Parks, Plazas, and Possibility: Rethinking Public Space Through Capabilities

What if a sidewalk could shape your freedom? In this episode of Bookshelves and Braincells, host Nishanth Araveti reimagines New York City’s public spaces—not as passive amenities or square footage on a planner’s map, but as active enablers of human flourishing.

Drawing on the capability approach developed by Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum, we move beyond metrics like usage rates and economic value to ask: What can people actually do in and through public space? From community gardens in East Harlem to the shimmering spectacle of the High Line, we uncover the hidden politics, possibilities, and inequities encoded into the urban fabric.

With vivid case studies—libraries as quiet revolutions, restrooms as tools of dignity, and streets transformed into playgrounds—this episode challenges listeners to rethink spatial justice as not just a matter of access, but of agency, expression, and survival.