The Toronto Public Space Initiative says it’s good that the city is trying to make POPS more accessible. "But if they use it as an excuse not to develop their own public spaces, that’s a problem because [POPS] don’t have the same role in our civic life as, say, Nathan Phillips Square," Mr. Young says. For example, if you attempt to use a POPS to stage a protest, the owner can kick you off.

The Advocates' website went live last week, complete with an interactive map that tags POPS by amenity. Each privately owned public space now has its own page, complete with ratings, comments, and a site plan.

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts has reached agreement in principle with the owner of Harmony Atrium, an indoor privately owned public space (POPS) located between Broadway and Columbus Avenue between West 62nd and West 63rd Streets, to transform the 6,900 square foot underutilized indoor space into a creative, interdisciplinary public venue that informs, entertains, and educates the public.