BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Public private parks: the soft privatization of London’s parks a
 nd green spaces - Andrew Smith\, University of Westminster
DTSTART:20241119T130000Z
DTEND:20241119T140000Z
UID:TALK223135@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Tom Fry
DESCRIPTION:London played a pivotal role in the invention of public parks\
 , and it is now at the forefront of new\, neoliberal\, park management str
 ategies. This paper explores if\, how and why London’s parks have been p
 rivatized\, and how related changes have been resisted by activists and ca
 mpaigners. Instead of land sales to private sector interests - which would
  too unpalatable even in the neoliberal age - there has been a more subtle
 \, ‘soft’ privatization of London’s parks and green spaces. This is 
 an ongoing process that involves shifting responsibility from the public s
 ector to the third sector - social enterprises\, trusts and volunteer grou
 ps - and sanctioning commercial incursions that allow parks to generate th
 eir own funding. Attractions and amenities that generate income have been 
 added\, and parks have been hired out to entertainment companies for event
 s. This part-privatization is further “softened” by associating these 
 changes with fun and festivity\, and via rhetoric that emphasises the need
  to modernise ‘outdated’ parks to make them more relevant to a wider s
 et of users. Even if park privatization is best described as ‘soft’\, 
 the effects are anything but\, and this paper assesses the impact of soft-
 privatization at two levels. The implications for democratic accountabilit
 y and financial transparency are discussed but\, crucially\, the effects 
 ‘on the ground’ are also assessed\, most notably the diminished inclus
 ivity and integrity of urban green spaces. 
LOCATION:Department of Geography\, Small Lecture Theatre
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR