Urban public open spaces are essential to sustainable, inclusive, and livable cities. Yet in many developing countries, these spaces are gradually disappearing, contributing to urban blight, social tension, environmental decline, and increased insecurity. This book examines how conflicting stakeholder values influence the planning, management, and preservation of urban public open spaces. It develops and validates a framework for identifying these values, understanding their underlying causes, and managing them toward a shared vision for public space. The book offers a practical and theoretical contribution to the sustainable management of urban public open spaces, particularly in developing-country contexts.

Urban public open spaces are essential to sustainable, inclusive, and livable cities. Yet in many developing countries, these spaces are gradually disappearing, contributing to urban blight, social tension, environmental decline, and increased insecurity. This book examines how conflicting stakeholder values influence the planning, management, and preservation of urban public open spaces. It develops and validates a framework for identifying these values, understanding their underlying causes, and managing them toward a shared vision for public space. The book offers a practical and theoretical contribution to the sustainable management of urban public open spaces, particularly in developing-country contexts.