Overview

Public spaces mirror the complexities of urban societies: as historic social bonds have weakened and cities have become collections of individuals public open spaces have also changed from being embedded in the social fabric of the city to being a part of more impersonal and fragmented urban environments. Can making public spaces help overcome this fragmentation, where accessible spaces are created through inclusive processes? This book offers some answers to this question through analysing the process of urban design and development in international case studies, in which the changing character, level of accessibility, and the tensions of making public spaces are explored. The book uses a coherent theoretical outlook to investigate a series of case studies, crossing the cultural divides to examine the similarities and differences of public space in different urban contexts, and its critical analysis of the process of development, management and use of public space, with all its tensions and conflicts. While each case study investigates the specificities of a particular city, the book outlines some general themes in global urban processes. It shows how public spaces are a key theme in urban design and development everywhere, how they are appreciated and used by the people of these cities, but also being contested by and under pressure from different stakeholders.

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9780415553858

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Reviews

This is a useful, informative and engaging text covering the range of current threats and future opportunities facing urban public space. Two features which distinguish it from many other texts on urban space and redevelopment are that it gives a wide range of examples from across the developed and developing world, and it illustrates examples within different city locations beyond city centres; in inner cities as well as peripheral or marginal public spaces. -- Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design Overall this is a useful, informative and engaging text covering the range of current threats and future opportunities facing urban public space. Two features which distinguish it from many texts on urban space and redevelopment are that it gives a wide range of examples from across the develpoed and developing world, and it illustrates examples within different city locations beyond city centres: in inner cities as well as peripheral or marginal public spaces. As a relatively affordable paperback text, upper level undergraduates and postgraduates following urban development, regeneration, design and planning courses and modules will find this collection an informative supplementary text focusing on one of the important aspects of urban change. It will also be of interest to urban professionals involved in the planning, design, maintenance and management of accessible and inclusive urban spaces as key elements of the contemporary city landscape. - Andrew Tallon, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of the West of England.

Author Information

Ali Madanipour is Professor of Urban Design at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University, UK.

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