‘Soft’ privatization of public space: autonomization of outdoor retail markets in the Netherlands

The last three decades reveal a burgeoning body of research that critically examines the role private actors in governance public space. Contributing to this work, paper shows how an increasing number outdoor retail markets Netherlands have become typified by forms physical and symbolic exclusion, although these outcomes are achieved different methods practices than direct appropriation provision. Through creation non-profit quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations (quangos), more local governments delegated their responsibilities for management regulation trader-run organizations; process called ‘autonomization’. Based on semi-structured interviews, participant observation documentary research, traces main motivations behind, as well implications of, process. It points sometimes ambivalent nature quangos, which selected market traders stipulate what type participation is appropriate. concept ‘soft’ privatization developed denote autonomization it does not directly exclude visitors, but instead creates particular regime sense-scape attracts certain people excludes others.