NEW PUBLIC SPACES

"The focus on public space is a worldwide phenomenon, from the high-budget Chicago Millennium Park to the Westblaak Skatepark in Rotterdam, and the Roppongi public seating project in Japan. This resurgence of interest is creating new relationships between artists, architects, designers, and local authorities. It is a competitive area as cities try to outdo each other in an effort to attract investment and tourists. Public space, as a means of serving the community, has become a political and a priority on a national and local level." New Public Spaces is the first book to showcase some of the most interesting and diverse examples of public space in the world. Many of the featured projects challenge accepted notions of the function and aesthetic of communal space and together provide the reader with a global overview of developments in this thriving area.