Abstract

The relationship between space and politics was taken for granted in ancient times and has shaped European cities. Nowadays, however, whereas there is current agreement on the fact that (political) action shapes space, it appears less obvious that space can also shape political experience. This essay argues the latter point and tries to show how space shapes the experience of daily life in the public sphere as defined by Habermas - a space of communicative action. Exploring different public spaces in cities, it appears a) that spatial dimension is of great importance for the quality of life in the public sphere; b) that public spaces can become parts of the public sphere only if they are linked both with the small-scale daily life level and the large-scale institutional level of public life and are thus capable of accepting diversification and generating power.