Localizando o espaço público: Gentrification e cultura urbana

Abstract

This article discusses the notion of public space based on a case study on policies of urban regeneration and gentrification in Recife, Brazil. Taking the case study as a point of departure, the author problematises the way in which uses of (urban) space entail conflicting conceptions and different practices of relating to public space, with special emphasis on the tensions emerging from the re-significations brought about by regeneration processes. Analysis of this case, centred on the diverse and conflicting ways in which, in this context, public space becomes a space for communication and citizenship, underpins a theoretical discussion hinging on the notion of public space, problematised in its twofold sense: that of public sphere for communication and participation, and of physical space affording public access and use.

Keywords

• public space
• urban regeneration
• city
• conflicting uses of space