This course examines the role of public space in urban society and argues that public space not only defines urban culture, but is fundamental to the politics of the city. While the public activity in urban space is what draws people to the city, these are also the spaces where social conflict and inequity are the most obvious and unavoidable. As such the public realm of the city is contested space where political issues are enacted, confronted and debated everyday. Using San Francisco as a case study, the class will examine the conceptual underpinnings of the public realm and the physical and socioeconomic implications of different development schemes and public policy frameworks that either encourage or threaten the ideals of public space. We will pay special attention to current debates and concerns including the affect of increasing inequality on the character of public life; the militarization of public space and the confrontations between security and social justice; the interaction of social media with surveillance in the public arena; and the implications of the increasing prevalence of urban residents who depend on the public spaces of the city for shelter.

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