The Right to the City

The article, "The end of Public Space?" is mainly about the 1969 riots in San Francisco. They were generally started when a UC chancellor decided that they wanted to turn People's Park, by the University of Berkeley were many homeless resided, into a recreation center for students with volleyball courts and other things. In the end, the University won and now the park is a recreation center for the students at the University. Many were against the idea since they thought that turning the park into a recreation center would make the park loose its true meaning of a free and open park for everyone. In the article it mentioned that the university wanted it to, "to be park in which inappropriate persons-"the criminal element" were removed to make room for students and middle-class residents, who had been excluded because of this matter (120)." I feel that it really absurb that they wanted to kick out the homeless people and deny them another place where they could sleep. It is also upsetting how they mentioned "middle-class residents." I don't understand why you would have to be middle class resident to hang out at a park. Its a public place! A UC spokesperson also mentioned that, "We have no intention to kick out the homeless. They will still be here when the park changes, but without the criminal element that gravitates towards the park (122)." I disagree when they say they want the criminal element to change. Personally I believe that you cannot stop criminal element from gravitating anywhere. I don't think that making a place UC owned would stop "criminals" from coming there. If they want to continue the crime in that area they will. I think that it was just a nicer way and an excuse to scare the homeless people in that area away. Overall I thought that the article was really interesting. It amazes me what the government went through to take away a public place that is meant for everyone, seems like they want to take over everything these days and its even crazier now since they took it to an extreme and tried to take away our freedom on the internet!