ABSTRACT
Social exclusion and social polarization are characteristic of many cities where “urban space, while it is functionally and economically shared, is socially segregated and culturally differentiated” ( Robins 1993 , p. 313). Against this backdrop research shows that public and voluntary bodies operating in the civil society sphere can play a crucial role in fostering better social relations, integration, and social cohesion ( Vertovec 2007 ). Recent literature suggests that a “shared politics of place” attained through joint activities which acknowledge difference and promote inclusion, foster social integration and provide people with a means to practice cooperation ( Baumann 1996 ; Sanjek 1998 ; Sennett 2012 ). Such a shared politics of place is most likely to occur in the context of public space conceptualized broadly as “the setting for everyday spatial behaviour of individuals and communities, emphasizing ordinary activities of citizens” ( Lownsbrough and Beunderman 2007 , p. 8). In this chapter we investigate the extent to which a shared politics of place can be created and nurtured amongst the cultivating citizenry, and the implications of that for urban equity and sustainability.
