More and more often, barriers have been erected between the public and POPS, as privately owned public spaces are known.
Matt A.V. Chaban provides a first hand account of the use of "privately owned public spaces" (POPS) in New York City. Chaban notes that POPS are "are a quintessential New York real estate amenity that grants building owners zoning bonuses if they open part of their properties to the public." Yet Chaban's survey of POPS reveals that whatever public benefit was intended in exchange for that additional private benefit has disappeared.
Chaban begins by referencing his earlier column discussing the additional privatization of the POPS at Trump Tower before touring 40 Broad Street and Le Parker Meridien hotel, exploring the ongoing question of how public these spaces really are.
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