3. City-Building, New Life and the ‘Making of the Citizen’ in 1930s Nanchang

The lively and enjoyable public spaces are of critical position to planning a great city (Burden, 2014). Public space is widely believed valuable for sustainable urban life due to its provision of physical environment for social interaction and possibly natural diversity. Throughout history, cities as production of human activities provide provision of spaces for public life, such as social communication and commercial activities (Unwin, 2000). Public space is also an important part of what defines the city. At early 1960s, academics in the West criticized that urban planning was abstract and humanly distant (Gehl & Svarre, 2013). Citizen groups fought for urban redevelopment plans in connection with the historical background such as the youth revolution, protests against nuclear power plants or anti-war protests. The activities all took place in public spaces and as now at political dimension public space have it very important position (Gehl & Svarre, 2013).
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\nWithin the context of global competition, nowadays the provision of public spaces is believed as the enhancement of infrastructure asset for city marketing and promoting the population influx which keep the livability of the city (Gehl & Gemzoe, 2000). However, it’s criticized by scholars that public space has been aided with too much commercial interests and thus public sphere would be impoverished (Degen, 2008). Sequently, it is always critical to keep the public life flourishing. In spite of the commodification of contemporary urban public space, its ever-presented nature of public decided it would be always “in the process of being shaped, unshaped and challenged by the spatial practices of various groups and individuals whose identities and actions undermine the homogeneity of contemporary cities” (MacLeod, 2012; McCann, 1999).
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\nAt present, the public open space in Hong Kong cannot secure the interest of public and in that case it is not successful to cater public everyday life. The social interaction is significantly affected by the physical arrangement as well as the way such public spaces cater for the specific characteristic of public life in
\nHong Kong. In this dissertation study, the main focus would be how does the public space of consumption interact with public social life and how could the institutional framework influence the whole process by its power. In context of
\nHong Kong, consumer culture has strongly influenced urban form by multiple scales of commercial developments, and the public life style has also been shaped by the physical setting and shopping habits. The interaction between human and material can be negotiated and guided by institutional power. By considering power, urban planning practitioners have the responsibility to provide recommendations for public space developments.
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\nThe dissertation study will develop the research scope to a more specific scope – public open space of consumption in private development, i.e. shopping centers in Hong Kong. In order to carry out the study of public life, key concepts and issues will be examined through literature review. Institutional background of public open space of consumption in Hong Kong will be reviewed for a better understanding of the research. Both Hong Kong and overseas best practices will be studied to find out problems and reference experience in design and managing public open space of consumption. In the end, possible recommendations for planning public open space will be proposed to achieve quality public life.

In Nepal, the provision of inclusiveness in laws play a significant role to increase the women’s participation in local government. In this context, this study explores the challenges to women’s engagement in public space, in particular at local government in Nepal. This study is primarily based on indepth interview with 10 Former Women Local Government Representatives (FWLGRs). Findings reveal that women’s experiences in local politics in Bagmati Province reflect broader global debates on gender participation in political and public spaces. Unlike to men, women in local politics face numerous challenges, including patriarchal attitudes, family obligations, economic barriers, gender-based violence, and caste-based discrimination, which appear as breakers to them to participate in public space. These obstacles often limit their ability to secure significant roles in public space. Legal reforms have created unprecedented opportunities, but without addressing structural inequalities—patriarchy, caste discrimination, economic exclusion, and political violence—the meaningful participation and representation of women in political and public spaces remains general, thin and weak that need to be addressed.

Re- imagining public space: the vicissitudes of Japan’s privately owned public spaces

Eat, Swim, Pray

This study aimed to systematise existing approaches, principles, and trends related to the restoration and renovation of public spaces, while also identifying the actual needs of residents through surveys. Based on the findings, recommendations are proposed for the post-war development of public urban spaces. The primary methods used for data collection included visual analysis, individual surveys, and interviews with residents to determine their genuine needs. The results were structured using general scientific research methods. The survey revealed that 63% of respondents expressed a willingness to participate in the renovation and revival of damaged public urban spaces. 43% believed the restoration process should retain historical elements that existed prior to destruction, supplemented with new components. Among those surveyed, 31% preferred complete restoration to the pre-war state without alterations, while 36% wished to see elements of military memorial themes incorporated into the renewed public spaces. The study outlined key aspects highlighting the significance of public space in the functioning of a modern city and identifies major challenges associated with their post-war formation. Methodological recommendations have been provided to guide the formation, restoration, and renovation of public spaces, taking into account both residents’ interests and current trends. Existing approaches, ideas, and proposals for the renewal and renovation of public urban spaces have been systematised and supplemented with new concepts. Evaluation criteria for public urban spaces have been refined based on indicators such as functionaland spatial organisation, principles of public space formation, development prospects, and public participation. Mechanisms for civic engagement in the restoration and renovation of public spaces have been proposed for all stages – discussion, design, planning, and practical implementation. The findings of this study may be applied by designers and architects in developing projects for the reconstruction of war-damaged public spaces, as well as by local authorities during their implementation.

Along with the increase in population and the increasing need for facilities, vacant land in residential areas began to be looked at to be developed for meeting halls, communal parking spaces, commercial areas, playgrounds, and productive parks managed by residents. Related to these needs, to support community activities, it is necessary to have a master plan for public open space as a guideline for the use of space in the Tulus Harapan Blok C residence. If the existence of these facilities is not well organized, this residential area will experience a decrease in quality and community activities will not be well accommodated. Seeing this problem, it is necessary to have a guideline in the development of public open space in the Tulus Harapan Residence area in the form of a master plan. Thus, the master plan of public open space has a significant role as a tool for controlling space utilization and grouping facilities in the Tulus Harapan Housing Block C Residence. This community service activity is carried out as an effort to assist academics to housing residents in planning public spaces. The aim of this community service is to create a masterplan of public space development is prepared by the community simply through a mentoring process. This proves an increase in the ability of citizens to identify problems and formulate the needs for the development of public spaces systematically and structurally.

In cities, public spaces are shaped by the encounters they make possible the historical memory and the uses and customs that propitiate their "symbolic appropriation" and the constitution of the genius loci. Political mobilizations appropriate public spaces, which are momentarily transformed into "political spaces" whose strength, character and symbolic weight are assimilated to projects of identity, capacity for mobilization and political action. In Mexico City, two cases of politization of the public space are the Ángel de la Independencia and the Estadio Azteca.

* Preface * Acknowledgments * Chapter 1. Culture, Public Space, and Cities * Chapter 2. The and Public Space in Spain * Chapter 3. Modernity and Public Space in Crisis: Contemporary Madrid * Chapter 4. City of Architects: Public Space and the Resurgence of Barcelona * Chapter 5. Spain Meets Mesoamerica: The and Public Space in Mexico * Chapter 6. Revitalizing Historic Centers in Urban Mexico: Politics and Public Space * Chapter 7. The Globalization of Urban Form: Transcultural Public Spaces along the Mexico-United States International Border * Chapter 8. Return to the Center? Politics, Latino Culture, and Public Space * Notes * References

Urban Streets between Public Space and Mobility

Agriculture-oriented rural areas represent one of the forms of specialized agricultural practices and economic development. Public spaces serve as critical carriers within the rural spatial system. Rural public spaces are divided into two forms: explicit spaces and implicit spaces. The interaction between these forms significantly influences the morphological evolution of rural public spaces. This study takes the ancient village cluster in Anyi, Nanchang City, China as a case study. By collecting POI (Point of Interest) data and conducting surveys on visitors’ landscape preferences, it employs a life circle spatial division method and the VEISD (Village Evaluation Indicators for Sustainable Development) entropy model to evaluate the sustainability benefits of rural public spaces. Based on the evaluation results, the study proposes a control and guidance method for public spaces under self-organization theory. This method leverages the interference effects of explicit rural public spaces on implicit spaces to optimize rural public spaces. The study focuses on the planning and renovation of public space nodes in Luotian Village. By adjusting the sub-indicator “Village Public Environment Construction D22”, it validates the scientific robustness of the systems analysis theory and the VEISD framework. By adjusting the spatial layout and attributes of a critical spatial node—the Ancient Camphor Tree Square in Luotian Village—within rural public space planning, the study advances the guidance and control of public spaces during the self-organization evolution of rural areas. It enhances the openness of spatial forms and the functional integration of public space nodes. The results demonstrate that this method can analyze the vitality characteristics of factors within subsystems through the layout and indicator system of rural public spaces. It also validates the findings via correlation tests with the demands for POI and landscape preferences, ultimately constructing the VEISD framework for rural public spaces. This research provides theoretical support for optimizing the resource transformation and utilization of rural public spaces, offering a reference model for the sustainable development of rural areas.

The most explicit representation of gendering of space is the division between public and private space. Public space—the space of transcendence, production, politics, and power—is the sphere of men, whereas private productive space—the sphere of reproduction—is the women’s space. The spatial perspective developed here recognizes the complexities of a patriarchal society and how these define gender roles, which further help in sustaining gender stratification on the physical space. Whatever mobility women accrue is due to the nature of their work; thus, the nature of work and the gender roles a woman performs define her space of access. Age and caste are two major factors that affect mobility. The study also attempts to explore how “patriarchal bargain” takes place. They are a bargain, in that the “rules” which regulate gender relations in a region are constantly contested and renegotiated in daily life. Forms and expressions of patriarchy are undergoing changes; moreover, it can be said that the village is moving toward a kind of patriarchal bargain that allows women more mobility.

The author considers the problems of forming the safety of family recreation in the structure of public spaces of resort regions. The subject of the study is the system of factors of public safety of family recreation, statistical data on the most important areas requiring attention from local authorities, organizers of recreation and entrepreneurs working in the field of recreation and tourism. In recent years, the topic of creating comfortable public spaces in resort towns has become increasingly relevant. With the increase in the flow of tourists, as well as the number of families choosing such places for recreation, there is a need to understand and improve the conditions for a safe family stay. Modern cities are complex ecological systems, where attention to various social groups is of paramount importance for the creation of high-quality public space. The priority in the creation of comfortable public urban spaces is the tasks of an integrated approach to safe and affordable family recreation, including for different age and social groups of the population in the recreational and communicative environment. The results of a population survey on the state of the public safety system are presented, taking into account the requirements and wishes of families for modern resort areas. Suggestions are given to improve the conditions for safe family recreation, which will create more favorable conditions for a comfortable stay of families in the resort region. Urban public spaces should not only be arteries for movement, but also areas where people can interact, enjoy cultural events and exchange experiences. Cities integrate elements that promote socialization into their infrastructure: open-air cafes, art objects, green spaces, as well as places for sports and active recreation.

Mapping Trans-Domesticity in Jordan’s <em>Breakfast on Pluto</em>

The article presents the results of the study of social services development in territorial communities in Ukraine in the context of decentralization. Based on the analysis of the literature, the contradictions and challenges that arise in the process of decentralization of social services are highlighted. The empirical part of the study included a survey of representatives of local communities from six regions of Ukraine, as well as a survey of experts from community mobilization projects. In total, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted between August 2021 and February 2022. The article describes the features of social services development in communities in the context of decentralization from the standpoint of the communities themselves, namely: targeting and ways of organizing social services in communities; existing mechanisms for evaluating the effectiveness of social services in communities; factors of development of social services in territorial communities. Research has shown that social services in local communities are organized through the creation of territorial centers for social services, and the main recipients of services are families in difficult circumstances, the elderly and people with disabilities. According to the obtained data, the mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of social services in communities are: collection of statistical data on the situation in the community; survey of service recipients; independent monitoring of the effectiveness of social services. The study proved the presence of factors in the development of social services in local communities, which can ensure the effectiveness of decentralization of social services. The following factors are highlighted: the effectiveness of assessing the needs of the population; level of interaction "local government - population - public sector"; willingness to cooperate and attract external resources. The interviews also provided an opportunity to identify internal and external factors that help and hinder the development of social services in local communities, ie to conduct SWOT analysis.

Mekarwangi Village does not currently have enough public space and buildings. Meanwhile, Mekarwangi Village is fast expanding as a result of the increase in formal housing in the Cisauk area, necessitating the construction of a public space and building before the village's land runs out. There is a 2,250-square-meter plot of land held by the community that is available for work. So, on this land, a public building and space will be developed to meet the needs of residents for public and educational space, the village government's need for space for various purposes, as well as representing local village identity. The outcomes of this community service take the shape of conceptual ideas for buildings and public spaces based on analysis of local needs, potential, and character.