PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC SPACES

PRIVATIZATIONOF PUBLIC SPACESDISSERTATIONVIII SEM, B.ARCHSUMANYU VASUDEVA111110225AIMTo study how current trends of privatization of public spaces shape urban neighborhoods and suburban developments and its impacts on the public realm. Also Its manifestations in social, political and economic contexts.

OBJECTIVEThe objective is to increase the use and importance of an urban space by learning the aspects of privatization of public space.INTRODUCTIONA new way of life is forging with the emergence of what we term as privatized public space at the forefront of post-modern city. WHAT ARE THESE PRIVATIZED PUBLIC SPACES ??In the past few decades there has been an increased practice on creating these exclusive spaces by either transfer of rights or by management to private sectors by the government.On providing profit incentives or other profit density bonuses to private sectors they attempt to meet needs or an urban public space.A new definition of public space has arisen hence as to who will have a legitimate claim to share public arena.PUBLIC SPACEIn urban planning, public space has historically been described as "open space".

Today, public space needs to be understood as different from the public domain of the state and its subdivisions, but rather as a space accessible to the public.ParksstreetsplazaspiazzasDEVELOPMENT OF HYBRID SPACES

Now common in major cities, privately owned public spaces take many forms, from corporate courtyards to pocket parks to festival marketplaces. These differ from traditional public spaces. Instead, privately owned public spaces are open to the public during certain hours, but owners have the right to refuse entry to certain users at certain timesPUBLIC PRIVATEThe theme that links these chapters is the attempt to clarify the meaning of the terms public and private.

In some contexts the terms public and private suggest the difference between the state and the family, whereas

In others they are synonyms for the state and the market economy. Political theorists use public to describe the political community that is distinct from the economy, the household, and the administrative apparatus of the state. CONCEPTUAL MODEL Consequently, I propose a model of publicness rooted in the above criteria but which also operationalizes these dimensions. In this model, publicness is assessed on three core components: ownership, management, and uses/users.Conceptually, each component represents an axis that intersects and interacts with the other two components

OWNERSHIPSix legal forms of ownership of public space: Public ownership, public function, public use (streets), Public ownership, public function, administrative use (city hall), Public ownership, public function, private use (space leased to commercial establishments), Private ownership, public function, public use (airports, gated communities, zoning-bonus private plazas),

Private ownership, private function, public use (cafes), (6) private ownership, private use (home).

OWNERSHIP ON THE BASIS OF OPERATIONOne component of publicness involves whether a space is owned by a government body (public) or a private individual or corporation (private). Typically, ownership is directly related to operation: publicly owned spaces are usually publicly operated; privately owned spaces are normally privately operated.

MANAGEMENTThis dimension refers to the manner in which a space is controlled and maintained, and specifically refers to the methods by which owners indicate acceptable uses, users, and behaviors. Management techniques range from including features that encourage freedom of use, access, and behavior (such as making seating available) to providing elements that discourage use and control access and behavior, such as the presence of panning surveillance cameras or armed security guards.

``who controls a public space?, how they do so?, and how they attempt to make the space safe and secure?'' are important components of this management and control dimension.Uses and users

This is perhaps the most difficult axis to measure, as it can be interpreted both quantitatively, by the diversity of uses and users of the space, and qualitatively, by the behaviors and perceptions of the users themselves.

``the greater diversity of people and activities allowed and manifested in a space, the greater its publicness.'' ``social acceptability of a space to different cultural groups is affected by the cultural composition of a neighborhood.HOMELESS-FREE ZONES

Homelessness is one of the most dramatic reminders of the interdependence of public and private. The homeless are those who have no private space, no dwelling where they can exercise sovereignty or perform the basic bodily functions that we think of as private: sleeping, washing, sexual activity, urinating, and defecating.if city dwellers cannot enjoy a basic minimum of decorum in downtown public spaces, they will increasingly flee from these locations into cyberspace, suburban malls, and private walled communities. Critics who investigate the collective social consequences of privatization make many compelling observations about contemporary life: Economic divisions are increasing. Rich and poor citizens have unequal access to security. Fear of crime is often out of proportion to actual victimization risk. Private security systems and services ironically may create fear in order to reduce it. Privatized public spaces and services have important implications for civic life.

MALLING OF A PUBLIC SPACEClimate change

Comparing to the other cities in Europe and US, Hong Kong is the most hot and humid city. People prefer to stay in indoor area with air conditioning instead of open areas. Shopping malls provided comfortable indoor environment which explain one of the reasons that open public space is not successful in HK comparing to those in the West.