Public Space Flashcards
What is Public Space For?
-The idea of the ”public square” —> A space for open debate. Doesn’t have to be physical space, somewhere people can talk. —> Historical spaces people had space to express their views: London had Speakers Corner where people can stand up and give their views.
-Freedom to protest —> These kinds of freedoms become increasingly restricted in terms of what views can be expressed and where they can be expressed.
-In theory, public space should be a place for open expression. The place for free and open debate of important issues of the day.
-Question of if public space is only for certain “publics”.
The Death of Public Space
-Increasing controls over what people can do and who has access.
-Increasing privatisation of public space and greater controls.
-Examples: Liverpool One, Trafford Centre —> Not many freedoms there compared to the normal street.
Risk Society
-Ulrich Beck, 1992 : “Risk may be defined as a systematic way of dealing with hazards and insecurities induced and introduced by modernisation itself and relate to its globalisation of doubt.”
-Policy makers try to improve society by mitigating the risks. Risks in terms of natural hazards, risks to economic markets, risks in terms of crime and terrorism. Part of the modernisation process. —> The idea of modernisation is the continual improvement but with that improvement is thinking through what are the risks to this idea of modernisation. Improvement within infrastructure and improvement in economic gain for an economy / for a country etc. —> If you’re trying to build the economy you need stability and predictability. Only way is through controlling the risks involved.
-To make progress you need to make calculated risks.
-Progress creates risks we try to minimise.
-Government aim to create a “good society”.—> Focusing on risk it become a safe society, risk-averse and secure society.
-If crime is seen as a problem they try to create a society where crime is less likely.
Risk Society Continued
-Anthony Giddens, 1990: “The idea of a ‘risk society’ might suggest a world which has become more hazardous, but this is not necessarily so. Rather, it is a society increasingly preoccupied with the future (and also with safety), which generates the notion of risk.”
-The precautionary principle. —> Taking a course of action without knowing full risks. —> Better safe than sorry.
-Children and young people as a risk to others.
Children and young people at risk from others.
Who Owns Public Space?
-Debates over if public space is actually public or if it is private space that the public can access.
-Semi-public, or public-private. Different terminologies.
Exclusion of Homeless
-Evocative images of filth, disease and decay by economic and political authorities leads to homeless people become ‘street trash’, demonises them as cultural trespassers and therefore justifies the symbolic cleansing of the cultural spaces they occupy. (Jeff Ferrell, 2001).
Broken Windows
-Published in 1982 by James Wilson and George Kelling.
-Used Zimbardo’s work: Experiment where he left 2 abandoned cars in different neighbourhoods. One in a fairly nice neighbourhood, one in a rough neighbourhood. Noticed that after a while, in the rougher neighbourhood people started vandalising the car, taking bits from it and eventually it became a wreck.
-Incivilities (such as the broken window) —> damages public confidence and fear of crime —> disempowers local communities —> contributes to rising crime.
-What is it about incivilities and anti-social behaviours that makes crimes more likely? = Incivilities, if you live in a neighbourhood that has broken windows that nobody repairs, this damages public confidence and increases fear of crime because it becomes seen as a neighbourhood where these kinds of activities happen and they’re not challenged or are seen as acceptable. This disempowers local communities and this disempowerment contributes to rising crime.
-Led to police focusing on tackling low level disorders and anti social behaviour thinking it will have bigger gains down the line for major crime. This has disproportionate effects on certain communities. The aim is to improve quality of life in neighbourhoods. BUT what are these symbols of neighbourhood decline? Is it just a broken window, or graffiti, or litter. Is it the presence of certain people on the street, the presence of street homeless people.
Don Mitchell (1997) “The Annihilation of Space by Law: The Roots and Implications of Anti-Homeless Laws in the United States.”
-Public space is for those who contribute to global capitalism. Street homeless are seen as distraction and they need to be cleansed from the street. Turned to a legal remedy to cleanse the streets by simply erasing the spaces in which they must live.
-“Anti-homeless legislation can be understood as an attempt to annihilate the spaces in which homeless people must live.”
-Not just in terms of legislation but in terms of design. Such as the curved bench, sprinklers in parks all designed to make life more difficult for those who live on the streets.
Reclaiming Public Space?
-“Reclaim the Streets” is a campaign group active from the late 1990s onwards. —> A direct action network for global and local social-ecological revolution to transcend hierarchical and authoritarian society, capitalism is clouded, and still be home in time for tea.
-Idea that should our streets be there for the car to dominate? Is there another way of living?
-Public protests.
