ABSTRACT
After decades of privatization and control under concerns for security, public space returns to the center stage of political struggles in cities around the world in the new millennium. From the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, squares, streets, parks, plazas, and even privately owned public spaces gained new identities and meanings through both organized and spontaneous actions of citizens and activists. In the context of neoliberalization and resurging totalitarianism, these instances remind us of the important role of public space as a vehicle for citizens and publics to mobilize and reclaim their political voice. Based on a review of relevant literature and cases, this chapter explores the multiple dimensions of public space as a space of resistance and resilience. Specifically, it explores how public space functions as a space of assemblies and amalgamation, a space of visibility and meanings, a space of encounters and negotiations, and a space of everyday resistance. Through these processes, public space also serves as a space of critical reflections and renewal. An understanding of these dimensions is critical to clarifying the significance of public space as a space of resistance and resilience in the struggle for an active and meaningful democracy.
