ABSTRACT
Public space, the commons, has been put on the critical list by some, but the dire prognosis may be premature. It has seemed as if TV, the mall, the car, and the Internet would kill it, and it has been tempting to see its demise as a one-way, downward spiral. The challenges have been severe: economic—it is not essential and we can’t afford it; technological—it will be supplanted by a virtual cyber-world; political, social, and cultural—we don’t have the time, we are too divided and in retreat from life in public. In fact, the fate of public space has been subject to a precarious ebb and flow but stubbornly persisting, the commons seem to be essential to our well-being as human beings and social creatures. For a variety of reasons the desire for public space has returned. Although the means to address this unfulfilled need are still lacking, this in no way diminishes that need or the underlying forces that will press for its fulfillment. It is the starting point and the critical leitmotiv for urban design. Shared common ground where we come face to face is what makes cities livable and productive, and makes democracy work in heterogeneous societies as we learn to live in smaller spaces in more walkable settings, and find our way toward a more sustainable future.
