About the book
Focusing on the liberating promise of public space, The Beach Beneath the Streets examines the activist struggles of communities in New York City—queer youth of color, gardeners, cyclists, and anti-gentrification activists—as they transform streets, piers, and vacant lots into everyday sites for autonomy, imagination, identity formation, creativity, problem solving, and even democratic renewal. Through ethnographic accounts of contests over New York City's public spaces that highlight the tension between resistance and repression, Shepard and Smithsimon identify how changes in the control of public spaces—parks, street corners, and plazas—have reliably foreshadowed elites' shifting designs on the city at large. With an innovative taxonomy of public space, the authors frame the ways spaces as diverse as gated enclaves, luxury shopping malls, collapsing piers and street protests can be understood in relation to one another. Synthesizing the fifty-year history of New York's neoliberal transformation and the social movements which have opposed the process, The Beach Beneath the Streets captures the dynamics at work in the ongoing shaping of urban spaces into places of repression, expression, control, and creativity.
Editions of The Beach Beneath the Streets
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781438436197
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781438436203
- PDF
- ISBN 9781438436210
Read an Excerpt
Focusing on the liberating promise of public space, The Beach Beneath the Streets examines the activist struggles of communities in New York City—queer youth of color, gardeners, cyclists, and anti-gentrification activists—as they transform streets, piers, and vacant lots into everyday sites for autonomy, imagination, identity formation, creativity, problem solving, and even democratic renewal. Through ethnographic accounts of contests over New York City's public spaces that highlight the tension between resistance and repression, Shepard and Smithsimon identify how changes in the control of public spaces—parks, street corners, and plazas—have reliably foreshadowed elites' shifting designs on the city at large. With an innovative taxonomy of public space, the authors frame the ways spaces as diverse as gated enclaves, luxury shopping malls, collapsing piers and street protests can be understood in relation to one another. Synthesizing the fifty-year history of New York's neoliberal transformation and the social movements which have opposed the process, The Beach Beneath the Streets captures the dynamics at work in the ongoing shaping of urban spaces into places of repression, expression, control, and creativity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Beach Beneath the Streets about?
Focusing on the liberating promise of public space, The Beach Beneath the Streets examines the activist struggles of communities in New York City—queer youth of color, gardeners, cyclists, and anti-gentrification activists—as they transform streets, piers, and vacant lots into everyday sites for autonomy, imagination, identity formation, creativity, problem solving, and even democratic renewal. Through ethnographic accounts of contests over New York City's public spaces that highlight the tension between resistance and repression, Shepard and Smithsimon identify how changes in the control of public spaces—parks, street corners, and plazas—have reliably foreshadowed elites' shifting designs on the city at large. With an innovative taxonomy of public space, the authors frame the ways spaces as diverse as gated enclaves, luxury shopping malls, collapsing piers and street protests can be understood in relation to one another. Synthesizing the fifty-year history of New York's neoliberal transformation and the social movements which have opposed the process, The Beach Beneath the Streets captures the dynamics at work in the ongoing shaping of urban spaces into places of repression, expression, control, and creativity.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Beach Beneath the Streets?
Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning > Regional and area planning > Urban and municipal planning and policy
Where can I read a sample of The Beach Beneath the Streets?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781438436197
How long is The Beach Beneath the Streets and how many pages does it have?
The Beach Beneath the Streets has 256 page(s)
Is The Beach Beneath the Streets part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Excelsior Editions
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Beach Beneath the Streets?
Benjamin Heim Shepard, Gregory Smithsimon
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The Beach Beneath the Streets is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781438436197) and paperback(ISBN 9781438436203) and pdf(ISBN 9781438436210)
Where can I buy The Beach Beneath the Streets online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The Beach Beneath the Streets from below
Where can I buy The Beach Beneath the Streets?