Public easement is the right of the public to use certain streets, highways, paths, or airspace, even though the areas are owned by others. In a public easement, the person who owns the land has to allow members of the public to access a defined area of his land for the reasons stated in the easement. A public easement is meant for the enjoyment of the whole public.
Example of a public easement is the right to walk on a sidewalk or to use public streets or highways.
See also: Easement
[Last updated in September of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]