ABSTRACT
Among the normative assumptions of the urban development discourse echoed in numerous multilateral, national, and urban policy frameworks, the already-contested feasibility of achieving a cohesive city through inclusion stands out as needing further interrogation. In particular, this assumption and its realisation are often framed in connection with public space. Therefore, this chapter reviews the dominant global norms of inclusion and cohesion through the lens of the everyday in Johannesburg and Berlin. Our research draws on interviews, grey literature, desktop research, and participant observation to experience and study various public spaces in our cities of interest. We identify limitations of the assumption of social cohesion as a spontaneous characteristic of public space by disrupting the myth that public space generates cohesion simply by including city residents in shared space. Ultimately, we argue that cohesion norms translated into practice create a focus in the first instance on space rather than on the public who use it. We propose a shift towards asking where and how certain spaces (including spatial and social dimensions) enable solidarities among their users. This is only possible if public agency occupies as much space in policy framing and implementation as do interventions into the physicality of space.
