Abstract
The relationship between public space and violence is of increasingly urgent conceptual and topical interest in contemporary western cities. How the works of political theorist Hannah Arendt may inform and enhance geographical enquiries into such a relationship is greatly under appreciated. In stark contrast, the works of social theorist Henri Lefebvre form a common and established foundation for many of the most well-known studies on urban public space. As a radical and, at times, critical companion to the existing corpus of works on urban public space, this thesis will explore how a conversation between Arendt and Lefebvre can illuminate the role of dialogue, transgression, and violence in the formation of public space. Anchoring this conversation on Arendt’s The Human Condition (1958) and Lefebvre’s The Production of Space (1974), an argument is developed that the practical realisation of urban public space can possess the potential to transform existing geographies of segregation and violence. In making this case, emphasis will be placed on the heterogeneous practices, endless fragility, and inevitable violence involved in the production of public spaces. This dissertation will simultaneously interact with the Marxist roots of Lefebvre’s idea of urban needs and his passing intellectual exploration of violence, thus offering an alternative notion of urban praxis premised upon plurality, non-violence, and the potential immortality of action.To complement what is primarily a theoretical dissertation, the town of Luton in Bedfordshire has been engaged as an illustrative case study.
| Date of Award | 2018 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Daanish Mustafa (Supervisor), Mark Pelling (Supervisor) & Alex Loftus (Supervisor) |