The use of incentives by the public sector as a means to rely on the private sector provide public amenities has become a catalyst for urban development on the past three decades. Privatized urban public space is the spatial manifestation of such incentives, which constitutes a platform for a broad debate among sociologists, political scientists, economist and policymakers about the notion and consequences of commodification of urban public space. This presentation will discuss the role of incentives for urban development by examining the case of privatized urban spaces in NYC as a result of 1961 zoning resolution and its impact on the proliferation of Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) in advanced global cities.

Liat Eisen is an architect and urban planner that holds a PhD from the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at the New School, New York. Liat’s interests include privatization of urban public space, incentives for urban development, spatial politics, and conflict resolution in divided cities.