{"id":576,"date":"2021-07-13T17:31:08","date_gmt":"2021-07-13T15:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/?p=576"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:49:02","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T15:49:02","slug":"public-space-is-the-place-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/2021\/07\/13\/public-space-is-the-place-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Space is the Place"},"content":{"rendered":"

Public space is inseparable from, and intertwined, with the city. It is the city’s substrate, its foundation, the very fabric that connects otherwise isolated buildings. Public space sets the stage for our every-day life, our sociocultural interactions, our daily journeying and wayfinding. We travel, meet, eat, party, play, demonstrate, even clash, in public space. So essential is public space for the functioning of the city as a whole, that it’s importance is perhaps subliminal and can easily be taken for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, <\/em>when the world was locked-down in response to the COVID-19 threat, the impact of streets and squares void of publicness, public space in limbo, was stark; empty streets, constrained and restrictive use, both public and private buildings shut, the deafening quiet after dark that cast a pall over society to depress even the most positive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or was it public space in flux? The Corona-crisis also brought the resilience of public space to the fore; its tenacious capacity to bounce back, to transform, and provide room for new use, functions and routines, to recognize and enliven a new energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, public space offered me an opportunity to escape confinement during lockdowns, punctuate the limited horizon of both the day and my home, stretch the legs, catch a breath of fresh air and have a distanced, \u2018safe\u2019 interaction with unknown and known strangers. Public space became an antidote to counter lockdown claustrophobia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I consider myself fortunate. Other parts of the world had restricted access to public space but in The Netherlands, daily ‘sanity walks’ were permitted; an hour per day, give or take. During these (treasured) opportunities I observed and documented the unusual, serendipitous, even surreal scenes I chanced upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The result of this visual scavenging is my Public Space Detective blog. Roaming the streets of Rotterdam, with the objective not only to document but also to unravel and question what is observed, drawing from the reservoir of knowledge and experience I have acquired working as a public space professional for over twenty years. What is really happening here? Which mechanisms, strategies, tactics, intentions, forces, processes, routines, patterns, narratives, unwritten laws, rules, and rituals lie at the root of these phenomena?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The alias ‘Public Space Detective’ was coined in 2018 for a workshop with my architecture students. The objective was to investigate the public square in front of Rotterdam Central Station for traces of publicness; marking and counting cigarette butts, bits of chewing gum stuck to the pavement and other traces of human presence, the hypothesis being that such residue of public life is a reflection of how public an urban space really is, or was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my contributions for Mastering Public Space, I will share this ongoing research into common and uncommon phenomena in public space, looking between the cracks of the pavement, reading the language of the street, the urban syntax; close reading public space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is my first column for the new webmagazine MaPS. Mastering Public Space.<\/a> MaPS is an initiative of the non-profit organization City Space Architecture and aimed at hosting global news on public space, curated by a cross-disciplinary team of public space researchers and experts committed to spread awareness on the importance of public space in cities<\/em>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Public space is inseparable from, and intertwined, with the city. It is the city’s substrate, its foundation, the very fabric that connects otherwise isolated buildings. Public space sets the stage for our every-day life, our sociocultural interactions, our daily journeying and wayfinding. We travel, meet, eat, party, play, demonstrate, even clash, in public space. So […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":578,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[43],"tags":[7,38,48,39,40,19],"class_list":["post-576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-corona","tag-lockdown-scenes","tag-maps","tag-pandemic-public-space","tag-publicness","tag-rotterdam"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/38-SIGNS-scaled.jpg?fit=2215%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":496,"url":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/2021\/04\/29\/ghost-town\/","url_meta":{"origin":576,"position":0},"title":"Ghost Town","author":"Floorvand","date":"29 April 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Public space is the mirror of society, the stage for everday socio-cultural interaction. We meet, eat, party, play, exercise, and, importantly, shop in public space. Pictured is the Meent, a typically busy shopping street in Rotterdam\u2019s centre. Streets like these are the spine of public space, the key support for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Corona Files"","block_context":{"text":"Corona Files","link":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/category\/corona-files\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Ghost_Town.jpg?fit=871%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Ghost_Town.jpg?fit=871%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Ghost_Town.jpg?fit=871%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Ghost_Town.jpg?fit=871%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":670,"url":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/2022\/02\/04\/a-rooftop-for-the-people\/","url_meta":{"origin":576,"position":1},"title":"A Rooftop for the People?","author":"Floorvand","date":"4 February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When urban public space is sacrificed in favour of a new building it is generally agreed that this must be done in a careful manner. This goes for any new structure in an urban context, whether its function is private or public, housing or offices, mono-functional or hybrid, the way\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Public Building"","block_context":{"text":"Public Building","link":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/category\/public-building\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IMG_6847-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IMG_6847-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IMG_6847-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/IMG_6847-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":147,"url":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/2020\/06\/24\/sports-in-times-of-corona\/","url_meta":{"origin":576,"position":2},"title":"Welcome to the Downtown Athletic Club","author":"Floorvand","date":"24 June 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"With sports facilities closed due to Corona, clubs are forced to give group trainings outside. Whether you exercise to feel better or to improve your body, within the confined space of a sports facility you are among like-minded people, initiates. The carefully groomed athletic body must be seen by others,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Corona Files"","block_context":{"text":"Corona Files","link":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/category\/corona-files\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_7737-kopie.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_7737-kopie.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_7737-kopie.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_7737-kopie.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/IMG_7737-kopie.jpg?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1257,"url":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/2024\/03\/30\/keynote-lecture-for-the-public-space-academy\/","url_meta":{"origin":576,"position":3},"title":"Keynote lecture for the Public Space Academy","author":"Floorvand","date":"30 March 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Urban hospitality: what does it entail, for whom, and why does it matter? This was the central question of my online keynote lecture for the Public Space Academy. Based in Bologna, the Academy is the first, free, interdisciplinary educational program aimed at establishing a new approach to urban complexity built\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hostile Architecture"","block_context":{"text":"Hostile Architecture","link":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/category\/hostile-architecture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/welcome.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/welcome.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/welcome.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/welcome.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/welcome.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":799,"url":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/2022\/12\/13\/double-trouble-at-the-weena\/","url_meta":{"origin":576,"position":4},"title":"The Weena Trilogy, Part I: Double Trouble at the Weena","author":"Floorvand","date":"13 December 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A while ago I wrote on Instagram about the defensive intervention I stumbled over in front of the Weenahouse in Rotterdam. Just a short recap, to refresh the memory: Double trouble! Or no, triple trouble! or should I say tripping trouble? Stone strips are glued onto the pavement of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hostile Architecture"","block_context":{"text":"Hostile Architecture","link":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/category\/hostile-architecture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/IMG_8746-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/IMG_8746-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/IMG_8746-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/IMG_8746-scaled.jpeg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":869,"url":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/2023\/01\/19\/whos-afraid-of-the-weena\/","url_meta":{"origin":576,"position":5},"title":"The Weena Trilogy, Part II: Who’s afraid of the Weena?","author":"Floorvand","date":"19 January 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The same week I published my critical column about the offensive measure at the Weena (see previous post), an interesting intervention popped up in my IG feed. A temporary grind rail has been installed at the \u2018crime scene\u2019, using the same stone strips I stumbled over - literally and metaphorically\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hostile Architecture"","block_context":{"text":"Hostile Architecture","link":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/category\/hostile-architecture\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/23mm_Juul_NB-11-1-edited-e1695720076944.jpg?fit=1106%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/23mm_Juul_NB-11-1-edited-e1695720076944.jpg?fit=1106%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/23mm_Juul_NB-11-1-edited-e1695720076944.jpg?fit=1106%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/23mm_Juul_NB-11-1-edited-e1695720076944.jpg?fit=1106%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/23mm_Juul_NB-11-1-edited-e1695720076944.jpg?fit=1106%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcM59q-9i","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1565,"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576\/revisions\/1565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/publicspacedetective.com\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}