Urban Anthropologist Setha Low Speaks on “Why Public Space Matters.”

Parks, beaches, plazas, and boardwalks; these are just a few examples of public spaces– vital spaces in society that are currently threatened by accelerated urban development, privatization, and neglect. Author, speaker, researcher, teacher, and advocate Setha Low provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the state of public space in her newest book, Why Public Space Matters. Throughout her book, Low demonstrates the essential role that public space has in fostering democracy and sustaining urban life. Readers will recognize public space as a tool to repair many of the glaring fissures within American society, from homelessness to spiking heat. Low shines a bright light on these increasingly endangered sites where people from all walks of life meet, work, play, think, and protest, encouraging readers to protect and advocate for these spaces that are often labeled as extraneous. In Why Public Space Matters, Low draws on more than 35 years of fieldwork in parks, plazas, streets, and beaches across the Americas, from New York to Costa Rica.

Low will be interviewed by The Church Executive Director, Sheri Pasquarella, on her book and her research on urban anthropology. A Q&A will follow, and the evening will conclude with a book signing.