ABSTRACT
Public space is not arbitrary, but it can be ‘read’ and experienced in different ways by various people. As such, the form and function of these spaces can also influence people's emotions about a particular space and consequent reactions. This chapter focuses on the meaning of public space in South Africa and various people's responses to it. The meaning is expressed through (1) control, manifested through hard and soft boundaries; (2) identity, through association or disassociation; and (3) access to numerous opportunities in the built environment. In this way, various public spaces contribute to a sense of place and knowing, a sense of belonging and being or a sense of possibility and becoming.
