Class questions.

Question 1

City of Quartz, Davis M: What does this sort of design mean for public space?

Answer 1

1. Reduced accessibility: The fortress-like design creates unwelcoming and less accessible public spaces, particularly for marginalized groups, due to heavy monitoring and control.
2. Privatization: The transformation of genuinely public spaces into private, controlled environments leads to a loss of shared areas accessible to all members of the community.

Erosion of social interaction: The controlled environments in fortress-like designs discourage social interactions, reducing the opportunities for community engagement and fostering a sense of isolation among individuals.

Loss of genuinely democratic public spaces: This design leads to the privatization of public spaces, such as gated communities, shopping malls, and “bumproof” benches. The result is a decrease in mixed-class public spaces where people from different backgrounds can interact, leading to further social and economic polarization.

Exclusionary design

Question 2

Oldenburg, R. The Great Good Place (1989): Define “Third place”

Answer 2

A social environment that is separate from the two main environments in our lives: the home (first place) and the workplace (second place). A third place is a neutral, informal gathering spot where people can come together, socialize, and engage in conversation. These places foster a sense of community, promote social interaction, and create opportunities for people to relax and unwind. Examples of third places include cafes, pubs, libraries, parks, and community centers.

Question 3

Oldenburg, R. The Great Good Place (1989): Characteristics of a third space.

Answer 3

Neutral ground
Leveler
Conversation is the main activity
Accessibility and accommodation
Regulars:
Low profile
Playful
A home away from home

Question 4

Oldenburg, R. The Great Good Place (1989): What are Third Spaces good for?

Answer 4

Social connections
Mental well-being:
Civic engagement:
Cultural exchange:
Economic benefits:.
Creativity and innovation
Social support
Inclusivity

- The ability to add a sense of community. Also, if you meet co-workers in a third space, it gives the opportunity to have a different kind of conversation.
- Can escape your problems for awhile. A relief from stress and loneliness.
- "A-Political spaces"

Question 5

How accessible are third space really?

Answer 5

• Pseudo-public spaces: Commercial public spaces.
  The price of admission can be very low. A cup of coffee or a drink typically isn’t a high bar for most of society to be able to pay.

Question 6

Can the internet be a third space?

Answer 6

• Student comment about the third space being defined by its otherness from home and work.
• Being in each others physical presence is still important.
  
  • Internet can be a complement, not necessarily a substitute.
  • Touch is important, you don’t get this online.
    While you can find community, the internet can disconnect people.

Question 7

Authors rules of conversation (oldenburg, great good place)

Answer 7

Authors rules of conversation

• No topic can be too personal
  
  • Must be playful
  • Listen as much as you can talk
  • Don’t be too loud.
    Are these rules based in society? Should conversation be superficial?

Question 8

Where does Prof Freeman disagree with Oldenburg?

Answer 8

Challenges idea of third places as discursive democracies erasing differences

Argues public spaces can be messy, conflictual, and unjust

Conversations may emerge from disconnected publics

Doesn’t believe third places inherently promote democracy or solve problems

Highlights stratification along race and class lines in Ipanema’s public space

Sees public spaces as arenas to challenge, negotiate, and reproduce social order

Emphasizes political possibilities rather than organic civil society growth

Notes from class
- We can not ignore the way these spaces are segregated.
- People are still very status aware.
- This is where people decide what happens politically, especially surrounding transportation.
- Public opinion is decided here.
These places ARE political

Question 9

What is the myth of the democratic beach?

Answer 9

• ## That people put aside their social differences when they go to the beach,
• ## Why do they repeat this story? Politics. The upper class say its non conflictual. They wont get robbed.Lower class can’t be excluded from the beach for leisure and work.

Question 10

How does segregation function on the beach?

Answer 10

• Transportation
• People “belong” in certain areas
• Tight social groups
• People judge each other still by their bathing suits.
• How are people behaving/speaking/using the beach?
  What are people eating?

Question 11

How did gender roles change with the economic and physical development of the city?

Answer 11

Public/private divide: The emergence of cities led to a spatial separation between work and home, reinforcing the division between public and private spaces.

Economic changes: The shift from agrarian to industrial economies and the rise of service industries changed the nature of work and labor, opening up new employment opportunities for women in cities. However, women were often relegated to lower-paying, part-time, or precarious jobs, reinforcing economic inequality between men and women.

Urban planning and design: City planning and infrastructure have often been designed with a male perspective in mind, prioritizing the needs of male workers and overlooking the unique needs of women. For example, public transportation systems may not account for women’s caregiving responsibilities, making it challenging for them to navigate cities and access resources and opportunities.

Gendered spaces: The development of cities also led to the creation of gendered spaces, such as shopping centers, which can reinforce traditional gender roles and expectations. Women are often more visible in consumer spaces, while men are more visible in workspaces, perpetuating stereotypes about gender and labor.

Women’s safety and mobility: The design of cities and public spaces can impact women’s safety and their ability to move freely. Poorly lit streets, lack of public restrooms, and limited access to safe transportation options can disproportionately affect women and limit their participation in public life.

Question 12

Is it possible to have a female flaneur? (A flaneuse?)

Answer 12

he possibility of a female flâneur raises several considerations:

Gendered expectations: Women have traditionally been confined to domestic spaces and responsibilities

Safety concerns: Women often experience safety concerns in public spaces.

Visibility and anonymity: The male flâneur is often described as an anonymous figure who can blend into the urban landscape. In contrast, women may face greater scrutiny in public spaces

Intersectionality: The experiences of a female flâneur will also be influenced by other intersecting factors such as race, class, age, and sexuality, which can further shape how women navigate and experience urban spaces.

Despite these challenges, it is indeed possible to have a female flâneur (flâneuse), and feminist scholars and writers have increasingly explored and celebrated the experiences and perspectives of women as urban wanderers. By acknowledging and addressing the unique barriers faced by women in public spaces, the concept of the female flâneur can help challenge traditional gender roles and expectations and contribute to a more inclusive and equitable understanding of urban life.

Question 13

How did secretarial work become woman’s work?

Answer 13

How did secretarial work become woman’s work?

• Typewriting was introduced as a female skill, due to bouge woman playing the piano.
  
  • “Woman have better dexterity with their fingers.”
  • By the end of 19th, administrative revolution.
  • Large cooperations had a lot of clerical work to be done.
  • Prior to this, men were doing secretarial work with the expectation that they would work their way up.
  • Admin revolution required a lot more clerical workers. They decided to have women do it.
  • Woman could be paid less and there would be no expectation that they would move up in the business.
  • The assumption that woman’s labor only produced secondary income. “Pocket money” So they could be paid less.
  • The assumption that they would get married eventually, and that a man would take care of them.

Question 14

What do we learn about coffeehouses?

Answer 14

• These are places for economic and political discussion, which his a male space.
  
  • Restricted by gender.
    Bourgeois spaces. Close to banks and legal spaces.

Question 15

What does Gay New York add to our understanding of urban public spaces?

Answer 15

• Public spaces are political
  
  • Public space is a stage people step onto.
  • Gay men use public space for political reasons. “Beauty show” for example.
    Public spaces are good for other reasons then intended. Sex, Socializing. This is where gay men learn a lot of the gay world. The culture and codes. They get plugged into this world.

Question 16

What does Chauncy mean when he says “privacy could only be had in public”?

Answer 16

• Poor people didn’t have privacy within their homes. They had to go to public spaces.
• New York is a city of single people. Lots of rooming houses.

When Chauncy says “privacy could only be had in public,” he is referring to the fact that, due to the living conditions in crowded tenements, boarding-houses, and lodging houses, working-class individuals, both gay and straight, had little to no privacy in their homes. As a result, they sought privacy in public spaces such as streets, parks, and rooftops for socializing and engaging in sexual encounters. In these public spaces, they could create some semblance of privacy by carving out hidden or secluded areas for their interactions, thus blurring the boundaries between public and private spaces according to middle-class norms.