Contested Histories in Public Spaces is a multi-year initiative intended to address controversies over statues, memorials, street names and other representations of disputed historical legacies in public spaces. As part of this project, a group of experts – convened by the IBA, Salzburg Global Seminar and the IHJR – has prepared a volume of ten case studies addressing the political, legal and cultural dynamics in facilitating or complicating the resolution of public disputes over contested historical legacies in public spaces.

The ten case studies in this volume were selected with a twofold purpose: first, to examine the dynamics around specific contestations around the world in recent, real-world situations to demonstrate that these contestations are a global phenomenon; and second, to identify ‘best practices’ that can help decision-makers faced with similar situations address them in an effective and responsible manner. While every contestation will have its own unique constellation of social, political, legal and cultural dynamics, it is hoped that these cases can provide insight into the complex interplay of these forces.