Eight Views on Cities and Public Space

Judith Butler: “The city has something in common with a prison when it never ends”

Shared Spaces recorded this conversation with Judith Butler on 5 November 2015 when she visited the CCCB to give the lecture “Bodies That Still Matter”, which was programmed as part of the “Human+” exhibition and in which she spoke about the immediate future that awaits our species.

Nancy Fraser: “Technology is not serving the ends it could serve in [rebuilding] public space”

The American political scientist identifies a paradox in the present-day public sphere. While we have technology which permits a high degree of communication, public space has become corporatised and lacks a culture of citizen participation.   This interview is ...

Saskia Sassen: “Public space is a place in which there is a momentary condition of equality”

Sociologist, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University, New York.  This interview is part of the series "Shared Spaces", an idea of the Public Space  project. International thinkers talk about their favorite places and other aspects related to cities ...

Zygmunt Bauman: “We must make a new version of ourselves if we are to remake places"

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Marta Segarra: “The idea of anonymity has been lost in contemporary cities”

Segarra, Professor of French Literature and Gender Studies, discusses the loss of anonymity in contemporary cities because of overexposure to security. She also speaks of the city’s invisible inhabitants, the vagabonds living amongst us. This interview is part of the series "Shared ...

Owen Jones: “Public and social space should be defended and preserved [against] the profit-making interests of a tiny elite”

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David Harvey: “I like the idea of an urban common which is a political concept which says that this space is open for all kind of people”

Geographer David Harvey talks about public space, common ownership and his view of the new “smart city” economies. This interview is part of the series "Shared Spaces", an idea of the Public Space  project. International thinkers talk about their favorite places ...

Marina Garcés: “The city has something in common with a prison when it never ends”

The Catalan writer reflects upon the volatile, precarious situation of housing, which has turned public space into a refuge. She also notes that the city has something in common with the prison when it does not have clear limits. This interview is part of the series "Shared Spaces", an ...