| Description |
Despite a large body of literature describing the way rural public lands are used in Utah and their contestation and significance, there is a gap in research conducted on the contestation of urban public spaces. In 1999, a block of Main Street was sold from Salt Lake City to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This study addresses the process through which the sale took place and the implications on the space's accessibility and publicness. Specifically, it focuses on Main Street Plaza's contestation, using historical analysis to determine the major power-brokers in the sale, to what degree the public was involved in the sale, and how those against the plaza opposed it. A variety of themes emerged, including the way strategic framing was utilized to gain public approval and overlook public dissent. Additionally, participant observation is employed to gauge the way the space was utilized, specifically noting if people appeared to feel comfortable in the space behaving as they would in a public park, and what types of people chose to enter the space. An analysis of historical documents and participant behavior shows that the plaza was contested from the start of the original negotiations at the end of the twentieth century to the way it is utilized today. The space also, through formal rules and "social facts" that have emerged over time, is particularly inviting to certain groups and behaviors, while more isolating to others. The publicness of the space and the contestation continues to shape urban life and democratic processes. |
