Who owns the urban façade? City managers or citizens?

The management of city facades particularly in places where the landscapes have been created by private owners is today a controversial subject of debate among those involved in the management of urban facades issues. The most important question is the exact position of the private owners of urban facades as well as the municipalities in decision-makings over the management of city landscapes.
There are three approaches for making decisions over city facades. The first approach considers the municipality as the sole owner of city facades. The second approach is supported by the owners of buildings which comprise a significant share of city facades. The third approach is a more balanced combination of the above.
It considers the rights of both private owners of buildings and the municipalities. The solution over decisions regarding city facades is sought through the middle ground with a slight inclination to one of them. Nevertheless, this approach is often faced with criticisms in certain areas.
It appears that an efficient equation between the rights of the private building owners and municipalities is a complex
issue which is yet to be designed and put into work. The failure of these approaches to create a balance between the
rights of both sides is a testimony to the complexity of the problem.