Title:

Urban public spaces (Place de la Rpublique, Paris)

Name:

Sirpa Tani

Institution:

Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki

Description

Public spaces in cities refer to locations that are open and possible for people
to access. In big cities, public squares are places that serve many different
needs: they can have some symbolic value (important landmarks such as
statues and fountains are often located on squares) carrying some traces of
the past. In everyday life, the squares can be used as meeting places, places
for relaxation, and spaces for watching other people.
Place de la Rpublique in Paris carries all these meanings. Both the name of
the square and the statue of Marianne, the national symbol of the French
Republic, at the centre of the square, refer to the French revolution and thus
represent the history of the country. The Square was one of the busiest
roundabouts in Paris until two-thirds of the square and its surrounding streets
were pedestrianized in 2013. It is now a popular spot for skateboarding, and
its big metro station makes the place easy to reach from other parts of the
city. After the terrorist attacks in January and November 2015, the Square
became the mourning site for many people. After the first attacks, it gathered
1.6 million people to express solidarity against terrorism; the demonstration
was said to be the largest in modern French history.
In geography lessons teaching about cities, how do we encourage young
people to understand the multiple meanings of place and space?


Figure 1. Place de la Rpublique as a space of mourning (the statue became a
site of remembering after the terrorist attacks in 2015 in Paris) and as a space
of refugees (the people sleeping under the tarpaulins).

Figure 2. Place de la Rpublique as a symbolic space (Fluctuat nec
mergitur is the motto of Paris, meaning She is tossed by the waves but
does not sink).


Figure 3. Place de la Rpublique as a home for a homeless person
(sleeping on the bench) and as a site for graffiti artists.

Figure 4. Place de la Rpublique as a space for skateboarding.

Discussion

Roads and streets, pavements, parks, beaches and squares are normally
regarded as public spaces that can be used by all the people without any
special permit or fee. In reality, however, the definition of public space is
often more complex. Even when squares and parks may seem public, they
can be owned by some private companies, which can then regulate peoples
access to them. This can also result in social exclusion seen in many public
spaces. Even when the space is officially public, some people may be
excluded by prohibiting their behaviour (no loitering, no street vending,
etc.) or by preventing unwanted actions: benches can be designed in a way
that lying down would be impossible and skate stoppers can be used to
exclude skateboarders. Some of the exclusionary practices can be more
hidden: with certain looks and behaviour some people can easily be made to
feel they are not welcome.

Where is the powerful disciplinary knowledge? The case of the Place de la
Rpublique could be just an illustration used in urban geography lessons as
an example of urban land use and urban planning: cities have public spaces.
However, we could use this as an instance to demonstrate the complex
character of public spaces. The Square has had different roles in the course of
time, and it still has many palimpsest meanings that can be identified. It can
be investigated as an example of a place that carries many symbolic
meanings for people both in the neighbourhood but also globally. The case of
the Place de la Rpublique enables young people to acquire a multi-
perspectival, deeper understanding of the concept of social space.