How public are they? Privately owned public spaces in Shanghai, China

Global discourses on privately owned public spaces (POPS) remain largely confined to Western contexts, while Chinese research predominantly focuses on publicly owned and managed public spaces. This research shifts the focus to POPS in Shanghai, China. It assesses the publicness of 42 POPS in Shanghai, analyzes their spatial design, facility provision, social control, and daily use. Empirical evidence shows that the socio-spatial consequences of the rise of POPS in Shanghai are dynamic and reciprocal, not monolithic. The findings of the research enrich the ongoing global discourses about POPS and provide insights for policymaking.