Open urban spaces are an ideal stage for public events. An important prerequisite for their design in an increasingly heterogeneous multicultural cityscape is the relationship between design, use, and social function. The book documents both temporary as well as permanent installations of various kinds -- from the open-air courtyard of a museum to the design of a river bank promenade, through to a city park.

• CONTENTS
• FOREWORD
• PREFACE
• THE RISE OF FLEXIBLE SPACE
• THE CULTURE OF CHANGE: A PERSONAL READING
• THE URBAN SURFACE: SHIFTING FIELDS FOR CURATED EVENTS
• OPEN-ENDED: PUBLIC SPACES AS COMPLEX ADAPTIVE SYSTEMS
• FUNDING FLEXIBLE SPACE
• GIANT BUNNIES AND ELECTRIC SWINGS: PLANNING, PROGRAMMING AND PLAY
• SCRATCH THAT!
• CASE STUDIES
• HARVARD PLAZA
• GRANARY SQUARE
• WATCH THIS SPACE — ROYAL THEATRE
• BRADFORD CITY PARK
• POTTERS FIELDS PARK
• LAWN ON D
• A’BECKETT URBAN SQUARE
• JOHN MADJESKI COURTYARD V&A
• BATTERSEA POWER STATION POP-UP PARK
• MOMA PS1
• SERPENTINE PAVILION
• ROBSON REDUX
• RADCLIFFE PUBLIC ART COMPETITION
• LA PLACE DES FESTIVALS AND LA PROMENADE DES ARTISTES
• TRAFALGAR SQUARE
• SOUTHBANK CENTRE SQUARE
• NAVY YARD CENTRAL GREEN
• THE GOODS LINE
• SECHSELÄUTENPLATZ
• BENTHEMPLEIN WATER SQUARE
• MORE LONDON
• BRYANT PARK
• SOMERSET HOUSE FOUNTAIN COURT
• DU MUSÉE AVENUE
• BERGES DE SEINE
• SCHOUWBURGPLEIN (THEATRE SQUARE)
• CENTRO ABIERTO DE ACTIVIDADES CIUDADANAS (CAAC)
• SCHLOSSPLATZ — TEMPORARY PARK AT HUMBOLDT FORUM
• DESIGNING FOR THE URBAN SUBLIME: THE UNCANNY AS A PROGRAMMATIC MOTIVATION IN NEW CITY PARKS
• THE REDEVELOPMENT OF KING’S CROSS, LONDON
• KEY PROJECTS OF ASPECT STUDIOS
• OPEN AND INVITATIONAL: THE DESIGN APPROACH OF JAMES CORNER FIELD OPERATIONS
• PERMANENT AND EPHEMERAL CULTURE: PLACE DES FESTIVALS — QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES, MONTREAL
• INNOCENCE
• AFTERWORD: DESIGN, CURATION AND IDENTITY
• Visual index
• Index
• About the author
• About the contributors
• Acknowledgements
• Illustration credits