The Social Life of Privately-Owned Public Spaces: Investigating the history and social outcomes of POPS—one of the most powerful tools for creating public space in modern American cities.

Abstract

The following thesis focuses on a very specific area of cities: privately-owned public spaces (POPS). The tools that cities and real estate developers employ to build these spaces are some of the most effective for creating public spaces in urban environments. But while the quantity of POPS has grown significantly across the county, the quality of such spaces for public use and enjoyment remained an unsettled question. The goal of this thesis is to complete an in-depth public life study on the latest iteration of privately-owned public spaces in Seattle in order to determine whether such policies result in well-functioning, vibrant social spaces. Using the framework created by William Holly Whyte for assessing social space, it investigates the social life of three plazas in the South Lake Union neighborhood in order to reach its ultimate conclusions about what works, what doesn’t, and how these spaces might be improved.