Philanthropy & Public Space

In episode 52, we take a look at the relationship between philanthropy and public space. How has philanthropy shaped our understanding of public space, and what role does public space play in driving philanthropy? Including:

Philanthropy and rural public space The role of philanthropy and voluntary action in shaping the development of national parks in the UK and US The history of the National Trust and what it can teach us about the tension between preservation and access Urban parks & greenspace in the UK Public parks philanthropy in the US- success and controversy. How do we ensure that public spaces near where rich people live aren’t supported at the expense of those in less well-off neighbourhoods? Non-green urban public space: sport facilities and community buildings Public space and bridging social capital Does the emergence of quasi-public spaces owned and controlled by the private sector raise new challenges for philanthropy and civil society? Philanthropy and the concept of the public sphere Digital platforms: are they really public spaces? Or do we risk handing control to unaccountable gatekeepers, and what might this mean for civil society freedoms?

 

Related links

 

Historic England, “History of Public Park Funding & Management” Our CAF report “Giving a Sense of Place: Philanthropy & the future of UK Civic Identity” “Philanthropy and the National Parks in the 20th Century”, US National Parks Service Morris, (1983) “Voluntary Societies and British Urban Elites, 1780-1850: An Analysis” Cannadine, D. (1999) “The First Hundred Years” in Newby (ed) The National Trust: The Next Hundred Years The Challenges of Civic Philanthropy, CAF Giving Thought The History of Civic Philanthropy in the UK – CAF Giving Thought “When Nobody Knows You’re a Dog: Tech, Civil Society, and the Fight for Authenticity”, guest article for Stanford Digital Impact blog