Miejskie przestrzenie we władaniu prywatnym (hybrydowe przestrzenie publiczne) i ich funkcje w mieście
Privately owned public spaces (hybrid public spaces) and their function within the city

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to allow for a better understanding of the specificity of hybrid spaces present in cities. The number of these particular city spaces is increasing, as the model of social relationships based on consumption becomes dominant [Bauman 2006; Ritzer 2001]. As a result of these changes, urban spaces, including pedestrian open spaces, are becoming a commodity used for the accumulation and reproduction of capital. The pressure of private capital quickly leads to the creation of a new type of city space that is an amalgamation of features found in private and public spaces. Several authors have labelled them hybrid spaces [Kohn 2004; Nissen 2008]. These areas can still be used for socializing, but commodification has strongly changed their function, compared to the traditionally understood idea of a public space. The commodification process usually leads to the homogenization of city spaces, both functionally and visually. The result is the formation of areas of the city dominated by entertainment, in which users are segregated, and the scenario of their possible actions is predetermined. What is more, there is also a limitation of any civic activities [Harvey 2012; Kohn 2004; Lofland 2007; Low, Smith 2006; Mitchell 2003; Sorkin, 1992]. The commodified space does not support deeper social functions: from unbalanced, natural encounters with “others” and “strangers”, through public gatherings, to the expression of civic protests. These processes usually also lead to the homogenization of inner-city spaces, both in the visual and functional layers. These limitations and the reduction of physical access to hybrid urban areas can become a source of serious social conflicts. To better describe the issues outlined above, the privatized pedestrian space of the “Manufaktura” shopping center in Lodz (Central Poland) is analysed. This retail complex consists of several buildings, which are located around a privately-owned square, which (according to some sources) is the largest private city plaza in Europe. The discussion about the functions of this area as a hybrid space leads to the conclusion that a methodology of systematic description, which also allows for comparisons between such spaces (at the functional layer), is lacking. Therefore, the authors outline a mixed-methods approach which fills the existing gap.

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