Public Space as Space of Intimacy: In/Visible Tactics in Romantic Expression

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-717-0_6How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Romantic Expression; Space of Intimacy; Visibility; Invisibility; Spatial tactics

Abstract

The phenomenon of public display of affection (PDA) or romantic expression in public spaces provokes various social reactions, particularly in Indonesian society that uphold strong social norms. In urban context, public spaces serve as important arenas where individuals express intimate and private romantic gestures openly. This study examines how architecture can play an inclusive role in accommodating romantic expressions while also addressing the social taboos surrounding PDA in public. To explore this issue, the research draws on the theory of space of intimacy by Charton & Boudreau (2017), proxemics by Edward T. Hall (1990), affordance by James J. Gibson (1979), and Brighenti’s (2007) theory of visibility and invisibility tactics, along with other supporting theories. Using a qualitative method, data was collected from two case study locations which were urban parks through field observation and interviews conducted on both weekdays and weekends. Findings from this study indicate that romantic couples use spatial tactics and body gestures by being invisible from public view, allowing romantic expression without feeling directly scrutiny. Meanwhile, social surveillance is carried out by regulators (through public space managers) by increasing surveillance and visibility to regulate activities deemed to violate social norms. Thus, public spaces become inclusive environments capable of ac-accommodating diverse experiences, including the intimate emotional expression for romantic couples that are considered taboo in public spaces.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Melvin Dearny
AU  - Enira Arvanda
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/25
TI  - Public Space as Space of Intimacy: In/Visible Tactics in Romantic Expression
BT  - Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Quality in Research (QiR 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 62
EP  - 77
SN  - 2352-5401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-717-0_6
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-717-0_6
ID  - Dearny2026
ER  -