The Future of Public Space

T T7 That is the future of our public space? Not an unreasonable question \ A/ to 35 k as we stand at the threshold of a new century. A hundred Y V years ago this question probably would not have crossed our minds. There was then no reason to be concerned about the future of public space, for it was a time when the urban park systems of many major U.S. cities were experiencing remarkable growth (Rybczynski, 1999). In contrast, we have seen very little expansion of parks and open space systems in American cities in recent decades. Amenities that contribute to the iivability of cities are now in short supply. The stock of open spaces has not kept up with population growth, especially in older core cities. While some suburbs at the edges of metropolises have added new open space, the overall metropolitan outcome has been uneven and unequal. While the wealthy suburbs flaunt their bridle paths, golf courses, jogging trails, tennis courts, and nature reserves,1 more-moderate-income , older, and inner-city communities struggle to keep up with the growing demand for baseball diamonds, basketball courts, and soccer fields.