Public Realm Theory, from State to State of Being/Becoming

Abstract

Public realm theorists have been debating the purpose, procedures, and activities of democratic public space since the Athenians’ first short-lived foray into politics more than 2,400 years ago. While this chapter does hope to contribute a few new tensions and insights into this debate, its primary task is to draw attention to the shared commitment of all public realm theorists to divide the responsibilities of the public sphere into distinct realms with each having its own particular rules, tasks, and purposes. The motivation behind this particular intention comes from my belief that the mutual and foundational distinction all public realm theorists’ make between the kinds of activities that are appropriate for different spheres has yet to be given the credence it deserves. Many of the most promising contemporary social movements, not least of which is the environmental movement, continue to struggle with reconciling the need to fight for survival along side the equally essential passion to help create a world where to be an environmentalist (or any other progressive) would not involve a constant battle against societal norms.