Public Spaces Private Places

If "public space" is created and managed by private companies, what rights do any of us have while in those spaces? What are the trade offs of giving land and tax incentives to companies who promise "affordable housing" and increased revenue with the presence of sports stadiums? L. Joy brings Prof. Anthony Maniscalco to the front of the class for the discussion along with her thoroughest girls June and Lurie.

Our Guest

Professor Anthony Maniscalco is Director of the CUNY-ETR Internship Program in Government and Public Affairs. Professor-in-Residence, New York State Assembly. A self-described “agoraphiliac,” Tony earned his Ph.D. in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center. His dissertation examines the role of the United States Supreme Court in undermining freedoms of expression in privately-owned public spaces, primarily, regional shopping malls in American suburbs. Much of that work was later published by SUNY Press in 2015/2016.In his book, Public Spaces, Marketplaces, and the Constitution, he explores how scholars in various academic disciplines understand and attempt to indicate “public space” and “public sphere,” as well as the ways in which publicity and civic engagement have been historically expressed and/or contested in marketplaces throughout the West. Following detailed analysis of First Amendment jurisprudence resulting from legal battles inside privately-owned shopping centers, Maniscalco turns his attention to the changing demographics of American suburbs, as well as the risks potentially posed to civil rights by the New Urbanism. He continues to research these areas, while exploring social justice issues within privately-financed/operated projects and other shared urban spaces.