Almost seventy years ago, the Supreme Court ushered “place” into First Amendment jurisprudence with this statement: “Wherever the title of streets and parks may rest, they have immemorially been held in trust for the use of the public and time out of mind have been used for the purposes of assembly, communicating thoughts between citizens and discussing public questions.” As we saw in Chapter 2, since colonial times, “quintessential” public spaces – streets, squares, and parks – have indeed been integral to the exercise of public liberties. Over time, these places have literally and figuratively been inscribed with our history, politics, and values. All of our social and political movements, for example, have relied upon access to such places. By virtue of their prominence and their special relation to public democracy, some of these inscribed places – for example, the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and Central Park in New York City – have become sacred places. Access to inscribed and sacred places is symbolic of an enduring commitment to public liberties and public democracy. Among all the places on the expressive topography, none serve the democratic functions of place – identity, participation, and transparency – more directly than do these places. If First Amendment liberties are to survive in this country, then at least public streets, sidewalks, parks, squares, and commons must remain open to press, petition, assembly, and expression.