<h3>Transcript</h3>
Voice 1 &nbsp;

Welcome to Spotlight. I&rsquo;m Liz Waid.

Voice 2 &nbsp;

And I&rsquo;m Adam Navis. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

Voice 3 &nbsp;

&ldquo;Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans.

I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all... I send special greetings to the people of Cape Town. This city has been my home for three decades. Your mass marches and other forms of struggle have continually brought strength to all political prisoners.&rdquo;

Voice 1 &nbsp;

Nelson Mandela spoke these words in Cape Town, South Africa. The year was 1990. Mandela had just been released from prison after 27 years. The <em>first</em> place he went was the city&rsquo;s main square &ndash; named Grand Parade. A city square is a large public space in a city. And Cape Town&rsquo;s main square was special to Mandela. It was where the mass marches that he talked about took place while he was in prison. The day he was released, the square was crowded with thousands of people waiting for him.

Voice 2 &nbsp;

Important events like this often take place in city squares. They are also centres for daily business and many other activities. Today&rsquo;s Spotlight is on city squares. We look at how they are used and why they are important.

Voice 1 &nbsp;

City squares are not just simple places. Many people have tried to define what they are and what they mean. One book that tries to do this is called &ldquo;City Squares&rdquo;. Catie Marron wrote this book along with many other famous writers. They explored how people use these large empty spaces in the middle of cities around the world. They wrote about <em>why</em> the possibilities of city squares are so important.

Voice 4 &nbsp;

&ldquo;City squares are planned empty spaces. They are defined, first of all, by what they are not. Squares are a part of city life. They are neither natural nor standing alone. They are <em>of</em> the city as well as <em>in</em> it, but how they are used changes through history. Because of their very emptiness, they are full of possibility.&rdquo;

Voice 2 &nbsp;

People have built and used city squares since ancient times. All through history, city squares have helped people to develop economically. They have been centres of trade. They have helped cities to express their culture. And they remain popular areas for important social and political events.

Voice 1 &nbsp;

City squares are not always in the shape of a square. Some are round. Some are shaped like a fan, or half circle. Others are long and thin. Often, they even have special names that help people remember an important person or event in that city or country. But whatever their shape or name, city squares are not like any other place in a city.

Voice 2 &nbsp;

Many city squares are still important for a city&rsquo;s economy. Rynek Glowny, is the city square of Krakow, Poland. It is a large square with a long building in the middle. This building is a market. People can walk through and buy food, clothing and many other items. There are also restaurants around the outside of the square. On one end is a large, famous church. People come to Rynek Glowny to shop, to eat, to pray and just to meet other people.

Voice 1 &nbsp;

Another city square with a market is Jamaa El-Fna in Marrakesh, Morrocco. It is full of colourful business and activity. Catie Marron described a day there to The Huffington Post:

Voice 4 &nbsp;

&ldquo;It begins with local merchants selling fresh orange juice for people to drink. They arrive when the sun rises. And through the day, you will see lamp sellers, garden merchants, henna painters, medical experts, fortune tellers, snake charmers, dancers and musicians.&rdquo;

Voice 2 &nbsp;

City squares are also a place for people, especially children, to learn about their culture. There, people taste traditional food and experience music and dancing. They meet and talk with people of all ages who all have different experiences. The individual culture and customs of a city are shared in its square.

Voice 1 &nbsp;

Mexico City&rsquo;s Z&oacute;calo has been a place for people to meet since the 1400s. It was the historical centre of the Aztec Empire. Today, this huge empty space is in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. The square creates a space for people to gather and to celebrate. A large Mexican flag flies in the middle of the square. People from all positions in society can come to the square. They can meet and talk in a space that belongs to everyone.

Voice 2 &nbsp;

This common belonging also means that city squares are often places of political activity. City squares have been areas for meetings and protests for hundreds of years. These can be in support of the government. For example, huge parades often happen in Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. But often the political gatherings in squares are against the government. In 2011, thousands of people gathered in the city square of Cairo, Egypt. Tahrir Square is a large traffic circle. The crowds filled the square. These people worked together to make political change in their country.

Voice 1 &nbsp;

Squares are often also places that travellers visit. Tourists from many countries come to see the Red Square, in Moscow, Russia. This is because it has a strong political history. It is also very beautiful. The colourful government building, the Kremlin, is on this square. Local people and tourists pass through the square to enter nearby government buildings, parks, museums and other places of interest.

Voice 2 &nbsp;

But some people think that too much tourism can be a problem for city squares. In the past, city leaders have met to discuss the way people use city squares changes. They have said that tourism in squares can lead to less <em>local</em> cultural activity. Other changes in cities also make problems for city squares. For example, as cities grow larger, people live farther from the centre. They may be less likely to visit the city square.

Voice 1 &nbsp;

Many people agree that it is important to use and protect city squares. Journalist Michael Kimmelman is among them. He told the news organization NPR why he thinks people need city squares:

Voice 5 &nbsp;

&ldquo;For me a square is about an idea of what a city life can be. And it has to do with a sense of community, a sense of shared values, a sense of greater possibilities, and a sense of humanity."

Voice 2 &nbsp;

What do you think about city squares? Does your city have one? Have you ever been to a city square? What did you do there? Tell us about your experiences! You can leave a comment on our website, or our Facebook page at facebook.com/spotlightradio.

Voice 1 &nbsp;

The writer of this programme was Rena Dam. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom and the United States. All quotes were adapted for this programme and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at <a href="http://www.radioenglish.net">www.radioenglish.net</a>. This programme is called &lsquo;City Squares.&rsquo;

Voice 2 &nbsp;

You can also get our programmes delivered directly to your <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=spotlightenglish.android">Android</a> or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spotlight-english/id882759899?mt=8">Apple</a> device through our free official &lsquo;Spotlight English&rsquo; app. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight programme. Goodbye.

<div><em>Copyright 2016 by SpotlightEnglish.com. All rights reserved. No portion of Spotlight audio, video, and/or scripts shall be used without express written permission.</em>



Question:
Does your city have a city square? What happens there?


