The Digital Image of the City Digital & Computational Studies Bowdoin College September 29, 2014 Professor Gieseking Lecture Slides "Public Space"

1. Public
Space
September 29, 2014
The Digital Image of the City
Digital& Computational Studies Initiative
Bowdoin College
Jack Gieseking

2. Outline
1. The public sphere
2. The right to the city (Mitchell)
3. Qualities of public space (Low)
4. Privatization of public space
5. Technology & public spaces
!
6. Selecting our research sample

3. What is public space
!
!
In a world defined by private property, then, public
space…takes on exceptional importance.
- Don Mitchell (2003)

4. The public sphere

5. Overview of the Odeum on the East side of the ancient agora in
Thessaloniki, seen from the North East. 2nd c. AD. Wikipedia.

6. François Joseph Heim - Charles V Distributing Awards to the
Artists at the Close ofthe Salon of 1824. Wikipedia.

7. Central Park, New York City.

8. The right to the city

9. Hyde Park, London. WIkipedia.

10. Central Park, New York City.

11. NY Examiner 1989

12. NYTimes 2014

13. Central Park, New York City.

14. http://www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/
0,,-62724,00.html

15. [name intentionally left off] Wikipedia.

16. Henry Ray Abrams. 11/15/11. Zucotti Park.

17. Qualities of public space

18. Qualities of
Public Space
(Low)
Uses “rights” model that focuses on both social
and material space similar to Mitchell
1. Freedom of access
2. Freedom of action
3. Freedom to claim
4. Freedom of change
5. Freedom of ownership

19. Privatization of public spaces

20. Google Maps

21. Wikipedia

22. mappery.com

23. 1900 bryantpark.org

24. NYC Parks Dept 1930s

25. Wikipedia

26. bryantpark.org

27. bryantpark.org

28. bryantpark.org

29. bryantpark.org

30. wichcraft.com

31. Privatization of public spaces (part II):
Militarization of public spaces

33. Technology & public spaces

34. Implicit in much theorizing about the public sphere is
the assumption that the provision of an adequate space
(or in some renderings, adequate technology) will
perforce create a vibrant public sphere.
- Don Mitchell (2003)
<— How can we go beyond these?

35. Defining our research sample
for mental mapping
!
!
Length of residence
Residence location
Age
Occupation
Gender
…?

36. !
Assignment:
Blog Post #3 due Wednesday, Oct. 1st by 8 p.m.
!
!
!
Reading for Wednesday, Oct. 1st:
Housing: Smith, Fields & Uffer, Crowley
DIOTC
10/1