Home or Office? The Homeless and Atlanta’s Downtown Park

Abstract

In this study, we apply symbolic interactionism to explore the ways that homeless men and women who regularly use a downtown park are active participants in the dynamic social construction of a public space. The case study suggests that as a general use space, the homeless did not identify the park as “home,” but did use it for their private purposes. Further, as a public place, there were persistent tensions between park officials and the homeless. Among the homeless men and women, those who used the park for their private purposes more regularly and had greater place attachment were more likely to adapt and less likely to persist or exit when confronted with park authorities. As a general public place, the park is becoming a vibrant and exciting locale for everyday, unscripted encounters.