STOP DESIGNING PUBLIC SPACES

Philippe Petit between the WTC, 1974

Please, let's stop designing public spaces.

Space is rare and scarce, it should not be wasted by frivolities.

Public space is an excuse for a good-intended architect to aspire for grandiosity. It is often a space for an artist (Serra?) to promote his (good) will. For a rock and roll band to promote a phone company (you too?). For a hot dog stand to promote the delicacies of local cuisine.

All and all, every public space is dominated by the market. As Freedman said, there's no such a thing as a free lunch. When trying to create a gathering place, a collective-contestation space, we are not designing for riots to have a home, but are forming another location to be occupied by the shopping mall and its variants. 

I suggest we focus on building interfaces. On building walls that are permeable. Fences that allow to be climbed. Windows that could easily break in case of discontentment. By engaging in the discourse of "space-for-all" we are reducing architecture to a marketing campaign. Let's make buildings that support people by it's opposite.
Instead of the void, let's give people the boundaries where they can do what they do best. They will find a way.