28. SJI Interviews Ep13: The Politics of Public Space, with Janet Horner

June 3rd is World Day of the Bicycle and our guest for the occasion is Janet Horner, a Green Party Councillor representing North Inner City Dublin and a long-time cycling activist.

Not many of us consider public space to be a political battleground. But issues around who gets to use public space and how, and how we’ve structured the built environment of our towns and cities, are inherently political issues, with significant socio-economic, health, environmental, human rights, and particularly gender dimensions.

As we re-consider the extent to which our society and systems are built around the needs of capital, and not around community living or creating a more caring society, discussions like this are a necessary part of the conversation.