The concept of a virtual public space is the stuff of science fiction: a virtual shopping mall, street, or park—a virtual place that is freely accessible to anyone from anywhere with a device that allows one to freely move and act as if one were in a public space.
Garnered by sheer technological advancement, such a space would imitate the sights, sensations, and possibilities of stepping out of one’s actual front door. A virtual public space would allow the user of a virtual reality (VR) headset, or otherwise yet unknown technology, to roam freely among other users, engage in conversations, stroll through a park, or try on the newest sneakers as one’s virtual self to fit one’s real self’s feet, without ever leaving one’s home.