ABSTRACT
In the preceding readings and essays we have tried to capture the essence of public space, as it is viewed in three different ways. Public space sometimes appears as a facilitator for civic order by providing a location for public life to play out, especially through interactions with both friends and strangers that foster the formation of social bonds. Other times, public space appears as a site for power and resistance, where conflict can occur between different groups that each assert their right to use the space. In still other cases, public space appears as a stage for art, theatre, and performance that allows individuals and groups to express themselves in formal and informal ways.
