The notion of “public space” is familiar from Hannah Arendt and implies an actual public location (forum, agora) in which participation in public life is possible. The idea of “public sphere” comes from Habermas and includes less tangible and more private spaces (salons and media) where people come together to discuss.

There are other ideas of public space. One of them is Margaret Crawford's idea of "everyday space" which comes from an analysis of the traditional public space (defined above). Those spaces - the acropolis, public square, etc - were for a priveledged few. Those excluded formed communities elsewhere, not in typical "public spaces." It makes us wonder, where did the people who were excluded go? They used the available space in homes, workplaces, bars, empty lots, backyards, and frontyards. It means there is another form of public space and we are compelled to look anew at our city. When we look at our city this way and how different people are using it, we see the everyday spaces of sidewalks, empty lots, front lawns and traffic islands as public space.