ABSTRACT
European cities are changing rapidly in partial response to the processes of deindustrialization, European integration, international migration, economic globalization, and climate change. Public spaces of these cities, as essential ingredients of the urban image and experience, are increasingly playing an important part in this transition. A key question concerns the role that public spaces are expected to play in political, economic, and cultural transformation of cities, and the impact of these transformations on the nature of public space as a shared resource. How are public authorities addressing the challenges of provision and maintenance of public space, both as a catalyst for change and as a common good?
