ABSTRACT
Public spaces are carriers of messages. The communicative aspects of public space emerge from myriad apparent factors including design, planning, the uses, and users. Although location, design, typology, and other visual and formal aspects of public space are paramount, one somewhat obscure factor emerges as a key driver—the governance and management of public space. New York City showcases a wide cross-section of public space types in all its dimensions from design to use to governance and management. In a poignant critique of public space governance, Steven Flusty presents the very explicit, but now commonplace, exclusionary tactics employed by public space management agencies. Flusty’s narrative is written from the point of view of an urban explorer, a citizen attempting to navigate the complexities of privately owned and managed public spaces. The state-centered model is historically the most common model associated with a public service ethos built on the public interest.
