Loose Space Possibility and Diversity In Urban Life

In cities around the world people use a variety of public spaces to relax, to protest, to buy and sell, to experiment and to mourn in the ways they choose. With thirteen detailed case studies from countries worldwide, Loose Space explores the many ways that urban residents, with creativity and determination, appropriate public space to meet their needs and desires. Familiar or unexpected, spontaneous or planned, momentary or more long-lasting, the activities that make urban space 'loose' continue to give cities life and vitality. The book focuses on physical spaces and how people use them while adopting an inclusive approach to urban life. Contributors describe recreational, commercial and political activities; some of them are conventional, others are more experimental. The activities observed take place in a wide variety of locations: they occur alongside the intended uses of planned public spaces such as pavements and plazas, and in place of former uses, as in vacant car parks and abandoned warehouses. Following an introductory chapter which explores the concept of looseness, the book is organized into four sections: appropriation, tension, resistance and discovery. Certain elements of discovery and appropriation occur in all public spaces; tension and resistance are less common. Tension emerges when occupants' uses and preferences compete with each other; diverse forms of resistance arise when some seek to limit or deny the freedoms of others.Franck, Karen A. is the author of 'Loose Space Possibility and Diversity In Urban Life', published 2006 under ISBN 9780415701174 and ISBN 0415701171.