In 1961, the City of New York, employing the device of law, inaugurated a new category of public space, “privately owned public space,” for use by its residents, employees, and visitors. Through a legal innovation subsequently known as incentive zoning, the city granted floor area bonuses and other valuable regulatory concessions to office and residential developers who would agree to provide plazas, arcades, atriums, and other outdoor and indoor spaces at their buildings.