Providing Public Space in a Contemporary Metropolis - (Urban Policy, Planning and the Built Environment) by Claudio de Magalhães & Louie Sieh

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"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

About the Author

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

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