What did democracy mean before liberalism? What are the consequences for our lives today? Combining history with political theory, this book restores the core meaning of democracy as collective and limited self-government by citizens. That, rather than majority tyranny, is what democracy meant in ancient Athens, before liberalism. Participatory self-government is the basis of political practice in 'Demopolis', a hypothetical modern state powerfully imagined by award-winning historian and political scientist Josiah Ober. Demopolis' residents aim to establish a secure, prosperous, and non-tyrannical community, where citizens govern as a collective, both directly and through representatives, and willingly assume the costs of self-government because doing so benefits them, both as a group and individually. Basic democracy, as exemplified in real Athens and imagined Demopolis, can provide a stable foundation for a liberal state. It also offers a possible way forward for religious societies seeking a realistic alternative to autocracy.

'Demo:Polis' draws on architecture, sociology, and urban studies to offer a dynamic interdisciplinary exploration of the contemporary meaning of public space. Featuring exemplary projects - such as the High Line and Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York, Alexanderplatz and Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin, Trafalgar Square in London, the Le Ventana de Mar park in Puerto Rico, and Madrid's Campo de Cebada - as well as a range of recent, at times controversial, artistic and urban design interventions that reflect criticisms of the status quo, the book delves into various approaches to the design - and redesign - of public space.

What did democracy mean before liberalism? What are the consequences for our lives today? These questions are examined by this book.