Publics and Their Spaces (Fall 2022)

Publics and their Spaces

Margaret Crawford

Thursday, 10-1 Bauer Wurster 370

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 2-4pm in 480 Wurster

For more than 50 years, designers, planners, social scientists and political theorists have debated the meaning and significance of “public space.” This course will examine the multiple and complex ways in which public space has been defined along with other relevant concepts such as the public sphere, community, and democracy. We will explore these ideas through theoretical readings, case studies, and our own observations and research. Students will be expected to attend all classes, read and discuss the assigned material and complete the final project. Reading assignments and announcements will be available on bspace. Changes in the schedule and readings may occur during the semester. Students are expected to keep up with any changes and announcements.

ASSIGNMENTS: There will be two assignments. Assignment 1: Individual students (or very small groups) will present examples of the concepts and approaches discussed in the first three weeks of class. Assignment 2: Each student will investigate and analyze a local public space and present their findings to the class.

CLASS SCHEDULE:

Aug. 25           Introduction: What is this class about??

Sept. 1            The Public Sphere: singular or multiple publics? Jurgen Habermas (2006 org. 1964) "The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia Article," in Media and Cultural Studies Keyworks Chapter 5, pp 73-78; Nancy Fraser, 1993. “Rethinking the Public Sphere: A Contribution to the Critique of Actually Existing Democracy,” in Bruce Robbins, ed., The Phantom Public Sphere; Benjamin Nathans, "Habermas's Public Sphere in the Era of the French Revolution,"  French Historical Studies, 16, 3 pp. 620-627. 

Sept. 8             Public Space:  Narratives of Loss Seyla Benhabib, "Models of Public Space, Hannah Arendt: the Liberal Tradition;" Don Mitchell, "The Annihilation of Space by Law;"  and "The End of Public Space: People's Park, the Public, and the Right to the City" from The Right to the City, 2003 

Sept. 15             Multiple Publics in Multiple Spaces Margaret Crawford 1995. “Contesting the Public Realm: Struggles over Public Space in Los Angeles;” Journal of Architectural Education 49, Jeff Weintraub, “The Varieties and Vicissitudes of Public Space;” 1995, Margaret Crawford and Marco Cenzatti. 1995. “On Public Spaces, Quasi-Public spaces, and Public Quasi Spaces;” Modulus. Ray Oldenburg, The Great Good Place, 1997

Sept. 22   Student example presentations           

Sept. 29  Competing Concepts: Social Space, the Spectacle, Cosmopolitanism (Henri Lefebvre, “Social Space” from The Production of Space;  Guy Debord, The Society of the Spectacle; Iris Marion Young, "The Ideal of Community and the Politics of Difference;" Homi Bhabha, The Third Space, in J. Rutherford (ed.) Identity, Community Culture, Difference (1990)

Oct. 6           Categories of Exclusion    George Lipsitz, “The White Spatial Imaginary” “The Black Spatial Imaginary;” George Chauncy, Gay New York; “Homeless Free Zones” David Sibley,  Geographies of Exclusion, The Arsenal of Exclusion/Inclusion, Tobias Armborst, Dan D'Oca, and Georgeen Theodore (eds.) (2017); David Summers, Black walks in White Neghborhoods, "Why do Rich people love Quiet?", the Atlantic https://www.arkrepublic.com/2020/03/09/black-walks-in-white-neighborhoods/ 

Oct. 13           Symbolic Claims to Public Space  James Grossman, AHA, "Whose Memory, Whose History?" Gabry Vanderveen & Gwen van Eijk, "Criminal but Beautiful: A Study on Graffiti and the Role of Value Judgments and Context in Perceiving Disorder;" Andrea Baldini, "The Public-Art Publics: An Analysis of Some Structural Differences among Public-Art SpheresMedia as Public Space: Virtual Public Realms" (2019). Andrea L . Baldini, Street Art, Graffiti, and Tags: The Value of Imperfection in Urban Aesthetics, https://www.academia.edu/video/1MD3Qj?email_video_card=title&pls=RVPOpen PhilosophyPublics and Counterpublics, Michael  Warner,  "The Empty Town Hall" California Magazine, Territory Jam: Places, Perils of Transparency

Oct. 20                Student Topic Draft Presentations

Oct. 27                 Non-Place Public Realms: Melvin Webber, "The Non-Place Urban Realm", Shantung Tilak and Michael Glassman, "Alternative Lifeworlds on the Internet: Habermas and democratic distance education," Distance Education 41,3 326-344, Moore, Gateman, and Ducheneaut, "From 3D Space to Third Place: The Social Life of Small Virtual Spaces," Human Organization Vol 68,2 pp 230-240; Diana Saco, "Virtual Spaces," Cybering Democracy: Public Space and the Internet (2002) pp 23-33.    

Nov. 3     https://www.archdaily.com/987613/can-public-space-be-created-in-the-metaverse; https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/augmented-reality-everywhere/               

Nov. 10           T he Sidewalk Jane Jacobs, The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety, from the Death and Life of Great American Cities; William Whyte, The Undesirables" from the Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, NYT topics. nytimes.com/...   times topics/...stop_and_frisk.   Mitchell Duneier, "New Uses of Sidewalks" from Sidewalk; Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris and Renia Ehrenfeucht, "This is my Front Yard! Claims and informal property rights on Sidewalks," from The Informal American City              

Nov. 17                 Student Presentations

Nov. 24                 No Class Thanksgiving Break

Dec. 1                   Student Presentations