Dimensions and models of contemporary public space management in England

Abstract

This article discusses the concept of public space management and its evolution in a context of wider changes to urban governance. Public space management is taken as a sphere of urban governance in which conflicting societal demands on, and aspirations for, public space are interpreted through a set of processes and practices. Four interlinked dimensions for public space management are proposed: the co-ordination of interventions; the regulation of uses and conflicts between uses; the definition and deployment of maintenance routines; and investment in public spaces and their services. Within this conceptual framework, the paper looks at recent changes in public space management in England to suggest the emergence of alternative models of management. These are based on the roles ascribed to the state, to private agents and to user organisations, and on different approaches to dealing with the four management dimensions. Although the discussion shows that these models are more than just abstract formulations, and have been used to deal with a variety of public space problems, an important purpose for the paper is to provide an analytical framework through which to examine emergent practices in the management of public space and their potential consequences.public space management, UK public space, privatisation of public space, public space governance, public space services, parks management,

Emerging Challenges in the Management of Contemporary Public Spaces in Urban Neighbourhoods

“…Since public space management is basically governance sphere (de Magalhães & Carmona, 2009), the root cause of the problems lies in weak urban governance at the neighbourhood level. It is evident from the GRA that the local government at municipality or ward levels do not have a direct role in both the development and management of urban neighbourhoods.…”

“…Public space management is normally associated with the public sector and local government (de Magalhães & Carmona, 2009). Past practices show that urban governance plays a major role in the management of public space.…”

Community Food Growing in Parks? Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility in Sheffield, UK

“…De Magalhães and Carmona [49] conclude that the inter-relationship between the state-, market-and user-centred models could contribute to maximising the advantages of effective public space management. We use this theoretical framework of public space management in our examination of CFG within the urban park context, which involves an identification of the stakeholders involved.…”

“…Their 'state-centred model' describes the typical starting point for public spaces in which a local authority takes responsibility for delivering and maintaining the place, possibly with minimal external resources [49]. While this has traditionally been the case, stakeholder participation has become increasingly popular, marking a shift from past decision-making in which only practitioners or landowners took part [50], which is argued to result in a positive effect and lead to better outcomes for the local population [51].…”

“…To make sense of park management in practice, De Magalhães and Carmona [49] provide a framework of different management models. Their 'state-centred model' describes the typical starting point for public spaces in which a local authority takes responsibility for delivering and maintaining the place, possibly with minimal external resources [49].…”