Providing Public Space in a Contemporary Metropolis: Dilemmas and Lessons from London and Hong Kong

by Claudio De Magalhães, Louie Sieh

Overview

Increasingly, public space provision and management are being transferred from the public sector to real estate developers, private sector organisations, voluntary groups and community bodies. Contrasting the more historical, horizontal character of London with the intense street life of high-rise Hong Kong, this book tells the story of the two cities’ relationships with non-traditional forms of public space governance.

The authors consider the implications for the ‘publicness’ of these complex spaces and the challenges and impacts that different forms of provision have on those with a stake in them, and on the cities as a whole.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781447358862
Publisher:	Bristol University Press
Publication date:	12/01/2025
Series:	Urban Policy, Planning and the Built Environment
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Claudio De Magalhães is Head of the Bartlett School of Planning at UniversityCollege London.

Louie Sieh is Programme Leader for Architectural Studies at City University of Hong Kong.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Conceptualising Public Space for Governance: A Complex Shared Common Good

3. The Nature of Publicness

4. The Governance and Management of Public Space

5. Public Space Management in London and Hong Kong

6. The Quantitative Challenges of Public Space Provision and Management

7. The Qualitative Challenges of Public Space Provision and Management: Quality and Responsiveness

8. Conclusions and the Sketch of a Practical Theory of Public Space Governance

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“By analysing the challenges facing large metropolitan areas in providing and managing public space, Claudio de Magalhães and Louie Sieh have made a valuable contribution to the field of urbanism.” Ali Madanipour, Newcastle University

“Claudio De Magalhães and Louie Sieh have written a milestone book on public space. It has everything: history, philosophy, realism, practicality, social theory, economics, impeccable logic and case study context. It is the book you need to read to reduce a complex and often muddled and polarised academic discussion into a crystal-clear set of propositions suitable for guiding design, planning and policy. It delivers the holy grail in urban studies and design: explanatory theory that can be used predictively.” Chris Webster, University of Hong Kong

Editorial Reviews

By analysing the challenges facing large metropolitan areas in providing and managing public space, Claudio de Magalhães and Louie Sieh have made a valuable contribution to the field of urbanism.” Ali Madanipour, Newcastle University

“Claudio De Magalhães and Louie Sieh have written a milestone book on public space. It has everything: history, philosophy, realism, practicality, social theory, economics, impeccable logic and case study context. It is the book you need to read to reduce a complex and often muddled and polarised academic discussion into a crystal-clear set of propositions suitable for guiding design, planning and policy. It delivers the holy grail in urban studies and design: explanatory theory that can be used predictively.” Chris Webster, University of Hong Kong

From the Publisher