scholarly journals The hyper-regulation of public space: the use and abuse of Public Spaces Protection Orders in England and Wales

Legal Studies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 543-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J. Brown

Contemporary state authorities in the United Kingdom and elsewhere have increasingly sought to regulate the use of public space. This paper explores through a doctrinal and socio-legal analysis how recently introduced Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) are being used in England and Wales to enforce majoritarian sensibilities at the expense of due process and civil liberties. PSPOs were introduced in October 2014. These orders grant considerable discretion to local authorities to use the threat of criminal sanction to regulate activities in public spaces that they regard as being detrimental to the quality of life of residents. This paper provides the first comprehensive critique of how these orders are used to target minority and vulnerable groups, while curtailing fundamental freedoms. The paper includes suggestions for reforms to make the PSPO function in a manner that is more compatible with a rights-based approach.

2021 ◽  
pp. 235-240
Author(s):  
Elaf Raslan ◽  
Lubna Shaheen

The Arab Region has been facing several challenges. While some countries are facing socio-economic issues, others have been civil strife and conflict. In both cases, public spaces play an important role in tackling these issues, and in cities’ social, economic, health and environmental life, since they contribute to build social cohesion, improve the quality of human interactions and the physical and mental health of inhabitants. Based on this, UN-Habitat has been supporting the development of ‘Public Spaces in the Arab Region’ programme since 2016. The programme has been rehabilitating public spaces using participatory tools to foster sustainable development and ultimately achieve SDG 11, target 11.7. However, the implementation of these siloed projects, coupled with lack of data, inadequate design and improper management didn’t allow for the development of a strategic plan for public spaces in the cities of the Arab Region. Acknowledging such issues and challenges, the programme in cooperation with the UN-Habitat's Global Public Space programme is further developing the regional approach to focus on rehabilitating public spaces that are safe for the most vulnerable groups, in particular women and girls, given the violence they face in the public domain. The programme is also working with relevant stakeholders and authorities to upscale such projects and to develop a city-wide public space network that is aligned with a strategic action plan.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Zalewski

The aim of paper is a presentation an idea of shared space in the cities and results of implementation of this solution in the cities of Poland. The methodology of elaboration consisted of carrying out a review of the literature, comparing existing solutions and formulating conclusions regarding implementation. This trend, which has appeared over the past 50 years as a counterbalance to the pedestrianization of public spaces, is at the beginning of the 21st century experiencing its second youth and is being implemented in many areas in intensive urban development, especially in urban centers and areas of historic character. Shared space solutions are an integral way of shaping functions and forms of revitalized public spaces. These solutions contributes to improving the quality of public space and traffic safety, revitalizing social life, improving and reducing the environmental nuisance caused by traffic and finally created liveable city. Analyzes effectuated indicate, that in central areas of cities in Poland whose spatial arrangement is legally protected, the forms of shared spaces solutions are strongly influenced by strong conservation restrictions in these areas. This means the need  to respect existing historical conditions in shaping public spaces, as well as limited transformation possibilities. The Polish solutions of shared spaces presented in this paper of in their forms and quality do not differ from the standard functional solutions abroad. Solutions implemented in the Polish conditions, however, are more modest in terms of materials and implemented in a smaller number than is the case in Western European countries. Keywords: Shared spaces, Traffic calming, Cities of Poland, Creation of public space


2021 ◽  
Vol 2089 (1) ◽  
pp. 012051
Author(s):  
O Facho ◽  
T Cama ◽  
D Esenarro ◽  
J Livia ◽  
C Cuetoand ◽  
...  

Abstract The present research aims to propose a model for the recovery of residual public spaces to improve the quality of life of the district of San Borja’s inhabitants. San Borja is in the process of densification and requires a more significant number of public spaces that offer, in addition to vegetation, public places for active and passive recreation, such as spaces for sports and games, walking pets, and relaxation. These needs have increased due to the confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, it was noted that the median strip, or central reservation of the avenue, can be recovered for people to use. Therefore, a four-phase study was carried out that included reviewing the literature and observing two cases. In conclusion, a model was proposed to recover the public space of the median strips of San Borja Norte Avenue and San Borja Sur Avenue to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of San Borja, which can be replicated in other avenues with residual spaces with similar characteristics.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent Gilliard

Public space is important to a city’s economic and social quality. Downtown Toronto is not known for its public spaces but Melbourne is widely recognized for recently revitalizing its city centre with improved public spaces. A case study of Melbourne investigates its comparability to Toronto as well as the details of its "renaissance." It is concluded that Melbourne is, in fact, highly comparable to Toronto. Interventions in Melbourne were characterized by the principles: long-term vision, emphasizing local strengths, investment in quality, making space for people on foot, and using effective arguments and evidence. To emulate Melbourne’s city-centre revitalization, Toronto first should facilitate a civic conversation about the long-term vision for its downtown; second, it should initiate a public life survey of the downtown; third, it should invest is the physical quality of downtown public spaces; and fourth, it should begin an incremental program to reclaim roadway space from cars in locations of high pedestrian use.


2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 182-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicky Heap ◽  
Jill Dickinson

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to critically appraise the Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) policy that was introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014). Within a designated area assigned by the local council, PSPOs can prohibit or require specific behaviours to improve the quality of life for people inhabiting that space. Those who do not comply face a fixed penalty notice of £100 or a fine of £1,000 on summary conviction. However, the practical and theoretical impact associated with the development of these powers has yet to be fully explored. Design/methodology/approach Using Bannister and O’Sullivan’s (2013) discussion of civility and anti-social behaviour policy as a starting point, the authors show how PSPOs could create new frontiers in exclusion, intolerance and criminalisation, as PSPOs enable the prohibition of any type of behaviour perceived to negatively affect the quality of life. Findings Local councils in England and Wales now have unlimited and unregulated powers to control public spaces. The authors suggest that this has the potential to produce localised tolerance thresholds and civility agendas that currently target and further marginalise vulnerable people, and the authors highlight street sleeping homeless people as one such group. Originality/value There has been little academic debate on this topic. This paper raises a number of original, conceptual questions that provide an analytical framework for future empirical research. The authors also use original data from Freedom of Information requests to contextualise the discussions.


2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomas Grunskis ◽  
Matas Šiupšinskas

The article deals with the question of public space transformations during the last two decades in Lithuania. It is the part of broader research of the topic. Authors focus on the issue of main public spaces in Žirmūnai and Lazdynai residential districts in Vilnius, which are under the process of structural and spatial development. The article also analizes the problem of post-Soviet urban space quality and its transformations, as well as raises the question of preservation practices of urban (modernistic) heritage from the Soviet period. Authors analize and expose systems of public spaces and their hierarchy in these districts, which have been created according to modernistic principles and now are considered as highly valuable. Structural, compositional, functional and spacial developments of these spaces are analized in detail evaluating negative impact of such developments on the quality of modernistic urban space. Santrauka Straipsnyje aptariama tarybinio laikotarpio viešųjų erdvių kaita per pastarąjį dvidešimtmetį. Jame telkiamas dėmesys į Vilniaus Žirmūnų ir Lazdynų gyvenamųjų rajonų pagrindines viešąsias erdves bei jose esančius visuomeninius kompleksus. Tekste analizuojamos ir apibūdinamos tarybinio laikotarpio urbanistinės erdvės kokybinės kaitos ir urbanistinio paveldo teisinės apsaugos klausimas. Taip pat įvardijamos ir analizuojamos šių gyvenamųjų rajonų viešųjų erdvių sistemos bei jų elementų hierarchijos. Tekste detaliai analizuojama šių viešųjų erdvių kaita urbanistinės struktūros, tūrinės erdvinės kompozicijos ir funkciniu požiūriais. Keliama urbanistinės erdvės, kaip paveldo ir apsaugos objekto, problema.


2015 ◽  
Vol 744-746 ◽  
pp. 2225-2231
Author(s):  
Ondřej Vašíček ◽  
Martin Budina ◽  
Tomáš Nehudek

Quality of public spaces, especially quality of central squares, has recently been a hot topic among experts as well as the general public. The submitted article focuses on the analysis of the central squares of small towns around the regional capital city Ostrava. These towns are part of the Ostrava agglomeration. Evaluated squares are alike for their location and historical development, on the other hand, their current usage is often different. The subjects of the research are mainly those factors and aspects that affect the quality of the central square of aesthetic, architectural and techno-economic. These factors are for each square separately analyzed and evaluated. The aim of the analysis is to determine how selected cities approach their most important public space, to the central square.


2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Kratochvíl

The study deals with public space both as a physical phenomenon and social phenomenon. It defines its fundamental meaning by referring to the works of sociologists Richard Sennett and Hans Paul Bahrdt: The public space offers the opportunity to meet other people, confront the differences, and at the same time it is a place where we can strengthen social solidarity and mutual respect. The study briefly mentions the development of public spaces in Czech towns at the time of communist regime. However in the first instance it shows selected current works to document the attempts to express the openness of democratic society after 1989 and the new arrangements of public spaces. Evaluation of the development during the recent years shows both positive and negative aspects: On one side it is a sensitive reconstruction of previously neglected public spaces in historical centres of towns and several completely new spaces in other town quarters, on the other side it is too strong commercialisation of these spaces, their submission to tourism, and the lack of interesting public spaces in the places of everyday life of the inhabitants and in newly developing areas of towns. The increasing interest of professional community and general public in the quality of public space, as well as attempts to make the care for public spaces a substantial part of municipal strategies in some cities give a hope for the future.


Author(s):  
Feshchur R. ◽  
◽  
Sosnova N. ◽  

Cities are constantly changing – new and existing facilities are created and reconstructed, existing ones are modernized, and new territories are developed, and, accordingly, public spaces are formed and develop in a certain way. To a large extent, this process is random and does not take place systematically, but this rather happens as a response to the urgent economic, environmental, social or other needs of city residents. Development management in the urban planning system is designed to solve the controversial problem of maintaining integrity and at the same time striving for its transformation. The use of the tools of mathematical modeling, considered in the article, allows one to solve the problems of spatial development of a city and its public spaces in a purposeful way, and to coordinate such a solution with the interests of stakeholders. When forming public spaces of a city one faces the task of streamlining competing development projects (alternative projects) for a particular area of ​​a city, taking into account the importance of their impact on the establishment of a distinctive image of the city and ensuring quality of life of its residents. To solve this problem, it is advisable to use methods of expert evaluation of design decisions, in particular, methods of ranking, valuating, and folding vector-valued criterion into a scalar criterion (integrated indicator of project weight). Ranking means assignment of a certain rank (a number from the natural series) to every project. The most important project is given the highest rank, which corresponds to number "one". The sum of the ranks given by all experts to a particular project can be considered as a generalized value of its weight. The article considers approaches to the assessment of urban public spaces on the basis of various criteria, namely urban, social, economic, environmental ones. The developed models of public space planning are designed for making a reasonable choice from a set of alternative projects subject to implementation, either according to the dominant criterion or according to many criteria in the conditions of resource constraints.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Grimsrud

This thesis is an investigation into the extended use of waste in an architectural context. As resources are becoming depleted, new systems and techniques need to be developed to use what we have more effectively. By studying the material flows of urban construction, new purposes for construction waste can be revealed. This thesis challenges the current perceptions of waste to that of a nutrient. In order to showcase and frame waste as nutrient, the project proposal is for urban interventions built from waste to be placed throughout public spaces on Ryerson’s Campus. These interventions will inform the public on material reuse and at the same time increase the quality of public space. Typically when waste is used in architecture, the material sources are unique, this thesis questions that notion by investigating materials that are ubiquitous. This thesis strives to answer if and how architecture can add value to waste materials


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