The placebo effect : towards the idealized Public Space

Abstract

Contemporary reality proves that public space is shifted from the traditional square to the shopping mall - cities is now impossible not to take into consideration the dynamics of these new spaces and especially the way in which they try to impose as part of the public domain or, even more, as the ideal public space. But how is it possible to depart from the idea of shopping malls being described as non-places, an idea that has been generally adopted and repeatedly used, and move to an idea that wants them to represent the new public space? Are the qualities they claim to have, sufficient enough to go through such an approach? This paper therefore aims to examine the different levels of publicity in the shopping mall and, from this perspective, to discuss whether this “idealized” place, is a vital public space, or just an illusion, instead of a real answer, to people’s continuous need for a high quality public space.