The Public Spaces Listserve is an open forum for people of all backgrounds to discuss the pressing (and sometimes not-so-pressing) issues concerning public spaces. Below are some highlights from recent discussions.

On THE PITFALLS OF PUBLIC ART

As an urban designer based in the UK I have strong reservations about public art and would always recommend to clients that they avoid such programs. Public art initiatives are now an integral part of the UK regeneration industry - the rule rather than the exception - and as such, produce the ordinary and the irritating rather than the exceptional. In many cases, public art installations simply confirm that all is not right with an area and affirm that the regeneration industry is at work - producing often pointless and seemingly extravagant objects which are perceived as a waste of resources, when poverty, unemployment, drug abuse and poor housing conditions are the real concerns.

- Hugh Macpherson

I believe that part of the problem is that all "art" is automatically assumed to have an intrinsic positive value. Clients, consultants and communities are afraid to question the need for, or nature of, public art, in case they are seen as undiscerning or uncultured. The lack of critical analysis means that a great deal of public art that materializes in our streets and spaces has very little to contribute to the experience of using or being in the space - and too frequently ends up as an irrelevant or detrimental feature - a poor substitute for investment in more appropriate fundamentals.

- Janet Benton

On REM KOOLHAAS

I live close to the 'Kunsthal,' a museum in Rotterdam, Holland designed by Rem Koolhaas. This building is a piece of art in itself; architects from all over the world love it...

This building doesn't work. A lot of visitors come to see the art, not the museum. But they can't find the entry, they can't find the cafe (you have to go out again), they can't find their way around, etc. Also, the people that work in this building have piles of complaints. Rem Koolhaas is a great in ARTitecture (space, materials and philosophy), but is not interested in usability or craftsmanship.

- Machiel van Dorst

My own feelings about Koolhaas swing back and forth between suspicion and a sort of approving wonder. His book "S M L XL" and the proposed (now dead) LACMA redesign and the New York Prada store make me suspicious; the Harvard Shopping book, his residential projects, his Chinese research, and the Seattle library are impressive and at least demonstrate a mind at work... whatever else you say about him, you have to admit he does his research. And he has the best name doesn't he?

- Walt Lockley

On OPEN SPACE vs. ACTIVE RECREATION

As I see it, funding is the biggest issue facing "open space" and the like. Communities I have visited that have dedicated funding, typically in the form of a millage, have more open space and parkland. Governing is about making choices, and whether we like it or not, this might mean choosing to sell 100 acres of pristine woodlands that serve 1000 people a year, vs. funding a ballfield complex that serves 10,000. This doesn't simply that open space isn't important, but that it's not the most important. And as I said earlier, parks and recreation people are accustomed to this because similar choices are often made in our communities.

- Jason Camis

The issue, it seems to me, is does the design fit the resource. Both active and passive recreation facilities can be detrimental to wetlands, wildlife, any natural resource. A ballfield can be a large land alteration with obvious consequences while a paved pathway through rare species habitat equally damaging. The distinction in definition is in the mind and intent of the user not the facility, in my opinion. Recreational users try to make the distinction inappropriately and sometimes for political agendas. Park designers and managers need to balance the recreational needs of the public while at the same time taking care to preserve natural resources--not always possible!

- Joel Lerner

On BUYING LOCAL

I would challenge that the best way to ensure your health and that of the environment is to lean more towards local than anything else. By buying locally, you help support small farmers in your area (and keep you local public markets strong!) and can learn about the crop maintenance methods they use in order to make you own decision.

- Aley Schoonmaker

The way out the giant food biz nightmare is also a way back to natural vitality and health. It only takes a few one foot square soil boxes about three inches in depth and some shelf space to have a home garden that will feed a family. And once our local communities once again consist of like-minded people who grow their own food and would not ever dream of polluting their neighbors air and water simply to serve their own self-interests, awareness of caring for the environment on a larger scale will follow suit.

- William Daniel