Creating “People’s Park”: Toward a Redefinition of Urban Space

Abstract

This study examines the development of an urban space, from a vacant lot to a usable public space as a public park, in order to analyze how the transformation of space affects meaning for the surrounding community. I ask: In what ways does this transformation empower individuals to take advantage of subsequent reuse opportunities? Does the process by which the change takes place influence subsequent community engagement opportunities? I argue that how the spatial transformation is organized influences the potential environmental and social justice opportunities that can be created for community members, and thus its impact on the community dynamic of the defined space. For this analysis, I examine how the transformation of space affects human social interaction in a community which, historically, has been racially and economically marginalized. The development of the space was spurred by organizers who felt a public “pocket park” would add value to the community, as well as provide a space for social interaction to take place between community residents. Implemented with little engagement from community residents, I document the transformation of this space—and the positive and negative consequences of the transformation for residents—using participant observation, in-depth interviewing, and content analysis.