If it sounds oxymoronic, it’s because it is: a “privately-owned public space” (POPS) is an area within a private building that’s technically open to anyone – that is, anyone who can find it. Established in the 1960s by the New York City government, POPS earned property owners bonuses like extra floor space not otherwise allowed by zoning restrictions. These bizarre urban nether-regions have come under criticism; many of the 525 POPS are inaccessible, uninviting, or downright unusable. However, recent initiatives have been crowd-sourcing public knowledge to map and document them, in an effort to yank city-space back into public hands. Next time you’re in NYC, maybe this interactive map by APOPS@MAS can help you find a strange, secluded place away from it all – and close to you. (ew)
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