Book Review

The National Mall
Author’s Name
Institution

The National Mall
According to this book, public space is an area that is open for the public to access and conduct a variety of activities (Benton-Short, 2016, p. 32). The public space denotes freedom. It means that there are no restrictions to access and use the space as long as the events in place do not violate any laws the government might have in place. No one has the liberty to restrain another person from accessing and using a public space. The government preserves the public spaces for the public to use when expressing their opinions on a variety of issues. These spaces are essential in the expression of free speech and assemblies of people discussing their problems and challenges. They are mostly used for holding meetings pertaining social and political matters. Some of these issues turn and become historical and symbolic to the people of America. They are also grounds that people use for protests and demonstrations. The National Mall, for example, has seen numerous protests over the rights of minority groups in the society in a bid to end their misery.
The book emphasizes the impact of the public spaces on the social wellbeing of people. It is clear that people need grounds on which they can voice their issues and appeal to as many people as possible. The creation of such spaces is essential as a tool for promoting free speech and peaceful demonstrations. These activities are the rights of citizens according to the constitution, and they deserve a place they can exercise those rights without invading anybody’s privacy and causing chaos.

According to Benton (2016, p 37), the public spaces, since the eighteenth and the nineteenth centuries, has been a tool of driving democracy in a nation and providing a voice for the government from the people of a country. Their primary focus should be democracy development and not as a tool for political authority exercising. Such a situation is possible if the public spaces are used to propel constructive debates and discussions of national significance. The public spaces should also be created to foster unity and form healthy relationships between individual citizens and between citizens and the state in general. The freedom they allow is essential in ensuring that every person feels at home in the public spaces and that they can articulate their views and make suggestions without breaking any law or compromising the safety and privacy of others.
However, as much as the public space allows for the freedom of expression and speech, there are restrictions to the extent at which a person can exercise this right and liberty. These limits do not have to be formal. They can be just unwritten but still functional. These limits exist on the lines of unacceptable and acceptable behavior. For example, there are areas within parks and other public spaces that are complete smoking zones to cater to the requirements of those who smoke and protect others from being secondary smokers. Another unacceptable behavior that should be common to all people is decency. Indecent exposure and nudity in public is immoral and a violation of the rights of the people within that area. It is a compromise on morals and integrity within society.
This book shows the significance of the National Mall as a public space and the role it plays in shaping the identity of the American people. Lisa points out the importance of the National Mall and proves that it is not just a public space, but rather a symbol of the unity and cohesion among the American citizens. The book shows the numerous occasions and activities that the public space supports and facilitates. The National Mall receives more than twenty million visitors every year. These people visit the space with a variety of agenda that are not in conflict with the laws in place to maintain peace and harmony.
Like other public spaces, the National Mall is subject to occasional degradation due to neglect. From the discussions in Lisa Benton’s book, bad management has been an issue for most public spaces. It is relatively easy to neglect an area with no set administration to keep the space in proper order. For this reason, scholars propose a variety of ways to deal with the management issue. One of the solutions to conquer lousy management is privatization. In case such status is assigned a public space, it means that the private owner has control over the space though it would still be used as a public space (Jacobs, 1995, p. 108). It also means that the owners can place restrictions on the use and applicability of the space for social gatherings.
The Mall, regarding ownership and management, is a federal public space. Congress has direct control over the space as well as other federal agencies (Benton-Short, 2016, p. 43). It is therefore subject to bureaucracy in its operations concerning oversight and budgeting. This governance structure makes it almost impossible to have the parks and other public spaces serve and represent the public as required. Bureaucracy results to chaos as different agencies exercise their jurisdiction on one place at once. The mall faces unique political pressures as it hosts many critical historical gatherings and events. One of the most significant is the inauguration of President Barack Obama, which was highly attended by people all over the world.
Another conflict that exists is the issue of domestic protection in the face of an attack. Owing to the vast number of people who frequent public spaces, the Mall could be a vulnerable place that is prone to terrorist attacks. This possibility became an issue after the 9/11 attacks on American soil. These attacks removed the sense of security and safety that people enjoy as they exercise their freedom in a public space. Studies show that about 67% of the New Yorkers are unwilling to work in higher offices at the position of the World Trade Center for genuine concern of another terrorist attacks (Low, 2006, p. 46). Others fear that even in the absence of a terrorist attack, there isn’t enough security to exude confidence pertaining the safety of people. Such attacks also cause a reinforcement of restrictions at the Mall, thus limiting the freedom of the people to express ideas and promote democracy (Benton-Short, 2016, p. 48). They also tend to reinforce stereotypes regarding the public space and the activities it supports.
Another issue affecting the mall as a public space is the role of the redevelopment of other places to create more public spaces. These efforts affect the surrounding communities whose lives and welfare is sacrificed in a bid to urbanize and develop an area (Harvey, 2003, p. 14). These efforts divert the attention of the Mall to other sites such as recreated waterfronts. The Mall also faces pressure from built memorials and monuments within its vicinity. These new structures and symbols of the American government impose further restrictions to access and using the Mall as a tool for democratic proceedings among people. These additional memorials and parks at the Mall as well as an array of educational institutions limit the participation of the public in making decisions concerning the Mall (Benton-Short, 2016, p.53). As a public space, the citizens and users have a say concerning the decisions that the government makes pertaining the Mall.
The conflicts that face the national Mall post 9/11 are valid and require attention to restore the integrity of the place as America’s front yard. This public space needs to keep standing as a symbol of national unity and diversity in America. One of the ways that the government and other bodies maintain the integrity of the Mall involves advocating for the participation of the public in the decisions affecting the Mall. The citizens take part in proposing new design ideas for the development of the mall. That way, they feel like part of a united America where people articulate their opinions without fear of stereotypical prejudice. Benton’s book also points out the importance of security measures at the National Mall as a significant public place. As much as these security measures may restrict the access and use of the space for the articulation of ideas and debates, it is worth it as a preventative measure. The public needs to be understanding of the imposition of possible terrorist and security threats on American soil. It would be vain to allow access to the Mall at the expense of the safety of people. The protection of the Mall as a public space goes as far as involving the courts to pass and legalize legislations to reinforce the security of this significant public space (Iqbal & Ceccato, 2016, p. 152).

References
Benton-Short, L. (2016). The National Mall: No ordinary public space. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Harvey, D. (2003). The Right to the City. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 27(4), 939-941. doi:10.1111/j..2003.00492.xIqbal, A., & Ceccato, V. (2016). Is CPTED Useful to Guide the Inventory of Safety in Parks? A Study Case in Stockholm, Sweden. International Criminal Justice Review, 26(2), 150-168. doi:10.1177/1057567716639353
Jacobs, J. (1995). The Uses of Sidewalks. Metropolis, 105-110. doi:10.1007/978-1-349-23708-1_9
Low, S. M. (2006). The Erosion of Public Space and the Public Realm: paranoia, surveillance and privatization in New York City. City Society, 18(1), 43-49. doi:10.1525/city.2006.18.1.43