Exploring the World's Great Public Spaces: Campo Santa Margherita

• In Event: 095 - Section on Community and Urban Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 12. Public Spaces

Abstract

Discussions of urban space and what makes for great public spaces has become a focal point for urban sociology over the last two decades. While this undoubtedly reflects the increasing familiarity with the work of Henri Lefebvre, there is an earlier discussion of public space in Lewis Mumford and Jane Jacobs. This paper presents a case study of Campo Santa Margherita in Venice, included in the listing of the world's great public spaces by the Project for Public Spaces. The architectural heritage, mixed-use residential and commercial buildings, and diverse populations makes for a predictable round of everyday activity in Campo San Margherita that is different from that of other public spaces in the city, and provides important comparisons for our thinking about the public realm.

Author

• Ray Hutchison, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay