Public space and accessibility: Notes for a Geographical approach
In the public spaces of the modern city, the "school capital" and the means of consumption are the elements that determine social identity. Here, difference and inequality join forces in the process of occupation of space, defining an accessibility which is, above all, symbolic. Seen in th...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Spanish |
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Universidade de São Paulo
2004-06-01
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| Series: | GEOUSP: Espaço e Tempo |
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| Online Access: | http://www.revistas.usp.br/geousp/article/view/123865 |
| Summary: | In the public spaces of the modern city, the "school capital" and the means of consumption are the elements that determine social identity. Here, difference and inequality join forces in the process of occupation of space, defining an accessibility which is, above all, symbolic. Seen in this light, accessibility and difference have a visible social content, which acts in production of territories (and, in most cases, in privatization as well) within (of) urban public spaces. But, after all, what qualities are behind the social appropriation of public spaces in the modern city? How can one explain the selective and differentiated appropriation of spaces which, at least in theory, would be - or should be - accessible to all? This work seeks to discuss this and other relevant issues, based on a commented bibliographical review of the philosophical contributions made by Hannah Arendt, Jürgen Habermas, Walter Benjamin and Henri Lefebvre. Next, based on an analysis of real examples of public spaces in such cities as Salvador, São Paulo and Paris, the aim is to present an empirical application of the concepts that have been discussed, in a move to shed light on the political and socio-cultural dimensions of the social appropriation of these urban spaces |
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| ISSN: | 1414-7416 2179-0892 |