As cities continue to mandate that developers incorporate privately-owned public open spaces (POPOS) into their blueprints, the city residents are wondering how well these spaces work. Next American City and San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association will host “Space in the City: Privately Owned, Publicly Used” to discuss the changing role of public spaces on Wednesday, April 23 from 6-8 p.m. at a to-be-announced POPOS in the San Francisco.
“Space in the City” will delve into the topic of how public are these POPOS, how well they have worked in the past and how we must reconsider them as we look to the future. As San Francisco transitions from a commuter work city to a residential 24 hour city, we must also begin reconsidering the changing nature of spaces to better suit the needs of the public.
Panelists include Ethan Kent, vice-president of the Project for Public Spaces; Josh Switzky, Built Environment lead of the San Francisco Planning Department; John Bela, co-founder of Rebar; and Marjorie Driscoll, executive director of American Institute for Architects San Francisco. Sarah Karlinsky, policy director of SPUR, will moderate the event.