Concentrating minds: how the Greeks designed spaces for public debate

What can we learn from ancient Greece when it comes to designing spaces for political debate? In an article for Theatrum Mundi, Richard Sennett describes how ancient Athenians used amphitheatres and the agora to debate, take decisions and participate in public life. He recalls Aristotle’s notion of how a complex urban society could reconcile differences. Modern societies – where concentrating on a political question has become ever more difficult – need public spaces conducive to focus and deliberation.