According to the 19th century writer John Ruskin, “The measure of any great civilization is its cities; and the measure of a city’s greatness is to be found in the quality of its public spaces- its parkland and squares.” In this episode of ON CITIES, host Carie Penabad will speak with Meg Daly and Isabel Castilla about the role of contemporary public space in America. High quality public space is vital for the social life of a community, the economic competitiveness and environmental performance of a city and the overall health and well-being of its population. Yet despite these virtues, the development of public space in America is increasingly challenged due to the surge of privatization and the rise of land costs in urban centers throughout the country. Castilla and Daly will share the success story of The Underline project, a new 10-mile linear park that is transforming the land below Miami’s elevated Metro rail into a linear park, urban trail and public art destination. When complete, the project will provide 120 areas of new public space for the city, radically transforming the citizen’s relationship to nature, transportation and recreation. Tune in Friday, July 7, 2023 at 11:00 AM EST, 8:00 PST on the Voice America Variety Channel https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/4119/on-cities; and find all previous episodes on Spotify, Apple iTunes or your favorite podcast platform.