Figure 1 . Measuring What Matters Wellbeing Framework
Figure 2 . Types of Public Spaces
1 . Co-presence - sharing space with strangers , encountering unknown others ( e . g . food shopping ; walking down a busy street );
1 . Sociability and friendship - durable relationships with people developed over time ( e . g . meeting up with friends );
2 . Care and kinship - relationships of mutual dependency and care ( parenting , being available in times of need );
3 . Kinaesthetic practices - the interactions and relationships built and practised through physical activity ( playing sport as a team , walking in a neighbourhood );
4 . Carnival and collective experience - the experience of being part of a crowd with others ( attending a football match , going to a music festival ); and
Public spaces have been shown to reduce social isolation and create social cohesion by encouraging dwelling outside the home , providing a place for people to interact with others and undertake social activities ( Elands et al ., 2018 ). They are the key location for social encounters that cross the lines of gender , race and class , making them crucial to reducing social tensions and providing relief to daily life ( Cattell et al ., 2018 ). Beyond short encounters , public spaces also support more durable and intimate social connections , including relations of care and mutual dependence . There are a number of mechanisms through which public spaces facilitate social connection ( Layton and Latham , 2022 ) including :
5 . Civic engagement - organising and acting to support social life , campaigning for change ( e . g . volunteering , canvassing ).
The above mechanisms provide an explanation of the static relationship between public spaces and social connection at an individual level . This article will build on this existing research to discuss two societal functions of public spaces . I
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 17 NO 2 2024 15