In Private Hands- Where does the public domain exist?
A Masters dissertation that attempts to address the issue of increasing privatisation of public spaces- in order to gain a better understanding of this multifaceted theme, I look into written works on politics, poetry and journalism. As case studies, I examine closely the relationships between buildings, 'public spaces' and the end users: Aylesbury Estate in South London and Ruskin Square in Croydon. The importance of the public is further emphasised in a chapter on the city of Lavasa- an Indian urban settlement that has been built entirely by a private company. This particular case study provides a great opportunity to describe the implications of the privatisation of a city- which is commonly seen as public commodity.
"Public space is a place where many activities overlap: rich confusion, commerce, seduction and filth. Public space works not as a designed element, but is instead carved out by wheeling and dealing, crossroads, and the chance at freedom, where a person emerges from shadows into light that grows into the ever-extending space of public gathering and demonstration, and seeps into every open pore of the city
