The writer examines two issues which are at the core of the activity of public art professionals, but the implications of which can be set aside in the day-to-day administration of public art: 1. The changing perception of community involvement and the efforts that are being made to incorporate the ideas of people who will live with a given work or environment. 2. The very slippery issue of quality in public art because the proliferation of public art projects has actually produced more bad public art than many are willing to acknowledge. He also discusses aspects of public art that are considered important by members of the public art profession including legal issues, the relationship between funders and public art, and the impact of the memorial-monument trade on public commemorative art in the .

The writer examines issues which are at the core of the activity of public art professionals, but the implications of which can be set aside in the day-to-day administration of public art.