Public Space Today

Across different cultural practices, the perception and meaning of public space varies significantly. ‘Public space’ has dominated discourse on the nature of space with community and state ownership, its counterpart being ‘private space’. Traditionally, they have been viewed as polar opposites — public space being defined as areas that are acknowledged, well known and open to all, compared to private space that holds special interests for specific group. The city's occupants regardless of their backgrounds or incomes should be able to enjoy the facilities provided by public space. Public space is thus deemed to be able to exhibit and embody the diversity in a city, stemming from its accessibility to one and all…