Main entry:

Low, Setha M., author. aut

Title & Author:

Why public space matters / Setha Low.

Publication:

New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2023]
©2023

Description:

xviii, 317 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-301) and index.
Why does public space matter? -- What is public space? -- What if Jones Beach was not public? Social justice and belonging on Long Island, New York -- Rebuilding a bridge and a community : health and resilience at Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie, New York -- Playing in the fields of Lake Welch, New York -- Improvising public space and the informal economy : sidewalks, streets, and markets in Buenos Aires, New York City, and Baguio City -- Green guerillas, seed bombs, and granite gardens : environmental sustainability and public space in Paris and New York City -- 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 -- From the winter of despair to the summer of euphoria : public space during COVID-19 in New York City (2020-2021) -- 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 -- Appendix: Contact, public culture, and affective atmospheres : a theoretical framework.

Summary:

"I often ask people what their favorite place is in their city or town. What are the places they particularly like and think about as having a special meaning or memory? The answer inevitably is a public space, sometimes a large park to walk, play, or picnic and other times a local square or plaza with shaded paths and comfortable seating. Benches outside a café or on the sidewalk are commemorated with the names of those who spent time sitting with friends and neighbors. In residential neighborhoods, steps in front of an apartment building or library offer gathering places. Open school yards and church grounds are mentioned as favorite places to hold informal markets, clothing swaps, voter registration drives and bake sales to benefit local organizations. Many times, the response is accompanied by a smile and reminiscence about a day at the beach, historic monument, art museum, or an afternoon spent strolling a scenic walkway or bicycling along a nature trail. Young people look for streets and paved areas of parks that provide exhilarating skateboarding or basketball courts and soccer fields where pick-up games happen. Children enjoy lively playgrounds, while caretakers select locations with high visibility and protection from ongoing traffic. Teenagers prefer places they 'own' and just 'hang' to watch others away from prying eyes. The favorite spots of homeless people are out-of-the-way edges or deep-forested centers of parks and the interstices of buildings and roads. Tourists point to open areas with tables and chairs to sit and watch the ongoing action even with honking cars or densely packed walkways. Some people love busy avenues and marketplaces full of energy to participate in the buzz of urban life, while others prefer quiet alleyways, solitary meadows, and tree-lined boulevards"-- Provided by publisher.

ISBN:

9780197543733 (hardcover)
0197543731 (hardcover)
9780197800898 (paperback)
0197800890 (paperback)
(epub)
9780197543757
(ebook)
9780197543764
9780197543740

Subject:

Public spaces.
Public spaces Social aspects.
Espaces publics.
Espaces publics Aspect social.

Form/genre:

Informational works.
Documents d'information.

Holdings:

Location: Library main 317164
Call No.: 317164
Copy: 1
Status: Available