Modern urban societies have become fragmented environments consisting of individuals. Here theoretical accounts and case studies address whether making public spaces more accessible can restore the social fabric of the city, highlighting key projects across the world.

1. Introduction Part 1: Changing Nature of Public Space in City Centres 2. Less Public Than Before? Public Space Improvement in Newcastle City Centre 3. Youth Participation and Revanchist Regimes: Redeveloping Old Eldon Square, Newcastle upon Tyne 4. Can Public Space Improvement Revive the City Centre? The Case of Taichung, Taiwan 5. Change in the public spaces of traditional cities: Zaria, Nigeria Part 2: Public Space and Everyday Life in Urban Neighbourhoods 6. Marginal Public Spaces in Europe 7. Gating the Streets: The Changing Shape of Public Spaces in South Africa 8. Public Spaces within Modern Residential Areas in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 9. The Design and Development of Public Open Spaces in an Iranian New Town 10. Making Public Space in Low Income Neighbourhoods in Mexico 11. Co-Production of Public Space: Redefinition of Social Meaning, the Case of Nord-Pas de Calais, France 12. Whose Public Space?