Privately Owned Public Space: The New York City Experience

Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as a "juicy little time bomb of abook", Privately Owned Public Space: The New York City Experienceexamines for the first time, New York City's 39-year mixedexperience with the production of more than 500 plazas, parks, andatriums located on private property yet by law accessible to andusable by the public. Until now, comprehensive, systematic knowledge about this vastcollection of public spaces has not existed, either for experts ormembers of the public. To remedy this gap, Harvard Universityprofessor Jerold S. Kayden, The New York City Department of CityPlanning, and The Municipal Art Society of New York have joinedforces to research and write Privately Owned Public Space: The NewYork City Experience. Through words, photographs, scaled siteplans, maps, and analysis of newly assembled data, they examinehistory, law, design, and use of the city's privately owned publicspaces. Each of the more than 500 spaces is individually discussedto provide far-reaching comparative information about this uniquecategory of public space. In reading this book, designers, planners, lawyers, and academicswill gain greater understanding about the possibilities andproblems inherent in the design, management, and enforcement ofprivately owned public space. Public officials, private owners, andcivic group representatives will learn more about their roles inensuring public access and vitality of such spaces. Individualswill discover where New York City's public spaces are located andwhat amenities they offer. Everyone will comprehend more completelythe contribution that privately owned public space can make towardopen and attractive cities in which all individuals have access toa diversity of public places.… (more)