Civic Space

Civic spaces, sometimes also referred to as “public places” or “civic centers,” are areas of land characterized by the fact that they are managed and (entirely or partially) funded by local municipal, state, and federal governments. Examples include city parks, public libraries, national historic landmarks, and museums. Some broader definitions of civic spaces also encompass government administrative buildings such as post offices, courthouses, and city halls. Typically, however, the designation as a civic space implies places that inspire and nurture community interaction. These spaces are intended for cultural programming, protest, relaxation, celebration, and a broad range of community-oriented activities and gatherings. The prevalence and centrality of civic spaces have evolved throughout human history. In the Western world, Greek and Roman city planners first conceived of the notion of a central administrative complex that was the forerunner to today's civic spaces.

In the United States, civic spaces have undergone dramatic shifts over the past century. After World War II, as increasing numbers of urban dwellers moved outside the city center, publicly funded civic spaces were being abandoned in favor of private and semiprivate suburban spaces such as malls and movie theater complexes. Such privately owned public spaces (e.g., malls) offered air conditioning, security, and ample parking and were dominated by commercial and retail activity. Over the past decade, however, as more people sought to return to higher-density living, civic spaces like greenways, parks, and museums have experienced a rebirth. Municipal leaders are also encouraging the return to downtown living and often seek to portray their city's or state's civic space as an emblem for their community. More recently, civic spaces are being renovated and built anew using sustainable green building principles. Civic leaders aim to portray these new sustainable, green civic spaces as economically sound investments and progressive symbols of their communities. In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law, providing billions of dollars for creating and renovating civic spaces using green building principles. This transformative piece of legislation will provide public funding and investment in creating sustainable civic spaces for the 21st century.