Essay About Public Space

887 Words4 Pages
To commence with, the term “public space” includes “all piers, thoroughfares, streets, roads, lanes, alleys, courts, squares, archways, waterways, passages, paths, ways and places to which the public have access either continuously or periodically, whether the same are the property of the Government or of private persons”. Moreover, people from all walks of life, regardless of their social and economic conditions, have the right to access a public space. People make use of a public space as a site not only for circulation, but also a site of social and cultural implications. For instance, one can freely exchange his / her values or thoughts with any other in the public space. Firstly, it is beyond doubt that there is conspicuous increase of…show more content…
Several large recreation parks in Hong Kong, for instance, Victoria Park, Hong Kong Park, Kowloon Park and the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens, are established together with numerous parks inside our public housing estates. Yet, are those really regarded as real public space? First of all, rules are set for the users which violating the freedom of them in utilizing the public space. For example, bringing animals to the parks, riding bicycle, running, walking on grass and lying on benches are all prohibited in the parks managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Moreover, many of these parks are subject to fixed opening hours which lessen the time for public’s enjoyment. Thus, these are in fact infringe on the freedom of the citizens to use the public space. Besides, how about our commercial streets and street markets which also provide us with public space for social and cultural implications? For instance, Women’s Street in Mongkok is a significant public space for the locals to interact with tourists and the Temple Street Market in Yau Ma Tei is another crucial public space to demonstrate the unique living styles of Hongkongers. However, these public spaces are surrounded with old buildings. But most of them have been redeveloped by the government according to the mode of shopping malls which again eaten up public
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