‘Public realm’ as theatre: Bicester village and universal city walk

Abstract

This is the second of two papers exploring the notion of hyperreality as an aspect of the design and consumption of post modern leisure environments. Using the metaphor of theatre as developed by the social theorist Erving Goffman, it analyses the relationship between user and setting in two contemporary retail spaces, Bicester Village in the UK, and Universal City walk in the United States. It draws a number of conclusions about the changing nature of commercial space as a form of public space, and argues that this represents essentially a third type of space between the public and private spheres. It concludes with a short reflective postscript following the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York, speculating on the implications of this event for the future of themed public space.