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Goa's 2024 Town and Country Planning Act and the Erosion of Public Commons

opinion-review · 2026-04-29

In a series of editorials named "What makes a space public?", V.V. Kusum Priya asserts that Section 39A of Goa's 2024 Town and Country Planning Act signifies more than just a legal concern; it highlights the decline of an unacknowledged yet collectively maintained commons. The article argues that if publicness is solely defined by legal access, these areas were never genuinely public. Reshma Esther Thomas is also cited, emphasizing that viewing public space merely in terms of square footage, zoning, or physical access overlooks crucial aspects. This editorial challenges traditional notions of public space and interrogates who truly benefits from the associated legislation.

Key facts

  • V.V. Kusum Priya argues about Section 39A of Goa's 2024 Town and Country Planning Act
  • The editorial series is titled 'What makes a space public?'
  • Reshma Esther Thomas is quoted on public space being more than spatial conditions
  • The piece contends that reducing publicness to legal accessibility implies landscapes were never public
  • The argument focuses on the erosion of a collectively sustained commons
  • The editorial questions who benefits from legislation surrounding public space
  • The source is architecture.live
  • The content is part of an editorial series

Entities

Locations

  • Goa
  • India

Sources