Do welfare states need privately owned public spaces? The relevance of and need for such spaces in German cities

ABSTRACT

Privately owned public space (POPS) are a new type of public space that was first introduced in New York City in the 1960s. POPS have been thoroughly studied in the Anglo-American world; however, little examination has been conducted in welfare states. This paper examines to what extent this type of space is relevant and needed for German cities where the private sector involvement is limited. Survey findings, document analysis, and in-depth interviews indicate that private stakeholders are important partners in the provision of public spaces, and co-produced public spaces like POPS are already part of the urban reality in Germany.

KEYWORDS:

• Privately owned public space
• public space governance
• co-production
• public service delivery
• welfare state

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).