Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

As cities change demographically and economically, wealth and poverty are increasingly geographically stratified in dense urban environments. These concentrations of economic resources have significant public space implications. Public space, also known as civic infrastructure, can include parks, recreation centers, libraries, streets, and transit. This poster will present a summary of the economic impact of public space investments on neighboring communities and low-income displacement and frameworks for evaluating impact in public space investments.

The five frameworks that will be compared provide different criteria for public space evaluation. Two frameworks are presented from Greenspan and Mason’s Civic Infrastructure case studies, including the “A Conceptual Framework for Civic Infrastructure” and “Operational Analysis Framework for Civic Infrastructure” (Greenspan & Mason, 2017 & 2018). De Kerret and Bell’s “Image, Use, Idea Framework” provides an architectural lens to public space investment (de Kerret & Bell, 2017). The Reimagining the Civic Commons’ “Measuring the Commons” framework, adopted by several national foundations in the United States, provides a framework of five indicators with specific variables for analysis (Studio Gang Architects, 2014). And, Ercan’s “Post-Industrial Public Space Analysis” framework will provide methods to analysis a variety types of public space usage (Ercan, 2007).

Public space analysis exists in an axis of disciplines, from landscape architecture to public policy to anthropology. Each discipline brings its own lens to analyze the impacts and responses to these investments across the world.

This interdisciplinary poster seeks to compare and bridge these frameworks with policy implications for community developers, local governments, and community organizations. Policy implications may include usage measurements, community engagement and resident feedback structures, small business and affordable housing needs and protections, and future investment guidelines.