Why Democracy Needs Plazas: From Athens to Tahrir Square

Описание: From the Athenian agora to Tahrir Square, from Washington’s National Mall to Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement, democracy has always needed space to live. This episode explores how public plazas, squares and streets became the heart of democratic life, stages for freedom, protest and participation.
We’ll trace the story from ancient Athens and Rome, through Renaissance Italy and Enlightenment coffee houses, to the great squares of Paris, Prague, Cairo, Seoul, Mexico City and beyond. Along the way, we’ll see how democratic cities reveal patterns of openness, visibility, flexibility and risk and how today, those spaces face new threats from privatization, surveillance and commercialization.

🌍 Chapters:
0:00 – Tahrir Square
0:50 – Athens and the Agora
2:30 – Renaissance & Enlightenment Plazas
3:35 – Washington DC & American Democracy
5:10 – European People’s Squares
6:17 – 20th Century Democratic Showdowns
7:15 – Global South & Decolonization
8:35 – Everyday Democracy in Cities
9:35 – Patterns of Democratic Urbanism
10:17 – Challenges Today
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📚 References
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