ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the meaning of “public space” in the context of a megacity/metacity such as the Greater Bay Area conurbation. Drawing on different urban theories and his own historical analysis, the author presents a thematic narrative of the evolution of emblematic typologies of public space in this region from Imperial times to the present day. This narrative is woven around the continuous perpetuation, re-articulation and recontextualization of the garden as an urban public spatial component over the centuries. This analysis of historical circumstances has influenced the creation of public spaces in newly developed urban settings.
