stakes of debates about 'public space' in the 21st century could not be more serious and socially significant. In a world where we tend to either take public space for granted or express fear of the potential dangers they might hold, Low uses her nuanced theoretical lens and a variety of compelling ethnographic examples—from New York's Jones Beach and New Jersey's Lake Welch to Hudson Historical Park, Battery Park City after 9/11, and a thoughtful analysis of how the pandemic impacted the use and sense of public space in New York City—to demonstrate that discussions about democracy and social justice should never underestimate the importance of public space for the very sustainability of human life. * John L. Jackson, Jr., Walter H. Annenberg Dean and Richard Perry University Professor, the University of Pennsylvania *
Low maintains an accessible style throughout, suitable for general readers, but the material will appeal most to expert scholars and planners. Anyone interested in public spaces will enjoy this book. * Choice *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Why Does Public Space Matter? Chapter 2. What is Public Space? Chapter 3. What if Jones Beach Was Not Public: Social Justice and Belonging on Long Island, New York Chapter 4. Rebuilding a Bridge and a Community: Health and Resilience at Walkway Over Hudson, Poughkeepsie, New York Chapter 5. Playing in the Fields of Lake Welch, New Jersey Chapter 6. Improvising Public Space and the Informal Economy: Sidewalks, Streets and Markets in Buenos Aires, New York City, and Baguio City Chapter 7. Green Guerillas, Seed Bombs and Granite Gardens: Environmental Sustainability and Public Space in Paris and New York City Chapter 8. Place attachment and Cultural Identity: Monuments, Parks and Neighborhood Public Space in San José, Costa Rica, and the Statue of Liberty and Battery Park City in New York City Chapter 9. From the Winter of Despair to the Summer of Euphoria: Public Space During COVID-19 in New York City (2020-2021) Chapter 10. How to Study Public Space: The Toolkit for the Ethnographic Study of Space (TESS) in Tompkins Square Park, Manhattan, New York City and Other Strategies Appendices Appendix 1. Contact, Public Culture and Affect Atmospheres: A Theoretical Framework Notes Index
