Changing public space

Figure 3.2 The Beestenmarkt in Delft completely covered by sidewalk cafés
‘Uitstad’, literally ‘city of going out’ (Burgers, 1992). According to Burgers (2002: 25-26), it is not
possible to measure the growing attention. Nevertheless, local governments have become very
sensitive for the economic impact of leisure time, and are therefore increasingly finding visitors
nearly as important as the inhabitants of a city. This broad audience makes redevelopment of the
city centre particularly difficult, because “… redevelopments must be familiar enough to make the
visitor feel at home, but also ‘unique’ enough to make them more attractive than other town and
city centres …” (Tan, 2006: 13). Many local governments also struggle between the programming
of events and design of redeveloped squares. Meyer et al. (2006) describe two extremes of the
spectrum: the Potzdamer Platz in Berlin (much programming and design) and the Plaça dels
Països Catalans in Barcelona (little programming and design). The one is not superior to the
other because both squares satisfy a particular need; while the redeveloped Potzdamer Platz has
brought spectacle in a previously desolate neighbourhood (Allen, 2006), the Plaça dels Països
Catalans offers quietude and space in a chaotically built urban area. Local governments thus act
differently upon the urban structure and characteristics of their city. The role and motives of the
local government are further elaborated in Section 4.3.1.
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