PUBLIC SPACES: COMMUNITY AND USAGE An important part of what made European urban life grew out of ancient Mediterranean culture. Its influence can still be felt today. [ + ]
PUBLIC SPACES: COMMUNITY AND USAGE
An important part of what made European urban life grew out of ancient Mediterranean culture. Its influence can still be felt today. Until recently, the Mediterranean Arc cities found a way to preserve an enjoyment of public space grounded in a long history in which a significant part of private life has found a home in the streets. The amount of time given to conversation – as much in the streets as in public squares, doorways, terraces, balconies, etc. – from early in the morning to late at night, lent a particular intensity to the way public space was shared by the entire community and created a vibrant atmosphere which is now fading away. In the evening, in Genoa and Barcelona, only the oldest residents set up their folding chairs in doorways, that subtle liminal space between public and private, spending the entire evening watching passersby and chatting with their neighbours. The fundamental changes brought about by post-war town planning and the extension of suburbs from the 1960s seriously affected this culture of conversation. Southern cities have been, without a doubt, more adversely affected by recent urban developments than those in the North. The damage has been far greater.
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