Researcher ORCID Identifier

0009-0007-4937-3720

Graduation Year

2026

Date of Submission

12-2025

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Philosophy

Reader 1

Alex Rajczi

Abstract

This thesis examines how the design and regulation of public space determine who may appear, and how they may flourish. Although urban planners and policy makers often claim neutrality, I argue that public space is never truly neutral. Each space embodies assumptions about what these spaces are for and whose presence is preferred. To clarify these commitments, I analyze Bernardo Zacka’s four political imaginaries—the Liberal, Egalitarian, Civic-Republican, and Democratic—which offer competing but defensible visions of public space. Because these imaginaries prescribe incompatible uses, the idea of balancing them is insufficient without determining which values should take priority.

Drawing on Jeremy Waldron’s account of homelessness and freedom, I argue that the Liberal imaginary must come first because basic freedoms require guaranteed lawful access to some physical space. However, once this threshold condition is secured, there are still remaining conflicts among legitimate uses of public space. To address these conflicts, I turn to Avigail Ferdman’s critique of liberal neutrality. I use her proposed perfectionist framework for evaluating how spaces should be organized once existence is protected.

These findings reveal that treating public space as neutral obscures structural injustices and leads to policies that inadvertently erase vulnerable populations. By establishing both a baseline of freedom and a method for evaluating higher-order spatial conflicts, this thesis offers a principled approach for navigating competing demands in finite urban environments. The significant implication is that public spaces must be intentionally designed to enable people not only to be present, but to live well together.

Download

This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

Share

COinS