ABSTRACT
All public spaces, no matter how inclusive, democratic and open require some form of management so that they can fulfil their roles effectively. Linked to these various roles are a wide array of stakeholders who are concerned that public spaces meet their own requirements as, for example, providers of infrastructure, motorists, pedestrians, retail operators, park users, etcetera. Public space management is the governance sphere where stakeholder demands on, and aspirations for public space are articulated into sets of processes and practices. The idea of public space and public space management are normally associated with the public sector, and more specifically with local government. There are strong reasons for this coming from history and also from the economic dynamics of modern societies. In a capitalist economy, goods and services tend to incorporate the character of commodity; something with value and a price, traded in the marketplace.
