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Artist urges city to inventory and sign privately owned public open spaces
Summary
An artist who documented Palo Alto’s privately owned public open spaces (POPOS) urged the council to increase visibility and enforce ordinance details, including signage and clearer terms in development agreements.
Artist and longtime Palo Alto resident Lisa Van Duzen presented research documenting 12 privately owned public open spaces (POPOS) created through development agreements between 1989 and 2013 and urged the city to improve transparency and signage so residents know these spaces exist and can use them.
Van Duzen said she compiled ordinances, mapped the POPOS and created an exhibition (palaltopopos.org) to raise public awareness. She told council the POPOS vary widely in size and quality: "Some are hidden gems, really true treasures, and some are underwhelming," she said, adding that the terms of the development agreements and ordinances vary and that the city could better implement simple measures such as benches and signage.
Van Duzen offered to give council a Brown Act–compliant tour and to host an exhibition talk at Avenidas on the project. She recommended clearer signage like that used in San Francisco and New York so passersby recognize the spaces as public. She also called for the city to follow the ordinance language and clarify ownership and maintenance obligations when development agreements are ambiguous.
Ending: Van Duzen said the exhibition will be on display through Oct. 31 at Avenidas and invited council members to tour the POPOS with her and staff; she asked the city to investigate and improve signage and public access policies for POPOS.
