THE PRIVATIZATION OF DOWNTOWN PUBLIC SPACE - THE EMERGING GRADE-SEPARATED CITY IN NORTH-AMERICA

In recent years, public space in many North American cities has been p hysically and socially layered through the construction of grade-separ ated pedestrian systems. Case studies of downtown Houston, Minneapolis , and Toronto investigate the emerging geography of the grade-separate d city by examining: how the growth of skyway and tunnel systems recon figures the proximity of downtown activities to one another; how quasi -public space within these systems is designed and controlled by the p rivate sector; and the way that downtown spaces-both on the street and within these systems-are used by the general public. A common set of patterns reveals the challenges to social diversity in the heart of th e North American city.