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Public Spaces / Public Spheres: Some Geographies of Space and Democracy
Author(s) -
Miles Malcolm
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
geography compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.587
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 1749-8198
DOI - 10.1111/gec3.12007
Subject(s) - public sphere , democracy , public space , realm , ephemeral key , space (punctuation) , sociology , redevelopment , political science , political economy , public administration , law , architectural engineering , computer science , computer security , engineering , politics , operating system
In this short paper I question the validity of aligning new public spaces with the idea of a public sphere of democratic determination. I suggest that the current emphasis on public spaces in urban development schemes is nostalgic, repeats the ungrounded advocacy associated with culturally‐led urban redevelopment, and masks a widening democratic deficit. Looking to geographical writing on space as a realm of boundaries and exclusions, I ask whether insights from this can be applied to the problem of what constitutes a democratic public sphere (if one exists). I conclude that occupations of urban spaces constitute a proto‐public sphere but are necessarily ephemeral.